- The UAE’s Digital Tourist VAT Refund System kept expanding in H1 2026, with registered connected retail outlets rising 5.9% to about 19,340.
- 449 outlets were newly connected in the first half of 2026, bringing the total added over the past 2.5 years to 2,983.
- Self-service refund kiosks increased to 100 by June 2026, up from 93 a year earlier, with 23 added over the past 2.5 years.
- The FTA said the system has been improved for faster, fully digital VAT refunds, allowing tourists to complete transactions in minutes.
- The Noon e-commerce platform was added, enabling VAT refunds on eligible online purchases in the UAE, while the top beneficiary nationalities were India, Russia, Turkey, China, and the US.
Source: tax.gov.ae
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
