50 articles
Economy
Emirates, Dubai Duty Free and Dubai's Department of Finance have all switched on crypto payment options in the past year, converting Bitcoin and other digital assets into dirhams at the point of sale. For UAE founders and finance teams, the shift signals where regulated payment rails, not speculative trading, are actually heading next.
Economy
Dubai International Financial Centre has surpassed 10,000 active registered companies for the first time in its history, growing 30 percent over the past year on the back of surging demand from AI, fintech and wealth management firms. The milestone strengthens Dubai's push to become one of the world's top four financial centres under the D33 economic agenda.
Real Estate
Dubai and Abu Dhabi office rents posted double-digit growth in the second quarter of 2026 even as residential transactions and hotel occupancy pulled back sharply, according to CBRE Middle East. The divergence points to a UAE property market that is maturing unevenly across sectors rather than slowing down altogether.
Aviation
India's largest airline, IndiGo, has appointed Kiran Thadimarri as Chief Financial Officer effective July 28, replacing Gaurav Negi, as the carrier manages rising fuel costs while expanding one of its busiest international corridors, the UAE. The leadership change lands just as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah routes anchor IndiGo's Gulf growth strategy.
Technology
Construction on Stargate UAE, the 1-gigawatt AI infrastructure cluster being built in Abu Dhabi by G42 with OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA and Cisco, is advancing toward a 2026 first-phase launch. The project anchors a wider push that is turning the UAE into one of the world's most closely watched AI infrastructure hubs.
Economy
Dubai is rolling out new strategic initiatives to attract global family offices and institutional investors, reinforcing its position as one of the world's fastest-growing wealth management hubs. The push builds on a wave of relocations that has already brought hundreds of family offices to the emirate over the past two years.
Technology
The fifth edition of the Data Innovation Summit MEA returns to Dubai on 14 and 15 October, bringing together more than 50 speakers from companies including DP World, Emirates Group and the Dubai Health Authority. The agenda centers on closing the gap between operational AI use and full enterprise transformation, with dedicated stages on AI governance, data strategy and agentic AI.
Funding
Dubai SME has folded its long running Hamdan Innovation Incubator into Dubai Founders HQ and opened applications for a new 16 week programme supporting 20 Emirati entrepreneurs from idea stage. The move gives early stage founders direct access to mentors, investors and corporate partners without requiring prior funding or a registered company.
Economy
Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, is preparing to reopen an office in the Dubai International Financial Centre six years after shifting its regional base to Abu Dhabi. The move signals deepening confidence among global institutional investors in Dubai's financial ecosystem.
Technology
UAE telecom operator du reported a 10 percent rise in second-quarter net profit to AED 798 million, even as regional geopolitical tensions slowed customer activation. The company is accelerating capital spending on data centers and next-generation connectivity to sustain its growth momentum.
Tourism
Dubai has launched 'A Dubai Invite,' a tourism incentive programme that rewards residents for bringing friends and family from abroad to visit the emirate. Running through October 31, 2026, the initiative offers hotel discounts of up to 45 percent and other perks to roughly 200 eligible nationalities.
Economy
The UAE has approved a National Statistics Programme to rebuild its GDP data series from 2010 to 2026 using a new 2024 base year, aiming to sharpen official economic indicators. The initiative is led by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre alongside the Central Bank, Ministry of Finance and Federal Tax Authority to strengthen investor confidence.
Real Estate
A single off-plan apartment at Aman Residences Dubai has changed hands for Dh166.07 million, one of the emirate's largest apartment deals this year. The sale lands amid a record-breaking first half for Dubai's ultra-luxury property market.
Technology
As the UAE races to embed artificial intelligence across government and industry, a new op-ed argues that trust, not adoption speed, will decide who leads the AI era. Four interlinked pillars, covering autonomous systems, sovereignty, quantum readiness and resilience, are put forward as the foundation.
Economy
The Dubai Financial Services Authority has opened a consultation on the most significant overhaul of the DIFC's investment funds regime since 2010, proposing a shift to risk-based rules for fund managers. The reforms touch everything from credit fund capital requirements to plans for tokenised fund units.
Funding
Deep Finance Capital has launched in Dubai's DIFC as the first AI-native asset manager, running its investment process through a proprietary platform called NEXT. The firm, which emerged from Rasameel Investment House, is positioning itself as a bridge between European institutional capital and Gulf investment opportunities.
News
Dubai has launched the third phase of its Ethraa programme, with all 146 Community Development Authority supervised non-profit organisations taking part to strengthen governance, sustainability and institutional excellence. The initiative supports the goals of the Dubai Social Agenda 33.
Economy
The UAE has concluded 37 Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements, with 18 already in force, as talks continue with roughly 20 more countries. The expanding trade network is a central pillar of the UAE's push to grow non-oil trade to AED4 trillion by 2031.
Economy
Awqaf Dubai's securities investment portfolio reached AED1.475 billion in market value in the first half of 2026, up 5.5 percent, as the endowment institution posted strong recurring returns and a sharp jump in new investment activity.
Real Estate
Dubai's real estate market recorded AED419.9 billion in transactions across 112,850 deals in the first half of 2026, with off-plan office sales alone hitting a record AED13.1 billion. The figures point to continued investor confidence across residential and commercial property.
Funding
Dubai Future District Fund added eight new investment commitments in 2025, growing its portfolio to 30 positions across venture funds and startups. The expansion leans further into artificial intelligence and property technology as part of Dubai's D33 economic agenda.
Finance
Gulf Indian families are diversifying globally, and formalising succession planning as one of the region's largest generational wealth transfers accelerates in 2026.
Economy
Dubai Islamic Bank posted 10% gross revenue growth and improved asset quality in Q2 2026, even as rising costs and taxation weighed on profitability.
Real Estate
Dubai's residential property market posted Dh225.7 billion in H1 2026 transactions, led by Indian and British buyers, even as regional tension briefly tested demand.
Tourism
Minor Hotels, the parent company behind Anantara and Avani, is deepening its UAE investment after staycations helped the hospitality sector weather a slower period for international travel. The group's newest move, taking over management of Sharjah's seven-property nature and heritage collection, signals long-term confidence in the UAE market.
Economy
Dubai's 24K gold price has climbed Dh5 over two days as fears of near-term US rate hikes ease, though it remains Dh14.50 below its July high. The gap is giving buyers a short-term window to purchase gold before prices potentially move higher again.
Finance
The Reserve Bank of India and the Central Bank of the UAE have opened talks on foreign currency deposit rules, a move that could make it easier for NRIs in the Gulf to bank across both countries. The discussions point to deeper financial ties between two of each other's largest trade and remittance partners.
Economy
Dubai Islamic Bank posted Dh12.4 billion in gross revenue for the first half of 2026, up 10 percent year on year, as financing growth and improved asset quality strengthened the UAE's largest Islamic lender. The results point to continued resilience across the UAE banking sector heading into the second half of the year.
Aviation
Emirates has introduced Equated Monthly Instalment payment options for customers booking flights in India, letting travellers split ticket costs into plans of three to 36 months. The move covers close to 140 destinations across the airline's network and is aimed at making international travel more accessible to Indian customers.
Energy
UAE motorists may see fuel price relief slow after Brent crude jumped above 85 dollars a barrel following reported Iranian strikes on two UAE tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Whether pump prices keep falling now depends on where oil settles over the coming weeks, not on a single day's spike.
Economy
Dubai's diamond trade reached a record 41.7 billion dollars in 2025, with the emirate also moving a record 359.5 million carats for the first time in the same year. The figures, released by Dubai Customs and DMCC, cement Dubai's position as one of the world's most connected precious stones hubs.
Economy
Dubai hotels are preparing for a strong fourth quarter as bookings from the UK, Russia and CIS markets rebound following eased travel restrictions, hotel executives say. Demand is expected to build from August and peak during the festive season, supported by a record 19.59 million visitors in 2025.
Economy
Gold prices in Dubai held largely steady on 8 July 2026, even as Iranian strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait pushed regional tension higher, with 24K trading at Dh497 per gram. Analysts say US interest rate expectations, not geopolitics alone, are now the bigger swing factor for bullion.
Real Estate
Dubai’s property market is shifting from investor-led speculation to a long-term living economy, with population growth past 4 million and Dh32.2 billion in Q1 rental contracts underscoring the change. The trend points to a more stable, end-user-driven market that should hold up better through future cycles.
Funding
MENA startup funding dropped 22% year on year to $1.35 billion in the first half of 2026 as regional conflict and cautious investors pulled back, with deal count falling 41% to the lowest half-year total since 2022. The UAE still captured 66% of all regional funding, led by three major BlueFive Capital-backed rounds.
Real Estate
Prices for Dubai's prime waterfront homes have climbed more than 140 percent over the past five years, driven by a shrinking pool of beachfront inventory and steady demand from global high-net-worth buyers. Palm Jumeirah and similar addresses continue to lead the market, reinforcing Dubai's reputation as one of the world's most resilient luxury property destinations.
Funding
Dubai-based AVELIN AI has raised 3.7 million dollars in pre-seed funding to expand its sovereign AI platform for governments and regulated enterprises. The capital will strengthen GPU infrastructure and support the startup's push into Europe and North America.
Technology
The United States has eased export rules for the UAE, letting approved government bodies and companies buy advanced Nvidia AI chips without a licence for the first time. The move places the UAE alongside Washington's closest allies and is expected to accelerate data centre and AI infrastructure growth across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Economy
Dubai workers can now file individual or collective complaints about wages, accommodation, and workplace safety directly through the DubaiNow app's new Worker Voice service, developed by Dubai Police. The launch adds to a fast-expanding digital labour compliance system that already covers a stricter, government-run Wage Protection System.
Technology
UAE spacetech firm Space42 and Skylo Technologies have successfully tested two-way SMS and SOS messaging on a standard Android phone with no extra hardware, using the Thuraya-4 satellite. Commercial rollout is expected by the end of 2026, pending regulatory approval.
Real Estate
Dubai Roads and Transport Authority has completed the first tunnelling phase of the Dh20.5 billion Metro Blue Line in just two months, using a boring machine that weighs more than 2,000 tonnes. The 30km line will add 14 stations by 2029 and is expected to cut road congestion by 20 percent.
Aviation
Emirates will double its Airbus A350 operations between Dubai and Colombo from August 8, 2026, adding a second daily service and expanding Premium Economy capacity as the airline marks 40 years in Sri Lanka.
Business
Dubai Taxi Company has completed a Dh1.45 billion acquisition of National Taxi, becoming the UAE's largest taxi operator with a combined fleet of more than 9,500 vehicles across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Technology
Dubai's DIFC has announced a plan to become the world's first AI native financial centre, one where AI agents can be formally registered as recognised participants alongside banks and asset managers. The centre is backing the shift with $350 million, and projects it will unlock $3.5 billion in economic value and 25,000 new jobs.
Real Estate
Dubai's real estate market is shifting from short-term speculation toward long-term residency, with the population now above 4 million and rental contracts reaching Dh32.2 billion in the first quarter of 2026 alone. Analysts say structural maturity, not just deal volume, is now defining the emirate's property story.
Aviation
Dubai has secured the world's first regulatory certification for a purpose built commercial vertiport, clearing a major hurdle for its planned air taxi network. The VDX site near Dubai International Airport will anchor a system of four vertiports designed to move passengers above the city's traffic within the next few years.
Technology
The UAE wants 10,000 AI companies operating on its soil within five years, up from about 1,500 today, and Dubai has just approved a two-year plan to bring agentic AI to 295,000 private companies. For founders deciding where to build, the gap between where the UAE is now and where it wants to be is the opportunity.
Real Estate
Dubai's office market sold Dh13.1 billion worth of space in the first six months of 2026, more than the total recorded across the previous seven years. Business Bay alone accounted for Dh6.8 billion of that figure, underlining Dubai's shift from a property story to a global capital destination.
Technology
A new Dubai Future Foundation report warns that artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces faster than organisations can redesign how work actually happens. The report calls for a sharper focus on human skills, education reform and leadership as automation reshapes the labour market.
Real Estate
UAE developers are moving from launch events to active groundbreaking as regional tensions ease and buyer confidence holds firm. Dubai closed the first half of 2026 with a record breaking Dh419.9 billion in property transactions, giving builders the confidence to press ahead with new towers, offices and waterfront homes.