Good morning, friends. The local news cycle has slowed down a bit after a couple of busy days. We have fresh M&A activity, more details on the region’s first commercial-scale waste-to-hydrogen plant, and the ins and outs of the UAE’s EUR 1 bn energy cable agreement with Italy and Albania.

WEATHER- It’s another crisp day in the UAE, with fair to partly cloudy skies and light-blowing winds across the emirates, according to the National Center of Meteorology (pdf). However, humidity will rise at night and tomorrow morning, potentially fogging up windows. The mercury in Dubai will reach 27°C, with a low of 20°C, and will peak at 25°C in Abu Dhabi, before also dropping to 16°C.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Is crypto mining taxable? The Federal Tax Authority issued a public clarification(pdf) explaining the tax treatment of cryptocurrency mining — mining for your own account is not subject to value-added tax (VAT), while mining on behalf of another person is considered a “taxable supply of services.”

#2- Trina Solar seeks partner for USD 5 bn solar project in UAE: Chinese solar energy firm Trina Solar is on the hunt for a partner to help it set up USD 5 bn integrated solar power generation chain in the UAE, The National reports, citing Vincent Wu, the company’s head for the Middle East and Africa. No further details were provided on the project’s estimated cost or timeline. The project was first brought to light in December 2023.

ALSO- The company is looking into setting up manufacturing hubs in the region, with a focus on expanding sales of solar modules and energy storage solutions in the near term, Wu said.

#3- Kenya is in discussions with the UAE to help the country extend its Standard Gauge Railway to connect it with Uganda and South Sudan, Kenyan President William Ruto said on X. Both countries will conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the expansion’s potential and economic impact.

ICYMI- The UAE and Kenya signed an economic partnership agreement earlier this week aiming to deepen trade and investment ties, strengthen supply chains, and improve market access across the Middle East and Africa.

PSA-

Time to re-register your drone: All drone certificates issued before 6 January, 2025 will no longer be valid, and owners must re-register their drones via the UAE Drones app, the General Civil Aviation Authority said in a post on X. Drone owners must ensure their drones are equipped with a remote identification system and that the UAE Drones app is used during operation. A training certificate from an accredited center is required, as well as a product status statement from the Industry and Advanced Technology Ministry.

REMEMBER- The Interior Ministry lifted its conditional ban on drone use for individuals on 7 January except for Dubai.

HAPPENING TODAY-

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) kicked off on Sunday and runs through to 18 January at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. The event features 11 events gathering policymakers, industry leaders, and youth to discuss global sustainability solutions and foster collaborations.

Today is the final day of SteelFab at the Expo Center in Sharjah. The event features global brands and exhibitors from 33 countries, focusing on steel fabrication technologies, including manufacturers from the UK, Germany, the US, China, and India.

The Dubai International Project Management Forum wraps up today. The event brought together experts in project management from various countries to discuss innovative approaches to project operations, risk management, and AI applications.

It’s the third and final day of the Light + Intelligent Building Middle East exhibition at the Dubai World Trade Center. The lighting and building technology expo brought together industry experts and government bodies, with attendees from over 90 countries.

The Dell Technologies Forum 2025 is being held today at the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai. The event gives attendees the chance to explore the latest in the tech world and network with industry leaders.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

One story is on every front page this morning: Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement that would pause the war on Gaza and see both sides exchange hostages starting Sunday and for six weeks. The agreement will unfold over three phases, with the first phase seeing the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza and a full ceasefire. (Reuters | AP | Bloomberg | FT | CNBC | WSJ | NY Times)

Why now? While ceasefire negotiations have been happening on and off for over a year, the Financial Times claims that president-elect Donald Trump’s threat that there would be “hell to pay” if he took office before the release of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza “injected renewed momentum into the long-stalled talks.”

What’s next? The AP dives into what the agreement means for Israel, Hamas, and the region.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Nvidia RTX AI GameCraft will take place on 23 January at Emirates Towers Boulevard in Dubai. Hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation in collaboration with Nvidia GeForce Middle East, the event will gather game developers, students, and industry professionals to create innovative games using Nvidia’s RTX AI technology. Some 15 developers will make it to the finals to compete for the top three spots.

The Global Government Cloud Forum will take place on 21 January in the Museum of the Future in Dubai. The forum will see participation from government representatives, private sector organizations, think tanks, and international organizations, including the World Bank’s Cloud Computing Working Group. It includes keynotes, panel discussions, and workshops to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange pertaining to cloud-enabled public administration.

The International Conference on Pharma and Medicine will take place between 21-23 January at the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park. The event offers a platform for potential collaboration in the pharma manufacturing and healthcare sectors.

The Sharjah Real Estate Exhibition (Acres) will take place between 22-25 January at the Expo Center in Sharjah. The event features networking and business prospects in the property sector, face-to-face discussions with developers and industry experts, and exploration of the latest trends in real estate.

BreakBulk Middle East will take place between 10-11 February at the Dubai World Trade Center. The event will gather over 7.5k professionals from the manufacturing, EPCs, project ownership, and transport sectors, providing ample networking prospects and driving potential customer leads.

The World Local Production Forum will take place between 7-9 April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. The World Health Organization event will bring together global leaders to discuss sustainable local production and strategies to enhance access to quality health products.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

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