Good morning, wonderful people. The news cycle is now firmly in the grips of the end-of-year slowdown, particularly as markets across the Western world were closed yesterday for Christmas.

WORTH YOUR TIME- The UAE has made plenty of progress rolling out its gaming framework this year, but that rollout has raised concerns and regulatory questions — particularly when it comes to emirate-level enforcement and how that might lead to discrepancies. Even as these “gray zones” remain, it’s looking like ambiguity is typical of the current transitional phase, and will eventually be tightened up as authorities bridge these gaps.

WEATHER- Expect another slightly cloudy day, with a chance of rainfall in the northern emirates. The mercury reaches a warm 26°C and a low of 19°C in Dubai, and 24°C along with a low of 17°C in Abu Dhabi.

Watch this space

DFZC approves digital unification: Dubai’s Freezones Council (DFZC) is moving forward with plans for a new unified digital platform designed to connect all of the emirate’s freezones, Gulf News reports. The consolidated system aims to centralize access to regulatory approvals and permits, streamlining procedures for investors.

PSA

You can now bring your furry friends to hotels and restaurants in Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi’s department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has amended its tourism regulations to allow hotels and restaurants with a tourism license to admit pets into their venues, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. While hotels and restaurants were previously prohibited from allowing pets, they can now choose to be pet-friendly — and the ones who do will likely allocate specified areas for pets in both open and indoor spaces.

Happening today

President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will land in Pakistan today to discuss bilateral ties with the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Arab News reports. Talks will cover regional issues and boost cooperation with Islamabad across key sectors including trade, investment, energy, and development.

In context: Pakistan is the UAE’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US. The UAE is also a major investor in Pakistan, with investments from the likes of AD Ports in the country’s infrastructure, and a recent government-to-government agreement to operate Islamabad International Airport.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The Christmas news slowdown is rather apparent in the global business press this morning, as Western markets remain closed for a long weekend. A handful

The US carried out a strikeagainst the Islamic State in Nigeria last night, in an operation it coordinated with the Nigerian military. The strikes were in response to allegations that the terrorist group has been “slaughtering” Christians in the country, even as Nigerian authorities say that a “web of violent armed groups, with different motives and spread across the country, kills as many Muslims as Christians.”

Back on the business side of things: Climate investments are back in favor among investors, with green bond and loan issuances netting nearly USD 1 tn this year and green stocks soaring. Clean energy indexes are set to close 2025 in the green (no pun intended) for the first time since 2020, “outperforming the S&P 500 by a wide margin, while shares of power-grid technology companies remain in favor.”

ALSO WORTH READING- Weight-loss pills are reshaping two industries: Fitness and food. Go read Axios’ take on what the prevalence of Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications will have on the fitness industry, and Reuters’ reporting on the impact on food products.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

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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