CBUAE upgrades GDP outlook for 2025, lowers forecast marginally for 2026

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

THIS MORNING: Tesla’s full self-driving system to launch in the UAE next month? + ADGM approves another stablecoin

Good morning, friends. Happy hump day, and a very merry Christmas Eve. Today’s issue is somewhat of a mixed bag, with the big story being the Central Bank of the UAE’s updates to the country’s GDP forecast for the year and for next year — with a slightly more positive outlook for this year, and a marginally lower one for 2026.

Our friends at Mashreq have also broken the silence across regional debt markets in recent weeks with a USD 2 bn syndicated loan, its first in 11 years.

AND- We sat down with Baker McKenzie Partner Hani Naja to break down how the recent amendments to the Commercial Companies Law could impact investors and businesses in the UAE — and when he sees real change happening to how companies and transactions are governed. Let’s dive in.

PSA

WEATHER- It’s another sunny winter morning (if we can call it that), with a high of 24°C and a low of 16°C in Dubai, while in Abu Dhabi, the mercury rises to 23°C with a low of 15°C.

Watch this space

EVs — Have you been looking to buy a Tesla? It might be a good time if you’ve been one of those people quietly appreciating the videos of cars self-parking in mall garages while you struggle to reverse park. Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted that the automotive firm’s full self-driving system could launch in the UAE next month in a response to a question on X, days after he was in the UAE meeting UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The system can control braking, steering, and parking, though it’s not fully autonomous — a driver still has to be behind the steering wheel to supervise.

The good news? You wouldn’t need to buy a new Tesla to get the system installed. The features come from an over-the-air software update that you can subscribe to, so long as your Tesla vehicle has 3.0 hardware or higher.

It comes as the UAE makes headway on its autonomous mobility ambitions, with Abu Dhabi rolling out licensed Level-4 robotaxis on Yas Island and preparing to expand across core districts. Mercedes-Benz and Momenta also plan to supply autonomous S-Class vehicles to Lumo Mobility starting January, while Dubai is piloting autonomous deliveries through Yango and noon.

CRYPTO — Another stablecoin makes it into ADGM’s approved tokens list: The ADGM has recognized Tether’s USDT on Tron — a high-throughput, low-cost blockchain widely used for stablecoin transfers — as an accepted fiat-referenced token, according to a press release. The move clears Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA)-licensed firms to use USDT on Tron in regulated activity.

Zoom out: ADGM has been building out its accepted fiat-referenced token list, including Paxos Lift USD, USDC, USDP, and USDT. The FSRA also rolled out — and is now expanding — a dedicated framework for stablecoins as payment instruments.

ECONOMY — The GCC’s real GDP is projected to expand by 4.4% in 2026, up from a projected 4% projected this year, buoyed by the non-oil sector, which now accounts for nearly 73.2% of the region’s total GDP, according to an Oxford Economics report picked up by Zawya. The figure for this year beat Oxford Economic’s expectations as an increase in oil production gave regional economies a boost, alongside momentum in the non-oil sector.

The region’s diversification strategies — from Saudi Arabia to Qatar and the UAE — are showing signs of maturing, making the regional economy more resistant to fluctuations in global crude prices.

Consumers in the region as well are said to be top performers, supported by lower unemployment rates and low inflation rates. Oxford Economics expects the inflation rate in the region to average 1.7% this year before rising to 2% in 2026.

Data point

USD 12.7 bn — the value of private equity and venture capital investments poured into the Middle East by the end of November, according to a report by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The figure beats the full-year total for 2024 by 46%.

Behind the figure: The Gulf’s economic diversification plans to move away from oil have pooled in ample funds from sovereign wealth funds and international private players alike. The region’s largest recorded investment this year was credited to Abu Dhabi with Emirates Global Aluminium’s USD 1.9 bn sale of its Al Taweelah power and water generation assets to Dubal Holding.

By the sector: The tech, media, and telecommunications sector saw the highest number of transactions, accounting for five of the top 10 transactions, S&P Global said.

It hasn’t been a good year for PE fundraising. Data shows that the aggregate fund size for PE players in the region has fallen to USD 2.9 bn, down from nearly USD 4 bn last year. VC fundraising, however, was up 58.7% by the end of November to USD 2.2 bn.

The big story abroad

It’s a quiet Christmas Eve morning in the global business press and there are few signs that will radically change as the day wears on: Asian stocks are trading sideways on thin volumes and many Western will close early today before taking tomorrow off entirely.

The US economy grew at a brisk 4.3% clip in the third quarter of the year, backed by consumer spending on healthcare and computing. That’s well ahead of the 3.2% pace at which analysts polled by Bloomberg expected the economy to expand. Investment by businesses slowed and exports fell in the same period.

Oil-price watchers, take note: The US has moved special operations forces into the Caribbean, ratcheting up pressure on Venezuela’s government. Washington is already enforcing a blockade of oil tankers moving into and out of the Latin American country.

CLOSER TO HOME- The Libyan Army’s chief of staff died in a plane crash yesterday evening after flying out of Ankara, where he and three other senior military officers were meeting with Turkish officials. The jet carrying the military leaders asked for permission to make an emergency landing shortly before the crash. There’s been no word on the cause of the incident.

Morning must-read

Longtime readers may remember we’ve frequently suggested in the past that women aren’t truly grownups until sometime around age 28 — and that for guys, it’s age 30 or later? That your prefrontal cortex isn’t fully “baked” until your mid-30s? We might have been onto something: New research suggests the brain’s “adolescent” phase runs from about age 9 through 32 — and that your noggin is then pretty stable until age 66, when early aging begins.

Go read: Your brain ages in five distinct stages in the Wall Street Journal or catch a breakdown from Cambridge University, where the research originated, if you’re not a Journal subscriber.

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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.

Non-oil sector momentum + hydrocarbons recovery lift GDP outlook for 2025

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has once again raised its real GDP growth outlook for 2025 to 5%, up from a 4.9% projection in September, which was itself a revision from earlier in June, according to its latest Quarterly Economic Review (pdf). The forecast for next year, however, was revised down by 0.1 percentage point to 5.2%, though no clear reason was given.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The reasons behind the upgrade for 2025? The same as last time: Persistently strong performance in the non-oil sector and a rebound in oil production.

The forecast for non-hydrocarbon GDP for the year was raised to 4.9% from 4.5% in its previous estimate, while lowering next year’s outlook to 4.7% from 4.8%. The oil GDP, on the other hand, is expected to grow 5.4% this year, down from a 5.8% forecast in September.

REMEMBER- Crude oil production averaged 3.035 mn bbl / d, a 3.7% y-o-y increase, in the first nine months of the year, driven by a faster-than-expected reversal of oil production cuts after Opec+ revised its quotas.

Looking ahead, oil GDP is expected to grow 6.7% in 2026, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous estimate. This comes as Opec+ plans to keep oil supply steady during the first quarter of the year and then resume supply hikes.

IN CONTEXT- The UAE’s non-oil economy grew 6.1% y-o-y in 2Q 2025, primarily driven by financial and ins. services, manufacturing, and construction, alongside wholesale and retail and real estate. PMI data shows the UAE remained in expansion territory at 53.8 in October 2025, helped by strong domestic demand. Meanwhile, non-oil foreign trade grew 23.6% y-o-y in 1H 2025, reaching AED 1.62 tn, with exports surging 45.3% y-o-y to AED 360.1 bn.

Cooling inflation: The CBUAE revised its 2025 inflation forecast downward to 1.3% from 1.5% on the back of decreasing food and energy costs, with headline inflation standing at 1.1% y-o-y in 3Q 2025, up from 0.6% in 2Q. The central bank kept its 2026 inflation forecast unchanged at 1.8%, attributing the projected acceleration to base effects from the low rates observed in 2025.

How CBUAE’s forecast compares: The central bank’s forecast is more optimistic than the IMF and World bank’s 4.8% projection for 2025 and 5% next year. Fitch Solutions’ research unit BMI also sees our economy growing at 5.2% in 2025, before accelerating to 5.6% next year.

The regional outlook

The CBUAE sees GCC growth rising from 2.2% in 2024 to 4.0% this year and 4.5% in 2026 — an upward revision from September, when the central bank had projected 3.6% growth in 2025 and 4.3% in the next year.

Mashreq returns to syndicated loan market after 11 years with USD 2 bn syndicated loan

Our friends at Mashreq just closed their largest funding transaction of all time — and their first syndicated loan in 11 years — raising USD 2 bn in a dual-tranche facility, according to a post on LinkedIn. The funds will be used to “support Mashreq’s strong growth in loans and advances,” Group CFO Norman Tambach told us. The lender says the loan ranks among the largest syndicated loans by any GCC lender over the past five years.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The offering, comprising three and five-year tranches, was 3x oversubscribed, drawing interest from over 30 international lenders. Tambach told us that Mashreq targeted Asian investors as the bank looks to broaden its investment base.

Mashreq last tapped the bond market in April — its only other debt sale this year — with over 90 investors placing nearly 6x more orders than the bank needed for its USD 500 mn sukuk issuance, its most heavily-subscribed offering yet.

New changes to Commercial Companies law will offer companies more flexibility + harmony across documentation — but it’s all about court interpretation

The UAE recently made changes to the Commercial Companies Law that align mainland law more closely with common English law — and bridge the historical divide that has existed between onshore and freezone companies. The amendments finally bring tools like multi-class shares and drag-along rights into the mainland LLC framework, and offer more flexibility for companies looking to move between different jurisdictions.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

We sat down with Hani Naja, partner at Baker McKenzie, to dive into how the new amendments will shape transactions and company structures moving forward, how fast he sees companies making changes, and how he sees the amendments impacting freezones. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

ENTERPRISEAM: You mentioned on LinkedIn that this is the most important update to the commercial companies law since the foreign ownership relaxation introduced a few years ago. What are the three major positive implications of these changes?

Hani Naja: The new changes give companies the flexibility to relocate or redomicile from one jurisdiction to another — [whether within the UAE or from outside the UAE into the country] — without losing their entire history as a company that they’ve established in another jurisdiction. Previously, it was like a company would have to close down and reopen onshore in order to relocate.

The introduction of different classes of shares in basic limited liability companies outside of freezones also gives shareholders — even those with the same amount of shares — different rights to vote, collect dividends, decide on management, etc. This flexibility will allow companies to attract different types of investors. This is especially relevant to startups.

The final major change in my view is the introduction of rights such as drag-along and tag-along rights for minority shareholders. This allows companies to establish harmony across all of their documents, and to bake those rights into their memorandum of association, instead of having to sign a shareholders’ agreement that in most cases is not subject to local law, but rather to English law, New York law, or arbitration.

This has potential, but it’s all about the interpretation of the amendments. Once we see the implementation, this might change how transactions are governed.

E: Are the changes likely to encourage more companies to move to the mainland rather than stay in freezones?

HN: The UAE’s freezones offer a lot of benefits to companies — they’re hubs in and of themselves, and they cater to companies that care not just about being in the UAE, but about being connected to other countries and trade hubs, so I don’t think this will change. What the amendments do, however, is offer more options to companies and investors.

E: Do you see companies acting fast to make changes to their company structures or to move ahead with re-domiciliation? Or is it more of a wait-and-see thing?

HN: The re-domiciliation and the different share classes — we will see quick movement on those. This is something they can apply immediately and it’s something companies have already been thinking about for a while. This update was likely a response to plenty of requests from companies. We have a lot of companies that want to move their headquarters from Asia and Europe to the UAE, to benefit from the UAE ecosystem and the tax regime, so this will only encourage them.

If these changes are fully implemented as designed, lawyers are going to be encouraged to have all transaction documents be subject to local law and local jurisdiction, because not only does it create more harmony across documentation, it will create more predictability going forward. It will also avoid having to launch separate disputes — in the UAE on articles and memorandums of association, and then a separate one elsewhere for shareholder agreements — and will keep everything under one main umbrella.

Some other changes — like moving shareholder agreements into local jurisdictions to benefit from the new drag-along and tag-along rights — could take a little longer, because companies and lawyers would want to see how the courts will handle relevant cases before confidently advising clients to move all documents under local law. It’s a stepping stone, but a very good one.

Most global transactions follow English or New York law. Why? Because it’s easy to predict the outcomes. If I agreed on something in a contract that is subject to English law and English court or arbitration, I know exactly what will happen if an issue arises. That predictability is extremely important in transactions. What will happen now with this new amendment is that once it’s tested and we are able to predict what will happen, then the UAE will also become a very good jurisdiction for regional and global transactions.

IHC acquires stake in tech firm Peko, as subsidiary Ghitha broadens reach in the organic food segment

Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company (IHC) is widening its remit in both the fintech and the food sectors with two separate acquisitions. The company yesterday acquired a 70% stake in Dubai-based fintech and platform-as-a-service firm Peko Holdings, according to an ADX disclosure (pdf), while the subsidiary of its agriculture and food arm Ghitha snapped up a 70% stake in local fresh food and vegetable producer Taaza Healthy Food Industries as well as its trading arm, Taaza Quality Foodstuff Trading, according to a separate disclosure (pdf).

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Peko’s platform offers payments, payroll, invoicing, corporate cards, compliance, and expense management for SMEs — a key target market for IHC. The platform operates on a subscription-based revenue model and uses AI to automate routine processes for SMEs.

The acquisition is part of IHC’s broader plan of investing in scalable, tech-driven businesses SMEs, with potential for regional and international expansion. The conglomerate recently invested USD 715 mn into its recently acquired digital financing platform Zelo to expand financing services for SMEs, addressing delays the sector faces in accessing funds.

Meanwhile, Ghitha’s subsidiary NRTC Group’s acquisition of Tazaa expands its footprint in the organic and clean-label food segment and comes as part of a broader consolidation strategy. This is the group’s second acquisition this month, following its takeover of homegrown brand Ripe Organic. Other regional moves include its acquisition of Egypt’s Al Hashemeya Farms, a 70% cultivated, 10k-feddan farm yielding over 70k tons of crops annually.

Background: Last month, IHC merged Ghitha Holding into a single entity alongside 2PointZero and Multiply in a bid to create an energy and consumer-focused investment powerhouse.

Sheikh Zayed tapped as 2PointZero Group’s new chairman

The newly merged Multiply-Ghitha-2PointZero entity — now known as 2PointZero Group — now has a new board chaired by Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan following a structural and leadership reshuffle last month, according to an ADX disclosure (pdf). The filing also reconfirms the group’s top management, with Mariam Almheiri (LinkedIn) as vice chair and managing director and Samia Bouazza (LinkedIn) as CEO.

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In context: The move comes following shareholder approval of the Multiply-Ghitha-2PointZero merger, which created a newly listed investment platform with around AED 120 bn in assets focused on energy and consumer sectors.

Masdar plans another Southeast Asia solar plant + Julphar to set up manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia

Masdar plans solar plant in Malaysia

Masdar signed a power purchase agreement with Malaysia’s Tenaga Nasional Berhad for a 200 MW floating solar plant at the Chereh Dam in Pahang, according to a statement. The USD 208 mn project will be developed alongside local partners Citaglobal and Tiza Global and power some 100k homes.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

The bigger picture: The project is the company’s first under its plan to invest USD 8 bn for up to 10 GW of renewables projects in Malaysia by 2035, including grounded and floating solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems. Malaysia aims to achieve its target of 70% renewable energy in installed capacity and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Masdar is boosting its regional dominance: The company already operates Southeast Asia’s (current) largest floating solar plant, the 145 MW Cirata floating PV project in Indonesia, which it plans to expand to 500 MW.

Julphar plants Saudi manufacturing flag

UAE drugmaker Julphar is expanding its manufacturing capabilities to Saudi Arabia, committing SAR 300 mn (c. AED 295 mn) to an integrated pharma manufacturing facility at Modon Industrial City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, state news agency Wam reports. The 45k-sqm plant will produce biologics, sterile injectables, and oral solid dosage forms, and will turn the Kingdom from a pure export market to a production base.

Why it matters: Julphar has been steadily building out production. We previously reported that the group invested around AED 100 mn over the past three years to strengthen its UAE manufacturing base and plans to invest a further AED 300 mn over the next five years.

Investors rotate into Chinese AI as bubble fears mount on Wall Street

Spooked by bubble risks in US AI, investors are redirecting capital east. Global funds are piling into Chinese AI and tech stocks as concerns grow over stretched valuations and the “circular” financing dynamics underpinning Wall Street’s AI boom, Reuters reports.

**Missed our primer on why investors are spooked about the self-inforcing loop of AI spending in the US — where Big Tech funds AI startups that then pay the same firms for cloud and compute? You can find it here.

China is emerging as the alternative wager: Foreign investors are leaning into Beijing’s push for AI self-reliance, backed by state funding, faster approvals, and domestic supply chains. Capital is flowing into Chinese chipmakers, cloud firms, and platform companies tied to local AI deployment, the newswire said.

Flows are already shifting: Asset managers including Ruffer told Reuters they have capped exposure to the US “Magnificent Seven” while adding Chinese tech. Chinese AI chipmaker MetaX Integrated Circuits, founded by former AMD executives, soared 700% in its Shanghai market debut last week, while larger rival Moore Threads rose 400% on its debut earlier this month.

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background as well as external sources.)

Valuations add fuel to the rotation: The Nasdaq trades at roughly 31x earnings, compared with about 24x for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Tech Index, offering cheaper AI exposure via names such as Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, and SMIC, the newswire noted.

Structural benefits favoring China also form part of the appeal: “Big Short” investor Michael Burry warned the US risks losing the AI race if it continues to rely on Nvidia’s power-hungry chips, arguing China’s far larger and faster-growing electricity generation gives it a structural edge, Business Insider reports. In his view, the AI arms race is being fought on power infrastructure as much as silicon.

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Most Asian markets have made marginal gains in early trading this morning, ahead of an early close in light of Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, Wall Street is having a jolly time this holiday season, with the S&P 500 closing at a record high yesterday, though futures are hovering near the flatline.

ADX	10,058	+0.2% (YTD: +6.8%)
DFM	6,162	+0.1% (YTD: +19.5%)
Nasdaq Dubai UAE20	4,950	+0.5% (YTD: +18.9%)
USD : AED CBUAE	Buy 3.67	Sell 3.67
EIBOR	3.5% o/n	3.7% 1 yr
Tadawul	10,595	+0.4% (YTD: -11.9%)
EGX30	41,419	+0.8% (YTD: +39.3%)
S&P 500	6,909	+0.5% (YTD: +17.5%)
FTSE 100	9,889	+0.2% (YTD: +21.0%)
Euro Stoxx 50	5,749	+0.1% (YTD: +17.4%)
Brent crude	USD 62.38	+0.5%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 4.44	+0.6%
Gold	USD 4,536.30	+0.7%
BTC	USD 87,593.70	-1.1% (YTD: -6.8%)
Chimera JP Morgan UAE Bond UCITS ETF	AED 3.82	0.0% (YTD: +9.7%)
S&P MENA Bond & Sukuk	151.63	-0.1% (YTD: +8.4%)
VIX (Volatility Index)	14.00	-0.6% (YTD: -20.1%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The ADX rose 0.2% on turnover of AED 1.3 bn. The index is up 19.5% YTD.

In the green: Abu Dhabi Ship Building Co. (+7.4%), Al Khaleej Investment (+5.5%) and Alpha Dhabi (+5.4%).

In the red: National Bank of Fujairah (-10%), Hayah Ins. (-4.8%) and Apex Investment (-2.6%).

Over on the DFM, the index rose 0.1% yesterday on turnover of AED 731.1 mn. Meanwhile, Nasdaq Dubai was up 0.5%.

CALENDAR

DECEMBER

18-23 December (Thursday-Tuesday): Games of the Future, Adnec, Abu Dhabi.

26 December (Friday): Tender period for Emirates NBD’s offer for RBL Bank’s public shares ends.

29-30 December (Monday-Tuesday): World Sports Summit, Dubai.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2025:

e& will complete Adnoc’s private 5G network.

2026

JANUARY

1 January: Client asset regime changes in Dubai International Financial Center take effect.

1 January: Amendments to the Tax Procedures Law and the UAE VAT Law come into effect.

9-11 January (Friday-Sunday): 1 Bn Followers Summit, UAE.

11-12 January (Sunday-Monday): IRENA Assembly, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

11-15 January (Sunday-Thursday): Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

11-15 January (Sunday-Thursday): ADSW Dialogues, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

11-15 January (Sunday-Thursday): WiSER Forum, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

12-15 January (Monday-Thursday): Dubai International Project Management Forum, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

12-15 January (Monday-Thursday): SteelFab, Expo Center, Sharjah.

13-15 January (Tuesday-Thursday): World Future Energy Summit, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

13-15 January (Tuesday-Thursday): FESPA Middle East, Dubai Exhibition Center, Dubai.

14 January (Wednesday): Global South Utilities Forum, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

15 January (Thursday): Global Climate Finance Center Annual Meeting, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

15 January (Thursday): Green Hydrogen Summit, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

21-24 January (Wednesday-Saturday): Acres real estate exhibition, Expo Center, Sharjah.

28-29 January (Wednesday-Thursday): IBA Arbitration Day Conference, Abu Dhabi.

28-30 January (Wednesday-Friday): World Customs Organization Technology Conference, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

31 January – 7 February (Saturday-Saturday): Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, International Tennis Center, Zayed Sports City.

FEBRUARY

3-5 February (Tuesday-Thursday): The World Governments Summit.

4-6 February (Wednesday-Friday): Arab Actuarial Conference, Millennium Plaza Downtown Hotel, Dubai.

12-15 February (Thursday-Sunday): The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence Global Conference, Abu Dhabi.

9-13 February (Monday-Friday): The World Health Expo (WHX), Dubai.

10-11 February (Tuesday-Wednesday): Top Advisors and Investors Summit, Abu Dhabi.

MARCH

31 March – 2 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Arab Media Summit, Dubai.

26-28 March (Thursday-Saturday): Social Capital Conference, Dubai.

28-29 March (Saturday-Sunday): Emirates Congress on AI & Visionary leadership in Transforming Healthcare, Adnec Center Abu Dhabi.

30 March – 2 April (Monday-Thursday): IAAPA Middle East Exhibition and Conference, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

APRIL

7-9 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Future Health Summit, Adnec Center Abu Dhabi.

13-15 April (Monday-Wednesday): AIM Congress, Dubai World Trade Center.

13-15 April (Monday-Wednesday): The International Glass Manufacturing Show, Dubai.

14-16 April: (Tuesday-Thursday): the International Property Show, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai.

21-23 April (Tuesday-Thursday): UITP Public Transport Summit, Dubai.

MAY

11-15 May (Monday-Friday): Dubai Future Finance Week, Dubai.

11-13 May (Monday-Wednesday): AI Everything Global, Adnec Center.

19-20 May (Tuesday-Wednesday): Capital Market Summit, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

19-22 May (Tuesday-Friday): Abu Dhabi Water and Energy Week, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

JUNE

15 June-15 September (Monday-Thursday): Dubai Mallathon, Dubai.

JULY

31 July (Friday): Large businesses achieving annual revenues equal to or above AED 50 mn must appoint an accredited service provider for e-invoicing implementation.

Signposted to happen sometime in October 2026:

Abu Dhabi Space Week, Abu Dhabi.

DECEMBER

2-4 December (Wednesday-Friday): UN Water Conference, UAE.

Signposted to happen in 2026:

The UAE to host the Arab Competition Forum;
Investopia Global Talks, Tashkent.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2027:

1 January: Deadline for large businesses to implement e-invoicing;
1Q 2027: Completion of the first phase of Hassyan seawater desalination project;
31 March: Small businesses with annual revenues of less than AED 50 mn are obliged to contract with an accredited service provider for e-invoicing implementation;
31 March: Government entities are required to appoint an accredited service provider for e-invoicing implementation;
1 July: Deadline for small businesses to implement e-invoicing;
1 October: Deadline for governments to implement e-invoicing;
Abu Dhabi’s solar and battery energy facility, combining 5.2 GW of solar capacity and 19 GWh of battery storage, is set for commissioning.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2029:

Sibos 2029 organized by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), Dubai;
The commissioning of the seventh phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

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