The economy could contract if the war lasts through April, Goldman Sachs says

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

THIS MORNING: Events scheduled for later this year put on hold + DHL looks to push ahead with regional investments

Good morning, friends. We’ve now passed the 12-day mark for this war, making this officially longer than the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June.

It’s been quieter from where we are here in Dubai, though not without the occasional reports of drones and debris from interceptions falling on buildings and the safety alerts. A mix of people who have left the city as part of evacuation measures and others who left for their hometowns ahead of Eid has left it much calmer than normal, but a sense of normalcy can still be felt in most parts of Dubai.

Not one of those parts: DIFC. As far as we know, many offices are still working from home — and are likely to extend that through till after Eid.

THE BIG STORY for the day? A rather stark warning from Goldman Sachs for the UAE’s economy, which it said could contract by 5% if the war lasts through to the end of April. This would be a major flip of the script from earlier forecasts of it being the fastest growing economy in the Gulf this year. We dive into why it sees our economy being hit particularly hard in the news well, below.

Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is keeping busy, with its latest transaction being a final sale of Galderma as part of a consortium, Bloomberg reports. Plus: A new private equity firm still plans to raise capital for its fund in the coming weeks despite everything, and event planners are starting to delay events to later this year (or even next year) as uncertainty over when the war ends curtails earlier plans.

PSAs

You might want to think twice before sharing or reposting videos of material related to Iranian attacks: 20 people were charged under cybercrime laws, with one British man charged due to officials finding a video of an Iranian missile strike on his phone, the Guardian reports. The government has been strongly urging residents not to share posts related to attacks or fires in the UAE and to only trust official sources for such information. To their credit, they frequently share updates when fires or strikes are detected and dealt with.

Stuck outside of the UAE with an expired residency? You have until the end of the month to make it back: The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security issued a temporary measure allowing expats with expired residency permits to re-enter the UAE until 31 March, according to a statement on X. The directive is intended to accommodate individuals who were unable to return before their visas’ expiration date due to flight cancellations caused by the regional conflict.

WEATHER- It’s a warm day today, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi seeing a high of 32°C and a low of lows ranging between 21-22°C.

Dubai’s packed events calendar might not be as packed for a while

Regional calendar suspended: The Iran war has started triggering a wave of delays of regional events, with global organizers like the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and UK-based Informa putting upcoming events on hold as they closely monitor ongoing developments.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions is pushing its Expo Middle East to next year, according to a press release. It’ll now take place from 12 to 15 April 2027 rather than at the end of this March as originally planned in Abu Dhabi.

London-based Informa is delaying events across more than 10 brands in the Middle East to later in the year, Reuters reports. The locations, however, are staying the same, the group’s CEO Stephen Carter told the newswire. The company is expected to absorb the rescheduling costs associated with these shifts. Events hosted in Dubai are expected to roll out in September, while events in Saudi Arabia remain listed for April, according to the group’s event listings on its Informa Markets website.

Informa is pretty tied up in the region: A key region for market growth, the British group receives a quarter of the revenues from its India, Middle East, and Africa division, with around 40% of this already secured for this year. The group rolled out a joint venture with Dubai World Trade Center last March, and was reportedly eyeing an IPO of the JV for 4Q 2025, but no update has been given since.

Watch this space

SUPPLY CHAINS — Local produce is getting a bigger seat at the table: The UAE launched a new Sustainable Product Initiative aimed at lifting the share of locally sourced agricultural and animal products used across hotels and restaurants to 25%, according to an official statement.

The details: Six agreements between the National Agriculture Centre and hospitality players are meant to pull more UAE-grown produce into supply chains. The signatories include hotel operators and food distributors — though the commercial terms stayed under the cloche.

The timing is hard to miss: As we noted in a recent story, the UAE still imports 80-90% of its food, leaving it exposed as war disruption puts freight routes and fertilizer markets under pressure.

But the ministry is presenting it differently: Officials framed the initiative as a way to “[bridge] the marketing gap faced by farmers,” providing growers with more predictable demand.

INVESTMENT — DHL Express Europe plans to proceed with its investment plans in the Middle East despite the ongoing regional conflict, CEO Mike Parra told Sky News Arabia (watch, runtime: 4:43). DHL group last year announced plans to deploy over EUR 500 mn in the region between 2024 and 2030, with a focus on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The strategy spans the group’s four divisions — DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Supply Chain, and DHL eCommerce. DHL Express is expected to upgrade its hub and gateway infrastructure while expanding air fleet capacity.

Disruptions from the conflict have meant it has had to tweak some of its routes, with airport closures and shipping delays prompting the company to reroute cargo by flying shipments to hubs in Asia, including Kazakhstan, before transporting them by road into the Middle East, Parra said.

PRIVATE EQUITY — Newly-founded PE firm Nahda Capital Partners is looking to raise USD 300 mn for its debut ADGM-based PE fund in the coming weeks, targeting controlling stakes in mid-market family businesses across the GCC, according to a press release. The firm plans to focus on real economy sectors, including food production, healthcare, and industrial tech. Its approach relies on “an operational value-creation model focused on professionalization, operational improvement, governance strengthening, and selective buy-and-build expansion.” Nahda Capital Partners is led by Iñigo de Luna (Linkedin).

Happening today

Ethiopian Prime Minister in Abu Dhabi: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is in the UAE for a working visit, state news agency Wam reports.

Data point

3k tons by land, 500 tons by air, and 1.2k tons through the sea — that’s how much fresh produce importer NRTC Group, the fresh fruits and vegetable handler of Ghitha Holding and IH, says it has brought into the UAE in the past week. It has lifted import volumes by roughly 50% to “to offset potential supply gaps across the wider market ecosystem and ensure consistent availability of fresh produce across the UAE and region,” it said. That included bringing in produce by land from Jordan, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt, others by air, and more by sea through Fujairah and Khor Fakkan — with 17k more tons already on the way.

Cargo is still making it through the UAE — it just no longer takes the obvious route. As war disruptions complicate direct shipping lanes, Gulf operators are pushing freight through alternative land and sea corridors across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. In the UAE, that means east-coast ports like Fujairah and Khor Fakkan are taking in cargo that would normally head further inside the Gulf, before containers are trucked under bond to Jebel Ali for clearance, according to Zawya — a longer route, but one that keeps shelves and supply chains moving.

Rail, meanwhile, is keeping useful: Etihad Rail says it moved 459k tons of cargo over the past nine days, while adding five extra services to east-coast ports and Al Ghail Dry Port as inland corridors picked up slack. Sky routes are also still available, as emergency air corridors remain open with room for 48 flights an hour.

REMEMBER- This is largely the fallback script we flagged earlier: LuLu Group International had already started chartering produce flights into Abu Dhabi, and has now done it again beyond the UAE — arranging a second round of special cargo flights carrying fruits, vegetables, and meat from India into Kuwait City — while customs friction is being shaved down through bonded transit and faster clearance to move goods around the strait rather than waiting.

The big story abroad

It’s a mixed bag in the global business press this morning, but most news outlets are looking at oil prices, which have refused to let up after both US President Donald Trump and new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei struck a defiant tone in separate statements yesterday, giving no hints of a near end to the war.

Khamenei made his first public statement since his appointment, and his message was: he plans to ensure the Strait of Hormuz will remain effectively closed, and that if the US and Israel continue their attacks, Iran would open up new fronts in the war.

Meanwhile, Trump shrugged off rising oil prices, saying that preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons “of far greater interest and importance to me” in a social media post. Still, the US eased restrictions on Russian oil in what seems like a move to help ease prices, allowing companies to buy Russian oil stranded at sea.

Also getting attention: A US refueling military aircraft crashed in Iraq. It’s not clear yet whether the three-man crew was injured or killed.

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Oil watch

Oil price playbooks: Fitch Ratings raised its 2026 Brent forecast to USD 70 per barrel from USD 63 per barrel after the effective closure of Hormuz — though while still viewing the disruption as temporary. The logic is that prices spike when the artery closes, but the market quickly reverts once flows resume. Fitch’s view is that the geopolitical premium is real, but the duration of the disruption isn’t.

Wall Street agrees on the direction but not the size of the spike: Goldman Sachs now sees Brent averaging USD 98 per barrel in March-April before easing to USD 71 by 4Q, while its upside scenario pushes the early-year average to USD 110 if flows are disrupted for a month. Citi also raised its Brent outlook to USD 75 per barrel in 1Q and USD 78 per barrel in 2Q, as opposed to USD 73 per barrel and USD 70 per barrel earlier.

Why do the forecasts remain contained? The oil market entered the crisis with a cushion. Global supply rose by some 3 mn bbl / d in 2025, while demand grew well below 1 mn bbl / d, leaving the market structurally oversupplied, according to Fitch. Forecasts for 2026 still show supply expanding 2.4 mn bbl / d against demand growth of some 800k bbl / d, while global inventories sit near 8.2 bn barrels — roughly enough to cover a halt in shipments through Hormuz for some 400 days, Fitch said.

The signal: Banks are pricing a shock, not a shortage. Strategic reserve release and large global inventories mean the system has buffers — suggesting prices may spike while Hormuz stays shut but could ease once flows resume. The banks are saying the market shock is real, but it probably won’t last.

For now, Brent is still hovering near the USD 100 mark.

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

Script could be flipped on the UAE’s growth prospects this year

The UAE could see the script flip on its economic growth this year if the war lasts another month, according to Goldman Sachs, which warned in a recent research note seen by EnterpriseAM that GDP could contract by around 5% this year if the conflict persists through the end of April.

This would be a major twist for the UAE, which was expected to be the fastest growin g economy in the Gulf this year, with forecasts ranging between 4.8% and 5.6% growth for the upcoming year, led by the non-oil sector.

The UAE is highly exposed in multiple ways to the ongoing conflict, with maritime chokepoints and airspace closures effectively unplugging the federation from global trade, as well as expected hits to some of its biggest revenue sources, from tourism to real estate and finance.

The UAE’s oil sector is expected to see a 16% annual decline in output — an outcome expected under a scenario where a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz interrupts production capacities. While significant, this is notably lower than the 25%+ losses projected for neighbors like Qatar and Kuwait. This is largely due to the UAE’s capacity to divert some of its crude via the Adcop (or Habshan-Fujairah pipeline). In contrast, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain are entirely dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for their hydrocarbon exports.

Perhaps most striking is the outlook for the UAE’s non-oil economy, which Goldman projects could contract by over 6% — a decline that would eclipse the 2020 pandemic downturn, the report indicates. This economic slump is driven by high-impact losses of 10% across critical industries — including tourism, real estate, logistics, and manufacturing — as the conflict triggers airspace closures, supply chain ruptures, and a scarcity of labor and materials. Meanwhile, sectors like wholesale and retail trade and finance are expected to see a moderate impact of 5% in output loss.

The 5% contraction forecast from Goldman is significantly more bearish than other recent revisions, though it’s made with a significant scenario in mind. with S&P earlier this month slashing its UAE growth forecast for the year to 2.2% (down from an initial 4.7%). Meanwhile, BMI also downgraded its growth projection by 0.6 percentage points to 5%.

Interruptions to oil, finance, and maritime shipping continue

Despite attacks remaining much more infrequent than at the start of the war, day 13 of the war still saw significant disruptions, with oil, finance, and maritime shipping seeing a setback.

Plus: A handful of incidents of drones and debris from interceptions causing fires were reported in different areas of Dubai, though thankfully without much damage or injuries reported. Fire from a drone attack hit residential and commercial districts including Creek Harbour, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Al Bada’a. Authorities confirmed the fire was contained, and no injuries were reported.

Financial services are being disrupted after DIFC evacuation

Citibank has moved from just evacuating its offices to temporarily shutting down most of its branches and financial centers across the UAE as of yesterday until Saturday, 14 March, as a precautionary measure, according to the company’s website. The group’s Mall of the ⁠Emirates branch is staying open, while other locations are set to reopen their doors on Monday, 16 March.

ICYMI- The move comes after Citi was part of a wider evacuation from DIFC offices, with the bank telling employees in a memo to work remotely until the end of the week. Standard Chartered and Goldman Sachs reportedly also told employees to leave after Iran threatened to target Israeli-linked US banks and tech firms.

…. and maritime disruptions continue

A container ship operated by German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd was hit near Jebel Ali Port, the company’s Director of Communications Nils Haupt told the Wall S treet Journal. The incident resulted in a fire, but no casualties were reported. The firm had previously diverted shipping through the Arabian Gulf, opting to keep calling at Oman’s Salalah Port, rather than Jebel Ali.

Ships in the region have taken a beating this week, with three vessels hit on Wednesday — two off the coast of the UAE and one 11 nm north of Oman.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed “to put pressure on the enemy,” in his first public statement broadcast on Iranian state television, CNBC Arabia reports. Khamenei also warned that all US military bases in the Middle East must be closed immediately, otherwise they would remain targets.

… as did disruptions to oil

TotalEnergies joins list of oil producers halting a portion of regional operations: Total Energies is suspending its offshore field operations across the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq, which accounts for 15% of its global production output, Asharq Busines s reports.

The energy player said that its onshore operations in the UAE — yielding around 210k bbl / d — remain unaffected by the ongoing regional war. Bahrain’s Bapco and QatarEnergy are among the other firms stopping operations.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has spoken

The UN Security Council adopted a widely backed resolution condemning Iran’s missile and drone attacks on the UAE, other GCC states, and Jordan, while holding Tehran liable for the resulting damage and affirming the region’s right to self-defense, state news agency Wam reports. Bahrain tabled the text on behalf of the GCC and Jordan, Wam reports separately.

Why it matters: The resolution labels the attacks as a “breach of international law” and “affirms the right to self-defense” — effectively strengthening the legal basis for the UAE and its Gulf allies to respond jointly if strikes occur again, without waiting for fresh UN wording.

And Iran’s diplomatic cover looks thinner than usual: The vote passed 13-0, with China and Russia abstaining, and drew 135 co-sponsors. Even the League of Arab States joined the backing, Wam reports elsewhere. The league’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the resolution showed broad support for the Arab position, leaving Tehran unusually isolated in the chamber.

Adia part of investor trio reportedly completing Galderma exit

Adia, EQT, Auba exit Galderma: A shareholder group comprising the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), Sweden’s EQT AB, and Singapore’s Auba Investment Pte sold its remaining stake in Swiss dermatology specialist Galderma Group AG through a CHF 4.89 bn (USD 6.3 bn) share sale, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

Combined proceeds from the group’s gradual sell-down of Galderma shares now exceed CHF 20 bn (USD 25.4 bn), implying a return of more than four times the capital invested when the consortium acquired the business from Nestlé SA in 2019. The transaction marks the final step in the exit process, reportedly codenamed Project Indigo, that was upsized twice due to robust demand.

REMEMBER- The consortium has been incrementally selling shares in Galderma, with the latest sale taking place in December 2025 to L’Oréal.

DP World’s bottom line rises in 2025 on stronger volumes

DP World’s bottom line jumped 32.2% y-o-y to around USD 1.9 bn in FY 2025, buoyed by strong volumes, improved yields, and tighter cost control, according to its financial release (pdf). Meanwhile, revenue climbed 22% to USD 24.4 bn.

The logistics, parks, and economic zones division saw the biggest jump in revenues, growing 28.1% y-o-y to USD 10.5 bn, supported by recent acquisitions; while ports and terminals revenues rose 20.3% y-o-y to USD 9.3 bn, thanks to healthy volumes, revenue per TEU growth, and a continued focus on high-margin cargo; and marine services posted the smallest revenue base but a solid earnings contribution, with a 12.9% y-o-y increase to USD 4.6 bn.

Total group gross throughput rose 5.8% y-o-y to 93.4 mn TEUs in FY 2025. The company backed that growth with USD 3.1 bn of capex in 2025, pushing total port capacity to 109 mn TEUs.

New golf venues coming to the UAE + Dubai issues law governing gov’t outsourcing

Akcel plans AED 1 bn golf entertainment platform across the UAE

UAE-based XRange Golf Entertainment is partnering with Dubai-based conglomerate Akcel Holding to build AED 1 bn worth of golf entertainment venues across the UAE, according to a press release. The venues will include interactive driving ranges along with digital gaming, dining, and hospitality.

The game plan: While the project will initially focus on Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah, expansion to more locations and even further afield to India and other popular tourism markets is in the cards. It will be backed by the Akcel Growth Fund, which operates in the Dubai International Financial Center.

The move taps into the Emirates’ growing gaming and entertainment sector: The UAE has made a decisive push into the field, which could bring in as much as USD 6 bn in revenues if multiple resorts are rolled out and online gaming expands. The UAE has also rolled out a national commercial gaming framework, tapped new leads for key bodies, and is awaiting Wynn Resorts’ planned USD 3.9 bn gaming resort to come online.

New law governs gov’t outsourcing

Dubai issues rules for gov’t outsourcing: Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued a law for government entities engaging contractors for services, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Under the new rules, government entities must ensure fair competition and cannot enter into exclusive contracts unless there is only one bidder. Contractors are also required to have one Emirati employee for every non-national employee in their ranks. The rules also specify provisions for necessary contract details, ban contractors from issuing fines beyond the ones detailed in regulations, and stipulate monitoring and evaluation tasks. Firms have three years to comply once the law is published in the official gazette.

GCC debt markets hit the brakes as geopolitical risk spikes

GCC borrowers have effectively frozen new USD bond and sukuk sales as regional markets price at a war premium following the outbreak of the conflict with Iran, Fitch Ratings says. After a record-breaking start to 2026, the regional pipeline is now on hold despite the total outstanding debt market hitting a record USD 1.2 tn this month — a 14% y-o-y increase.

REMEMBER- The GCC had significant funding needs going into 2026, as GCC governments and issuers look to diversify funding channels and refinance maturing debt. Regional debt markets had been on track to break the USD 1.25 tn mark this year, up from USD 1.1 tn in issuances last year, according to Fitch Ratings’ GCC Debt Capital Markets MENA Monitor 2026 report (pdf).

Why it matters: The GCC now accounts for 40% of all emerging-market USD issuance (excluding China), making it the primary engine of EM debt. While yields widened 28-32 bps in the conflict’s first ten days, CDS remained remarkably resilient, widening by only 13 bps for Abu Dhabi and 12 bps for Saudi Arabia, according to a Mashreq Capital note (pdf).

Real estate among the first to show signs of trouble: “While higher-quality sovereign and quasi-sovereign credits continue to trade in an orderly manner, weaker high-yield issuers, particularly in real estate, have seen a marked deterioration in market depth,” Mashreq Capital notes, citing bid-ask spreads that have widened to around 2 points versus the usual 0.5, pointing to limited buyer appetite.

Sukuk continues to offer a volatility hedge: Heavy demand from Islamic banks is keeping sukuk spreads tighter than conventional bonds, giving regional issuers a pricing edge even as high-yield benchmarks (like the S&P High Yield Sukuk Index) see yields rise toward 6.61%.

Looking ahead, Mashreq Capital sees three potential scenarios: A diplomatic de-escalation could quickly unwind the war premium, tightening spreads and reopening the issuance window, according to Mashreq Capital. A more prolonged standoff would likely keep spreads elevated and push CDS ins. costs higher, effectively raising borrowing costs for regional issuers. In a worst-case scenario, markets could face a broader liquidity shock, forcing selloffs even in high-quality sovereign debt.

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Asian markets took a tumble as oil prices remained elevated and comments from US President Donald Trump and Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, gave little hope for a near end to the war. Honda’s shares fell over 6%, dragging Japan’s Nikkei down 2%, after the automaker said it expects its first annual loss in almost 70 years. South Korea’s Kospi was also down almost 3%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is down in early trading.

Wall Street futures, meanwhile, were slightly higher as investors await US inflation data later today.

ADX	9,636	-2.3% (YTD: -3.6%)
DFM	5,518	-3.6% (YTD: -8.8%)
Nasdaq Dubai UAE20	4,516	-3.9% (YTD: -7.6%)
USD : AED CBUAE	Buy 3.67	Sell 3.67
EIBOR	3.4% o/n	3.6% 1 yr
TASI	10,893	-0.5% (YTD: +3.8%)
EGX30	46,791	-0.9% (YTD: +11.8%)
S&P 500	6,673	-1.5% (YTD: -2.5%)
FTSE 100	10,305	-0.5% (YTD: +3.8%)
Euro Stoxx 50	5,749	-0.8% (YTD: -0.7%)
Brent crude	USD 100.11	-0.4%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 3.22	-0.3%
Gold	USD 5,108.9	-0.3%
BTC	USD 70,251	+0.1% (YTD: -20.8%)
Chimera JP Morgan UAE Bond UCITS ETF	AED 3.67	0.5% (YTD: +0.0%)
S&P MENA Bond & Sukuk	151.13	-0.3% (YTD: -0.5%)
VIX (Volatility Index)	27.29	+12.6% (YTD: +82.5%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The DFM fell 3.6% yesterday on turnover of AED 978.9 mn. The index is down 8.8% YTD.

In the green: Gulf Navigation Holding (+4.5%), Al Salam Sudan (+3.6%), and Emirates REIT (+3.4%).

In the red: Dubai Investments (-5.0%), Salik Company (-5.0%), and BHM Capital Financial Services (-5.0%).

Over on the ADX, fell 2.3% on turnover of AED 1.3 bn. Meanwhile, Nasdaq Dubai was down 3.9%.

Corporate actions

First Abu Dhabi Bank’s shareholders approved an AED 8.8 bn dividend for 2025, accounting for about 80% of paid-up capital, according to a disclosure (pdf).

Talabat’s BoD recommended a share buyback program worth up to 5% of the issued share capital, according to a disclosure (pdf). The proposal is subject to shareholder approval, after which the buyback will be executed over a two year period. The final number of shares repurchased will depend on market conditions, available liquidity, and share prices.

Shareholders will also vote on a final dividend payout of USD 219 mn for 2H, which would bring the total year’s dividends to USD 421 mn/

CALENDAR

MARCH

19-20 March (Thursday-Friday): Eid Al Fitr, public holiday.

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

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

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

31 March-2 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Investopia, Abu Dhabi.

APRIL

6-9 April (Monday-Thursday): Dubai AI Week, Dubai.

7-8 April (Tuesday-Wednesday): Dubai AI Festival, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

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

7-9 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Middle East Energy, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

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): International Property Show, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai.

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

28-29 April (Tuesday-Wednesday): Innovation Summit Middle East & Africa, Abu Dhabi.

29 April (Wednesday): Digital Transformation Summit, Sofitel, Abu Dhabi.

MAY

4-8 May (Wednesday-Saturday): Make It in the Emirates, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

8-24 May (Saturday-Sunday): Dubai Esports and Games Festival, Dubai.

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

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

12-14 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Airport Show, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

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.

20-21 May (Wednesday-Thursday): Arab Competition Forum, Dubai.

JUNE

3-4 June (Wednesday-Thursday): Annual MENA Investor Conference, Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Dubai.

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.

OCTOBER

4-10 October (Sunday-Saturday): World Space Week, Abu Dhabi.

Signposted to happen sometime in October 2026:

Abu Dhabi Space Week, Abu Dhabi.

NOVEMBER

9-10 November (Monday-Tuesday): Annual government meetings, Abu Dhabi.

10-12 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Dubai International Electric Vehicle Exhibition & Conference, Dubai World Trade Center.

DECEMBER

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

Signposted to happen in 2026:

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;

1-3 February (Monday-Wednesday): World Governments Summit.
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 2028:

Artificial Intelligence Summit.

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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