The UAE is still the region’s safest infrastructure wager, but a lot hinges on Hormuz (for now)

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

THIS MORNING: PMI posts worst June reading in five years + Adnoc eyes financial advice across the pond

Good morning, friends. The UAE keeps topping the “safest market in MENA” league tables, despite the odds.

BMI ranks the country first in the region for infrastructure risk/reward, and yet construction is bracing for a 6.8% contraction in 2026 — a sharp reversal from last year's growth as the war forces a near-term reset. Two things are true at once — still the best house on the block, and still getting hit by the weather affecting everyone else.

Also, on the macro front: The non-oil sector is teetering close to the contraction threshold at 50.8, the weakest June reading in five years. The good news, if you're squinting for it: Hormuz bottlenecks are easing, and that shows up in supplier delivery times.

Meanwhile, someone was very busy trying to get into the financial sector’s systems this week. The Cyber Security Council says it swatted away malware and phishing attempts targeting financial services and digital infrastructure, and insists nothing actually broke. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank’s services were still down as of yesterday, though, according to several customers we spoke to, even though it’s not clear if the outage is related. The bank had blamed “essential service maintenance” earlier.

PLUS- Yet more cheques from BlueFive Capital. We have the latest investment from the GCC investment manager, this time in China’s AI sector.

Adnoc eyes financial advice across the pond

State oil giant Adnoc is reportedly reviewing a list of lenders in the US to bring on board for financial advice services, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The energy player is looking at pitches from 10 investment banks for a work scope ranging from strategic advice to transactions.

IN CONTEXT- Adnoc has made its ambitions in the US clear, having planned to increase its US investments to USD 440 bn over the next decade. Its international investment arm XRG is lining up tens of bns of USD for a gas push in the US and recently wrapped up its stake increase in the Rio Grande LNG facility.

Jumping the queue for jets

Saudia and Etihad eye early delivery slots amid Air India uncertainty: National carrier Etihad Airways and Saudi Arabia’s Saudia are reportedly in preliminary talks with Boeing and Airbus to secure delivery positions as early as 2029 and 2030, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources. The two airlines are looking to capitalize on slots that could open up if Air India pulls back on its order commitments.

What’s going on with Air India? Air India Group posted a c. USD 2 bn loss for FY 2025/26, compounded by surging fuel costs, Pakistan’s airspace ban — which has added distance and cost — and broader disruptions from the regional conflict, Reuters reported.

Why the slots matter: For airlines, jumping the delivery queue is rare. A near-term slot means newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft in service sooner as Gulf carriers work towards modernizing their fleets and boosting passenger capacity as they expand their international networks.

Business jet departures slump

Business jet departures across the Middle East fell roughly 30% in the four months after the Iran war began — and the UAE, which built up one of the region's busiest private aviation markets on the back of its Golden Visa push, is now watching that growth reverse, Bloomberg reports. Takeoffs between 28 February and 28 June fell to 15k, down from 21.5k in the same period a year earlier, according to aviation data from Wingx Advance GmbH picked up by the business information service — driven by missile strikes on UAE, Saudi, and Kuwaiti sites, airspace closures, and capacity cuts at Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.

The outlook is shaky: “The return of business aviation activity will be directly linked to the return of [the ultra-wealthy residents the UAE has courted], and that remains unclear at the moment,” Alton Aviation's Adam Cowburn told Bloomberg. Bombardier and General Dynamics have both flagged softer regional orders, even as global private jet sales climb on strong US demand.

Data point

The UAE’s non-oil economy is still expanding — but only just. The S&P Global UAE PMI fell to 50.8 in June from 52.6 in May, marking the weakest June reading in more than five years and leaving the index only slightly above the 50-point line separating growth from contraction, the ratings firm said in a note (pdf).

The regional conflict appears to be biting into the real economy. Firms reported softer client activity, delayed spending decisions, weaker tourism demand, and higher transport and commodity costs. Employment contracted at the sharpest pace since August 2020, while operating conditions were the weakest since February 2021.

There were still pockets of resilience: Domestic spending, public investment, construction, and digital services helped keep activity above water, while easing Strait of Hormuz bottlenecks helped supplier delivery times improve at the fastest pace in four months.

Looking ahead, the de-escalation in regional tensions should help firms see a recovery in demand, and continued shorter delivery times as more movement through the Strait of Hormuz rolls back the disruption to supply chains, S&P senior economist David Owen said. Staff cuts and continued caution from clients could mean a longer, gradual road to recovery rather than a sharp rebound, he added.

PSAs

Etihad Rail is extending its passenger network to Ajman, with a new station in Hamriyah, Arabian Business reports. The operator said it has tendered a contract for the plan, with the contracts due at the end of the month.

Background: The long-awaited service kicked off at the end of last month as part of a phased rollout that started with a service between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah. Additional stations are set to open in Dubai, Al Dhafra, and Al Dhaid Train Station in Sharjah this year, with Sharjah Train Station slated to open next year.

UAE residents can now pay for government services in installments through Tabby, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security said in a post on X.

The details: The options cover services including visas, residency permits, and identification cards, with transactions of up to AED 20k that can be repaid over three to 12 months, subject to credit approval.

WEATHER- Temperatures reach 42°C in Abu Dhabi today and 41°C in Dubai, with both emirates seeing a low of 31°C, according to our favorite weather app.

The big story abroad

Nato’s two-day summit kicks off tomorrow in Ankara and discussions are expected to revolve around the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US-Iran war, and US President Donald Trump’s comments on Greenland. Trump demanded “loyalty” from the coalition ahead of the summit, where he is scheduled to meet with the heads of state of Turkey, Syria, and Ukraine.

The spread of AI use in financial services has triggered an “arms race” for regulators, according to Sheldon Mills, executive director of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority. Mills argues that regulators need greater powers to monitor the rapid growth of AI, namely large language models, and underlined concerns over the softwares’ bias, opaque pricing, and personalized manipulation.

Meanwhile, in aviation: British low-cost airline EasyJet has agreed in principle to the fifth takeover bid proposed by global alternative investment firm Castlelake LP, valuing the company at USD 6.9 bn. The budget carrier has been struggling with rising jet fuel prices and muted demand since the regional war broke out.

Trump finagles Balogun favor from FIFA? FIFA will allow the US top goal scorer Folarin Balogun to play in the upcoming showdown with Belgium — despite the footballer earning a red card in his last match — after Trump urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the suspension. This move marks the first reversal of its kind since 1962 and has drawn criticism from many, including the Belgian federation.

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The UAE is still MENA’s safest infrastructure wager, but the war exposed the catch

The UAE remains MENA’s most attractive infrastructure market, even as the war forces a near-term reset in construction activity. BMI ranks the UAE first regionally and sixth globally in its Infrastructure Risk/Reward Index (pdf), with a score of 32.3. A lower score means a more attractive market.

But the safest market is still taking a hit: BMI expects UAE construction gross value added (GVA) to contract 6.8% in 2026, reversing last year’s 7.8% growth, before rebounding 7.4% in 2027 if trade and investment normalize.

Why the UAE still leads: The country’s appeal rests on deep financial markets, access to global supply chains, experienced contractors, and strong foreign investor participation. BMI’s ranking also reflects the UAE’s relatively low risk score compared with peers, including strong scores for country and industry risk.

The caveat? Hot money cuts both ways. BMI says the UAE saw the sharpest equity valuation pullback among GCC markets since the start of the conflict, reflecting its large base of mobile foreign capital and a sharper shift in risk perception than peers.

Yes, but: The UAE’s reliance on foreign capital is not a contradiction to its top ranking — it is part of the reason for it, BMI Head of Infrastructure Research Matteo Addonizio tells EnterpriseAM UAE. “The market’s attractiveness remains despite the challenges faced since the start of the conflict in February,” Addonizio says. But that view depends on a sustained recovery in Strait of Hormuz shipping and a calming of regional tensions, he adds.

If those pieces do not come together, the UAE’s private-investment appeal could weaken. “There are certainly risks to the market’s attractiveness for private investment in infrastructure over the medium term,” Addonizio says.

Hormuz is the whole story

The big unlock: “The key factor that we need to see is a sustained normalization of trade through the Strait of Hormuz,” Addonizio says. Imports matter for construction inputs, while oil and gas exports support government revenue and public spending capacity across the region.

BMI sees four channels hitting MENA construction — attack-related interruptions, supply-chain disruption, weakened public investment capacity, and weaker private-sector demand. The direct disruption has eased since the ceasefire, but supply-chain pressure is still feeding into shortages and input costs.

The materials bill is still working through: BMI expects construction input inflation to persist into 2H 2026, with concrete and steel especially sticky because of energy-intensive production and reliance on imported ores. That matters in the UAE, where a Currie & Brown study cited by Zawya warned that construction costs for data centers and hotels could rise by roughly 10%, driven by material-heavy MEP systems and a packed pipeline of data centers, hotels, gigaprojects, and airport expansions.

That pipeline? It comprises around 700 projects worth an estimated USD 138 bn, according to an Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) report cited by Zawya. That means the UAE leads the GCC in confirmed construction demand. Saudi Arabia follows with 628 confirmed projects worth USD 168 bn.

But pipeline is not the same as momentum: The UAE remained the Gulf’s largest project market in 1Q, but awards still slowed after the war, with contracts falling to 16 in March from 52 in February, according to Meed Projects data seen by EnterpriseAM. Award values fell 26% m-o-m to USD 9.7 bn in March, while 1Q awards were down 18.5% y-o-y — a sign that the prospect set is still there, but execution is becoming more selective.

Contract stress is the next risk: Force majeure has not been widely invoked across construction yet, but BMI sees that risk rising as contractors come under pressure. EGA’s Al Taweelah shutdown after the strikes shows how disruption can test supply chains — It invoked force majeure on some contracts, but metal in transit and stockpiles kept many customers supplied.

Alternative routes only solve part of the problem: BMI’s report maps Gulf ports and road/rail links that can help reroute trade, but its conclusion is blunt: They cannot match Hormuz shipping capacity. That matters for the UAE, which is planning a new harbor near its eastern ports, new pipelines, and wider rail and road links to reduce reliance on the strait. The ambition may be “zero Hormuz dependency,” but BMI’s analysis suggests the nearer-term win is extra breathing room for energy exports, trade flows, and construction supply chains when regional risk flares up.

What gets delayed first?

Projects not yet on site: Infrastructure is built around long-term, multi-year commitments, which should limit immediate capital flight, Addonizio says. Still, he expects more caution toward large-scale projects through 3Q and potentially beyond, “in particular impacting projects which have yet to start construction.”

Delay risk is highest where Hormuz dependence is highest. “The risk of supply chain disruptions to projects is most pronounced in [...] markets such as Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and to a lesser extent the UAE,” Addonizio says.

That matters because construction timeliness is already the region’s weakest industry-risk indicator, scoring 72.6 against the global benchmark of 50. The war is therefore worsening a risk that was already baked into the region’s infrastructure profile.

The regional picture: Bad year, better base case

The GCC contraction is uneven: BMI expects GCC construction GVA to contract 6.2% in 2026, down from 6.1% growth in 2025. Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait are forecast to see the steepest GCC contractions at 10.2%, 9.7%, and 7.6%, while the UAE is seen shrinking 6.8% and Saudi Arabia 4.7%. Oman is the outlier, with BMI forecasting a smaller 2.2% contraction due to fewer conflict-related disruptions and access to Gulf of Oman ports.

MENA construction GVA, meanwhile, could contract 3.3% in real terms in 2026, a sharp downgrade from its pre-war forecast of 3.2% growth. The region had grown an estimated 2.7% in 2025. The rebound would come as soon as next year though, with GVA expected to grow 5.1% in 2027, then average 3.1% annual growth between 2028 and 2030, assuming trade and investment normalize in 2H 2026.

Why the long-term story survives: Large infrastructure and building projects remain the region’s main support. Rail and power are expected to attract significant investment, while water infrastructure is becoming a strategic priority as shortages and damaged legacy systems drive demand.

The split is widening, though: BMI says MENA remains a high-risk, high-reward region, with the strongest prospects concentrated in GCC markets that have stronger state backing, deeper foreign participation, and better regulatory and contractual frameworks.

What to watch

The base case: A durable ceasefire and sustained reopening of Hormuz should improve sentiment toward MENA infrastructure and avoid permanent shifts in investment trends, Addonizio says. BMI expects GCC construction GVA to rebound 6% in 2027 on base effects and normalization.

But this is not a snapback story: Shipping will take months to normalize, input-cost inflation will lag, and private capital is likely to stay cautious on projects that have not yet broken ground.

The downside scenario: “If that agreement doesn’t come, if we continue to see disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, then it is considerably more likely that we see a more cautious approach by private investment toward the region really take hold,” Addonizio says. That would carry “increasingly significant implications” for infrastructure development and construction activity over the coming years.

So the UAE story is pretty simple: It still has MENA’s best infrastructure risk-reward profile, the GCC’s largest confirmed project count, and the region’s strongest pull for foreign capital. But until Hormuz is properly back in business, even the safest construction market in the region is carrying a war premium.

AI is helping cybercriminals swarm the UAE's financial sector

The UAE’s Cyber Security Council said it successfully fended off a series of cyberattacks targeting the financial services sector, according to state news agency Wam. The attacks used malware and phishing campaigns to target tech infrastructure and digital systems, Wam said.

The damage? Not much, the council says. The attacks were apparently “contained in accordance with the country's national cybersecurity protocols, limiting their impact and preserving the stability of the UAE's digital ecosystem.”

What about the ADCB outage? It’s unclear what has caused the outage that affected Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) services until last night, as far as we heard from several customers affected. The bank said the outage was down to “essential system maintenance” and didn't give a timeline or a specific reason. Internet banking is back up though, ADCB said on Friday.

Cyberattacks have been on the rise since the start of the war, with Cyber Security Council Head Mohamed Al Kuwaiti saying that the Emirates was facing 800k cyberattacks a day in April. Dow Jones research wrote that Iran-linked groups had increasingly been targeting critical facilities, including Fujairah Port, as a deterrent against involvement in the war.

But this isn’t exactly new. “Cyberattacks aren’t anything new to the region,” Director of Financial Lines at Gallagher Jamie Gee told EnterpriseAM before these latest attacks, flagging that a couple of years ago, the UAE was reported as having the most cyberattacks in the world per capita.

Call it an occupational hazard: The UAE's economic pull works against it here — everyone knows there's a lot of money moving through the Emirates, given the major financial institutions and sovereign wealth funds it hosts, Gee said.

And the exposure keeps growing. Dubai's push into cloud infrastructure is making the city more connected from an IT perspective — which also means more potential points of entry for an attack, Gee told us.

Financial firms aren't the only ones in the crosshairs. Gee flagged large energy, logistics, and utility companies as targets, while healthcare is exposed too: they hold vast amounts of patient data but often lag banks on cybersecurity controls.

Motive spans the spectrum — financially motivated criminals, geopolitically driven actors, and hacktivists making a statement, per Gee. So does method: ransomware, data theft held for ransom, attacks aimed at operational downtime in logistics, direct account intrusions to move funds, website hijacking, and communications interception to divert payments.

The AI-factor: The council flagged that a growing number of attacks involved AI to develop more complex attacks. “Previously, threat actors had slipped up, making layering mistakes like spelling errors or formatting, which were noticeably fraudulent. Now, they’re using AI tools to do it for them, so it’s like a carbon copy of the real communication and very difficult to differentiate between the false and genuine communication,” Gee had told us.

The scale has shifted too: “Where you previously might have had one guy with a laptop going through these fraudulent emails, now they'll have AI-backed programs churning out 100s or 1ks per minute,” he said.

Recovery odds hinge on speed. “The less damage done, the more likely you are to be able to recover your operations or stolen funds,” Gee said, noting the business-continuity fallout an attack brings — impact further down the supply chain is often where the real loss sits.

ICYMI- EnterpriseAM MENA+ recently spotlighted how an increase in AI-powered cyberattacks is putting a spanner in the works for traditional defense systems and triggering a rethink in the way firms respond to attacks, pushing chief information security officers to integrate AI into security layers rather than add it on top.

The bottom line: “Everyone’s going to get hit by one at some point, it’s all about how you [handle] it,” Gee told us, whether through cyber ins. policies, forensic IT, incident response, law fees, and making sure cybersecurity tools and awareness are up to scratch.

BlueFive Capital co-leads Kling AI's nearly USD 3 bn round, its fourth major China push in under a year

BlueFive Capital has stepped deeper into China’s AI ecosystem, co-leading an almost USD 3 bn funding round for Kling AI, in a capital raise that values the video generation company at USD 18 bn, it said in a statement. The Abu Dhabi-based alternative investment platform co-led the round alongside CPE, Guofang Investment, Tencent, and CITIC Securities, with more than 10 additional institutional investors joining in, including Baidu and Alibaba Cloud.

REMEMBER- We've tracked BlueFive's China build-out for almost a year now. Last year, it was targeting a USD 1 bn Asia-focused fund, which would include targeting assets in China, and also planned to work with Chinese state-backed lender China International Capital Corporation on a private equity fund targeting China’s “new economy.” It was also tapped as a general partner for a USD 4.6 bn China-focused fund-of-funds, and the statement said it had opened a Beijing office last year.

This was BlueFive’s third move in one week. It lands the same week BlueFive bought a controlling stake in Dubai contractor Gulf Cobla and closed a cross-border ownership swap with Al Murjan Group, formalizing a shariah-compliant investment partnership. That's on top of a portfolio that already spans vehicle leasing, autonomous delivery, and a stake in Bugatti.

Another AED-backed stablecoin incoming + one more luxury hospitality firm sets up HQ in Dubai

Another one: The AED-backed stablecoin DDSC will be available on Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority-regulated (VARA) trading platforms after it secured the green light from the UAE Central Bank, Wam reports.

More on DDSC: The stablecoin is pegged 1:1 to the AED, and was developed through a partnership between First Abu Dhabi Bank, Sirius International Holding, and International Holding Company. It settles on the ADI Chain blockchain.

IN CONTEXT- The move reflects the UAE’s wider strategy to create AED-backed stablecoins to use for a host of purposes, from trading to retail. AE Coin was the UAE’s first CBUAE-licensed stablecoin and has already been integrated onto payment rails for several firms based in the Emirates. Zand Bank secured approval for Zand AED, Rakbank is developing its own stablecoin, and IHC, ADQ, and FAB are teaming up for one as well.

Soneva relocates global headquarters to Dubai

Luxury hospitality group Soneva, best known for operating luxury hotels in the Maldives, has relocated its global headquarters to Dubai, adding to a list of multinational companies establishing regional bases in the UAE, Hotelier reports. The group said the relocation will help deepen partnerships, enhance talent acquisition, and improve access to key markets.

GCC insurers weather the geopolitical storm

The Middle East conflict is impacting Gulf ins. company growth, but the risk remains under control. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE are not expected to see a major hit to profitability, but the war is still quietly reshaping the ins. sector and hitting top lines, Associate Director at S&P Global Ratings Mario Chakar said in a webinar attended by EnterpriseAM.

The expectations: Saudi Arabia — the region’s fastest-growing market over the past several years — is expected to decelerate to 8-12% growth this year from a run of double digits, and the UAE is set to drop to around 10% from nearly 20% in 2025, while a broader economic slowdown quietly reduces claims as fewer people drive and travel, Director and Lead Analyst Emir Mujkic said. Kuwait is expected to hold at 6-8%, largely carried by Vision 2035 infrastructure spending.

The pressure that matters is structural, and it sits at the bottom of the market. In Saudi Arabia, Bupa and Tawuniya are racking up most of the income, while smaller players fight over what’s left, a gap the agency expects will widen, Chakar said. Motor underwriting ran a 107% combined ratio last year (anything above 100% loses money), and a soft pricing cycle that lasted longer than S&P expected only began correcting late in 2025.

A new risk-based capital regime is set to take effect on 1 January 2027, with a soft launch this year. Seven listed Saudi insurers already carry accumulated losses above 20% of share capital, and Chakar expects the rules to catalyze consolidation among the weakest. The market has already shrunk from 33-34 companies a decade ago to 25 listed today, against just 11 listed banks. Expect more mergers through 2026-2027, although S&P says that deals have moved more slowly than billed, with signed MoUs stalling before close.

Qatar's catalyst is a delayed law: A mandatory health ins. scheme, on the books since 2022 and pushed back repeatedly, is expected to lift market growth from around 5% this year to 15-20% once live, mirroring what happened when Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi mandated coverage. S&P Associate Director Sachin Sahni said Qatar is the most profitable of the four markets, with 85-90% combined ratios and 6-8% ROE, but warned that ins. companies may need to raise capital to write the new business.

The UAE is crowded and cushioned. The top three companies hold roughly 50% of the ins. market, and about half of all business is ceded to reinsurers — a margin drag that earned its keep during the 2024 floods, Mujkic said. Too many companies writing similar coverage keeps consolidation pressure on, with several listed players running near or below minimum solvency requirements.

The diversification trap. A handful of GCC ins. companies are pushing into India, Turkey, and Africa for growth — all markets S&P rates higher-risk. Turkish underwriting loses money across the board (110-115% combined ratios, propped up only by ~40% deposit yields against 30%-plus inflation) and Indian margins are thin. Growth that comes with deteriorating performance can be a ratings negative, not a diversification win, according to Sahni.

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Asia-Pacific markets are trading mostly higher this morning, buoyed by investor optimism ahead of the upcoming earnings season. South Korea’s Kospi is up 0.7%, and the Shanghai Composite is up 0.2%. Japan’s Nikkei dipped 0.3%, and the Hang Seng is flat. Wall Street futures are in the green.

ADX	9,901	+0.9% (YTD: -0.9%)
DFM	6,059	+1.1% (YTD: -0.9%)
Nasdaq Dubai UAE20	4,785	+1.4% (YTD: -2.1%)
USD : AED CBUAE	Buy 3.67	Sell 3.67
EIBOR	3.5% o/n	4.1% 1 yr
TASI	10,799	-0.3% (YTD: +2.9%)
EGX30	51,131	+1.2% (YTD: +22.2%)
S&P 500	7,483	0.0% (YTD: +9.3%)
FTSE 100	10,679	+0.3% (YTD: +7.5%)
Euro Stoxx 50	6,413	+0.8% (YTD: +10.6%)
Brent crude	USD 72.12	+0.5%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 3.25	+1.5%
Gold	USD 4,187	+1.5%
BTC	USD 62,988	-0.5% (YTD: -28.1%)
Chimera JP Morgan UAE Bond UCITS ETF	AED 3.73	0.0% (YTD: -0.5%)
S&P MENA Bond & Sukuk	152.08	-0.1% (YTD: +0.1%)
VIX (Volatility Index)	15.81	-2.1% (YTD: +5.8%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The DFM rose 1.1% on Friday on turnover of AED 512.2 mn. The index is down 0.9% YTD.

In the green: Emaar Development (+2.4%), Salik Company (+2.4%), and Air Arabia (+1.8%).

In the red: BHM Capital Financial Services (-5.0%), Lunate S&P UAE Shariah ETF - Share Class B - Income (-2.1%), and Al Salam Sudan (-2.0%).

Over on the ADX, the index rose 0.9% on turnover of AED 764.2 mn. Meanwhile, Nasdaq Dubai was up 1.4%.

CALENDAR

JULY

28-29 July (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

SEPTEMBER

1-3 September (Tuesday-Thursday: Middle East Energy, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

7-9 September (Monday-Wednesday): AIM Congress, Dubai World Trade Center.

7-9 September (Monday-Wednesday): International Property Show, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

12-13 September (Saturday-Sunday): Emirates International Congress on AI & Visionary Leadership in Transforming Healthcare, Adnec Center Abu Dhabi.

14-17 September (Monday-Thursday): Arabian Travel Market, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

15-16 September (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

29-30 September (Tuesday-Wednesday): AFCM Annual Conference, Abu Dhabi.

OCTOBER

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

5-7 October (Monday-Wednesday): AI Everything Global, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

12-14 October (Monday-Wednesday): Airport Show, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

13-15 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders, Dubai.

20-22 October (Tuesday-Thursday): Future Health Summit, Adnec Center Abu Dhabi.

27-28 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): Arab Competition Forum, Dubai.

27-28 October (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

30 October (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.

NOVEMBER

2-6 November (Monday-Friday): Dubai Future Finance Week, Dubai.

4 November (Wednesday): Digital Transformation Summit, Sofitel, Abu Dhabi.

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

9-12 November (Monday-Thursday): EMEA Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Conference, Dubai College of Tourism, Dubai.

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

16-18 November (Monday-Wednesday): World Police Summit, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

DECEMBER

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

4-6 December (Friday-Sunday): Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Abu Dhabi.

8-9 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Capital Market Summit, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

8-9 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.

8-10 December (Tuesday-Thursday): Abu Dhabi Water & Power Week, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

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;
21-22 April (Wednesday-Thursday): Token2049, Dubai;
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;
Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Abu Dhabi;
The commissioning of the seventh phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

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