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Regulation
DMCC joins Dubai’s family wealth race with new foundations regime
The new structure lets families set the rules for managing and passing on wealth, with…
The DIFC just removed the eligibility rules that kept its Cayman-style holding structure gated
The timing couldn’t be better: family offices are exactly who Dubai needs to reassure after…
THIS MORNING: FAB taps the INR trade + Abu Dhabi preps for AI judicial platform
Plus: AIQ targets exporting its software
THIS MORNING: Paramount’s WBD takeover is pushed back + Dewa looks to overseas collaboration
Plus: Dubai to see the first overseas UK state school
Legislation
New golf venues coming to the UAE + Dubai issues law governing gov’t outsourcing
The AED 1 bn golf push from XRange and Akcel Holding comes as part of…
UAE overhauls pharma distribution rules
The move replaces the long-standing single-distributor model, under which global manufacturers appointed one local agent…
New year, new rules: 2026 edition
The UAE’s 2026 rule changes span tax, invoicing, hiring, digital platforms, and banking
The end of the “onshore-offshore” divide?
The amendments finally bring sophisticated tools like multi-class shares and drag-along rights into the mainland…
Taxation
Gulf sovereign funds could start paying tax on UK property from 2029
London is offering a lower-tax REIT route and a stamp duty break to soften the…
UAE eases e-invoicing rules ahead of 2027 rollout
Corporate tax groups get a two-year reprieve on internal transactions, while businesses gain more flexibility…
THIS MORNING: L’imad moves ahead with AD Ports squeeze-out + Adic backs Nscale’s USD 3.3 bn financing round
Investors go after Dubai-based AIX for failing to deliver on promised returns
Banks threaten to look beyond London as windfall tax talk grows
International lenders say more tax could tip the balance as Greece and Turkey join the…
Customs
THIS MORNING: FAB sees USD 1.4 bn in orders for latest Tier 2 issuance + port closures and pricing pressures are delaying Dubai Creek Tower
Plus: Dubai placed first for the fifth year in a row for FDI projects
Mercantile & Maritime makes big SAF moves
Plus: Etihad + Condor to launch new Germany-UAE daily routes in 2026
THIS MORNING: G42 to launch sovereign AI cloud in France soon + Emirates NBD could get nod from Indian central bank for controlling stake in RBL
Plus: IEA expects supply glut in 2026
More trouble for Eshraq as Goldilocks loses value
PLUS: Invest Bank secures CBUAE license for Islamic banking window
Arada trims its 2027 sukuk tab + DP World opens Bologna facility
The buyback comes after the developer’s recent USD 400 mn sukuk issuance
Apollo buys into Mubadala Capital, bringing USD 5 bn in commitments with it
Apollo is buying into Mubadala Capital as the Abu Dhabi asset manager continues opening up…
Abu Dhabi’s sovereign fund is helping take another listed company private, alongside EQT
The Swedish buyout firm, which partnered with Adia and Mubadala on its Intertek acquisition, is…
THIS MORNING: MGX comes back for OpenAI’s latest funding round + Mubadala eyes UK wealth management firm takeover
Plus: UAE inks a defence pact with France
ADQ
THIS MORNING: Fujairah workaround attracts Aramco attention + AD Ports’ tender clock starts
Plus: IRGC reportedly detains UAE-linked tanker in Hormuz
The quiet Abu Dhabi power player now steering USD 300 bn through a volatile region
L’imad’s USD 30 bn infrastructure platform with BlackRock and Temasek has thrust CEO Jassem Bu…
Adnoc, ADQ, NMDC, Edge + more join localization push
Agreements spanned pharma, chemicals, EPC, and defense
Judan invests 50.1% stake in Alpha Wave to boost AI exposure
First investment to expand its global asset management footprint, since its rollout in February
ADIA
Healthcare moves from summit, Habib Al Mulla goes to Shanghai, no rest for Adia’s India IPO drive, Invictus offloads Merec stake
Mubadala partners with Eli Lilly on localized packaging and logistics for GLP-1s
More UAE-France cooperation, M42, Adia, Hotpack lock in overseas, BlackRock + Emirates NBD take their partnership to retail
G42 entities all inked separate MoUs with Paris-based AMI labs on AI collaboration
THIS MORNING: Taqa taps debt markets for first time since going private + Adia goes back for more of Jio in USD 3.2 bn IPO
Plus: Moody’s see Sharjah’s economy as growing by 5% next year if shipping and travel…
Aldar makes its Sharjah debut, moves from Adia and Mubadala, GFH sells another US asset, and JustAd secures USD 5 mn
Aldar inked an AED 1.1 bn forward purchase agreement with Arada, marking its debut in…
ICD
ICD-backed Alec taps banks ahead of planned IPO
Alec appointed Emirates NBD Capital and JPMorgan Chase as advisors
Dubai Holding now holds a minority stake in Emirates NBD
ICD transferred over 900 mn shares to Dubai Holding
EIA
Mubadala earns third highest score in Global SWF’s governance, sustainability, and resilience ranking
The SWF also came in second globally in terms of capital deployed over the past…
Central Bank of the UAE
THIS MORNING: Wartime loan deferrals reach AED 15.9 bn + ADIB shareholders give thumbs up to rights issue
Plus: UAE-based school operator Alephya eyes KSA’s Ajialuna
Overseas moves from logistics players, more AED for public transport and Dubai CommerCity, CBUAE pushes on regional collaboration
DP World opened a 10k sqm distribution center in Bang Na, Thailand, expanding its Southeast…
THIS MORNING: L’imad set to be main driver of Hormuz bypassing + EGA shifts more exports to the east coast
Plus: Chinese autonomous-driving player Momenta Global is set to bring robotaxis to Dubai in 2027
CBUAE brings down GDP growth outlook to 1.6%
On the flip side, it raised its prediction for 2027 GDP growth
Securities and Commodities Authority
Mashreq posts a record nine months as recoveries flow in, while FAB’s impairment charges climb and Borouge and DFM feel the conflict’s drag
Mashreq released provisions as FAB added to them, and Borouge’s rerouted shipments around Hormuz hiked…
Funding for healthtech + AI film startups, Congo lists bonds on Nasdaq Dubai, Goanna joins ADGM, Edge backs High Lander
Phoenix Venture Partners led the USD 3 mn pre-Series A round for Nabta
More focus on homegrown food, Kraken makes its comeback as Al Mazaya wants out, EFG launches liquidity services
AG Group partnered with the Abu Dhabi Agricultural Club as Abu Dhabi targets producing 70%…
UAE equity markets are best of a bad bunch in September
The DFM and the ADX were the only two regional markets to close in the…
DFM
Mashreq posts a record nine months as recoveries flow in, while FAB’s impairment charges climb and Borouge and DFM feel the conflict’s drag
Mashreq released provisions as FAB added to them, and Borouge’s rerouted shipments around Hormuz hiked…
More focus on homegrown food, Kraken makes its comeback as Al Mazaya wants out, EFG launches liquidity services
AG Group partnered with the Abu Dhabi Agricultural Club as Abu Dhabi targets producing 70%…
UAE equity markets are best of a bad bunch in September
The DFM and the ADX were the only two regional markets to close in the…
Abu Dhabi races ahead of Dubai as GCC earnings hit another record
Regional net income climbed 31.3% to USD 74.8 bn as higher oil prices powered energy…
ADX
DP World’s Cochin terminal skips Hormuz with new service, CBD plugs into Europe’s digital payments experiment, ADX widens its regional trading web, Mubadala partners with Together AI, Abu Dhabi and Singapore widen dealmaking lane
The route will stop at Fujairah and Sohar — two stops outside the Strait of…
Edge + TKMS team up on underwater defense, ADX secures a SWIFT code
Edge and TKMS take the underwater route Abu Dhabi defense giant Edge is expanding its…
L’imad locks in October settlement date to buy out AD Ports Group's remaining shareholders after delisting Taqa — but it’s not the start of a take-private trend
Taqa and AD Ports point to a selective shift toward full sovereign ownership where funding…
Abu Dhabi races ahead of Dubai as GCC earnings hit another record
Regional net income climbed 31.3% to USD 74.8 bn as higher oil prices powered energy…
Courts
UAE establishes dedicated bankruptcy court for financial disputes
The court will oversee all disputes and applications related to the federal insolvency and financial…
Dubai’s Hatta Hydro plant to begin clean energy exports in April 2025
The 250 MW plant, designed with 1.5k MWh of storage and an 80-year life span
Sharjah to get public prosecution, judicial department
The council will have financial and administrative autonomy
ADIA-backed Lake Shore lines up USD 143 mn green loan
Plus: Mastercard to roll out biometric checkout authentication with Noon, replacing one-time passwords
Public policy
UAE approves AED 292.5 bn federal budget for 2027-2029
The three-year spending plan grows 28.3%, even as the federal budget for 2027 comes in…
Spotmix brings UAE’s first mobile concrete mixer — and a license Dubai didn’t have a year ago
The self-funded company wants to reach 20 trucks and eventually build them in the UAE
ADGM proposes new rules to increase commercial land usage
The freezone is proposing an annual fee for owners leaving commercial plots vacant
ADGM brings court efficiency push to business transfers
The development comes as part of Abu Dhabi’s wider push to unclog legal and dispute-resolution…
Diplomacy
THIS MORNING: DP World sets its sights on Canada’s export gateway plan + Pearl Petroleum lines up USD 500 mn bond
Plus: UAE ranked fifth cheapest place to build a data center
UAE signs CEPA with Benin, expects more than USD 1 bn boost to exports by 2033
Abu Dhabi sees the country as an entry point to neighboring African markets
Lana Nusseibeh is in the running for UN secretary-general
She enters as a late, seventh candidate in a race the Security Council has failed…
THIS MORNING: UAE banks are paying up for deposits + ADIB sets the timetable for AED 1.75 bn rights issue
Plus: Emirates Islamic tests the waters for another sukuk offering
Abu Dhabi
Oura eyes bigger presence in the UAE as it launches its first Abu Dhabi health pilot
Oura is building a team in Abu Dhabi as it kicks off Project Cradle, the…
THIS MORNING: IRH and Zambia move past mining spat + DAE taps Asian banks for USD 2.1 bn in funding
Plus: Kuwait studies access to a pipeline route through the UAE to Fujairah
Abu Dhabi wants to more than double food self-sufficiency by 2040
The new strategy needs a 3.6x jump in the farm economy, and private capital to…
A Mubadala + Taraf plot new development, Eurazeo is in Abu Dhabi, more re-export room, Mashreq moves on tokenized deposits and Agrobank
Gulf money is flowing out to Europe and Uzbekistan, while Mashreq tests round-the-clock cross-border payments
Dubai
THIS MORNING: Mubadala eyes more Asia exposure + more The Boring Company projects could be in the pipeline
Plus: Sharjah looks to target more India FDI
Azizi Developments is entering Sharjah with a bang, launching an AED 30 bn master community
That’s the fourth AED-30-bn-plus master-planned launch from a developer since May
THIS MORNING: Mubadala’s Brazil port attracts interest from buyers + Khorfakkan Port to double handling capacity
Good morning, everyone. The UAE is still building out its east coast hedge, with Sharjah’s…
Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah’s property markets are moderating
Execution and supply delivery, not price momentum, will decide what comes next for both markets
Sharjah
Arada taps Aastha Billore as CIO of new fund management arm
Arada Capital is targeting USD 5 bn in AUM within four year
Dubai’s new tokenized fund for UK law firms targets a 16% annual return
The fund has no commitments yet and is aiming for a GBP 50 mn first…
THIS MORNING: Sharjah doubles its gas production + Indonesia turns to the UAE for fuel supplies amid disruption at home
Plus: Could a clamp down on loan hopping be on the way?
The war made the Gulf more attractive to Swiss quant house Finreon
The firm is readying a shariah-compliant strategy, eyeing launch by year-end
Ras Al Khaimah
Fitch holds RAK at A+ but keeps negative outlook as war weighs on growth
Growth is set to slow to 1.5% this year as weaker trade and tourism and…
S&P affirms Ras Al Khaimah’s A/A-1 rating, trims 2026 growth forecast on Middle East war spillovers
The agency is banking on fiscal buffers and UAE support to cushion the emirate as…
New private credit fund on the block, solar plant in RAK, fundraise for Synapse, and another law firm lands in Abu Dhabi
Zamanat is targeting a USD 100 mn fund to address the SME financing shortfall
THIS MORNING: It’s a later opening date and a higher bill for Wynn Al Marjan Island + UAE’s PMI climbs in July
Dubai Duty Free is accepting payments through Crypto.com
Ajman
AED 1.8 bn for Ajman infrastructure, DTC becomes top taxi, Adnoc deepens energy ties with South Korea
Ajman is investing AED 1.8 bn over five years for municipal projects
THIS MORNING: Petrofac sells UAE unit to US, UK players + Alec clinches construction contract for The Sphere
Plus: Both IHC and Alabbar are eyeing struggling IFFCO
THIS MORNING: ADQ could be vying for Sicily’s Catania Airport + Etihad Airways plans USD 15 bn investment over seven years; but no firm IPO timeline
Plus: Space42 ships first domestically assembled SAR satellites to US
THIS MORNING: Gems Education eyes Saudi school operator + Air taxis to hit Ras al Khaimah’s skies in 2027
Plus: Abu Dhabi earmarks AED 42 bn for livability strategy
Umm Al Quwain
BitOasis expands to Bahrain
Plus: Landmark to develop USD 1.4 bn Skyscraper in Dubai
Umm Al Quwain gets new sprawling “downtown” coastal development
Dragon Oil inks slew of agreements at Gotech 2025
Shelf Drilling taps Arabian Drilling rigs in new global offshore expansion pact
The partnership is aimed at expanding their offshore drilling operations worldwide
The UAE's first pilot vertiport will be at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal
Tech startup incubator Soul launched in Umm Al Quwain FreeTrade Zone
Fujairah
Gulftainer’s USD 2 bn Khorfakkan bet, and the limits of the east coast boom
The Hormuz closure has turned the UAE’s east coast into the country’s main gateway, but…
THIS MORNING: UAE officials order investigation into flydubai incident + Paramount takeover gets a timeline and a financing plan
Plus: FAB is eyeing syndicating part of its USD 5 bn swap with Nigeria
THIS MORNING: UAE is lining up another USD 25 bn in investment for India + regional crude exports on track for strongest month since war began
Plus: The AI rollout is coming to Abu Dhabi courts
Etihad Rail Freight + AD Ports set up Abu Dhabi-Fujairah service
The move is part of the inland piece of the puzzle to hedge against future…