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Regulation
DIFC to open PC regime to all applicants as ADGM tightens AML + crypto rules
DIFC could open up its prescribed company structure to more people, while ADGM issued its…
FSRA tightens reins. governance and ins. promotion rules
The FSRA tightened reins. governance, sharpened conduct rules, and added new controls for ISPVs
How the CMA is redrawing the rules for virtual assets (and what comes next)
We probed the CMA on what its new framework means in practice, from expanded licensing…
Dubai moves to regulate crypto’s riskiest trades, and the market is already testing it
Dubai’s framework brings crypto derivatives under strict rules, from leverage caps and client checks to…
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
Mandatory e-invoicing is coming, and due diligence is set to change drastically
For dealmakers, automated invoices translate into earlier visibility on risks previously emerging late, and for…
THIS MORNING: Dubai now has an air taxi station + Energy infrastructure repair bill balloons to USD 58 bn
Plus: FTA slashes slew of tax violation penalties
FinMin introduces tax credits for R&D spend
Sectors like biotech, fintech, and advanced manufacturing can benefit from tax credits worth up to…
THIS MORNING: Fresh tax incentives on the table? + CBUAE holds rates steady
Plus: The UAE is staying on track with its USD 1.4 tn USinvestment pledge
Customs
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
Arabian Construction secures AED 2 bn contract for Design Quarter development from Meraas
Plus: Moody’s upgrades RAK Bank’s outlook
Mubadala taps new infrastructure lead
Nordell most recently served as Mubadala’s head of real estate investments
Mubadala capitalizes on US stock rally with USD 1.9 bn GlobalFoundries sale
The share sale came after the S&P 500 was up almost 20% from a March…
Mubadala-owned Acelen locks in USD 1.5 bn for Bahia biofuels refinery project
Plus: Mubadala Energy said it expects to announce a final investment decision within months on…
More tech wagers from Mubdala + a Sharjah-Oman logistics corridor
Mubadala bought a stake in US’ Palantir
ADQ
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
Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds could repurpose their strategies toward critical sectors in case of a war escalation
Funds could shift towards “resilience investments” and sectors like logistics, security infrastructure, and defense
ADIA
THIS MORNING: Adia cashes in on Innio USD 2.4 bn IPO + IRH passes up Zambia export duty waiver for unprocessed copper
Plus: Midday work ban starts on 15 June
Adia backs another India IPO, Amman Stock Exchange joins Tabadul, a new ins. firm comes to DIFC
Adia bought around 7.2% of precision equipment manufacturer KRN Heat Exchanger
Adia backs insurtech Sapiens, Positron AI comes to DIFC, DP World invests more in Dominican Republic freezone, Adnoc secures gas supply from Azerbaijan
Adia took a minority stake in Sapiens, which remains owned by Advent
MGX makes another AI wager, another int’l player lands in DIFC, a cold chain hub for Abu Dhabi, Gallega adds capacity to Jafza, another real estate project with Bildco in tow, Adia subsidiary heads for another Medline share sale
MGX joined a USD 2.1 bn funding round for UK-based Isomorphic Labs
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: Wynn confirms RAK resort delay + Archer Aviation is a step closer to air taxi launch
Plus: CBUAE records AED 6.2 bn in financial support packages
The UAE doesn’t want a loan from DC — but it does want to send a message
The UAE doesn’t want a loan — but it sure wants AI compute. And F-35s.…
THIS MORNING: UAE-Korea partnership to come into effect in May + Salama hikes capital in two-act survival play
Plus: Syrian leader Ahmed Al Sharaa landed in the UAE yesterday
More ADGM action, IHC seals Pakistan acquisition, another Dubai International Chamber office in Asia, and CBUAE rolls out e-KYC
Dubai International Chamber has opened another global office, this time in Manila, the Philippines
Securities and Commodities Authority
HashKey pilots stablecoin payments, Lunate expands ETFs, another tokenization play emerges
HashKey MENA will pilot a stablecoin-based payment corridor between the Middle East and Africa
THIS MORNING: Fuel prices are up again + Some hope for ADX’s IPO pipeline?
Plus: UK mortgage lender’s collapse could be messy for FAB
DFM, Investcorp, PureHealth turn in earnings
DFM powers through regional tensions on trading boom Dubai Financial Market (DFM) kicked off 2026…
THIS MORNING: Emirates to develop USD 2.3 bn railway project for Jordan + DFM saw a rally yesterday
Plus: Another Cepa comes into effect + schools and universities are back in-person next week
DFM
DFM, Investcorp, PureHealth turn in earnings
DFM powers through regional tensions on trading boom Dubai Financial Market (DFM) kicked off 2026…
THIS MORNING: Emirates to develop USD 2.3 bn railway project for Jordan + DFM saw a rally yesterday
Plus: Another Cepa comes into effect + schools and universities are back in-person next week
DFM and ADX reel from steepest monthly declines in years amid regional strain
Foreign investors are still selling, with hundreds of mns in outflows over the past week
Equity sell-off continues amid uncertain outlook for the war
Last week saw around USD 750 mn in net foreign outflows from UAE indices
ADX
THIS MORNING: Operations are back on at Dana Gas’ Khor Mor + CMA issues virtual assets framework
Dubai’s healthcare freezone is the latest to see support measures
DFM and ADX reel from steepest monthly declines in years amid regional strain
Foreign investors are still selling, with hundreds of mns in outflows over the past week
Equity sell-off continues amid uncertain outlook for the war
Last week saw around USD 750 mn in net foreign outflows from UAE indices
THIS MORNING: Markets close in green for first time since war began + DP launches land bridge to bypass port disruption
Plus: The UAE’s tourism sector is the most exposed in the Gulf
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
THIS MORNING: Nafis Emiratization program extended + Abu Dhabi tourism was on a roll last year
Plus: Iran rejects Pakistan-brokered 45-day ceasefire proposal
The UAE’s next phase: Scaling space, reshaping healthcare, and tightening food policy
New national strategies set hard targets to scale space output, integrate healthcare systems, and tighten…
How global crises are turning into financial assets
Daily trading volumes on Polymarket exceed USD 100 mn
Prediction markets boom amid legislative showdown in the US
New research shows that prediction markets are leading in price discovery and outperforming professional analysts
Diplomacy
UK and GCC finalize multi-bn GBP trade agreement
The agreement will add around GBP 3.7 bn a year to the UK economy
THIS MORNING: Lawyers told to come back to the office as ceasefire holds (for now) + Dubai Investments might push IPO to the fall
Plus: Future-proofing is front and center on policymakers’ minds — from jet fuel to railway…
UAE, China reaffirm diplomatic ties, ramp up investments amid geopolitical tensions
China and the UAE are eyeing more investments, but meaningful investments would still be predicated…
Beijing steps up UAE engagement, pairing conflict diplomacy with an energy push
China’s president pitched a four-point peace framework, while its premier pushed deeper energy cooperation with…
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi freezes rents across residential, commercial, and industrial properties in a move that could help increase long-term investor appeal
The new measure prevents landlords from raising prices on renewals or newly leased previously rented…
Abu Dhabi government takes control of T10 cricket competition, plans to take it global
The move folds cricket into Abu Dhabi’s wider sports investment strategy, which has seen it…
THIS MORNING: Europe’s aerospace startup in talks with UAE investors + Fujairah looks to secure more logistics integration
Plus: Abu Dhabi opens another lane for dispute resolution
Dubai Taxi moves into Abu Dhabi with AED 1.5 bn National Taxi acquisition
The debt-funded acquisition would hand DTC a larger share of Dubai’s taxi market
Dubai
MGX invests in Anthropic’s latest funding round + the latest T-sukuk was oversubscribed, again
MGX first invested in the firm back in February
THIS MORNING: EGA eyes stake in Omani rival + Masdar secures approval for UK offshore wind project
Plus: Aldar expands further in Dubai
UAE launches AED 1 bn industrial fund
The first phase targets essentials from eggs and bread to dairy and bottled water, alongside…
Aldar + Mubadala acquire The Link, Investcorp leans deeper into US housing, Sharjah gets more EV infrastructure, another Emirati name lands in Ras El Hekma
Aldar and Mubadala already teamed up on a JV that included a development plan for…
Sharjah
Office sales and rents fell in March, but long-term outlook remains positive
Activity slowed noticeably in March as regional tensions, Ramadan, and business caution prompted some occupiers…
First Abu Dhabi Bank invests in water security, CNTXT AI acquires Actualize + Mischon de Reya opens up in DWTC
The lender is investing in a fund opening emerging market access to safe water
Dubai inflation hits 4.8% as fuel and food costs filter deeper into the economy
Transport, food, and logistics costs surged
Another AED 1.5 bn of help coming to Dubai
This package brings total economic relief introduced over the past two months to AED 2.5…
Ras Al Khaimah
THIS MORNING: Wynn might delay the opening of its RAK resort + DP World rolls out war ins. coverage
Plus: UAE, Japan to talk energy support
Marjan revamps top team ahead of project push
The developer appointed three new CEOs and a head of government communications and PR
FDI takes a step back as focus turns towards domestic investments
Mubadala and Tubacex bring Abu Dhabi OCTG joint venture fully online
THIS MORNING: GCC leaders meet in Jeddah + Emirates NBD pushes ahead with AT1 issuance
Plus: 4.9k of the world’s wealthiest are living in our midst
Ajman
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
THIS MORNING: Newly launched PE firm BlueFive Capital to set up China-focused PE fund with CICC
Plus: Long weekend for Prophet Muhammad’s birthday confirmed
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
First, it was crude — now we might also get an export hub for petrochemicals on the east coast
Borouge is now looking into building new export infrastructure and assessing new routes and shipping…
THIS MORNING: DFSA clarifies Islamic finance rules + Standard Chartered eyes UAE expansion
A new desalination plant is coming to Fujairah
THIS MORNING: UAE demands assurances and compensation from Iran + Abu Dhabi tightens governance for real estate
Crude flows via the port of Fujairah are on the up amid Hormuz bypass
UAE-Iraq consortium plans USD 700 mn subsea-to-land data cable to Turkey
A subsea cable will run from Fujairah to Turkey via Iraq’s Faw peninsula