Fatima Al Zaabi

92 POSTS
Fatima Al Zaabi writes our Features — the profiles of the people, founders and companies building the Gulf. She reports the long-form side of the magazine: how a business was actually built, what it cost the person who built it, and what the rest of the region can learn from it.

Exclusive articles:

Expert View: Saudi Giga-Projects, Ambition, Costs and the 2030 Reality Check

Gulf Briefing Fatima Al Zaabi Fatima Al Zaabi -
Expert view on Saudi giga-projects in 2026 — NEOM and The Line scaled back, PIF write-downs, delayed timelines and what a realistic 2030 delivery looks like.

Dubai School Fees 2026: KHDA Ratings & Average Costs by Curriculum

Guides Fatima Al Zaabi Fatima Al Zaabi -
Dubai school fees 2026 by curriculum in AED, KHDA inspection ratings explained and the fee-freeze rules for 2026-27. A practical guide for parents.

Expert View: Will a Unified GCC Currency Ever Happen? The Case For and Against Gulf Monetary Union

Gulf Briefing Fatima Al Zaabi Fatima Al Zaabi -
A unified GCC currency remains unlikely in 2026: the 2010 plan stalled after the UAE and Oman withdrew, and sovereignty concerns still block Gulf monetary union.

Ronaldo Mouchawar: How Souq.com Became the Middle East’s First Billion-Dollar Exit

Founders Fatima Al Zaabi Fatima Al Zaabi -
The founder story of Ronaldo Mouchawar, who built Souq.com into the Arab world's largest online marketplace and sold it to Amazon in 2017 for about $580 million.

How to Buy Your First Stock in the GCC in 2026: Opening a Brokerage Account Step by Step

Gulf Briefing Fatima Al Zaabi Fatima Al Zaabi -
How do you buy your first stock in the GCC in 2026? Get a National Investor Number (NIN), open an account with a licensed broker, fund it and trade on DFM, ADX or Tadawul.
1...567...18Page 6 of 18

Breaking

Kuwait’s Police Certificate Lives in an App, and Closes When You Leave

Guides 0
Kuwait issues its police clearance as a Criminal Status Certificate through the Sahel app, and only to current residents aged 18 and over. The verified process.

Oman’s Police Certificate: Almost Every English Guide Names the Wrong One

Guides 0
The Royal Oman Police issues two certificates, not one, and expatriates cannot get the Good Conduct one. The real process, the real fees, and where guides go wrong.

Qatar Abolished the Exit Permit. The Internet Has Not Noticed

Guides 0
Qatar removed the exit permit for private-sector workers in 2018 and for almost everyone else in January 2020. Who still needs approval, and the ILO numbers.

Rica Hernandez: A Salon Built on One Promise

Companies 0
Rica Presentacion Hernandez built Blink Lash from a home beauty service into a licensed Abu Dhabi studio. The founder, in her own words.
spot_imgspot_img