Business

Gulf sovereign wealth funds deployed nearly $26 billion across global assets in March to May 2026 — treating regional volatility as a buying opportunity rather than a deterrent. AD Ports Group's AED 3 billion acquisition of Brazil's CLI port terminal operator anchors the infrastructure theme.

The UAE offers one of the most compelling quality-of-life propositions in the world for expatriates, world-class infrastructure, safety, sunshine, and a zero-income-tax environment. But...

Oman's Salalah khareef — the annual June-to-September monsoon that turns the Dhofar coast green with 25°C temperatures — is entering 2026 with new Etihad Abu Dhabi connectivity and accelerating hotel investment as Oman positions Salalah as a world-class Gulf summer alternative.

Dubai is home to more than 30 designated free zones, each with its own licensing authority, permitted activities, visa quota rules, and fee structure....

Bahrain FinTech Bay has evolved into the GCC's most advanced fintech ecosystem, built on the region's first regulatory sandbox (2017), first open banking framework (2018), and a unified Central Bank of Bahrain that has consistently moved faster than larger Gulf counterparts on emerging financial technology regulation.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's tourism sector, which collectively welcomed more than 60 million international visitors in 2025 before facing a disrupted H1 2026, is...

The UAE's non-oil PMI reached 52.6 in May 2026, maintaining expansion, but supplier delivery times deteriorated to the worst level since April 2020 as Hormuz shipping disruptions extend import lead times across the economy — forcing businesses to rethink inventory and supply chain strategies.

Dubai is consistently ranked among the world's top five cities for business setup, and with the UAE's non-oil economy growing at 6.8 per cent...

Saudi Arabia is scaling back plans to build 81 luxury Red Sea resorts by 2030 as the Kingdom reassesses pace and scope across giga-projects — a pragmatic recalibration that preserves Vision 2030's economic logic while aligning timelines to execution reality, with 85% of targets still on track.

Kuwait's South Saad Al-Abdullah New City — a 64 square kilometre development for up to 400,000 residents across 23,551 plots — has $863 million in contracts underway, with main roads at 55.6 per cent complete as Kuwait's largest housing programme accelerates under Vision 2035.

Dubai International Financial Centre has announced plans to become the world's first AI-native financial centre — embedding AI into its legal frameworks, regulatory processes, and physical infrastructure. For the 6,500-plus companies in DIFC, the shift means AI-assisted compliance, regulatory sandboxes, and smart campus infrastructure.

Etihad Airways launched its inaugural Abu Dhabi-Salalah service on May 21, 2026, expanding to five weekly flights from June 15, as UAE carriers adapt route networks following 227 delays and 15 cancellations in a single June 5 disruption event — the worst in recent UAE aviation history.