Gulf Briefing

Qatar health card 2026: apply and renew the Hamad card online via Hukoomi or Nar'aakom, the QAR 100 fee, eligibility and the public healthcare it unlocks.

A guide to Arabic AI models in 2026: Abu Dhabi's Falcon, G42's Jais, Saudi Arabia's ALLaM and Qatar's Fanar, and why the Gulf is building sovereign LLMs.

The GCC data centre boom in 2026 tracks 170+ projects worth over USD 93 billion, as AWS, Microsoft, Google and Oracle race into the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

A 2026 guide to traditional Emirati dress: the kandura, ghutra and agal for men, the abaya and sheila for women, their colours, meaning and dress etiquette.

Saudi Premium Residency 2026: permanent vs annual Green Card, new investor and talent categories, SAR fees, and benefits like owning property and no kafeel.

GCC data-protection and cybersecurity laws 2026: UAE PDPL, Saudi PDPL and NCA ECC-2, plus Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait rules — and how businesses stay compliant.

A 2026 taste-map of Khaleeji food: machboos, kabsa, harees, luqaimat, balaleet and thareed explained, with where each Gulf dish comes from and where to try it.

Ramadan 2026 in the Gulf starts around 18 February. Expat guide to reduced working hours, eating and drinking rules, iftar, suhoor and etiquette across the GCC.

The Kuwaiti dinar is worth about USD 3.28 in 2026, making it the world's highest-valued currency. Here is why the KWD tops global charts and how it compares.

UAE ILOE unemployment insurance 2026: who must register, the two premium tiers (AED 5 or 10/month), payouts and the AED 400 and AED 200 fines for non-payment.

Gold making charges in the GCC 2026: how per-gram and percentage charges work, 22K vs 24K, VAT by country and how to bargain in Dubai, Saudi and Qatar souks.

How to set up a business in Qatar's free zones in 2026: QFZ, QFC and Media City Qatar compared on 100% ownership, tax, sectors, costs and steps.