UAE Economy 2026: Diversification Under Stress Test
CBUAE cut UAE 2026 growth from 5.6% to 1.7%. Where the non-oil economy holds, where it doesn't, and what it means for business.
Материалы автора
UAE Golden Visa in 2026: Mortgages and Off-Plan Qualify — Where the Rules Get Tricky
From 20 Feb 2026 the UAE Golden Visa property route is one AED 2M DLD valuation. Mortgage and off-plan qualify — with a bank NOC and RERA rules.
UAE CEPA: How the Emirates Paved a Trade Corridor From Mumbai to Minsk
UAE CEPA network in 2026: which trade deals are in force, what the EAEU pact means, tariff rules, rules of origin, and the sectors winning first.
Dubai Real Estate ROI in 2026: What Investors Actually Earn — and What Eats the Yield
Gross yields of 6–9%, Golden Visa from AED 2M, mortgage & off-plan eligible since February 2026. What Dubai property really returns after costs.
UAE Business Regulation in 2026: What Actually Changed — and What You Could Miss
ESR gone. UAE off both grey lists. VARA 2.0 rewrote crypto rules. PDPL exec regs still pending. What genuinely shifts the Emirates business climate in 2026.
DIB
DIB H1 2026: Dh12.4bn Revenue (+10% YoY), Dh4.8bn Operating Profit
Dubai Islamic Bank reported H1 2026 gross revenue of Dh12.4bn (+10% YoY), operating profit Dh4.8bn (+6%), net profit stable at Dh3.7bn. NPF ratio dropped to 2.4%, CET1 stands at 13%, LCR at 140%.
News
UAE Mid-Market HR Compliance 2026: WPS, Gratuity, Emiratisation
UAE Mid-Market HR Compliance 2026: WPS, Gratuity, Emiratisation The 2026 regulatory calendar in the UAE puts three specific tasks on the desk of every mid-market employer: a tightened Wage Protection System, a strict reading of end-of-service gratuity, and Emiratisation milestones tied to the Nafis programme. Companies that treat these as a routine HR-functi
DMCC
Dubai Sets $41.7 Billion Diamond Trade Record in 2025
Dubai’s diamond trade reached USD 41.7 billion in 2025 and moved 359.5 million carats, DMCC announced on 13 July 2026. It is the first time the emirate has posted records on both value and volume in the same year, based on Dubai Customs data — with the previous value peak of USD 40.9 billion, set in 2011, standing untouched for 14 years.
ADGM
ADGM FSRA 2025 Annual Report: 94 Permissions (+22%), 120 IPAs (+32%), 5 New MoUs
FSRA, the ADGM regulator, closed 2025 with 94 Financial Services Permissions (+22%), 120 In-Principle Approvals (+32%) and five new international MoUs — a signal that Abu Dhabi's financial ecosystem is scaling while supervision deepens.
Regulation
DIFC Courts H1 2026: record AED 10bn claims, opt-in trend
DIFC Courts closed H1 2026 with 810 cases and AED 10.02 billion in claims — and 42% of first-instance filings arrived by voluntary opt-in. Dubai's common-law forum is being chosen, not assigned.
Business
Abu Dhabi Licences Jump 21% in Q1 2026, Freelance +261%
Abu Dhabi's registration authority (ADRA) has posted Q1 2026 figures: new economic licences up 21%, freelance permits up 261%, and professional licences up 193% year on year. Al Ain and Al Dhafra are outpacing the capital in growth rate. Here's the practical breakdown for expat entrepreneurs, freelancers and SMB owners weighing an Abu Dhabi setup over Dubai.
Energy
BYD to supply 11.275 GWh batteries for Masdar RTC in Abu Dhabi
BYD Energy Storage has signed its largest single order to date: 11.275 GWh of batteries for the Masdar and EWEC Round-the-Clock project in Abu Dhabi. The station will pair with 5.2 GW of solar PV to deliver 1 GW of clean baseload, around the clock. Commissioning is targeted for 2027.
UAE
UAE Cabinet Decision 59 of 2026: New Merger Control Rules
Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2026 activates the executive regulations for Federal Decree-Law 36 of 2023 on 30 July 2026. Deals above AED 300 million UAE turnover or 40% market share must be notified to the Ministry of Economy & Tourism and cannot close before clearance. Below is what dealmakers need to do in the next 18 days.
UAE
DAE, Neuberger Berman Launch $6B Mustang Aerospace JV
On 6 July 2026 Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) and Neuberger Berman launched Mustang Aerospace, a Dubai-headquartered joint venture targeting up to $6 billion in commercial aircraft assets. A syndicate of six global banks — Goldman Sachs, Mizuho, BNP Paribas, MUFG, Société Générale and Truist — has signed the warehouse line funding the platform’s opening trades.
UAE
UAE FDI 2025: Record $48.3bn, NIF anchors 2031 push
On 8–10 July 2026 UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi reported record inbound FDI of $48.3bn for 2025, +6% YoY (WAM/AGBI). The $10bn National Investment Fund, approved by the Cabinet on 19.11.2025, is now the operational anchor of the National Investment Strategy 2031.
UAE
e& exits Vodafone in $5.95bn Vega sale — UAE's biggest 2026 deal
UAE's e& has sold its full 16.21% Vodafone stake to French billionaire Xavier Niel's Vega for $5.95bn (Dh21.8bn) — the largest UAE corporate deal of 2026. e& shares on ADX rose 3.7%, Vodafone on LSE about 10%. Here are the numbers, the strategic rationale and what it means for UAE business and ADX investors.
Investments
Arada Capital wins ADGM FSRA approval, targets $5bn AUM fund
Arada Capital has received In-Principle Approval from ADGM FSRA to launch its fund platform in Abu Dhabi, targeting $5 billion in AUM over four years — starting with GCC real estate for institutional and qualified investors.