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UAE Business News

Changes in UAE tax, visas, regulation and the economy — concise, fact-based, with a link to the primary source.

Business

UAE Emiratisation 2026: 190,000+ Emiratis in the private sector, 95% of firms hit quotas

Over 190,000 Emiratis are now employed across the UAE private sector — MoHRE released the H1 2026 figure on 20 July 2026. Roughly 32,000 companies now employ at least one Emirati national, and 95% of firms subject to Emiratisation quotas met their H1 targets. For mainland businesses the message is direct: quotas are landing, enforcement is live, and the H2 2026 target is already ticking.

Marsel Shadmanov 6 min read
Economy

UAE to sign 5–7 more CEPAs by end of 2026

The UAE expects to sign five to seven more CEPAs before year-end. Canada leads the pipeline; Africa, Peru and Bangladesh follow. H1 2026 non-oil trade reached Dh1.937 trillion (+13.1% YoY), with Dh304.3 billion already flowing through existing CEPA partners.

Alexander Marts 5 min read
AI

e& UAE and Core42 launch Sovereign AI Compute

e& UAE and Core42 (a G42 company) have launched Sovereign AI Compute, positioned by both partners as the UAE's first sovereign GPU platform for enterprise AI. Data stays inside the country, egress is free of charge, and there is no upfront capex — with a companion GPU Connect bundle packaging GPU access with premium connectivity.

Alexandr Sergeyev 5 min read
Fintech

Triple-A Secures Dubai VARA IPA for Broker-Dealer Services

On 16 July 2026, Singapore's Triple-A received an In-Principle Approval from Dubai's VARA for Broker-Dealer virtual assets services. Around 50 firms hold full VASP licences globally. What the IPA delivers, how the IPA-to-licence path works, and what it means for UAE businesses.

Alexandr Sergeyev 5 min read
Regulations

UAE Competition Law: Cabinet Decision 59/2026 in Force 30 July

On 30 July 2026, Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2026 activates the executive regulations of the UAE Competition Law: mandatory suspensory merger control, a qualitative dominance test, fixed 10+90+45-day timelines and real post-closing enforcement. An 8-point readiness checklist for UAE companies with live M&A activity.

Marsel Shadmanov 5 min read
Regulation

UAE Approves Spectrum Rules for Air Taxis and Drones

The UAE telecoms regulator TDRA has approved updated spectrum rules for Advanced Air Mobility, covering air taxis, delivery drones, vertiports and unmanned traffic management. The change removes a key regulatory uncertainty for operators and investors eyeing the UAE — though commercial services still need clearance from the civil aviation authority and the emirate of operation.

Alexandr Sergeyev 5 min read
Investments

UAE Retail T-Sukuk: 4.30% p.a. from AED 1,000 for Expats

The UAE's first Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk pays 4.30% per annum in semi-annual coupons, opens the sovereign fixed-income market to individuals from AED 1,000, and is now traded on Nasdaq Dubai. For expats in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the debut sets a new benchmark for parking AED liquidity beyond term deposits.

Marsel Shadmanov 8 min read
Fintech

Revolut Wins VARA In-Principle Approval for Dubai Crypto

AGBI reports Revolut has picked up an in-principle approval from Dubai's VARA for a Virtual Asset Service Provider licence. The full licence — and a UAE-facing crypto trading platform — could land before the end of August 2026, with the caveat the process may take longer.

Alexandr Sergeyev 5 min read
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

Alexander Marts 6 min read
Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD and Partior Go Live: First Real-Time Blockchain USD Payment to J.P. Morgan

On 14 July 2026, Emirates NBD executed the region's first real-time, blockchain-based cross-border USD payment on the Partior network, with J.P. Morgan acting as both settlement and beneficiary bank. The launch takes a partnership announced in October 2024 into live production, giving corporate and institutional clients in the UAE a minutes-fast USD corridor to J.P. Morgan accounts. It also signals what regional treasurers can expect as more currencies and banks join Partior's rails.

Alexandr Sergeyev 6 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 5 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 6 min read
Business

Deutsche Bank & Dubai DET launch family-office gateway

Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism and Deutsche Bank have signed a partnership. The bank identifies UHNW clients, family offices, corporates and industrial groups considering international relocation; DET meets them in Dubai with end-to-end facilitation, up to residency pathways under the applicable investor category. A working breakdown of what was signed and how to access it.

Marsel Shadmanov 6 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 6 min read
Transport

Dubai Taxi Company Closes $395m Acquisition of National Taxi

Dubai Taxi Company has closed the largest UAE mobility M&A of 2026, buying National Taxi for AED 1.45 billion in cash. The combined group now runs more than 9,500 taxis across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with roughly 78 million trips a year. For a market long dominated by fragmented operators, the deal signals a shift toward scale, digital dispatch and multi-emirate consolidation.

Marsel Shadmanov 4 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 7 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 6 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 6 min read
Corporate Tax

UAE Corporate Tax: FTA Clarifies Free Zones & Family Offices

The UAE Federal Tax Authority consolidated dozens of Private Clarifications into one summary on 09 July 2026. Free Zones, family foundations, REITs, shipping, IP and HQ services — no new law, but a practical map of how the FTA reads the rules. An ordinary LLC cannot qualify as a Family Foundation; QFZP substance and TP adjustments get sharper definitions.

Marsel Shadmanov 4 min read
UAE

UAE Enters US Export Tier A:5, Unlocking AI Chip Access

The US Bureau of Industry and Security has moved the UAE into Country Group A:5 under the Export Administration Regulations, making it the first Arab nation in the top-trust tier. The change activates License Exception STA and clears a licence-free path for Nvidia and AMD AI accelerators, commercial satellites, and dual-use kit for oil and gas, desalination and civil nuclear. Data centres, free zones and the UAE’s professional-services stack are the first-order beneficiaries.

Alexandr Sergeyev 5 min read
UAE

UAE Extends Phase 1 E-Invoicing ASP Deadline to 30 October 2026

The UAE Ministry of Finance has pushed Phase 1 ASP appointment from 31 July to 30 October 2026 by Ministerial Decision No. 66. The mandatory go-live on 1 January 2027 is unchanged. Here is what AED 50M+ businesses should do with the extra three months — and how the DCTCE / Peppol PINT AE model actually works in practice.

Marsel Shadmanov 6 min read
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.

Alexander Marts 4 min read
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