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United Arab Emirates

June 24, 2026

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French Trade & Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East and Business France's regional director for the Middle East Axel Baroux. — Business France

Interview

Franco-Gulf investment holds firm despite Iran war, French official says

French investors are reallocating capital toward strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and technology rather than pulling out of the region altogether.

Axel Baroux

France’s trade and investment commissioner for the UAE and Middle East

Latest News

Explainer

Oil’s slide wavers as Trump warns US-Iran deal ‘not final’

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on Feb. 9, 2026.

Gulf cautiously welcomes US-Iran deal as Hezbollah congratulates Tehran

Veiled women in black Chadors wave Iran and Hezbollah flags during commemoration at the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 22, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Mohammed Soliman

In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics

Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides speaks during a press conference after the MED9 Summit in the Cypriot city of Paphos, on Oct. 11, 2024.

Cyprus courts UAE amid Greek pressure on subsea cable: What to know

The project has been beset with delays due to longstanding disagreements between NATO members Greece and Turkey over territory in the Eastern Mediterranean.

United Arab Emirates

An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is parked in an aircraft shelter at Creech Air Force Base on November 17, 2015 in Indian Springs, Nevada.

Trump aims to crack Gulf's armed drone market with looser export restrictions

Washington's latest reinterpretation of the 35-nation MTCR agreement is expected to open the door for a potential major sale of advanced aerial weaponry to Saudi Arabia.

BORIS HORVAT/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East internet slows after Red Sea cables cut: What to know

Yemen's internationally recognized government accused the Houthi rebels of planning to attack underwater cables in the Red Sea in February 2024.

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (C-R).

Sudan accuses UAE of hiring Colombian mercenaries in UN complaint

Sudan’s complaint claims 350 to 380 Colombian mercenaries were recruited by Emirati security firms to fight alongside the RSF.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia, UAE firms sign $18.5B tourism megaproject for Egypt

The new deal forms part of Egypt’s Vision 2030 agenda as the government aims to secure $42 billion in foreign direct investment this year.

WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images

Qataris hail Chinese robotaxis as Gulf embraces driverless cars

Three Chinese companies have publicly announced plans to roll out the autonomous vehicles in the Gulf.

Italian designer Giorgio Armani acknowledges the audience during One Night Only series in Dubai on October 26, 2021.

From Milan to Dubai: Giorgio Armani's sprawling Middle East legacy

The Italian designer's eponymous brand has luxury real estate in the Gulf, as well as North Africa.

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Commerce Minister Majid al-Kassabi and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds at the Great Futures summit, London, Sept. 3.

Saudi Arabia, UK announce over $445M in investments: What to know

The agreements aim to boost bilateral trade and will also support Saudi Vision 2030 reforms to diversify the economy away from reliance on oil by the end of the decade.

HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, in Riyadh, on Sept. 3, 2025.

UAE president meets Saudi crown prince ahead of UN Palestine conference

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have strengthened cooperation since the Gaza war began in 2023, though their rivalry over regional influence and economic leadership remains.

United Arab Emirates

An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner comes in to land at Heathrow Airport in west London on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Etihad half-year profit hits record $306M on strong travel demand

The Abu Dhabi airline reported a profit after tax of 1.1 billion Emirati dirhams ($306 million), up 32% from the first half of 2024.

United Arab Emirates

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

UAE says Israel’s West Bank annexation push a ‘red line': What to know

There are growing indications that the Israeli government is seeking to annex the Palestinian territory, but the UAE is becoming increasingly critical of the plan.

Ras al-Khair water desalination plant, owned by the Saudi government's Saline Water Conversion Corporation, is seen along the Gulf coast, eastern Saudi Arabia, March 30, 2023.

Analysis

Arid Gulf states pursue global water deals, leveraging desalination expertise

After becoming leaders in domestic water desalination, Gulf states are spotting opportunities to generate lucrative returns by exporting their know-how in a world facing growing water pressures.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech