United Arab Emirates - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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United Arab Emirates

August 23, 2026

Abu Dhabi 6:44 am

35°C

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

In a Truth Social post, the president threatened that any country that provides a financial lifeline to Iran will face "tremendous economic consequences."

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Iraq seeks special Hormuz access from Iran in scramble to keep oil flowing

As Iran's parliament speaker holds talks in Baghdad, Iraq has asked Tehran for special consideration for its oil exports.

Ships are docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026.

UAE halts all trade ties with Iran after missile attack

The incident follows the UAE blaming Iran for strikes on ADNOC vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

Oil nears $92 on UAE missile alert as Trump claims Iran talks stuck

Leon Neal/Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Sudan ramps up Saudi Arabia, Turkey contacts amid growing Red Sea cooperation

Sudanese army soldier stands in front of a tank

Sultan of Oman meets UAE's MBZ as Iran-Hormuz talks advance

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik pays a private fraternal visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he held a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE, at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, on Aug. 17, 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

IMF

IMF chief urges governments to increase carbon prices, reduce fossil fuel subsidies

Kristalina Georgieva was addressing an audience of business leaders and philanthropists at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.

United Arab Emirates

António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Türkiye and His Highness Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi during the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 at Expo City Dubai on Dec. 1, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Gaza overshadows COP28 as Turkey’s Erdogan blasts ’Israeli aggression'

The leaders of Iraq, Jordan and Turkey acknowledged the plight of the Palestinians, which took the attention off the country's climate targets.

United Arab Emirates

COP27 and COP28 presidents

COP28 opens in UAE amid intense scrutiny over fossil fuel links

A breakthrough was made on the first day of the UN climate summit as world leaders established a loss and damage fund to help developing countries adapt to climate change.

United Arab Emirates

Chinese flag

UAE-China ink multibillion-dollar deals as ties grow

The United Arab Emirates and China are major trade partners and have strengthened cooperation in both finance and energy in recent months.

COP28

Interview

IEA calls COP28 'big opportunity' to slash methane emissions

In an interview with Al-Monitor, the International Energy Agency's chief energy economist, Tim Gould, said the climate summit should focus on methane as well as climate finance for the developing world.

Tim Gould

Tim Gould

Chief Energy Economist of the International Energy Agency

Fatih Birol

Middle East state oil firms ‘should set the tone’ for lowering emissions at COP28, IEA says

Chief energy economist Tim Gould said it was “a legitimate expectation that these companies should be doing more” to support the clean transition.

United Arab Emirates

Carbon capture

Oil & gas industry must not hide behind carbon capture 'illusion,' says IEA

Some of the major carbon emitters have ambitious plans to capture greenhouse gases, but those alone won't be enough to help the planet avert a climate crisis, the agency warned.

United Arab Emirates

Omar Olama

Interview

Fear shouldn’t overtake rationality in approach to artificial intelligence, says UAE AI minister

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, UAE AI Minister Omar Sultan Al Olama discusses how states should govern the technology and whether fears about machine intelligence are founded.

Omar Sultan Al Olama

Omar Sultan Al Olama

UAE Minister of State

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE’s Masdar opens world’s largest single-site solar plant ahead of COP28

The Al Dhafra solar plant spans more than 12 square miles of desert.

United Arab Emirates

Aermacchi MB-339 trainer aircraft of the Fursan al-Emarat (UAE Knights) aerobatics team release smoke as they fly over during the Dubai Airshow at Dubai World Central, Al-Maktoum International Airport, Nov. 14, 2023.

Russia and China big participants at Dubai Airshow

At this year's event, the UAE is balancing friendly relations with the United States as well as with China and Russia, including via the BRICS alliance.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

Singapore exchange Crypto.com receives Dubai license in boost to UAE's scene

Cryptocurrency firms are continuing to move to the United Arab Emirates despite regulatory challenges and the market crash.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Emirates, Flydubai top orders at Dubai Air Show as China's J-10 makes debut

Middle Eastern carriers were out in full force on the opening day of the five-day air show at Al Maktoum Airport at Dubai World Central.

United Arab Emirates