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United Arab Emirates

November 4, 2026

Abu Dhabi 5:03 pm

32°C

FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images

UAE taps French firm for first-ever natural hydrogen exploration: What to know

Under the UAE National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, the Gulf country aims to establish itself as a global producer and supplier of low-emission hydrogen by 2031 while supporting its net-zero emissions target by 2050.

United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (R), in a meeting with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) on Nov. 2, 2026.

OpenAI's Altman signs UAE energy, government deals amid Gulf funding push

The deals deepen the company’s ties to the UAE as the ChatGPT creator pursues a massive new funding round with help from Middle East investors.

United Arab Emirates

Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, speaks at a Sudan Humanitarian Fund event at the Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2026. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

UAE's Nusseibeh comes in fourth in latest UNSG straw poll: What to know

The latest straw poll puts Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan in first place, Argentina's Rafael Grossi in second, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett in third and the UAE's Lana Nusseibeh in fourth place.

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Latest News

Canada, UAE sign trade pact as Ottawa seeks to diversify beyond US

Dock workers load and unload shipping containers in the Port of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

United Arab Emirates

UAE battles tanker oil spill as war's environmental toll mounts

FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh for UN secretary-general: What to know

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 23: Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh speaks during a meeting on February 23, 2023 at U.N. Headquarters in New York City. The Security Council met to discuss international peace and security issues. The General Assembly continues its Eleventh Emergency Special Session on Ukraine to resume introductions on a new draft resolution and two proposed amendments on the eve of the one year anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine.

United Arab Emirates

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Advertisement boards on main road of the city Sheikh Zayed Road.

UAE launches sovereign open-source AI model K2 Think: What to know

The Gulf state is one of the few countries in the world developing its own sovereign open-source AI model to counter the dominance of the United States and China in the sector.

United Arab Emirates

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in New Delhi, Jan. 19, 2026.

Analysis

No strings attached: UAE, India deepen defense ties, balk at mutual guarantees

India and the UAE signed a letter of intent on a strategic defense partnership, reflecting Abu Dhabi’s push to diversify security ties and New Delhi’s effort to expand cooperation without deeper regional entanglements.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

An undated image of Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East & Africa.

Interview

Qualcomm sees growing demand for edge AI in the Middle East

The Middle East's young population is increasingly adopting AI through mobile devices rather than data center-based solutions, Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East and Africa, told Al-Monitor.

Wassim Chourbaji

Wassim Chourbaji

Qualcomm president for the Middle East & Africa

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan walks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while on an official visit in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 19, 2026.

UAE, India agree on formalizing defense pact, $200B trade deal: What to know

During an official visit to India, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan witnessed the signing of several memorandums of understanding and letters of intent across multiple sectors, including defense and space.

United Arab Emirates

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan listens to Iran's foreign minister during a joint press conference, in Tehran on Nov. 30, 2025.

Turkey's Fidan to visit UAE as Iran unrest, Gulf tensions intensify

The top Turkish diplomat’s UAE visit coincides with heightened Gaza diplomacy, growing tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and escalating unrest in Iran.

Sadaf Ebrahimi walks down a row of demonstrators at Lafayette Park in front of the White House during the "Free Iran" rally on Jan 10, 2026, in Washington.

Analysis

Trump dials up risky Iran tariffs that would hit China, UAE and others: What to know

Any country trading with Iran now faces a 25% tariff, per the White House, but the move is unlikely to ratchet up pressure on Tehran in the short term.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City. — Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Syria’s Sharaa heads to Davos, ending years of global isolation

The World Economic Forum begins on January 19 and ends on January 23, hosting a cohort of around 400 political leaders.

ED RAM/AFP via Getty Images

Somalia cancels UAE agreements amid Yemen, Somaliland divide: What to know

The Somali government said that the decision was a response to "reports and strong evidence of illegal measures to harm the sovereignty" of Somalia.

United Arab Emirates

The skyline of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 31, 2023.

MidEast VC funding hits record $3.8B in 2025, driven by strong Gulf showing

Many emerging venture markets contracted in 2025, but the Middle East and North Africa bucked the trend.