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

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United Arab Emirates

November 5, 2026

Abu Dhabi 8:48 am

28°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

Latest News

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

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)

United Arab Emirates

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

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

US President Donald Trump looks on as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greets the crowd during the Saudi-US investment forum at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. Saudi Arabia on May 13 promised billions of dollars in deals with the United States from defence to artificial intelligence as it threw a lavish welcome for President Donald Trump on the first state visit of his second term. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty I

Analysis

Trump’s Gulf tour alarms Iran as it fears isolation, shifting alliances

Sanctions-hit Iran is anxiously watching Trump clinch multibillion-dollar trade deals with regional heavyweights, yet it is finding a moment of relief in the "sidelining" of Israel.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A member of Saudi security forces stands next to a replica of a fighter jet of the Saudi armed forces during the daily media briefing on Operation Decisive Storm, the Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes against Shiite Huthi militia in neighboring Yemen, on April 2, 2015 at the Air Base of the Saudi capital Riyadh.

US signs $142B deal to upgrade Saudi military

Announcement says the US will help modernize Riyadh’s air force and space capabilities, air and missile defenses, maritime and coastal fleet and border security forces, White House says.

Saudi and US flags flutter on a main road in Riyadh on May 12, 2025, hours before of a visit by US President Donald Trump to the desert kingdom this week.

Defense, energy and AI deals await Trump during Gulf visit: What to know

Trump will kick off his regional trip by participating in a Saudi-US Investment Forum meeting, while Qatar and the UAE may be eyeing more cooperation defense and technology.

President Donald Trump is greeted by Air Force Col. Paul R. Pawluk as he arrives to board Air Force One on May 12, 2025, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

From Nixon to Trump: A look at US presidential visits to the Gulf

As Trump prepares for his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Al-Monitor looks back at the history of US presidential trips to the Gulf.

Trump

In Gulf trip, Trump to prioritize blockbuster deals amid regional turmoil

President Donald Trump is set to land in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the first stop in a Gulf tour focused on securing massive investments.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in the Oval Office of the White House on March 20, 2018.

Analysis

Will Trump's push for Gulf investment align with regional economic realities?

During his May 13-16 trip, Trump aims to unveil trillions of dollars in Gulf investment and trade commitments in the United States.

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

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

US eases foreign investment rules days before Trump Gulf visit: What to know

Gulf states are estimated to manage 40% of the world’s sovereign wealth and are some of the biggest investors in the United States.

Khaldoun al-Mubarak, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Mubadala Investment Company, speaks at a panel session during the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 12, 2024. (Photo by RYAN LIM / AFP) (Photo by RYAN LIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Mubadala investments soar by 33% as UAE deepens AI ties with US

Mubadala made 119 billion Emirati dirhams ($32.4 billion) worth of investments in 2024, up 33.7% from the previous year, according to a Thursday statement from the UAE fund.

United Arab Emirates

Pakistan flights

Mideast airlines suspend Pakistan flights following Indian strikes

Pakistan closed its airspace for 48 hours starting early Wednesday following Indian airstrikes on several locations that left at least 15 people dead.

United Arab Emirates

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025.

Sudan cuts ties with UAE, dubs it 'aggressor state': What to know

The move by Sudan comes as the RSF allegedly conducts their third day of drone attacks on Port Sudan, marking a sharp escalation in the country’s conflict.

Nodding donkey rig pumping crude oil up from the ground of an oil field in the desert.

Goldman Sachs lowers oil forecast after OPEC+ boosts production: What to know

Saudi Arabia, Russia and other members of OPEC+ announced another major production increase, sending oil prices below $60 a barrel.