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 9:49 am

30°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

Turkey's minister of foreign affairs, Hakan Fidan, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, on April 11, 2025.

Turkey's Fidan visits UAE for talks on Syria, Gaza: What to know

The top Turkish diplomat’s visit to the UAE comes amid heightened tensions between Turkey and Israel over Syria.

UAE/LEBANON

UAE lifts Lebanon travel ban, signals support for $11B reconstruction in sign of thaw

The United Arab Emirates and Lebanon will establish a joint business council and explore joint projects, suggesting the UAE could play a role in Lebanon’s economic recovery.

Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, April 20, 2025.

On first state visit, Aoun lauds UAE-Lebanon ties, says 'past behind us'

The Lebanese president’s visit to the UAE is the first by a head of state in years, as ties between the two countries became increasingly strained during Hezbollah’s growing influence in Lebanon.

France s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Lebanon s President Joseph Aoun during an official visit of the President of Lebanon, at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on March 28, 2025. (Photo by Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by MAGALI COHEN/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon's Aoun heads to UAE seeking economic support, reconstruction aid

The Lebanese president's visit to the UAE visit marks a bid to rebuild ties and garner financial support for the country's postwar reconstruction efforts.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar face uneven 2025 growth as trade tensions rise: IMF

While Gulf economies face only the Trump administration’s baseline 10% tariffs, the levies have already impacted oil prices and revenue, especially for rentier states like Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud gesture during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE May 13-16: White House

Trump's first foreign trip in his second term is aimed at reassuring Gulf partners over the Iranian threat and attracting new investments.

COONC

UAE’s ADNOC inks deal with China’s largest offshore producer as US tariffs bite

A third LNG deal has been struck between a Chinese entity and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as Beijing scrambles for alternative sources to replace the US supply.

United Arab Emirates

Sharaa MBZ UAE

Analysis

With Sharaa's visit, UAE opens door to post-Assad Syria, but how far will it go?

Does renewed contact between the United Arab Emirates and Syria signal a deeper political alignment or a cautious attempt to manage regional dynamics without fully endorsing the new Syrian order?

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

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

The Ameca humanoid robot greets visitors at Dubai's Museum of the Future, UAE, Oct. 11, 2022.

Analysis

How Trump’s US chip crackdown could shake up Middle East tech ambitions

US tariffs on semiconductors and efforts to onshore production potentially threaten industries in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside investments and joint ventures with US companies.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech