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

UAE cover image

United Arab Emirates

June 16, 2026

Abu Dhabi 10:40 pm

31°C

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

Gulf cautiously welcomes US-Iran deal as Hezbollah congratulates Tehran

Arab and regional countries welcomed the deal to end the war between Iran and the United States.

Aluminum from Dubai sits in the BMW Landshut factory on Oct. 25, 2024 in Ergolding, Germany.

Analysis

Gulf aluminum pursues global deals as Hormuz crisis accelerates shift

Gulf aluminum exporters are targeting global deals amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war, which has pushed prices to multiyear highs in early June.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

Turkey pushes Iraq, Syria trade routes as Hormuz crisis disrupts Gulf shipping

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula, on May 17, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

UAE's Sky News Arabia split from Sky raises issue of media, power in Gulf

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

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

MAXIM SHIPENKOV / AFP via Getty Images

UAE President meets Putin in Russia to discuss nuclear energy, trade, Iran

The visit of Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed comes a day after the Kremlin hosted President Ahmed al-Sharaa to discuss the future of Russian military bases in Syria.

Art of digital currency.

UAE Central Bank approves first US dollar-backed stablecoin: What to know

The approval marks a milestone in the UAE’s development of digital currency infrastructure and positions USDU as the Gulf country’s first USD-denominated currency for digital assets.

United Arab Emirates

A salesman arranges gold jewelry at Dubai Gold Souk, on Nov. 25, 2020, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Gold hits $5,300 as UAE market adjusts to record prices

Dubai is one of the world's major gold hubs, and higher bullion prices impact jewelry-buying habits.

United Arab Emirates

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