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

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United Arab Emirates

April 21, 2026

Abu Dhabi 2:14 pm

28°C

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Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

The Gulf country apparently wanted reassurances from Washington in case its economy is severely damaged by the Iran war.

United Arab Emirates

Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, United Arab Emirates

Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa, UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability, spoke to Al-Monitor about the situation in the Gulf along with the UAE's focus on promoting privatization in the water sector and the 2026 UN Water Conference.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi stocks hit 2026 high, bucking global war-driven volatility

The kingdom's stock market climbed to its highest level of the year on Wednesday, with the kingdom’s equities now far outperforming the S&P 500 and other global and regional indices.

Latest News

UAE's deputy PM holds first call with Ghalibaf amid push to extend US-Iran ceasefire

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies

A man walks through the atrium during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

China signals bigger Gulf role as UAE crown prince visits Beijing

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 13, 2026.

Oil back above $100 as US moves to blockade Strait of Hormuz

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

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

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meets Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Karabakh, Sept. 16, 2025.

UAE’s MBZ meets Azerbaijan's Aliyev as Abu Dhabi expands South Caucasus footprint

In July, Azerbaijan and the UAE signed an economic partnership agreement and Abu Dhabi hosted peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

United Arab Emirates

Islamabad airport

Analysis

UAE bets big on Pakistan: Abu Dhabi’s infrastructure drive for Asia influence

Abu Dhabi is making multi-pronged investments in a broad push into Pakistan’s transport and trade sectors.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

An Xpeng AeroHT X2 Flying Car is seen on display in Hong Kong on May 17, 2024

China-made flying car makes first test flight in UAE: What to know

The Chinese company is facing competition from a US firm that is currently developing an air taxi service in Dubai.

United Arab Emirates

Guests attend a policy dialogue on Embracing Emerging Opportunities in times of Economic Uncertainty during the 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, China, Sept. 10, 2025.

Hong Kong inks agreements with Gulf partners at BRI Summit

Some 36 business agreements covering finance, technology, logistics, professional services and education were set to be signed at the event.

A worker fits solar panels onto frames during construction at South Africa's first municipally owned solar plant, during International World Environment Day, on June 5, 2025, in Atlantis near Cape Town.

Saudi firm to pump $700M into economic zone developer in Africa

The kingdom's Vision Invest will invest in pan-African developer Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms, which will use the funds to expand across the continent and develop green industrial ecosystems.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (L) welcomes Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (R) to Hamad International Airport in Doha, on Sept. 10, 2025.

UAE president visits Qatar, bans Israel from Dubai Airshow after Doha strikes

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan threw his country’s support behind Qatar, saying the Israeli strikes on Qatari territory violated international laws.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE’s new AI K2 Think chases DeepSeek moment in Gulf tech race

The Gulf state has launched K2 Think, an open-source reasoning model designed to speedily and efficiently tackle math and logic problems.

United Arab Emirates

JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

UK's Revolut enters Middle East fintech market with UAE licenses

The Central Bank of the UAE has granted Revolut in-principle approval for stored value facilities and retail payment services licenses.

United Arab Emirates

Chinese President Xi jinping attends a photo session for participants of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit 2025 on Sept. 1, 2025, in Tianjin, China.

China calls on BRICS to boost multilateral trade as Iran, UAE eye closer ties

The UAE’s and Egypt’s trade with BRICS members is on the rise, while Iran’s efforts to increase economic ties are complicated by sanctions.

Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides speaks during a press conference after the MED9 Summit in the Cypriot city of Paphos, on Oct. 11, 2024.

Cyprus courts UAE amid Greek pressure on subsea cable: What to know

The project has been beset with delays due to longstanding disagreements between NATO members Greece and Turkey over territory in the Eastern Mediterranean.

United Arab Emirates