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

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United Arab Emirates

June 17, 2026

Abu Dhabi 11:00 am

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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

WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images

Qataris hail Chinese robotaxis as Gulf embraces driverless cars

Three Chinese companies have publicly announced plans to roll out the autonomous vehicles in the Gulf.

Italian designer Giorgio Armani acknowledges the audience during One Night Only series in Dubai on October 26, 2021.

From Milan to Dubai: Giorgio Armani's sprawling Middle East legacy

The Italian designer's eponymous brand has luxury real estate in the Gulf, as well as North Africa.

United Arab Emirates

Saudi Commerce Minister Majid al-Kassabi and Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds at the Great Futures summit, London, Sept. 3.

Saudi Arabia, UK announce over $445M in investments: What to know

The agreements aim to boost bilateral trade and will also support Saudi Vision 2030 reforms to diversify the economy away from reliance on oil by the end of the decade.

HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, in Riyadh, on Sept. 3, 2025.

UAE president meets Saudi crown prince ahead of UN Palestine conference

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have strengthened cooperation since the Gaza war began in 2023, though their rivalry over regional influence and economic leadership remains.

United Arab Emirates

An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner comes in to land at Heathrow Airport in west London on April 29, 2024. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Etihad half-year profit hits record $306M on strong travel demand

The Abu Dhabi airline reported a profit after tax of 1.1 billion Emirati dirhams ($306 million), up 32% from the first half of 2024.

United Arab Emirates

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

UAE says Israel’s West Bank annexation push a ‘red line': What to know

There are growing indications that the Israeli government is seeking to annex the Palestinian territory, but the UAE is becoming increasingly critical of the plan.

Ras al-Khair water desalination plant, owned by the Saudi government's Saline Water Conversion Corporation, is seen along the Gulf coast, eastern Saudi Arabia, March 30, 2023.

Analysis

Arid Gulf states pursue global water deals, leveraging desalination expertise

After becoming leaders in domestic water desalination, Gulf states are spotting opportunities to generate lucrative returns by exporting their know-how in a world facing growing water pressures.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Gulf rail boom rumbles on as 2030 deadline for regional network nears

From 100 million metro riders in Riyadh to a new Oman-UAE railway, Gulf states are pouring money into train transport — but plans for a regional rail network are still taking shape.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A container ship is docked at the port of Jebel Ali, operated by the Dubai-based giant ports operator DP World, in the southern outskirts of the Gulf emirate of Dubai, on June 18, 2020.

Amid Trump tariffs, UAE, Singapore to form trade group of small nations

The new group, the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership (FIT-P), is expected to include around 10 countries, with the UAE, Singapore, and New Zealand being founding members.

United Arab Emirates

His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, president of the Federal Republic of Somalia (R), received His Excellency Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, minister of state, at the start of a working visit to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Aug. 28, 2025.

Somalia, UAE hold talks as tensions simmer over Puntland, Somaliland

The visit occurred on the same day that Somalia's president met with Sudan’s intelligence chief.

United Arab Emirates

An aerial view of the solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power plant some 12.5 miles outside the central Moroccan town of Ouarzazate, on Feb. 4, 2016.

Egypt secures $220M from domestic, Gulf, Chinese investors for solar project

Foreign investment from three countries comes at a pivotal time in Egypt’s recovery from its worst financial crisis in over six decades.