Etihad passenger growth up 17 per cent in H1 2025 as Abu Dhabi airline expands routes and boosts fleet to 101 aircraft
GCC
Latest in GCC
Saudi female drivers
Uber launches ‘Women Drivers’ feature in Saudi Arabia
Seven years after female driving ban was lifted in Saudi Arabia, Uber unveils a new option allowing women to book rides exclusively with female drivers
National Center of Meteorology (NCM)
UAE weather: Temperature hits 50 degrees, rain forecast this week
Scorching temperatures recorded and rain forecast in the UAE this week
Diriyah
Saudi real estate: Diriyah awards $600m contract for retail hub as project hits $26bn milestone
Salini Saudi Arabia to build 73 Najdi-style buildings across 365,000 sqm as part of flagship Diriyah Square development
Dubai Municipality
Dubai completes $52m beauty project with 300,000 trees and smart irrigation tech
Dubai Municipality transforms 3 million sqm of roads and intersections as part of Green Dubai and Urban Master Plan 2040
DeFi
Dubai eyes tokenised gold and DeFi after success of real estate tokenisation pilot
VARA CEO confirms over 400 registered entities in Dubai’s crypto ecosystem as new pilots target DeFi and tokenised gold
Dubai real estate
Dubai real estate transactions jump 23% in H1 2025 as market enters ‘stabilisation phase’
Off-plan sales, luxury villas and UK ultra-wealthy buyers drive growth as Dubai strengthens its long-term residential appeal
CBRE Middle East
Saudi real estate: Thriving non-oil GDP boosts property market in multiple sectors in Q2 2025
Riyadh’s Grade A offices near full occupancy, residential deals soar, and hospitality sees 48 percent surge in international visitors to Saudi Arabia
IPO
GCC IPOs raise $3.4bn in H1 2025 as Saudi Arabia dominates regional listings
Saudi leads with 85 per cent of total proceeds; UAE IPO proceeds plunge 88 per cent while Oman sees strong debut from Asyad Shipping
UAE Aviation
Wizz Air to exit Abu Dhabi by September 2025: Refunds and final UAE flight dates revealed
Wizz Air to stop Abu Dhabi flights as airline announces ‘strategic realignment’ and final dates for flights from UAE
infrastructure projects
UAE announces MAJOR $205mn Emirates Road expansion
The project, with an estimated cost of AED750 million, is scheduled to begin in September 2025 and will span two years
Federal Tax Authority
UAE FTA seizes 3.5 million illegal items worth $36.2mn in massive Dubai operation
The operation uncovered an illegal cache of excise goods hidden within shipments of clothing and footwear, violating UAE tax regulations
beauty and skincare
Three million-dollar companies, zero college degrees
Born in a small town in the state of Georgia, and now a Dubai resident, Deep Patel aimed for entrepreneurial success from a young age
Connectivity
stc Bahrain announces successful landing of 45,000km 2Africa submarine cable
The cable landing represents a milestone in global connectivity and is expected to reinforce Bahrain’s position as an ICT hub whilst accelerating digital transformation across connected countries
healthy meals
UAE office workers choose salads over traditional lunch options, Deliveroo data shows
A survey by Deliveroo for Work found that 60 per cent of employees rank free or subsidised meals as one of the top drivers of workplace satisfaction
bond market
Saudi Arabia, UAE leads $9.47bn MENA sustainable bond market in H1 2025
Higher global interest rates and a pause in deals from Egypt and Qatar contributed to the lower volume, despite continued activity in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Burjeel Holdings
Dubai’s first dedicated interventional pain management centre opens at Burjeel Hospital
Procedures offered include endoscopic spine surgery, SI joint fusion, indirect fusion, endoscopic-assisted fusion, spinal cord stimulator, intrathecal pump and day care pain interventions