ALEC’s IPO on the DFM raised $381m with demand topping $8.1bn, marking the UAE’s biggest-ever construction listing by size and value
Industries
Amira Sajwani
Indian investors lead UAE fractional property boom with 37% share as millennials drive demand
PRYPCO Blocks data shows Indian investors hold 37% of UAE fractional property ownership, as millennials drive demand and upfront rental guarantees boost returns
Saudi Tourism
Saudi Arabia enforces new Saudization and worker registration rules for tourism sector
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism has approved new rules for worker registration and Saudization in licensed tourism facilities, with strict compliance checks
Aviation
Dubai’s SolitAir marks first year with 30 Global South cargo routes and plans 20-aircraft fleet by 2027
Dubai-based SolitAir marks one year with 30 Global South cargo routes, a fleet of seven Boeing freighters and plans to expand to 20 aircraft by 2027
Dubai real estate
Dubai real estate sales hit $14.8bn in September 2025; top areas and projects revealed
Dubai property sales rose 11.3 per cent to $14.8bn in September 2025, led by apartments, plots and Business Bay, JVC and Dubai Hills Estate
Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK)
Abu Dhabi schools progress: 23 upgraded to ‘Good’, 13 rated ‘Outstanding’
ADEK reports 23 Abu Dhabi schools improved to ‘Good’ in latest Irtiqa’a results, with 13 ‘Outstanding’ and 51 ‘Very Good’ schools across the sector
GCC Railway Project
Gulf Railway Project: Trains to connect UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain by 2030
Gulf Railway Project will connect all six GCC states by 2030, spanning 2,117 km with high-speed passenger and freight trains, official confirms
dubai chocolate
Dubai Duty Free hits record $184m September sales as luxury, gold and iPhone 17 drive 11.9% surge
Dubai Duty Free posted record September sales of $184m, up 11.9 per cent year-on-year, led by luxury, gold and Apple’s iPhone 17 launch
Dubai
Emirates adds six weekly flights to London Heathrow from October
Emirates currently operates six daily services to London Heathrow, all using the Airbus A380
Abu Dhabi
Gulf money fuels Egypt real estate with UAE, Saudi leading $1.4 bn inflows
Foreign capital is pouring into Egypt’s housing market as Cairo pushes its most ambitious development agenda in decades
Al Marjan Island
RAK real estate: Source of Fate launches new $708mn Miraggio Waterfront project on Al Marjan Island
Source of Fate has partnered with Savills as the sales partner for Miraggio
beauty
ULTA’s Middle East expansion fuels shift from import market to global beauty exporter
When the store launches in Dubai later this year, ULTA will be actively scouting for Middle Eastern beauty brands to take back to the US
air travel
Middle East air traffic to hit 466m passengers in 2025 as global travel reaches 9.8bn
Middle East air travel is forecast to reach 466m passengers in 2025, up 5.9 per cent year-on-year, as global traffic climbs to 9.8bn, ACI World reports
Parkin signs 10-year agreement to build and manage Dubai Sports City parking spaces
The company expects total revenue of up to $13.6mn for creating 3,100 new parking spaces; Project starts from this month
Abu Dhabi
Refreshed ‘Oasis by ADNOC’ to feature elevated food and beverage options
The relaunched identity modernises the brand, and central to this update is the introduction of the ‘On-the-Gourmet’ concept
Dubai real estate
Dubai real estate hits $36.2bn in Q3 2025 as property deals surge 60.8%
Dubai’s property market hit $36.2bn in Q3 2025, with deals soaring 60.8 per cent year-on-year, driven by population growth and global wealth inflows
Dar Global
Saudi real estate: Dar Global and Trump Organisation launch $1bn Trump Plaza Jeddah
Dar Global and The Trump Organisation will launch Trump Plaza Jeddah, a $1bn mixed-use project with residences, offices and a Central Park-inspired design in Saudi Arabia