UAE Weekly Business News 29/12/2025
- Jenny Hunt
- Dec 29, 2025
- 6 min read
Wishing all our readers a Happy New Year.
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UAE Weekly Business News: Issue 269 published 29 December 2025.
UAE FREE ZONE NEWS
APIAC, Opus 2 announce office openings in ADGM (WAM 29/12/2025)
Seagull invests AED15m in manufacturing facility expansion in RAK (WAM 23/12/2025)
UAE VISA NEWS (inc. employment, Emiratisation, human resources, training and women)
From new visit visas to entry requirements: UAE visa changes in 2025, explained (Khaleej Times 28/12/2025)
UAE set to lead global workforce growth with more than 1 million new jobs by 2030 (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
UAE BUSINESS NEWS
National Guide of UAE Groundwater Economic Value launched (WAM 29/12/2025)
UAE advances space ambitions with major milestones in 2025 (WAM 29/12/2025)
PureHealth pilots AI tool to assist doctors taking medical notes (WAM 29/12/2025)
Dubai Courts to regulate private Notary Public fees from January (Government of Dubai Media Office 29/12/2025)
Dubai rents set to rise by up to 6% in 2026 amid growing population (Khaleej Times 29/12/2025)
More UAE shoppers turn to diamond jewellery as gold hits record high prices (Khaleej Times 29/12/2025)
Why discipline drives Dubai’s automotive ambition (Arabian Business 29/12/2025)
Will Dubai rents fall in 2026? What tenants and landlords need to know (Arabian Business 29/12/2025)
UAE powers space ambitions with lunar gateway deal and new satellite launches (Arabian Business 29/12/2025)
Abu Dhabi leads world in breakthrough gene replacement therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (WAM 28/12/2025)
UAE tops Arab region in food, beverage sector investment (WAM 28/12/2025)
DEWA expands Dubai’s transmission network with 22 new 132kV substations launched in 2025 (WAM 28/12/2025)
Dubai Healthy Kidney Programme delivers 95% success rate (Government of Dubai Media Office 28/12/2025)
BNW Developments plans AED20b real estate projects in 2026 (Khaleej Times 28/12/2025)
GCC outbound tourism market forecast to reach $138b by 2033 (Arabian Business 28/12/2025)
16 new parks opened in Al Shamkha (WAM 27/12/2025)
Your car is about to become part of the internet (Arabian Business 27/12/2025)
UAE reinforces epidemic preparedness efforts (WAM 26/12/2025)
UAE infrastructure projects drive growth, quality of life (WAM 26/12/2025)
EAD implements AI and satellite technology to identify illegal waste dumping sites in Al Ain (Abu Dhabi Media Office 26/12/2025)
High-speed trains, new metros and smarter roads fuel UAE infrastructure boom (Arabian Business 26/12/2025)
EMSTEEL Group, ENEC accelerate industrial decarbonisation (WAM 25/12/2025)
Dubai Film Development Committee discusses strategic focus areas for advancing film sector (WAM 25/12/2025)
First AI-powered MRI system begins operations in Abu Dhabi (WAM 25/12/2025)
UAE marks 2025 with global competitiveness milestones (WAM 25/12/2025)
Abu Dhabi amends regulations allowing tourist facilities to welcome pets (Abu Dhabi Media Office 25/12/2025)
Record gold prices push UAE families to buy fewer, lighter wedding jewellery pieces (Khaleej Times 25/12/2025)
How can we secure the Middle East’s AI agent workforce (Khaleej Times 25/12/2025)
UAE’s digital transformation in 2026: The performance year (Khaleej Times 25/12/2025)
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute commences operations in Abu Dhabi (WAM 24/12/2025)
Ministry of Sports enters strategic partnership with ASPIRE, Phygital International (WAM 24/12/2025)
Gen Z, longer stays: Here's what drives Dubai’s short-term rental demand into 2026 (Khaleej Times 24/12/2025)
How smart homes are taking over UAE living: Over 500 million voice interactions signal a new tech era (Khaleej Times 24/12/2025)
AI at full throttle: What 2026 looks like for enterprises in CEEMETA (Khaleej Times 24/12/2025)
As UAE market matures, investor advised to focus on fundamentals (Khaleej Times 24/12/2025)
Ride-hailing: Dubai’s busiest days, longest trips and peak hours revealed by Zed (Arabian Business 24/12/2026)
UAE President receives Crown Prince of Ajman (WAM 23/12/2025)
‘Hatta Unites Us’ festival showcases entrepreneurial success stories driving economic, social development (WAM 23/12/2025)
WGEO launches ‘Green Circles’ platform to achieve low-carbon future (WAM 23/12/2025)
Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, UUDS AERO to develop regional first cabin excellence centre (WAM 23/12/2025)
The Gigawatt Bubble: Is the massive buildout of power infrastructure for AI sustainable? (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
AI adoption surges across Middle East workforce as employees embrace tech-driven future (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
IT services spend in Mena set to reach up to 28% of total IT budgets (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
Record UAE tourism delivers $70b to economy in 2025 (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS opens first permanent Middle East store at Mall of the Emirates (Arabian Business 23/12/2025)
Dubai’s FIX Dessert Chocolatier announces new pop-up at Museum of the Future (Arabian Business 23/12/2025)
Careem rises as the UAE’s homegrown hero for door-to-door services (Arabian Business 23/12/2025)
Dubai Municipality announces region’s first integrated RV route (WAM 22/12/2025)
Dubai Films and Games Commission, NFTS, Prime Video launch Talent Development Programme (WAM 22/12/2025)
Shurooq’s real estate projects' sales cross AED5.8b (WAM 22/12/2025)
Air Arabia launches its new service to Warsaw Modlin Airport (WAM 22/12/2025)
Taraf, Masdar City launch Fay Hills masterplan (WAM 22/12/2025)
Middle East coffee consumption accelerates (WAM 22/12/2025)
New simplified protocol eases movement of foreign yachts between Abu Dhabi and Dubai (Government of Dubai Media Office 22/12/2025)
Lynk & Co officially launches in the UAE (Khaleej Times 22/12/2025)
How much cash you need to buy a Dubai home: Costs, mortgages, payment plans explained (Khaleej Times 22/12/2025)
Drones and AI to accelerate the UAE’s $17 billion e-commerce market (Khaleej Times 22/12/2025)
UAE’s e-commerce market continues to accelerate as year winds down (Khaleej Times 22/12/2025)
UAE FINANCE AND ECONOMY NEWS
UAE consolidates its role as a regional debt issuance hub (Khaleej Times 29/12/2025)
Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025 attracts $62t in assets and 35,000 global leaders (Arabian Business 29/12/2025)
7th Key Development enables crypto payments for Dubai real estate purchases (Khaleej Times 25/12/2025)
ADX approves Waha Capital share buyback programme (WAM 24/12/2025)
ADQ closes $5b financing deal with Asian financial institutions (WAM 24/12/2025)
CBUAE revokes 'Omda Exchange' licence, imposes AED10m fine (WAM 23/12/2025)
National funding funds empower entrepreneurship in tourism sector (WAM 23/12/2025)
Holiday trading: Why late-December markets demand a different playbook (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
myAster partners with Checkout.com to introduce smooth global payments (Khaleej Times 23/12/2025)
MERGER & AQUISITION NEWS
Modon Holding exits Icon Hotel, divests its investment to ADQ (Arabian Business 26/12/2025)
IMKAN acquires 51% stake in Majestic Marine Investments Group (WAM 24/12/2025)
IHC strengthens digital services portfolio with majority acquisition of Peko Holdings (WAM 23/12/2025)
Middle East M&A surges as global dealmaking slowly recovers (Khaleej Times 22/12/2025)
UAE BILATERAL TRADE NEWS
UAE expands strategic partnerships, unlocks growing investment opportunities in Latin America (WAM 27/12/2025)
UAE President receives written message from President of Tanzania (WAM 26/12/2025)
ADMAF, SeMA collaborate to launch Proximities exhibition in Republic of Korea (Abu Dhabi Media Office 26/12/2025)
Dubai's AlHind set to begin airline operations in India (Khaleej Times 26/12/2025)
DCT Abu Dhabi, Tokyo National Museum to facilitate exchange in research, museum activities (WAM 25/12/2025)
Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon receives US Secretary of Homeland Security at Zayed International Airport (Abu Dhabi Media Office 25/12/2025)
India government-owned real estate developer makes mid-market Dubai debut (Khaleej Times 25/12/2025)
UAE President receives King of Malaysia (WAM 23/12/2025)
Shakhboot bin Nahyan receives letter from President of Malawi addressed to UAE President (WAM 23/12/2025)
Masdar to develop Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar plant (WAM 23/12/2025)
Brazilian officials explore UAE government experiences (WAM 23/12/2025)
UAE President, Norwegian Prime Minister discuss bilateral ties (WAM 23/12/2025)
Egyptian Prime Minister affirms strength of UAE-Egypt relations (WAM 22/12/2025)
Julphar signs lease agreement with Modon Industrial City for its integrated pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia (WAM 22/12/2025)
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Written by Jenny Hunt
Founder, Gateway Group, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates
FORBES' Top 100 Most Influential Women in the Middle East
