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United Arab Emirates

August 28, 2026

Abu Dhabi 12:12 am

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UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi (L) and Lebanese Economy Minister Amr al-Bisat after signing a memorandum of understanding, Beirut, Aug. 27, 2026.

Lebanon, UAE ink deals, deepen economic ties on Emirati Beirut visit

An Emirati business delegation signed the agreements in Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, indicating the UAE's interest in deepening economic ties with Lebanon.

Lebanese Presidency

Large UAE delegation set to arrive in Lebanon in major investment push

A large Emirati delegation of around 70 business leaders and government officials is heading to Beirut, in the latest sign of thaw between the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.

Latest News

Analysis

UAE-Iran trade relationship becomes key test of Trump’s wartime strategy

Khor Fakkan Container Terminal

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

Explainer

Iraq seeks special Hormuz access from Iran in scramble to keep oil flowing

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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/LEBANON

UAE lifts Lebanon travel ban, signals support for $11B reconstruction in sign of thaw

The United Arab Emirates and Lebanon will establish a joint business council and explore joint projects, suggesting the UAE could play a role in Lebanon’s economic recovery.

Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, April 20, 2025.

On first state visit, Aoun lauds UAE-Lebanon ties, says 'past behind us'

The Lebanese president’s visit to the UAE is the first by a head of state in years, as ties between the two countries became increasingly strained during Hezbollah’s growing influence in Lebanon.

France s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Lebanon s President Joseph Aoun during an official visit of the President of Lebanon, at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on March 28, 2025. (Photo by Magali Cohen / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by MAGALI COHEN/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon's Aoun heads to UAE seeking economic support, reconstruction aid

The Lebanese president's visit to the UAE visit marks a bid to rebuild ties and garner financial support for the country's postwar reconstruction efforts.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar face uneven 2025 growth as trade tensions rise: IMF

While Gulf economies face only the Trump administration’s baseline 10% tariffs, the levies have already impacted oil prices and revenue, especially for rentier states like Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud gesture during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE May 13-16: White House

Trump's first foreign trip in his second term is aimed at reassuring Gulf partners over the Iranian threat and attracting new investments.

COONC

UAE’s ADNOC inks deal with China’s largest offshore producer as US tariffs bite

A third LNG deal has been struck between a Chinese entity and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as Beijing scrambles for alternative sources to replace the US supply.

United Arab Emirates

Sharaa MBZ UAE

Analysis

With Sharaa's visit, UAE opens door to post-Assad Syria, but how far will it go?

Does renewed contact between the United Arab Emirates and Syria signal a deeper political alignment or a cautious attempt to manage regional dynamics without fully endorsing the new Syrian order?

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

The Ameca humanoid robot greets visitors at Dubai's Museum of the Future, UAE, Oct. 11, 2022.

Analysis

How Trump’s US chip crackdown could shake up Middle East tech ambitions

US tariffs on semiconductors and efforts to onshore production potentially threaten industries in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside investments and joint ventures with US companies.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Jakarta

GCC-Indonesia economic ties deepen with Saudi MoUs, joint Qatar fund

Trade between Indonesia and the Gulf is rising and negotiations are underway for a GCC-Indonesia free trade agreement.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was hosted in Paris by President Emmanuel Macron, where the sides signed a groundbreaking cooperation agreement in AI, on Feb. 6, 2025.

Analysis

UAE hedges against global economic volatility with EU trade agreement

The UAE is doubling down on bilateral free trade agreements as it hedges against economic headwinds fueled by the United States' universal tariff policy.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics