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United Arab Emirates

February 8, 2026

Abu Dhabi 1:23 am

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Participants visit the Token 2049 crypto conference in Dubai on May 1, 2025.

Crypto crash collides with UAE’s big bet on digital assets

After hitting record highs in 2025, Bitcoin’s sell-off is roiling global markets and making waves in the UAE.

United Arab Emirates

US Department of State's senior advisor to the president for Arab and African Affairs Massad Fares Boulos attends the Sudan Humanitarian Fund event at the Institute of Peace in Washington, on Feb. 3, 2026.

US says Sudan warring parties back withdrawal plan as donors pledge $700M in aid

State Department senior adviser Massad Boulos announced Tuesday that a "comprehensive peace plan" has been approved by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, though it still needs to be approved by Sudan's warring parties.

Diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates President Anwar Gargash (C) react on stage with Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe (R) during the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 3, 2026. Spain will seek to ban social media for under-16s to protect them from harmful content such as pornography and violence, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on February 3, in the latest such move by governments. Australia established a world first i

On eve of talks, UAE's Gargash throws weight behind Iran-US deal

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, spoke at a panel discussion at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, where he discussed the latest developments in Gaza, Iran, Sudan and Yemen.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

How US-India trade deal could impact Mideast energy, trade routes

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Feb. 13, 2025.

UAE’s MBZ reportedly cancels Japan visit amid US-Iran standoff: What to know

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrives for a welcoming ceremony prior to talks with the Russian president at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Jan. 29, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Gulf markets recover after gold rout, buoyed by Iran de-escalation hopes

A woman checks a window shop at a jewelry store in Dubai, on March 10, 2025.

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

Caught in the Gulf crossfire: Pakistan navigates Saudi-UAE rivalry

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, meets with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari at Za’abeel Palace in Dubai on Jan. 28, 2026.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

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

Kraken

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken closes Abu Dhabi office

Emirati officials are still bullish about the future of cryptocurrency, but the crash in the market has hit the UAE hard.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman looks on during a press conference after the 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 5, 2022. (Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP via Getty Images)

OPEC+ likely to maintain oil output at meeting, in gesture to US

While the OPEC+ group is expected to maintain oil production at its virtual meeting set for Feb. 1, global demand for oil is estimated to reach a record high in 2023.

A list of the top restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa.

Culture

Restaurants in Dubai, Tel Aviv, Amman among top 50 in region

Dubai’s Orfali Bros Bistro is No. 1. on The World's 50 Best Restaurants in the Middle East. It was founded by three Syrian brothers from Aleppo.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Cruise ship terminal opens in Jordan’s port of Aqaba

The agreement with Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group could help bolster Jordan’s tourism sector.

FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

UAE defends crypto push at World Economic Forum amid FTX fallout

Emirati Minister Omar Sultan Al Olama discussed Samuel Bankman-Fried’s infamous trip to Dubai, cryptocurrency regulation, decentralized finance and more in Davos.

HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP via Getty Images

UAE to store carbon dioxide in rocks

The carbon mineralization project is part of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's $15 billion investment in decarbonization initiatives.

Stock Market Exchange on a skyscraper in dubai background - Getty / stock photo

UAE announces new guidance to control money laundering

The United Arab Emirates has been working to counter money laundering since being added to the Financial Action Task Force’s “grey list” in 2022.

Libya migrants

Explainer: Interpol nabs alleged Libya-based trafficker

The UAE assisted in the task force to arrest Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, who allegedly extorted migrants through a camp in Libya. The North African country is a major embarking point for irregular sea voyages to Europe.

Burj Khalifa

UAE offers corporate tax orientation as implementation nears

The Gulf state decided last year to start taxing business profits and the new tax will go into effect this June.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Uber Travel now available in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt

The American ride-hailing giant faces significant competition in the Middle East and North Africa, but continues to expand in the region.

Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, Emirati minister of state and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, speaks during the opening ceremony of the 24th World Energy Congress, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 9, 2019.

Abu Dhabi to invest $15 billion in decarbonization

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s interest in carbon capture and hydrogen is not new, and is part of a wider shift in the United Arab Emirates.

This picture taken on May 9, 2021 shows a view of the Dubai city skyline as seen from the Burj Khalifa, currently the world's tallest building at 828 meter.

Dubai unveils $8 trillion economic plan

Dubai's plan includes measures to boost its foreign trade, sustainability and position as a tech hub.