United Arab Emirates - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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United Arab Emirates

April 16, 2026

Abu Dhabi 10:38 am

24°C

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi stocks hit 2026 high, bucking global war-driven volatility

The kingdom's stock market climbed to its highest level of the year on Wednesday, with the kingdom’s equities now far outperforming the S&P 500 and other global and regional indices.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE's deputy PM holds first call with Ghalibaf amid push to extend US-Iran ceasefire

The Emirati vice president and Iran’s parliament speaker talked de-escalation on the phone in the first such contact since the Iran war began.

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A man walks through the atrium during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies

The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 13, 2026.

China signals bigger Gulf role as UAE crown prince visits Beijing

China, which maintains close ties with both Iran and Gulf states, is hosting one of the UAE's top officials this week as a fragile ceasefire in the region holds.

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Oil back above $100 as US moves to blockade Strait of Hormuz

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

UAE says no more 'niceties' with Iran, seeks clarity on fragile truce terms

TOPSHOT - People watch from a street as a tall smoke plume billows following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026. Iran's strikes on Gulf neighbours since February 28, following the US-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travellers who thought they were headed to one of the region's safest holiday destinations. (Photo by Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)

United Arab Emirates

Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026.

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

OPEC

UAE sticks to OPEC+ production limits

The Biden administration is asking Gulf partners to increase production in response to rising oil prices, but so far the cartel is holding to its earlier agreement.

United Arab Emirates

US President Joe Biden announces a ban on US imports of Russian oil and gas, March 8, 2022.

Breaking | Last Updated: March 9, 2022, 6:16 pm

Oil price dips as UAE endorses increased production

Global oil prices have skyrocketed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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BlackRock

UAE partners with US investing firm BlackRock

The New York-based BlackRock signed a memorandum of understanding with UAE's global investment platform Investopia.

United Arab Emirates

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE sends aid to Ukraine

The aid is a departure for the Emirates, which has remained neutral on the Russia-Ukraine conflict so far in a reflection of improving UAE-Russia ties.

United Arab Emirates

Egypt fintech

Regional entrepreneurs say Middle East well-suited for fintech growth

An Atlantic Council event highlighted how fintech can help traditional financial networks and professions in Egypt, Tunisia, and the Gulf.

China jet

China continues inroads in Middle East with plane sale to UAE

The Emirates announced an initial purchase of 12 L-15 light fighter jets from China.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai expo

UAE explores economic cooperation with Cuba

The Abu Dhabi and the Cuban chambers of commerce met at the Expo 2020 Dubai event, and a Cuban minister visited an Emirati renewable energy company.

United Arab Emirates

Serbia expo 2020

Emirati cloud firm G42 signs agreement with Serbia

The memorandum was signed at the Expo 2020 forum in Dubai.

United Arab Emirates

BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images

Afghan evacuees in UAE protest US resettlement delay

From their shelter in Abu Dhabi, the protesters demanded they be resettled in the United States.

United Arab Emirates

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

UAE intercepts Houthi ballistic missile as Israeli president visits

The Houthis are warning of additional attacks after the third attempted strike on Dubai and Abu Dhabi this month.

United Arab Emirates

Borja Sanchez Trillo/Getty Images

US warns against travel to UAE over drone, missile threats

The State Department updated its travel advisory following recent attacks on the United Arab Emirates carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

United Arab Emirates

ALEXANDER BOGDANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Mideast airlines halt flights to Kazakhstan amid unrest

Flydubai and Air Arabia have cancelled flights to Almaty as violent anti-government protests roil Kazakhstan’s largest city.

United Arab Emirates