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 12:10 pm

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.

United Arab Emirates

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

A US F-35A fighter jet lands at Chungju Air Base on March 29, 2019, in Chungju, South Korea.

Intel: UAE suspends F-35 talks over US security demands

Emirati officials head to the Pentagon on Wednesday for two days of strategic talks with Washington.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai skyline

US to warn UAE banks, firms against sanctioned Iran dealings

The Wall Street Journal reports that US officials will warn petrochemical companies, private firms and banks of "extreme risk" for noncompliance.

An F-35 fighter plane flies over the White House on June 12, 2019, in Washington DC.

UAE says French fighter jets no substitute for US F-35

The head of the UAE's air force sought to clarify comments by France's President Emmanuel Macron last week.

United Arab Emirates

Rafale fighter

UAE signs $19 billion fighter jet deal with France

The sale of Dassault Rafale jets and Caracal helicopters marks Paris' largest foreign military sale to date.

United Arab Emirates

Iranian diplomat and political deputy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani.

Iran's deputy foreign minister pledges 'new chapter' in Iran-UAE relations

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, met with senior Emirati officials in Dubai on Wednesday.

Lloyd Austin

Pentagon chief to assure allies of US commitment in Bahrain, UAE

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will speak at the Manama Dialogue forum on Saturday morning.

United Arab Emirates

AFP via Getty Images

New Abu Dhabi law allows civil marriage for non-Muslims

The decree from Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan also establishes a court to handle non-Muslim family matters.

United Arab Emirates

A shopkeeper wearing a protective mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic looks out a jewelry shop window displaying intricate pieces for women at the Dubai Gold Souk in the Gulf emirate, on March 10, 2021.

UAE relaxes mask rules as COVID-19 cases decline

Masks are no longer required while exercising outdoors or at public beaches and swimming pools, Emirati health authorities announced Wednesday.

United Arab Emirates

The US Department of Justice is seen on June 11, 2021, in Washington, DC.

Ex-US intelligence operatives admit to hacking for UAE

The Justice Department said Tuesday three former intelligence and military operatives had admitted to helping the UAE government surveil targets worldwide, including US citizens.

United Arab Emirates

A man carries bread on a wheelbarrow at a market in downtown Kabul on Aug. 28, 2021, following the Taliban's stunning military takeover of Afghanistan.

UAE sends aid to Taliban’s Afghanistan

The delivery is the first from the United Arab Emirates since the Taliban seized control of the country during the US military withdrawal.

ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images

Abu Dhabi lifts quarantine requirement for vaccinated travelers

Under the new guidelines, vaccinated travelers must still test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure and upon landing.

United Arab Emirates

Scott Behrens dives for the ball during a friendly game of volleyball with friends in the snow Jan. 25, 2016 in Washington, DC.

Dubai to host region's first snow volleyball tournament

With the four-day tournament, Dubai is hoping to bolster its reputation as a destination for snow sports enthusiasts.

United Arab Emirates