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

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United Arab Emirates

April 21, 2026

Abu Dhabi 11:21 am

27°C

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Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

The Gulf country apparently wanted reassurances from Washington in case its economy is severely damaged by the Iran war.

United Arab Emirates

Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, United Arab Emirates

Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa, UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability, spoke to Al-Monitor about the situation in the Gulf along with the UAE's focus on promoting privatization in the water sector and the 2026 UN Water Conference.

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.

Latest News

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

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

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

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)

China signals bigger Gulf role as UAE crown prince visits Beijing

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.

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

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

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 diver inspects transplanted coral near Dibba Port in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, June 15, 2020. Picture taken June 15, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike - RC2MBH9IA8NL

Biologists dive for secrets of coral reef that survives hot Gulf waters

Coral reefs are sensitive ecosystems that rarely survive sea temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius, yet coral reef fauna thrives in the Persian Gulf, where scientists hope to find clues about climate change survival.

United Arab Emirates

GCC faces possible setback with exodus of skilled professionals

The coronavirus pandemic coupled with the oil crisis is pushing foreign workers to exit the Gulf states, perhaps shaping future labor policies.

UAE camel racing to resume following a five-month hiatus

The United Arab Emirates announced the resumption of camel racing, coupled with precautionary guidelines, which is among the most popular sports in the Gulf with prizes sometimes reaching millions of dollars.

United Arab Emirates

UAE condemns Turkish and Iranian military interventions in Iraq

Turkey and Iran are conducting operations against Kurdish groups in the country.

United Arab Emirates

A cargo plane operated by Etihad Airways, carrying medical aid for Palestinians related to the coronavirus Covid-19 disease, prepares to land at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on June 9, 2020. - The United Arab Emirates flew its first publicly announced flight to Israel on May 20, 2020 when Etihad Airways sent medical supplies to help the Palestinians cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Except for Jordan and Egypt, Arab countries have no official relations with Israel but Gulf Arab nations like t

Palestinians reject aid from UAE again

The Palestinian Authority accuses the UAE of seeking to normalize ties with Israel after the UAE sends a medical aid flight to Israel.

United Arab Emirates

A picture taken on January 12, 2020 shows dark clouds over the skyline of Dubai with Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building. (Photo by KARIM SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Some Dubai expats face uncertain future in post-COVID-19 economy

Expats residing in Dubai are facing the difficult decision of whether to stay or leave the United Arab Emirates as businesses cut back in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

United Arab Emirates

Senior UAE official warns Israeli public against annexation in op-ed

In an unprecedented op-ed at the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, UAE Ambassador to Washington and Minister Yousef Al-Otaiba calls upon Israel to retract from its annexation plan.

United Arab Emirates

U.S. State Department Inspector General Steve Linick departs after briefing House and Senate Intelligence committees at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC18378F57D0

Intel: State Department official 'tried to bully' watchdog reviewing Saudi arms sale

The independent watchdog ousted by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that a high-ranking State Department official “tried to bully” him in part because of his review of last year’s emergency arms sale for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

An Emirates passenger plane comes in to land at London Heathrow airport, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, May 21, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville - RC2ZSG9E0EA0

Dubai-based airline Emirates cuts jobs again

Emirates has resumed regular passenger flights, but the carrier had to reduce the size of its workforce concurrent with its reduced operations, a spokesperson said.

United Arab Emirates

Palestinians say they were not informed of second virus aid flight from UAE to Israel

The second-ever direct flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel took place today, but Palestinians say they were not informed of the aid delivery.

United Arab Emirates

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo takes part in a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates September 19, 2019. Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS - RC1DBE15CF00

Intel: Pompeo discusses Libya truce with Abu Dhabi's crown prince

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed the need for Libya’s warring parties to cease hostilities during a phone call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the deputy supreme commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, which backs Libyan warlord Khalifa Hifter.

United Arab Emirates

Workers are seen at the Al Janoub Stadium built for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer championship during a stadium tour in Al Wakrah, Qatar, December 16, 2019. REUTERS/Corinna Kern - RC2EWD9VPND9

COVID-19 crisis returns spotlight to Gulf migrant communities

Contract migration schemes make citizenship acquisition nearly impossible for migrant workers in the Gulf, and recent economic and health crises make any imminent changes further unlikely.