INVESTMENT POWERHOUSE

Abu Dhabi creates sovereign wealth giant with ADQ merger into L'IMAD

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

Abu Dhabi's Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) has issued a resolution to consolidate the assets and investments of L’IMAD Holding Company, and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Group (ADQ) under the umbrella of L’IMAD.

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MIDEAST CARRIERS SEE 6.7% GROWTH

Global air passenger demand up 5.3% in 2025

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

The global air passenger demand in 2025 (measured in revenue passenger kilometres or RPKs) rose 5.3% compared to 2024, according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) report.

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MORE US NAVAL ASSETS IN GULF

Trump signals talks with Iran but keeps military option open

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

US President Donald Trump has signalled a possible opening for talks with Iran even as Washington significantly bolsters its military presence in the Middle East, keeping pressure on Tehran amid escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and internal unrest.

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INSIGHT

GCC Corporates Sector outlook 'neutral' due to strong fundamentals: Fitch

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

Fitch Ratings has assigned 'neutral' 2026 sector outlook for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Corporates sector, reflecting steady earnings due to ongoing government-led capex in infrastructure and energy.

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OPINION

AI moves from promise to proof as organisations face a defining year: Expert

Sat, 24 Jan 2026

After years of bold ambition and heavy investment, artificial intelligence adoption in both Saudi Arabia and UAE is entering a more performance-driven phase amid reports that AI could contribute $135 billion to the kingdom’s economy and $96 billion to the emirates' economy by 2030, said an expert.

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Top This Week

World Cup stadium seen among Saudi mega-projects under review

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Saudi Arabia is starting to make tough cost-cutting decisions, ordering changes across mega-projects in Neom, Jeddah and Riyadh. The latest one to join the list is a planned 2034 World Cup stadium in Jeddah, according to a Bloomberg report.

Mozambique, TotalEnergies set to restart work on $20bn project

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Mozambique and TotalEnergies are set to relaunch development of the French energy group’s $20 billion liquefied natural gas project on Thursday, nearly five years after work was suspended following a deadly Islamist militant attack, news agencies reported.

DAE to lease 13 Boeing 737-8 aircraft to Royal Air Maroc

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has announced that it has reached an agreement with Royal Air Maroc for the lease of 13 new Boeing 737-8 aircraft.

Saudi Arabia’s air passenger numbers top 140m in 2025

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation sector achieved exceptional growth in 2025, setting record figures in air traffic statistics. The number of passengers exceeded 140 million, up about 9%.

Abu Dhabi Airports records 33m passengers in 2025

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate’s five airports including the flagship Zayed International Airport (AUH), recorded more than 33 million annual passengers in 2025, the largest influx of travellers in the emirate’s history.

L&T unit wins near $1.1bn Riyadh Metro extension contract

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Leading Indian construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) said its Heavy Civil Infrastructure unit has won a major contract worth up to Rs100 billion ($1.1 billion) for works related to Riyadh Metro extension. The order is a part of an ultra-mega project won by a consortium led by Italian builder Webuild.

Bahrain, UAE central banks keep interest rates unchanged

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) have decided to maintain their overnight deposit rate unchanged.

Trump warns Iran to make nuclear deal or face harsher attack

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme, warning that any next US military response will be far more destructive than the previous ones.

Kuwait mulls $7bn pipeline stake sale, says report

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) is set to ​launch an oil pipeline network stake sale as soon as February in a deal that could raise up to $7 billion, said a report. The shift comes as oil prices, down more than 25% in two years, sit below levels needed to fund the Gulf’s diversification plans.

Samana to develop $735m upscale destination in Al Zorah City

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

‏Al Zorah Real Estate Development Company, the joint venture between the Government of Ajman and Solidere International, has signed a land acquisition agreement with Samana Real Estate Development Company to develop an upscale and mixed-use waterfront destination in Al Zorah City valued at AED 2.7 billion ($735.19 million).

Balancing growth and sustainability: India’s energy roadmap comes into focus

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Security, scale and pragmatism took centre stage on the third day of India Energy Week 2026, as policymakers and industry leaders outlined a data-driven, realistic roadmap for the energy transition of the world’s fastest-growing major energy market, said the event organisers.

Global air cargo demand increases 3.4% in 2025

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

Global air cargo demand for 2025, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased 3.4% compared to 2024, an IATA report said.

GCC Corporates Sector outlook 'neutral' due to strong fundamentals: Fitch

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

Fitch Ratings has assigned 'neutral' 2026 sector outlook for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Corporates sector, reflecting steady earnings due to ongoing government-led capex in infrastructure and energy.

Topgolf Yas Island on track for 2026 completion, says Miral

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Abu Dhabi developer Miral has announced that 28% work has been completed on Topgolf, a major leisure and entertainment offering on Yas Island, and is on track for timely completion later this year. It is being developed in partnership with Viya, the franchise partner of Topgolf.

Tamer Mölnlycke Care doubles Jeddah production with Phase II launch

Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) has announced the opening of the second phase of the Tamer Mölnlycke Care factory in Jeddah. A strategic joint venture of Swedish medical device company Mölnlycke, it will see the production grow two-fold to 500,000 per year.

Lockheed Martin launches new software factory in Riyadh

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

Lockheed Martin has opened a major software factory in Riyadh to introduce the global defence major’s hitech software development ecosystem to the kingdom. Also it is setting up an in-country Talent Studio to boost digital and enterprise capabilities within the Saudi workforce.

IKEA Saudi Arabia and Bahrain signs deal with HITEK AI to deploy HSSE digital platform

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

Middle East-based HITEK AI, a part of the Farnek group of companies, has signed a three-year SAFETEK Services Agreement with Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furniture Trading Co (IKEA Saudi Arabia and Bahrain), marking a major step in IKEA’s commitment to elevating Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE) governance.

Gold and silver prices tumble as investors book profits

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

Gold and silver prices tumbled on Friday as investors around the world took profits after a historic rally that sent precious metals to record highs, a retreat accelerated by a rebound in the US dollar and shifting expectations around American monetary policy.

AD Ports Group seals partnership deal with US group BigBear.ai

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

AD Ports Group has announced that its digital arm, Maqta Technologies, has signed a partnership deal with US-based BigBear.ai, a leading provider of mission-ready AI for national security, to explore and develop next generation AI-powered digital trade, customs and logistics solutions.

Gatik launches fully driverless trucks on US roads

Wed, 28 Jan 2026

Gatik has become the first company in North America to deploy fully driverless trucks in commercial operations, thus marks a new era for autonomous trucking, moving the technology beyond limited pilots to sustained, revenue-generating operations that are boosting the regional supply chains.

Dubai Media launches Dubai+ digital platform

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) has launched its new digital platform Dubai+, marking a strategic step in advancing Dubai Media’s digital transformation and reinforcing its position as a leading regional and global hub for content creation.

Esports Nations Cup in Nov; $45m prize fund

Fri, 30 Jan 2026

The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) has announced the competition dates and prize model for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), the new global esports competition built around national teams, national pride, and iconic rivalries.

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