NILE STARTUPS

Egypt has rolled out a National Startup Charter, unveiling a $1 billion plan to turn young companies into engines of jobs and growth. The five-year program is designed to back about 5,000 startups and create half a million jobs as officials try to make entrepreneurship a mainstream career path, Arab News reports. Egyptian startups have been gaining traction, pulling in $238 million in venture capital over the past year. The charter promises simpler regulations, faster government approvals and better access to financing, addressing long-standing complaints about Egypt’s labyrinthine bureaucracy and red tape.

WATCH DOG

A Dubai-based construction company is using robotic dogs and smart watches to monitor the productivity of its workforce as they toil on some of the UAE’s most important projects. Alec Holdings, which is majority-owned by the Investment Corp. of Dubai, the main investment arm of the emirate’s government, is working on the first phase of the $30 billion Stargate data center in Abu Dhabi and the Wynn Resort in Ras Al Khaimah, the Gulf’s first casino complex. The company has distributed about 7,000 watches from Dubai-based AI productivity firm Brix and plans to double that number, Alec Holdings CEO Barry Lewis told The National. 

G42: The Abu Dhabi tech conglomerate and a consortium led by FPT Corp. and Viet Thai Group have agreed to build three data centers and develop sovereign AI inVietnam.

Oman Investment Authority: Brazil’s JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, agreed to invest $150 million to acquire an 80% stake in an Oman-based food business from the OIA.

Dubai Holding: Aldar and Dubai Holding, the investment conglomerate owned by Dubai’s royal family, have expanded their real estate joint venture by acquiring two Dubai land plots for a $10 billion development.

2PointZero: CEO Samia Bouazza told The National that the Group’s playbook is being driven by AI tools to execute disciplined capital deployment and remove inefficiencies.

🚄 Fast Track: Saudi Arabia ordered 20 high-speed trains from Spain’s Talgo in a deal worth about 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion).

🛫 Runway Return: Saudi companies have agreed to help rebuild Syria’s aviation and telecommunications networks, including airport upgrades, mobile network restoration and the launch of a new airline, as the two countries launched 45 wide-ranging development initiatives.

🛡️ Shield Pact: France and Bahrain signed a bilateral defense agreement covering military cooperation, training and information sharing.

💺 Airspace Spat: Algeria has begun procedures to cancel its bilateral air services agreement with the UAE amid escalating diplomatic tensions.

📈 Fair Share: Banks are asking Saudi Arabia’s markets regulator to rethink its plan to allocate more IPO shares to local investors, warning it could hurt stock performance and discourage foreign investment.

💸 Price Shock: Israel’s antitrust authority said it plans to fine El Al roughly 121 million shekels ($39 million) for unfairly raising fares during the Gaza war, accusing the airline of abusing its position when many foreign carriers halted flights.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed received Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on his arrival in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Sheikh Mohamed met with Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany, and separately with Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of Burundi, at Qasr Al Shati palace in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games 2026 in Milan, Italy, on Friday.

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal held talks with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, in Kuwait on Sunday.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, received U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack in Riyadh on Sunday.

Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, visited ADNOC’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi during his official visit to the UAE and was received by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, Chairman of Masdar and Executive Chairman of XRG.

Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs of Qatar, met with Javier Martínez-Acha, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Panama, in Doha on Sunday. 

Alya Alsalmi, a Saudi fashion designer, created bespoke outfits for Saudi Arabia’s team at Winter Olympics 2026, underway in Italy.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Chairman of Qatar Sports Investments, was hosted at a Super Bowl party in Santa Clara, Calif., by Michael Rubin, CEO of the Fanatics digital sports platform.

🎪 Inside the Tent: As Ramadan approaches, hotels and resorts around the UAE are preparing their elaborate Iftar tents – the special venues designed to host the evening meal served at sunset to break the daily fast. This year, Ramadan for the first time in decades will fall entirely in the Gulf’s mild winter season, making outdoor dining more appealing. The options are vast and magnificent – from an enormous tent at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi and meals seated next to Dubai’s sculptural Museum of the Future, to dining among the sand dunes at a luxury desert camp.

Feb. 8-12, Riyadh. World Defense Show. Brings together global weapons manufacturers, government procurement officers and defense contractors. Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Feb. 9-12, Dubai. WHX Dubai 2026. World Health Expo Dubai (formerly Arab Health) brings together global healthcare professionals, innovations and ideas within the sector. Dubai Exhibition Center. 

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene advisors, financiers, and investors from across the Middle East in the UAE capital. Conrad Etihad Towers.

Feb. 11, Dubai. AIMA Middle East Forum. A conference for alternative asset managers in the UAE and the wider alternative assets eco-system. Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai.

Feb. 11-12, Cairo. Ai Everything Middle East and Africa, Egypt. Bringing together AI leaders, innovators, startups, investors, and policymakers to explore transformative technologies and accelerate AI adoption across industries. Egypt International Exhibition Center.  

Feb. 12-13, Riyadh. PIF Private Sector Forum. The event, in its third edition, aims to support the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiative. King AbdelAziz International Conference Center. 

Feb. 13-15, Munich. Munich Security Conference. A global forum for senior political, military and diplomatic leaders to debate major international security challenges. Hotel Bayerischer Hof.

March 31-April 2, Dubai. Arab Media Summit. The annual gathering brings together Arab media personnel, influencers and organizations. DWTC. 

April 7-9, Abu Dhabi. Future Health. Bringing together global leaders in government, science, technology and investment. ADNEC.

SWITCHING SLOPES

Kazakhstan will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, an event originally planned for Saudi Arabia until the kingdom acknowledged last month that its $38 billion Trojena ski resort would not be ready in time. The Olympic Council of Asia named Almaty, Kazakhstan, as the replacement host city after deliberations on the sidelines of the 2026 Winter Olympics, which begin today in Milan. Riyadh and the Council agreed in late January to postpone Saudi Arabia’s staging of the Games, which had been awarded to Trojena as part of the NEOM megaproject in 2022. Kazakhstan last hosted the Asian Winter Games in 2011. 

AT EASE

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to take a less restrictive approach to arms exports for Gulf states during a visit to Doha, Qatar. Speaking on Thursday as part of a broader diplomatic tour that included Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Merz said Germany would work “more intensively in arms cooperation than in recent years” with reliable partners in the region. He was accompanied by executives from major German firms, including Uniper and Diehl Defence, and said Germany also aims to increase liquefied natural gas imports from Qatar beyond current levels. Merz invited Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, to visit Berlin in July and discussed expanded economic cooperation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. 

L’Imad Holding: AD Ports Group has signed a 30-year agreement to manage and operate Aqaba Multipurpose Port in Jordan, investing $38.4 million.

Mubadala: The UAE government’s Tawazun Council for Defense Enablement signed a comprehensive technology services agreement with Mubadala-owned Solutions+.

Public Investment Fund: Uber and Take-Two were among the stocks backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund that fell as much as 5% in Wednesday’s sell-off on Wall Street.

International Holding Co.: Abu Dhabi conglomerate 2PointZero Group, a subsidiary of IHC, posted a $930 million profit in its first full financial year after merging with Multiply Group and Ghitha Holding last year. The group’s revenue more than tripled to $1.9 billion.

🚆 Emirati Express: Etihad Rail has awarded contracts worth $6.5 billion for the Abu Dhabi-Dubai high-speed rail line, MEED reports. 

🕌 Islamic Finance: Kuwait is preparing legislation to regulate Islamic bonds, or sukuks, both domestically and in international markets.

💸 African Venture: Dubai-based Maser Group is pivoting from consumer electronics into African farmland and data centers, committing $1.6 billion across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.

🛢️ Shale Debut: Kuwait is exploring its first shale oil and gas development after state producer KOC held talks with U.S. drillers Devon Energy and EOG Resources.

🌍 Trade Launch: The Gulf Cooperation Council has agreed on formal terms to start talks on a free-trade pact with India and is also nearing a long-negotiated free-trade deal with the U.K. 

🛋️ Virtual Housing: SmartCrowd said its tokenized real estate arm Nawy Shares has received in-principle approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, witnessed alongside Dominican President Luis Abinader, the signing of an agreement at the World Governments Summit in Dubai to host the WGS-Latin America Regional Dialogue in the Dominican Republic by the end of this year.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, met with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, on the sideline of the World Governments Summit.

Sheikh Hamdan launched a driverless taxi service developed by Baidu Apollo Go, taking a ride in one of the vehicles to the World Governments Summit on Thursday.

Sheikh Hamdan met with Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro, at the World Governments Summit on Thursday.

Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, said that the UAE has overtaken Russia to become the leading foreign investor in Armenia.

Ehab Rashad, Vice Chairman of Egyptian asset manager Mubasher Capital, said it has submitted documents to the Financial Regulatory Authority to launch what it hopes will be the country’s first silver investment fund, though no launch date has been set.

Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State, participated in a high-level panel discussion held as part of the Association of Caribbean States 10th International Cooperation Conference, convened on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. 

🎾 Hometown Hero: Philippines tennis star-in-the-making Alexandra Eala has been selling out stadiums as she rapidly ascends the rankings at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open. The 20-year-old had a near-magical run in the singles draw, finally losing to second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova on Thursday, and stunning her growing fanbase in the UAE Capital, which has a large Filipino population. Eala has teamed up with Indonesian rising star Janice Tjen for the doubles, with the pair set to compete in their first semifinals at a WTA 500 event this evening. Clara Tauson, Sara Bejlek, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Hailey Baptiste play off tonight in the singles semifinals, with the grand finale on Saturday.

Jan. 31-Feb. 7, Abu Dhabi. Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2026. Some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour compete in the UAE capital, including defending champion Belinda Bencic. Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre.

Feb 1-6, Dubai. Dubai Fashion Week. The event showcases the latest collections by global and regional designers and aims to position Dubai as a major creative hub on the global fashion calendar. Dubai Design District.

Feb. 8-12, Riyadh. World Defense Show. Brings together global weapons manufacturers, government procurement officers and defense contractors. Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Feb. 9-12, Dubai. WHX Dubai 2026. World Health Expo Dubai (formerly Arab Health) brings together global healthcare professionals, innovations and ideas within the sector. Dubai Exhibition Center. 

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene advisors, financiers, and investors from across the Middle East in the UAE capital. Conrad Etihad Towers.

Feb. 11, Dubai. AIMA Middle East Forum. A conference for alternative asset managers in the UAE and the wider alternative assets eco-system. Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai.

Feb. 11-12, Cairo. Ai Everything Middle East and Africa, Egypt. Bringing together AI leaders, innovators, startups, investors, and policymakers to explore transformative technologies and accelerate AI adoption across industries. Egypt International Exhibition Center.  

Feb. 12-13, Riyadh. PIF Private Sector Forum. The event, in its third edition, aims to support the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiative. King AbdelAziz International Conference Center. 

Feb. 13-15, Munich. Munich Security Conference. A global forum for senior political, military and diplomatic leaders to debate major international security challenges. Hotel Bayerischer Hof.

EMIRATES EMPIRE

Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Group, is pushing for the future leadership of the airline to see out his long-held dream of building a global hospitality empire. “If I had my way, I would have an Emirates hotel in every city in the world,” Clark told Arabian Business Gulf Insights on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit this week in Dubai. Clark, who has helmed Dubai’s flagship carrier for 23 years, has been preparing the groundwork for his eventual successor, including a 20-year blueprint for future growth. Emirates signed a deal with Marriott International in January to reopen Emirates Wolgan Valley, a luxury lodge in Australia’s Blue Mountains, under the Ritz-Carlton brand.

CAMEL ID

Every camel in Saudi Arabia will soon be issued its own “passport.” The ID documents will include each camel’s name, date and place of birth, breed, gender, coloring, place of issuance and microchip number, as well as photographs of the animal to ensure ease of identification, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said. The initiative is aimed at organizing the camel sector to improve market efficiency and confidence. It is also expected to increase the market value of Saudi Arabia’s camels at local and international auctions.

Qatar Investment Authority: Qatar Investment Authority invested in U.S. AI chip startup Positron as part of a $230 million funding round.

G42: Cerebras, the chipmaker that counts UAE AI giant G42 as its main customer, has raised $1 billion in a funding round led by Tiger Global Management that valued the company at $23 billion.

Public Investment Fund: Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo will boycott a second consecutive Saudi Pro League game for Al Nassr and may seek a June exit from the club unless the PIF guarantees changes to its management, ESPN reports.

💰 Stake Shift: Shell agreed to sell a 20% stake in Brazil’s offshore Orca project to ​Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co. while retaining operatorship and a 50% share ahead of expected production later this decade.

⛽ LNG Linkup: Malaysia’s Petronas is set to sign a 20-year agreement to buy 2 million tons of LNG annually from QatarEnergy.

💻 EdTech Partners: Jordan-based Alefredo EdTech acquired U.K. tutoring firm Tutor House, marking its entry into the British market and accelerating its expansion into an AI-powered, hybrid learning platform.

📹 Intel Angle: Senai, an Israeli startup that turns massive streams of social-media video and posts into structured intelligence, raised $6.2 million in a funding round led by 10D Ventures.

⛏️ Copper Pipeline: The Democratic Republic of Congo will ship 50,000 tons of copper to Saudi Arabia and the UAE through a U.S.-backed partnership with Mercuria Energy Group, as Washington seeks to counter China’s dominance in critical minerals.

🏭 New Interests: Kuwait launched the Shahin and Saif projects to attract international oil companies and boost crude capacity to 4 million barrels a day by 2035.

🏦 Capacity Building: The Dubai International Financial Centre recorded a 28% rise in company registrations last year, driven by hedge funds and wealth managers.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met with a number of heads of state, government leaders, and delegations taking part in the World Governments Summit in Dubai, including Siljanovska-Davkova, President of North Macedonia, and Evika Siliņa, Prime Minister of Latvia.

Sheikh Mohamed said on his X account that the UAE is fully committed to supporting a “greener and healthier world for all,” as the UAE marked National Environment Day on Wednesday.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, met with Jason Isaacson, Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer of the American Jewish Committee, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Thursday. He also met with Barham Salih, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF; Santiago Peña, President of Paraguay; Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia; and Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz who began a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United ​Arab Emirates on Wednesday.

Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Prime Minister, said governments of the future should be measured by tangible outcomes they deliver to citizens, during his address at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday ahead of the nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Presidential Peace Envoy, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, are leading the U.S. delegation for a second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi, which began on Wednesday.

Noura Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State, met with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. 

Amer Bisat, Lebanon’s Minister of Economy, told The National that his country is working hard to “slowly but surely” regain the confidence of investors from the region

🎨 Show Time: The inaugural Art Basel Qatar opened in Doha on Wednesday, bringing together 87 galleries from 31 countries in a new format for the global contemporary art fair. Running until Saturday, the event is taking over Msheireb Downtown Doha with the theme “Becoming”. The new fair has been shaped by its curator, Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, to be more like a biennale, with public elements spread across Doha, unrestrained by booths. “This was not about reproducing an existing model in a new geography,” Shawky told The National. “It was a chance to co-create something new, rooted in and inspired by Qatar and the wider region.”

Jan. 31-Feb. 7, Abu Dhabi. Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2026. Some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour compete in the UAE capital, including defending champion Belinda Bencic. Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre.

Feb 1-6, Dubai. Dubai Fashion Week. The event showcases the latest collections by global and regional designers and aims to position Dubai as a major creative hub on the global fashion calendar. Dubai Design District.

Feb. 8-12, Riyadh. World Defense Show. Brings together global weapons manufacturers, government procurement officers and defense contractors. Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Feb. 9-12, Dubai. WHX Dubai 2026. World Health Expo Dubai (formerly Arab Health) brings together global healthcare professionals, innovations and ideas within the sector. Dubai Exhibition Center. 

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene advisors, financiers, and investors from across the Middle East in the UAE capital. Conrad Etihad Towers.

Feb. 11, Dubai. AIMA Middle East Forum. A conference for alternative asset managers in the UAE and the wider alternative assets eco-system. Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai.

Feb. 11-12, Cairo. Ai Everything Middle East and Africa, Egypt. Bringing together AI leaders, innovators, startups, investors, and policymakers to explore transformative technologies and accelerate AI adoption across industries. Egypt International Exhibition Center.  

Feb. 12-13, Riyadh. PIF Private Sector Forum. The event, in its third edition, aims to support the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiative. King AbdelAziz International Conference Center. 

Feb. 13-15, Munich. Munich Security Conference. A global forum for senior political, military and diplomatic leaders to debate major international security challenges. Hotel Bayerischer Hof.

TUNNEL VISION

Dubai unveiled the first four stations of its planned underground Dubai Loop, including stops at the Burj Khalifa skyscraper and the Dubai International Financial Centre, as part of a $545 million effort to ease downtown congestion. The full network – built with Elon Musk’s Boring Company – is expected to stretch about 22 kilometers (13.6 miles) with 19 stations, and is designed to cut travel time on the initial route from about 20 minutes to three minutes. In a separate above-ground project called the Glydways system, Dubai plans to launch small autonomous electric vehicles running on narrow dedicated lanes and linked to the Metro that can move more than 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

YUAN BET

ADNOC is preparing to raise as much as $2 billion through yuan-denominated dim sum bonds – the UAE energy company’s first debt issuance in China’s currency. The deal, which comes as Gulf borrowers increasingly look to Asian markets for capital, highlights deepening financial ties between the UAE and China, Bloomberg reports. ADNOC is working with banks on the potential offshore yuan bond sale and is meeting investors as part of the process. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned about the security and strategic risks tied to the UAE’s expanding financial and technology links with Beijing.

L’Imad Holding Co: AD Ports Group raised $115 million to support the development of the Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal in Egypt.

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority: ADIA sold its 50% stake in Sydney’s O’Connell office precinct to Charter Hall for $351 million, as the Abu Dhabi fund rebalances its Asia-Pacific portfolio.

G42: The Abu Dhabi AI company is developing national infrastructure for autonomous AI systems, alongside a large-scale computing centre known as the “agent factory,” CEO Peng Xiao told a panel at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday.

Abu Dhabi Investment Council: Saeed Al Mazrouei, CEO of ADIC, an independent unit of Mubadala, told Bloomberg that the organization’s goal was to lift returns by expanding its asset classes – including secondaries, insurance and Bitcoin – without abandoning its endowment-style approach.

🚧 Big Spender: Abu Dhabi developer Aldar awarded $18 billion in contracts across the UAE in 2025, spanning residential, commercial, infrastructure, and logistics projects. 

🛢️ Field Expansion: Oilfield services provider SLB secured a $1.5 billion contract to manage the next development phase of Kuwait’s Mutriba oil field.

⛽ Gas Deal: QatarEnergy, the state-owned oil and gas company, signed a 27-year agreement with Japan’s Jera to supply 3 million tons a year of LNG starting in 2028.

💰 Risky Business: Saudi National Bank is exploring entry into the significant-risk-transfer market as it looks to offload loan exposure, free up capital and expand lending capacity, Bloomberg reports.

🧠 AI Inflation: Artificial intelligence is likely to add to near-term inflationary pressures as governments and companies, particularly in the Gulf, pour unprecedented investment into AI infrastructure, a research chief at BlackRock  told Arabian Gulf Business Insights.

🌴 Muscat Chat: Iran has asked the United States to move diplomatic talks from Turkey to Oman and restrict them to its nuclear program in a meeting between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met with Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador, at Qasr Al Bahr palace in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Sheikh Mohamed also met with Santiago Peña, President of Paraguay and with Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of L’Imad Holding Co, has become one of the top royal business figures in the UAE, a key point of contact for visitors ranging from U.S. President Donald Trump to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Bloomberg reports.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Riyadh on Tuesday. Prince Mohammed also held a phone call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, swore in three new judges of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, met with Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev on Tuesday.

Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, UAE Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, reviewed the region’s key strategic plans for cultural and tourism projects during a meeting with a delegation led by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.

Josh D’Amaro will succeed Bob Iger as CEO of Walt Disney Co. on March 18. The two came to the UAE last month to tour the future site of Disneyland Abu Dhabi and meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed.

Ray Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, said during a panel discussion at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday that geopolitical tensions and volatile capital markets have put the world “on the brink” of a capital war

Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, called on Gulf countries to create an Airbus-style company that could foster unity and deepen economic integration of the Middle East bloc.

Ben Harburg, the American investor who is the first foreigner to buy a Saudi Pro League team, talked to Bloomberg as he celebrated Al Kholood reaching the semi-finals of the King’s Cup for the first time.

🍽️ Good Eating: The Middle East and North Africa’s 50 best restaurants were named at a glittering ceremony at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night. Leading the list was Khufu’s, a gastronomic restaurant with a knockout view of the Giza Pyramids – the first time a restaurant in Egypt has taken the top spot. Abu Dhabi and Dubai dominated the rest of the list, with Dubai’s Kinoya and Tresind Studio taking second and third place.

Jan. 31-Feb. 7, Abu Dhabi. Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2026. Some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour compete in the UAE capital, including defending champion Belinda Bencic. Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre.

Feb 1-6, Dubai. Dubai Fashion Week. The event showcases the latest collections by global and regional designers and aims to position Dubai as a major creative hub on the global fashion calendar. Dubai Design District.

Feb. 2-5, Doha. LNG2026. Qatar holds the 21st edition of its annual international Conference and exhibition on liquefied natural gas. Qatar National Convention Center. 

Feb. 3-5, Dubai. World Governments Summit. Brings together heads of state, policy makers, top corporate executives to debate global priorities. Madinat Jumeirah.

Feb. 4-5, Dubai. PropTech Connect Middle East. The Dubai Land Department hosts the first regional edition of the real estate technology event. Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Feb. 8-12, Riyadh. World Defense Show. Brings together global weapons manufacturers, government procurement officers and defense contractors. Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Feb. 9-12, Dubai. WHX Dubai 2026. World Health Expo Dubai (formerly Arab Health) brings together global healthcare professionals, innovations and ideas within the sector. Dubai Exhibition Center. 

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene advisors, financiers, and investors from across the Middle East in the UAE capital. Conrad Etihad Towers.

Feb. 11, Dubai. AIMA Middle East Forum. A conference for alternative asset managers in the UAE and the wider alternative assets eco-system. Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai.

Feb. 11-12, Cairo. Ai Everything Middle East and Africa, Egypt. Bringing together AI leaders, innovators, startups, investors, and policymakers to explore transformative technologies and accelerate AI adoption across industries. Egypt International Exhibition Center.  

Feb. 12-13, Riyadh. PIF Private Sector Forum. The event, in its third edition, aims to support the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiative. King AbdelAziz International Conference Center. 

Feb. 13-15, Munich. Munich Security Conference. A global forum for senior political, military and diplomatic leaders to debate major international security challenges. Hotel Bayerischer Hof.

SOVEREIGN STEERING

Mubadala Capital, an investment arm of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, joined Waymo’s $16 billion funding round, taking part alongside Silicon Valley investors Sequoia Capital, Dragoneer and Silver Lake. The investment by Mubadala Capital follows its parent fund’s participation in a $2.5 billion Waymo round in 2020. With the new financing, the value of Alphabet’s self-driving unit is being assessed at $126 billion. The UAE plans to expand use of autonomous cars over the rest of the decade, with Dubai targeting 25% of all trips to be self-driving by 2030 and Abu Dhabi aiming for a similar target by 2040.

RONALDO STRIKES

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have sat out of a Saudi Pro League match in protest over a disagreement with the Public Investment Fund. Ronaldo, who plays for the Al Nassr Football Club, skipped Monday night’s game against Al Riyadh, which his team won 1-0. The Portuguese forward, who signed for Al Nassr in 2023, has become enmeshed in the kingdom’s global image, acting as a brand ambassador for tourism and sports ventures. He is also building his own Saudi business empire, from hair loss clinics and real estate to his stake in Al Nassr. Ronaldo reportedly became frustrated after Al Nassr failed to sign any new star players, while leading competitor Al Hilal, which is also backed by the PIF, signed France’s Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad. 

Mubadala: The Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund and Aldar Properties formed a strategic joint venture combining Yas Mall and The Galleria Luxury Collection into an Abu Dhabi retail platform valued at about $2.7 billion.

Mubadala: The fund won more than $827 million from an arbitration linked to the insolvent Signa conglomerate and its founder, bankrupt European property tycoon René Benko, in a decision that could test Austrian solvency laws, Bloomberg reports.

XRG: Private-equity firm Carlyle is in talks with potential UAE partners including International Holding Co. Mubadala and XRG about investing in Lukoil’s international assets, valued at about $20 billion, Reuters reports.

Emirates Global Aluminium: The company owned by Mubadala and Investment Corp. of Dubai, has begun initial investor meetings in the UAE ahead of a potential IPO, which could become one of the Gulf’s largest share sales.

ADNOC: XRG, the international investment arm of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., signed an agreement with Azerbaijan to acquire an equity stake in the Southern Gas Corridor.

Oman Investment Authority: The sovereign wealth fund plans to sell stakes in roughly 30 companies under a broad divestment drive aimed at boosting private-sector participation and attracting foreign capital.

🏗️ Industrial Partners: Saudi Arabia has agreed to support the development of an integrated industrial and logistics city in Oman’s Dhofar region, including $40 million in financing.

🚦Green Light: Shareholders of KFIC Invest have approved its $26.4 million acquisition of Rasameel, a Kuwaiti Islamic-compliant investment firm.

📈 IPO Prep: Shorooq, an Abu Dhabi based investment firm, launched a Qatar-backed $200 million late-stage growth fund to help mature fintech, software, and AI companies in the GCC and Asia prepare for IPOs.

💵 Opening Floodgates: Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority said it is reviewing rules that cap foreign ownership of listed companies at 49% in a sign it could proceed with plans to lift the cap this year.

🛢️ Pipe Dream: Kuwait is planning to open up some of its oil fields to overseas firms and lease part of its pipeline network, Bloomberg reports.

🌉 Casino Link: A 548-meter bridge linking Ras Al Khaimah’s Wynn Al Marjan Island resort to the UAE road network is on track to open in October, with construction 48% complete ahead of the resort’s planned spring 2027 opening.

⛽ Gas Guzzler: Rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers could turn an expected global LNG supply glut into a shortage by 2030, QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told the LNG2026 conference in Doha on Monday.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met with Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as the two countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, visited the World Preservation Lab and BioVault, a collaboration between the Museum of the Future and Colossal Biosciences, at the World Governments Summit 2026. 

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, held a phone call with Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah to congratulate him on his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait. Sheikh Abdullah also met with Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration of Egypt.

Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, met with Dr. Khaled El Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, on Tuesday at Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre in University City.

Dr. Anwar Gargash, Advisor to the UAE President, told the World Governments Summit in Dubai that the Middle East does not need another confrontation and that he would rather see direct Iranian-U.S. negotiations, leading to understandings, The Circuit’s Omnia Al Desoukie reports. Dr. Gargash was speaking on a panel with former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, said during the World Governments Summit on Tuesday that China’s aircraft maker Comac is becoming a serious competitor in global aviation. 

Mohsin Hamad al Hadhrami, Oman’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, said that work has already begun on the $700 million GCC electrical interconnection between the UAE and Oman.

Ahmed Salem, JP Morgan’s Co-Head of Investment Banking for MENA, told Zawya that the M&A landscape will continue to bring certain sectors into focus, including energy, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. 

Turki Al Shehri was appointed Country Manager for Saudi Arabia at French utility ENGIE.

Jorge Naveawas appointed President of Al-Futtaim Automotive.

🌙 Child’s Play: As Ramadan approaches, children in the Middle East have a special day to celebrate the Muslim holy month. Known as Hag Al Laila in the UAE – meaning “for this night”– children wear traditional clothing and carry colorful woven bags door-to-door as they sing in return for candy and nuts. The tradition is believed to predate Islam and may have even inspired Halloween trick-or-treating. The celebration, taking place tonight, typically starts 15 days before Ramadan, which is likely to fall on Feb. 18 this year.

Jan. 31-Feb. 7, Abu Dhabi. Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open 2026. Some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour compete in the UAE capital, including defending champion Belinda Bencic. Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre.

Feb. 1-4, Doha. Web Summit Qatar. Connecting startup founders in the Middle East to investors, policymakers and journalists around the world. Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

Feb 1-6, Dubai. Dubai Fashion Week. The event showcases the latest collections by global and regional designers and aims to position Dubai as a major creative hub on the global fashion calendar. Dubai Design District.

Feb. 2-4, Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi AI Summit. The summit aims to strengthen collaboration between the UAE’s Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Athena Institute to advance research, entrepreneurship and business  opportunities. MBZUAI campus.

Feb. 2-5, Doha. LNG2026. Qatar holds the 21st edition of its annual international Conference and exhibition on liquefied natural gas. Qatar National Convention Center. 

Feb. 3-5, Dubai. World Governments Summit. Brings together heads of state, policy makers, top corporate executives to debate global priorities. Madinat Jumeirah.

Feb. 4, Abu Dhabi. MEVCA Investors Summit 2026. A forum that provides “knowledge sharing, strategic discussion, and ecosystem engagement” for venture capitalists. ADGM. 

Feb. 4-5, Dubai. PropTech Connect Middle East. The Dubai Land Department hosts the first regional edition of the real estate technology event. Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Feb. 8-12, Riyadh. World Defense Show. Brings together global weapons manufacturers, government procurement officers and defense contractors. Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Feb. 9-12, Dubai. WHX Dubai 2026. World Health Expo Dubai (formerly Arab Health) brings together global healthcare professionals, innovations and ideas within the sector. Dubai Exhibition Center. 

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene advisors, financiers, and investors from across the Middle East in the UAE capital. Conrad Etihad Towers.

Feb. 11, Dubai. AIMA Middle East Forum. A conference for alternative asset managers in the UAE and the wider alternative assets eco-system. Kempinski Central Avenue Dubai.

Feb. 11-12, Cairo. Ai Everything Middle East and Africa, Egypt. Bringing together AI leaders, innovators, startups, investors, and policymakers to explore transformative technologies and accelerate AI adoption across industries. Egypt International Exhibition Center.  

Feb. 12-13, Riyadh. PIF Private Sector Forum. The event, in its third edition, aims to support the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s Private Sector Engagement Strategic Initiative. King AbdelAziz International Conference Center. 

Feb. 13-15, Munich. Munich Security Conference. A global forum for senior political, military and diplomatic leaders to debate major international security challenges. Hotel Bayerischer Hof.