GAS DIPLOMACY

India has signed a $3 billion deal to buy liquefied natural gas from the United Arab Emirates, making it the UAE’s largest LNG customer, as the two countries moved to deepen trade and defense ties. The agreement was struck during a working visit by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, with both sides pledging to double bilateral trade to $200 billion within six years and pursue a strategic defense partnership, Reuters reports. As per the agreement, Abu Dhabi state firm ADNOC Gas will supply half a million tons of LNG a year to Hindustan Petroleum over 10 years, taking ADNOC’s total contracts with India to more than $20 billion. Indian officials said the defense cooperation would not draw New Delhi into regional conflicts, despite shifting alliances in the Gulf.

TRADE BOT

Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence firm Presight will develop a platform to boost the UAE’s foreign trade capabilities by analyzing real-time data from sources including ports, shipping routes and customs records. The G42 company signed an agreement with the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Trade, announced on Monday, to create a series of AI-powered tools that will support its mission to be the world’s first AI-driven trade ministry. “The future of trade belongs to economies that can see early and move fast, Mansoor Al Mansoori, Vice Chairman of Presight, said. “By putting real-time insight into the hands of decision-makers, we reduce friction, compress timelines, and help governments and businesses operate with confidence.”

Mubadala: Mubadala Bio’s subsidiary Bioventure Healthcare secured the European Union’s Good Manufacturing Practice certification, a key requirement for enabling pharmaceutical product export to the EU. 

Public Investment Fund: ACWA Power, the PIF-owned Saudi energy utility, bought Engie’s 17.5% stake in Kuwait’s Az Zour independent water and power project, consolidating its ownership in one of the country’s largest utility facilities.

ADQ: AD Ports Group, majority owned by ADQ, signed an agreement with Nigeria to explore collaboration opportunities across ports, logistics, maritime services and digital trade infrastructure.

ADQ: Safeen Drydocks, part of Noatum Maritime, which is owned by ADQ’s AD Ports Group, fully acquired Balenciaga Astilleros Shipyard, one of Spain’s most established shipbuilding and repair facilities, for $13 million.

EDGE Group: UAE defense group EDGE and Qatar’s Barzan Holdings have agreed to form a joint venture to co-develop advanced defense technologies.

🍎 Nutrition Bet: Private equity firm Alta Semper agreed to acquire a majority stake in UAE-based sports nutrition company Nature’s Rule, describing the deal as a step toward scaling the business through a more institutional growth strategy.

💻 Blockchain Bonds: Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank, issued the region’s first Dirham-denominated digital bond, raising $272.3 million.

🏢 Office Expansion: Egyptian developer Marakez secured $63 million from Kuwait Finance House – Egypt to expand the commercial Mindhaus Campus at its District 5 project in New Cairo.

🌱 Charging ahead: Dubai has expanded its EV Green Charger network to 1,860 points across the emirate.

🚇 Metro Link: Dubai’s RTA has invited consultants to bid for designing a 3km Route 2020 metro extension from the Expo 2020 station to Al Maktoum International Airport’s West Terminal.

📈 Economy Performing: The IMF raised its 2026 growth forecast for Saudi Arabia to 4.5% citing higher oil output, strong domestic demand, and ongoing reforms.

💰 Dreaming Big: Northern Graphite’s plan to build a $200 million graphite battery anode plant in Saudi Arabia with Obeikan has fueled an eightfold revenue growth forecast and a sharp rise in its shares.

🍪 Snack Deal: Dubai-listed Unikai Foods received a $35 million cash takeover bid from a Kuwait’s Al Wafir for Marketing Services.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, visited the fifth edition of World of Coffee Dubai on Monday at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region, reviewed the outcome of this year’s Liwa International Festival on Monday.

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Health Board of Directors, attended the opening of the annual UAE International Dental Conference and Arab Dental Exhibition on Monday.

Faisal al-Ibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Investment Minister, said in an interview with Reuters in Davos that the kingdom’s private sector is taking on a larger role in delivering Vision 2030 projects as the government seeks to shift more execution and financing to companies outside the state.

Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade, led a high-level government and business delegation to the Lualaba Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the UAE-DRC Trade and Investment day. 

Nayef Nasser Alnasser was appointed Managing Director of Ithmaar Development Company, succeeding Mohammed Khalil Alsayed.

David Hadley, CEO of UAE-based NMC Healthcare, said that hospitals are increasingly under strain as profit margins shrink and may have to consolidate further to unlock economies of scale.

Rashid Al Dhaheri, an Emirati racing driver, won the opening round of the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, held at Yas Marina Circuit. 

📺 On the Box: Netflix has unveiled its line-up of Arabic releases for 2026, including new seasons of hit reality shows “Love is Blind, Habibi” and “Dubai Bling.” Season 2 of the streamer’s regional adaptation of the global matchmaking show introduces potential couples on either side of a wall to test if they can form a bond without seeing one-another. “Dubai Bling,” now in its fourth season, follows a cast of fashion-obsessed socialites who revel in delivering snappy one-liners like “I’m not playing hard to get, I am hard to get.”

Jan. 18-21, Riyadh. Big5 Construct Saudi. Latest trends and opportunities among construction companies operating in KSA. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center located at ROSHN Front.

Jan. 20-21, Dubai. 2026 BAFT MENA Forum. The event brings the region’s senior executives, influencers and industry experts to explore the forces redefining MENA’s financial ecosystem. Embassy Suites by Hilton Dubai Business Bay.

Jan. 20-22, Abu Dhabi. UMEX 2026. The Unmanned Systems Exhibitions and Conference  showcases the latest advances in autonomous systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, and training simulation. ADNEC.

Jan. 26-27, Riyadh. Super Return. A major private equity & venture capital conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Fairmont Hotel. 

Jan. 26-28, Riyadh. Saudi Franchise Expo. The exhibition brings local and international businesses that want to create franchising companies into the kingdom. The Arena Riyadh Venue for Exhibitions, Riyadh.

Jan. 26-30, Dubai. Gulf Food. The world’s largest food and beverage industry event. Dubai World Trade Centre & Dubai Exhibition Centre.

Jan. 29, Dubai. The Great Marketing & Business Minds. In this 4th edition, the event brings the most influential marketing and business leaders for a deep dive into performance-driven marketing, data integration, and the evolving accountability of brand leadership. Pullman Dubai Downtown.

Feb 1-6, Dubai. Dubai Fashion Week. The event showcases the latest collections by global and regional designers and positions Dubai as a major creative hub on the global fashion calendar alongside fashion capitals like New York, London, Milan and Paris. Dubai Design District.

Feb. 1-4, Doha. Web Summit Qatar. Connecting a new generation of founders in the Middle East to investors, journalists and more around the world. Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

Feb. 2-4, Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi AI Summit. The summit aims to strengthen collaboration between MBZUAI and the U.S. NSF Athena Institute to advance research, entrepreneurship and opportunities in Edge AI. Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

Feb. 2-5, Doha. LNG2026. The 21st International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas. Qatar National Convention Center. 

Feb. 3, Dubai. World Laureates Summit. Held alongside the World Government Summit, the inaugural event will bring 200 of the world’s top scientific researchers, marking a historic integration of science and government. 

Feb. 3-5, Dubai. World Government 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 will host the first regional edition of the real estate technology event. Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene the region’s foremost advisors, financiers, and investors in the UAE capital. TBC

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. 

INDIA BUYING

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed began a visit today to India, where he was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks the UAE President’s third visit, and comes after trade between the UAE and India surged to $100 billion in 2024‑25 following implementation of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The visit also comes as state-owned Etihad Water and Electricity said it is planning a feasibility study for a proposed undersea power link. The “one sun, one world, one grid” initiative would allow solar power to be traded between the countries. The UAE is home to more than 3.5 million Indians, its largest expatriate community.

CREDIT SHIFT

Sovereign wealth funds from the Gulf are putting more money into private lending deals in emerging markets to earn higher returns. The move reflects a search for alternatives as traditional bonds offer lower yields and banks pull back from riskier markets, Bloomberg reports. The Gulf funds – including the UAE’s Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – are teaming up with global asset managers to provide loans directly to companies and projects that struggle to access financing. Mubadala Capital, for example, the sovereign fund’s alternative asset management arm, has secured about $240 million in commitments for its latest Brazil vehicle after closing a $710 million fund focused on the country in 2023.

Masdar: Masdar and French utility Engie have reached financial close on the 1.5GW Khazna Solar PV project in Abu Dhabi, backed by financing from seven banks and a 30-year power purchase agreement with Emirates Water and Electricity Company. 

International Holding Co.: NMDC Group, majority owned by IHC’s Alpha Dhabi Holding, said its subsidiary NMDC Infra agreed to acquire a 51% stake in Spain’s Lantania Aguas to form Lantania NMDC Water, creating a global water-sector player.

Public Investment Fund: The Royal Commission for AlUla signed a memorandum with SURJ Sports Investment to explore sports programmes, joint investments and hosting major events to boost AlUla’s position as a global sports destination.

Mubadala: Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Mubadala’s Deputy Group CEO, joined the first episode of the Abu Dhabi sovereign fund’s newly-launched podcast series “The Exchange” to talk about conviction-led investing.

💰 Rising Competition: Libya signed a $2.7 billion public-private partnership with Qatari and Italian firms to expand the Misurata Free Zone port into a regional transhipment hub competing with Egypt and Morocco.

🤝 Middle Team: Qatar has become the quiet middleman for Washington’s first $500 million Venezuelan oil sale, holding the proceeds in Doha as the U.S. markets the crude and manages revenues.

💵 Buying Power: Saudi Arabia raised its U.S. Treasury holdings in November to $148.8 billion, lifting it to 17th among foreign holders.

🚢 Red Sea Return: Major container shipping lines are cautiously resuming passage through the Red Sea after more than two years of avoidance, amid improving security conditions.

🌐 Staying Online: Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network is facing a high-profile security challenge as Iran intensifies efforts to restrict access during a crackdown on political unrest.

⛽ Gas Expansion: Chevron and its partners have approved an expansion of Israel’s Leviathan gas field, increasing supplies for domestic use and regional export markets.

⚡ AI Tariff: Abu Dhabi is preparing a dedicated electricity tariff for data centres to protect households and businesses from higher energy bills.

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim received Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on his first visit to Qatar on Sunday. Following the visit, Carney announced that Qatar would make significant investments in Canada. 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, watched key stages of the Elite Race held as part of the Al Salam Cycling Championship organized by his private office. 

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Vice President, and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, son of Qatar’s Emir, attended the Global Champions Arabians Tour – Abu Dhabi, at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Bahrain-based Investcorp, told Bloomberg at Davos that the outlook for IPOs is getting better in Gulf markets. 

Mariam Mohamed AlMusharrekh was appointed  Director General of Government Talent at the Department of Government Enablement in Abu Dhabi and Abdulaziz Mohamed Alhammadi was appointed as Director General of Regulatory Affairs at the Department of Energy. 

Rafiza Ghazali was appointed Managing Director, Consumer Banking at Fasset, the UAE-based global Islamic banking and investment platform.

Rajesh Nagpal was appointed Vice President of Enterprise Business for Huawei UAE.

🦁 Mane Attraction: The last drawing of a lion by Rembrandt remaining in private hands will be displayed in Saudi Arabia later this month ahead of its auction in New York, where it is expected to fetch more than $15 million. “Young Lion Resting,” one of six known lion drawings by the Dutch master, will be displayed at Diriyah’s Bujairi Terrace from Jan. 24 to 25, as part of the Leiden Collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Panthera, a wild cat conservation organization chaired by the co-owner of the painting, philanthropist Jon Ayers. Panthera is leading the re-introduction of the critically endangered Arabian leopard to AlUla.

Jan. 18-21, Riyadh. Big5 Construct Saudi. Latest trends and opportunities among construction companies operating in KSA. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center located at ROSHN Front.

Jan. 20-21, Dubai. 2026 BAFT MENA Forum. The event brings the region’s senior executives, influencers and industry experts to explore the forces redefining MENA’s financial ecosystem. Embassy Suites by Hilton Dubai Business Bay.

Jan. 20-22, Abu Dhabi. UMEX 2026. The Unmanned Systems Exhibitions and Conference  showcases the latest advances in autonomous systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, and training simulation. ADNEC.

Jan.26-27, Riyadh. Super Return. A major private equity & venture capital conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The Fairmont Hotel. 

Jan. 26-28, Riyadh. Saudi Franchise Expo. The exhibition brings local and international businesses that want to create franchising companies into the kingdom. The Arena Riyadh Venue for Exhibitions, Riyadh.

Jan. 26-30, Dubai. Gulf Food. The world’s largest food and beverage industry event. Dubai World Trade Centre & Dubai Exhibition Centre.

Jan.29, Dubai. The Great Marketing & Business Minds. In this 4th edition, the event brings the most influential marketing and business leaders for a deep dive into performance-driven marketing, data integration, and the evolving accountability of brand leadership. Pullman Dubai Downtown.

Feb 1-6, Dubai. Dubai Fashion Week. The event showcases the latest collections by global and regional designers and positions Dubai as a major creative hub on the global fashion calendar alongside fashion capitals like New York, London, Milan and Paris. Dubai Design District.

Feb. 1-4, Doha. Web Summit Qatar. Connecting a new generation of founders in the Middle East to investors, journalists and more around the world. Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

Feb 2-4, Abu Dhabi. The Abu Dhabi AI Summit. The summit aims to strengthen collaboration between MBZUAI and the U.S. NSF Athena Institute to advance research, entrepreneurship and opportunities in Edge AI. Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence.

Feb. 2-5, Doha. LNG2026. The 21st International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas. Qatar National Convention Center. 

Feb. 3, Dubai. World Laureates Summit. The inaugural summit, held alongside the World Government Summit, will bring 200 of the world’s top scientific researchers, marking a historic integration of science and government. 

Feb. 3-5, Dubai. World Government 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 will host the first regional edition of the real estate technology event. Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Feb. 10-11, Abu Dhabi. Top Advisors & Investors Summit. The event will convene the region’s foremost advisors, financiers, and investors in the UAE capital. TBC

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.