FLIGHT DELAYS

UAE flag carrier Emirates said its expansion plans have been significantly set back because Boeing’s deliveries of more than 200 planes, which were originally expected in 2020, have been delayed to 2027. Emirates President Tim Clark told The National that the company is working to retrofit older aircraft and will have to fly its aging Airbus A380 fleet into the late 2030s. “It’s bad news for us,” Clark said. “It’s seven years after we expected it to happen.” The airline, which is owned by the Investment Corp. of Dubai, is preparing for the Dubai Airshow, one of the industry’s biggest arenas for dealmaking, which kicks off on Nov. 17.

CANAL REBOUND

Easing tensions in the Red Sea have delivered a boost to Egypt’s Suez Canal, with hundreds of ships returning to ply the global trade route in October. Canal revenues rose 14% year-on-year between July and October, with 4,405 ships carrying 185 million tons of cargo during the period. More than 200 ships returned to the canal in October, leading to the highest monthly total since Houthi attacks off Yemen sharply reduced traffic, Reuters reports. Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, said that the positive climate following last month’s Sharm el-Sheikh summit on Gaza’s future encouraged many carriers to return.Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis carried out over 100 attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab Strait, during 2023-2024.

ADQ: AD Ports, which is majority owned by ADQ, signed an agreement with Nimex Terminals valued at more than $8 billion to establish the UAE’s first private-sector terminal hubs for both liquified natural gas (LNG) and liquified petroleum gas (LPG).

Oman Investment Authority: Oman India Fertiliser Co., 50% owned by by Oman’s state energy firm OQ SAOC, a subsidiary of the OIA, has selected banks including Societe Generale, Arqaam Capital and Bank Muscat for a potential IPO in Muscat that could raise several hundred million dollars, Bloomberg reports.

Mubadala Capital: Melis Kahya, Managing Director and Head of Consumer for EMEA at General Atlantic, spoke during the Mubadala Capital Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners Portfolio Day about howdigital-native consumers, entrepreneurial energy and increasingly sophisticated capital markets are shaping a new growth arc.

2PointZero: Mariam AlMheiri, CEO of 2PointZero, spoke to CNN’s Becky Anderson during ADIPEC about the investment company’s aggressive growth strategy.

🤝 Gulf Deals: Bahrain signed over 60 investment deals worth $17 billion at the Gateway Gulf 2025 forum in Manama, supporting investment in five key non-oil sectors.

💰 Bonds Sales: Qatar raised $4 billion in a two-tranche bond sale that drew strong demand, enabling the LNG exporter to secure better-than-expected pricing on a $1 billion three-year bond and a $3 billion 10-year Islamic bond, Reuters reports.

⛽ Shell Game: Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Gas signed a 15-year agreement to supply Shell with up to 1 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually from its Ruwais project.

🏎️ Car Production: Egypt has begun building the MAC Automotive plant near Cairo, with the factory set to produce 50,000 vehicles annually at launch and expand to 100,000 within five years.

🔒 Threat Detection: Daylight, an Israeli cybersecurity startup that uses AI to detect and respond to digital threats, raised $33 million in a Series A funding round led by Craft Ventures. 

🎓 Funding Education: Varkey Group, the holding company controlled by the Dubai-based Indian family behind GEMS Education, is in talks to raise about $400 million in debt financing, Bloomberg reports.

⛽ On the Go: ADNOC Distribution will launch The Hub, a new concept that combines service stations with ultra fast EV charging, dining and entertainment options.

👨🏼‍💼 New Business: Egypt launched a new global tender by the state-owned South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company, for oil and gas exploration in four Red Sea regions.

🏢 Fast Approach: Bentley Reid, a U.K.-based wealth manager, has opened a new office in the Dubai International Financial Centre, with CEO Peter Clark relocating to lead the expansion.

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 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on the sidelines of the UAE Government Annual Meetings.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed approved a series of plans and policies to help make Dubai the “world’s best” city.

Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed met with Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, President of Fiji, at Wahat Al Karama in Abu Dhabi as part of an official visit to the UAE.

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee, inaugurated the $100 million GEMS School of Research and Innovation in Dubai Sports City.

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, met with key government and private sector partners to review the latest progress and preparations for the upcoming 27th General Conference of the International Council of Museums which will take place in Dubai from Nov.11-17.

Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa will meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday next week for talks on U.S.-Syria diplomatic ties and regional stability.

Bandar Alkhorayef, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Board Chairman of the National Industrial Development Centre, chaired a meeting of the centre with a delegation of more than 30 Chinese companies to discuss high-value investments. 

Selim Kervanci, CEO of Middle East North Africa and Turkey for HSBC, told Zawya that specific project bonds could help Saudi Arabia in its need for funding to continue on this ambitious transformation plan. 

Michael Eisenberg, Co-Founder and General Partner at Tel Aviv-based venture capital firm Aleph, Bilal Baloch, a partner at UAE’s Shorooq, and Chris Arsenault, Co-Founder and partner at Inovia Capital in Montreal, were on a panel discussing VC investment in the Middle East and North America that was recorded at the FII conference in Riyadh last week.

🏘️ Coming Together: At this year’s Dubai Design Week, running until Nov. 9, the spotlight is firmly fixed on community and sustainability, with architects and artists reimagining shared spaces through courtyards, teahouses and greenhouses. Installations across Dubai Design District draw on local and global traditions — from an Emirati house to a Japanese-style teahouse — to encourage connection and reflection, The National reports.

Nov. 3-6, Abu Dhabi. ADIPEC. Bringing together professionals, companies, and government leaders to discuss and showcase the latest developments in oil, gas, and cleaner energy technologies. ADNEC Center.

Nov. 4-6, Dubai. Gulfood Manufacturing. Billed as the most influential F&B manufacturing event in the world. Dubai World Trade Center. 

Nov. 4-9, Dubai. Dubai Design Week. The Middle East’s largest creative festival, showcasing more than 200 events across architecture, product, furniture, interior and graphic design. D3.

Nov. 5-16, Sharjah, UAE. Sharjah International Book Fair. A 12-day cultural and literary event attracting global publishers and literary stars. Expo Center Sharjah.  

Nov. 10. Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Autonomous Summit. The flagship platform of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, convening global leaders to define the next chapter of smart and autonomous mobility. Yas Marina Circuit.

Nov. 10-12, Abu Dhabi. DRIFTx. An international exhibition showcasing smart and autonomous mobility solutions. Yas Marina Circuit.

Nov. 10-15, Abu Dhabi. RoboCup Asia-Pacific. A regional competition and event for AI and robotics where teams compete on challenges including humanoid robot soccer matches. ADNEC Center.

Nov. 11-14, Dubai. ICOM 2025. Bringing together museum professionals and cultural experts from around the world to explore the evolving role of museums. Dubai World Trade Center.

Nov. 17-19. Doha. Qatar Entrepreneurship Conference (ROWAD). Qatar’s national entrepreneurship platform and a flagship Global Entrepreneurship Week event, connecting startups, SMEs, and ecosystem leaders. Doha Exhibition & Convention Center.

Nov. 17-21, Dubai. Dubai Airshow 2025. The biennial exhibition attracts aerospace companies from around the world to the UAE. DWC, Al Maktoum International Airport.

Nov. 19-20, Dubai. Knowledge Summit. A global platform for knowledge production in the service of sustainable development. Dubai World Trade Center. 

Nov. 25-26. Riyadh. Global Sustainability Expo. Dedicated to advancing sustainability practices across industries. The Arena Riyadh.

Nov. 26-27, Abu Dhabi. CyberQ 2025. The UAE’s flagship summit for cybersecurity and quantum technologies. ADNEC Center.

Dec. 4-5, Abu Dhabi. Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit. Investors, corporate executives and policymakers gather to discuss prospects for investment in the region. St. Regis Saadiyat Island. 

Dec. 7, Abu Dhabi. F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025. The F1 season finale and one of the most hotly anticipated races in motorsport. Yas Marina Circuit. 

Dec. 8-9, Riyadh. Hydrogen Arabia Summit & Exhibition. The inaugural event is aimed at positioning the Kingdom as a hub for hydrogen and clean energy collaboration. Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC.

Dec. 8-9, Abu Dhabi. Bitcoin MENA 2025. An event dedicated to advancing Bitcoin and blockchain understanding and adoption. ADNEC Center.

Dec. 8-10, Abu Dhabi. BRIDGE Summit. Bringing together media executives, innovators, academia and NGOs, policymakers, and thought leaders to redefine the media landscape. ADNEC Center.

Dec. 8-11, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Finance Week. The largest financial event in the region, brings together the world’s top minds to redefine and shape the future of global markets. The Grand Steps, Al Maryah Island.