GAS ROCKS

U.S. asset manager BlackRock and partners are close to reaching a deal to invest $10 billion in infrastructure tied to Saudi Aramco’s massive $100 billion Jafurah shale gas project. This comes as Aramco looks to monetize assets amid falling oil prices while still pushing ahead with major investments, Reuters reports. The deal would likely mirror past “lease and lease-back” arrangements, which raised nearly $28 billion and let Aramco retain control while paying usage tariffs. Jafurah is key to Aramco’s goal of boosting gas output by 60% by 2030, transforming the kingdom into a global gas powerhouse.

ROBO ALLIANCE

Lucid Motors, the U.S. electric vehicle maker backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has teamed up with Uber and robotics company Nuro to launch a global robotaxi program. Uber plans to make “multi-hundred million dollar investments” in Lucid and Nuro to make the taxis and will order at least 20,000 Lucid vehicles over the next six years, The National reports. The first service will be launched in the U.S. late next year. The announcement is a major boost for Lucid and its Saudi backer, which has poured billions into the California company. The first Lucid-Nuro robotaxi prototype is already being tested in Las Vegas. The news comes after Uber and China’s Baidu said on Tuesday that they would launch a robotaxi service in the UAE and elsewhere in the Middle East and Asia.

Public Investment Fund: Diriyah Company signed a $1.5 billion deal with China Harbour Engineering Company to develop the Arena district, part of Saudi Arabia’s historic Diriyah project.

Masdar: The Egyptian cabinet granted a “golden license” to UAE sustainable energy company Masdar for a major wind power project in the Gulf of Suez, enabling it to purchase or lease land, operate and manage projects with a single approval.

Mayhoola: Rachid Mohamed Rachid, the head of Mayhoola, denied a report suggesting the Qatar royal family-backed fund and French luxury group Kering were considering jointly selling Italian luxury fashion house Valentino, Reuters reports. Gucci-owner Kering bought 30% of Valentino in 2023 for $1.7 billion and said it would purchase the remaining 70% stake from Mayhoola by 2028, just before the luxury sector entered a slowdown, leaving Kering heavily indebted.

🇪🇺 Euro Deal: European Union member states have approved the launch of trade negotiations with GCC countries, with talks to begin as soon as possible, Bloomberg reports.

💲 Tourism Surge: Jordan’s tourism revenues grew 12% to $3.7 billion in the first half of 2025, boosted by increased arrivals from Asia and Europe.

🚆 Blue Line: A consortium of Turkish and Chinese companies, including Turkey’s Mapa Group and Limak and China’s state-owned CRRC, secured $1.1 billion in green financing from Emirates NBD to develop the Dubai Metro Blue Line project.

💵 Startup Support: VentureIsrael raised $25 million for its second fund, focusing on early-stage startups in fields including cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, digital health and quantum computing.

⛽ Oil Plan: Iraq approved a plan for the semi-autonomous Kurdish region to transfer oil to Baghdad, paving the way to restart exports that have been suspended for over two years, Bloomberg reports.

🏗️ Developing Expo: Bechtel, the U.S. engineering and construction giant, was appointed as the project management consultant for Expo 2030 in Riyadh.

🏡 Home Crunch: Turkish citizens are finding it increasingly challenging to secure affordable housing as property prices and rents in Istanbul are rising, a report on living costs shows.

🤝 China Bound: Around 60% of Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds plan to boost investments in Chinese assets over the next five years, while the remaining 40% will maintain current levels, according to a study by Invesco.

📈 Success Round: Saudi Arabia’s Naf Company for Feed Industry will list on the Nomu market next week after its IPO was 111% oversubscribed.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Thursday to discuss recent measures taken in Syria, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a phone call on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s success in replacing Elon Musk as U.S. President Donald Trump’s newest AI buddy, including OpenAI’s partnership with Abu Dhabi’s G42, is explored by The Wall Street Journal.

Karen Elliott House, former publisher of the Wall Street Journal, discusses her new book on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “The Man Who Would Be King,” in a recorded session with the Atlantic Council.

Pierre Santoni, Parsons Corp.’s EMEA President for Infrastructure, talked to The National about the complexities of building the Dubai Metro’s new Blue Line.

📺 Dad’s the Word: Netflix’s latest Arabic-language original series “Catalog” turns its attention to fatherhood, with Egyptian actor Mohamed Farrag playing the role of a widowed father who has to learn quickly how to be a loving dad. Farrag’s character, Youssef, quickly turns to YouTube videos produced by his late wife, who was a parenting influencer. “This series is about love – how to love your kids and how to make them love you. And it’s all about becoming involved in their problems, their day to day,” Farrag tells The National.

July 7-Aug. 24, Riyadh. Esports World Cup. A seven-week gaming extravaganza with a $70 million prize pot. Boulevard City.

Aug. 23-24, Riyadh. New Global Sports Conference. Showcasing how esports can create new global opportunities. Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh.

August 29, Dubai. Sustainability Innovation Forum 2025. A forum for construction companies, entrepreneurs, hotel executives, and design leaders. Al Habtoor Palace. 

Aug. 30-Sept. 7, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). The premier event for hunting, falconry and equestrian enthusiasts in the Middle East. ADNEC.

Sept. 1-3, Cairo. Pharmaconex. Brings together industry leaders to showcase innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Egypt International Exhibition Center. 

Sept. 2-4, Riyadh. Global Water Expo. Bringing together the full value chain of water, wastewater and environmental services. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

Sept. 8-10, Dubai. WHX Tech 2025. Participants will explore the latest trends in health care and gain practical insights on the changing sector. Dubai World Trade Center.  

Sept. 12-14, Abu Dhabi. International Real Estate & Investment Show. A three-day event spotlighting the latest investment opportunities across the Middle East, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. ADNEC.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Abu Dhabi. Global Rail and Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference. A leading international event dedicated to the rail transport sector. ADNEC.

SAUDI SERVERS

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI is negotiating to lease data center capacity in Saudi Arabia, planning to tap the kingdom’s cheap energy and political support as it rapidly scales its infrastructure footprint. xAI is in early talks with two potential partners: Humain, a Saudi-backed firm offering several gigawatts of future capacity, and another company developing a more readily available 200-megawatt facility, Bloomberg reports. While Humain’s proposal is ambitious, it remains years away as the company has yet to begin construction, the news agency added. Musk and xAI recently secured $10 billion in funding, with Musk declaring on X that the startup has “plenty of capital.” However, the details of how and where that capital will be deployed are still being finalized.

LONG GAME

Saudi Arabia has “a lot of patient capital” when it comes to developing its games industry, according to Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, the Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation. “A lot of people tell me we notice a lot of the investment you’re doing in esports, but we don’t see a lot of the investments you’re making in gaming,” Prince Faisal told Arabian Business Gulf Insights. “It’s because to build a games industry takes five to 10 years.” The kingdom, which is currently hosting the Esports World Cup in Riyadh with a record-breaking $71.5 million prize pool, has earmarked $38 billion from the Public Investment Fund for building out the industry via its homegrown Savvy Games Group. 

ADQ: The Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund signed a preliminary agreement with Turkey’s Trendyol Group, Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar, and Ant International to explore launching a joint fintech platform in Turkey offering digital financial services to individuals and small businesses.

Syria: Syria may soon have a sovereign wealth fund, after President Ahmad Al-Sharaa issued a series of decisions last week revamping the war-torn country’s investment environment.

💰 Loan Help: Saudi Middle East Specialized Cables Company announced that its subsidiary, MESC LLC, secured a $32.7 million credit facility from First Abu Dhabi Bank to finance working capital, bank guarantees and capital expenditures.

⛏️ Mining Front: Saudi Arabia’s mining reforms have attracted $32 billion in investments as the sector aims to boost its GDP contribution.

💵 SME Report: RUWAD, part of the Sharjah Economic Development Department, reported funding 13 projects worth approximately $779,000 and adding 449 new projects to its network in its 2024 annual report.

📈 Card Investment: Israeli carrier Israir is buying a 20% stake in credit card company Isracard from retailer Rami Levy and Isracard itself, diversifying revenue streams beyond aviation as part of its growth strategy.

 🖥️ Chip Delay: Some Trump administration officials are holding up efforts to finalize a landmark agreement that would open the door to the UAE buying billions of dollars in Nvidia’s cutting-edge artificial-intelligence chips, due to national-security concerns, the Wall Street Journal reports.

🚀 Courier Takeoff: Emirates Courier Express is expanding operations to Australia, offering direct package deliveries to Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, with 70 weekly flights to boost regional logistics connectivity.

🚂 India Tracks: DP World, Deendayal Port Authority and Nevomo signed a preliminary agreement to explore autonomous magnetic rail freight in India.

🛩️ Africa Link: Ethiopian Airlines launched passenger flights to Abu Dhabi, strengthening its Middle East network and enhancing Gulf connectivity as it continues expanding international routes from Addis Ababa.

🌴 Chasing Deals: Kenya’s largest lender, Equity Group Holdings, is preparing to open an office in the UAE later this year to benefit from growing trade and investment between the Middle East and Africa, Bloomberg reports.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed concluded his state visit to Turkey on Wednesday night after witnessing the signing of several agreements between the two countries alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Sheikh Mohamed then flew to Albania, where he held talks with Prime Minister Edi Rama, before continuing on to Serbia on Thursday, where he was greeted by President Aleksandar Vučić at the airport. Among those traveling in the delegation to Albania were UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Eagle Hills Chairman Mohamed Alabbar. Al Mubarak and Alabbar also went to Serbia.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, attended Abu Dhabi Summer Sports at ADNEC on Wednesday and participated in a friendly volleyball match.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, announced the launch of the UAE 2027-2029 budget cycle, with a focus on sustainability and AI. 

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Crown Prince of Dubai, introduced a new classification system to indicate when artificial intelligence has been used in research and publications.

Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder of British tech company Nothing, was on hand for the regional launch of the company’s new Nothing Phone in partnership with Creators HQ at Dubai’s Museum of the Future on Wednesday. Also at the event were Rishi Kishor Gupta, Nothing Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa; Alia Al Hammadi, Deputy Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit; and Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation. 

Mansoor Jaffar, CEO at ADGM Academy and Research Centre, and Mohammed Abdulmalek, Head of the Middle East at PGIM, the global investment management business of Prudential Financial, launched the RealAssetX Abu Dhabi Innovation Centre on Wednesday. The innovation lab, dedicated to advancing sustainable technology and artificial intelligence within the real asset industry, will open in September at the ADGM Academy offices.

🍽️ Taste of Home: Saudi-owned cafes and restaurants are making their mark in London, counting on the growing number of expats and visitors from the Gulf feeling a little homesick in the U.K. capital. Among them are Somewhere Cafe, an Emirati-Saudi partnership which reimagines nostalgic childhood dishes, which has set up shop at the ever-popular Harrods department store. Another favorite is Hijazi Corner, serving up traditional home recipes from Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district, where Chef Ayman Al-Zubaidi grew up.

July 7-Aug. 24, Riyadh. Esports World Cup. A seven-week gaming extravaganza with a $70 million prize pot. Boulevard City.

Aug. 23-24, Riyadh. New Global Sports Conference. Showcasing how esports can create new global opportunities. Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh.

August 29, Dubai. Sustainability Innovation Forum 2025. A forum for construction companies, entrepreneurs, hotel executives, and design leaders. Al Habtoor Palace. 

Aug. 30-Sept. 7, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). The premier event for hunting, falconry and equestrian enthusiasts in the Middle East. ADNEC.

Sept. 1-3, Cairo. Pharmaconex. Brings together industry leaders to showcase innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Egypt International Exhibition Center. 

Sept. 2-4, Riyadh. Global Water Expo. Bringing together the full value chain of water, wastewater and environmental services. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

Sept. 8-10, Dubai. WHX Tech 2025. Participants will explore the latest trends in health care and gain practical insights on the changing sector. Dubai World Trade Center.  

Sept. 12-14, Abu Dhabi. International Real Estate & Investment Show. A three-day event spotlighting the latest investment opportunities across the Middle East, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. ADNEC.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Abu Dhabi. Global Rail and Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference. A leading international event dedicated to the rail transport sector. ADNEC.

TICKET TO RIDE

Uber and China’s Baidu are taking a ride together in the Middle East. The two heavyweight firms said on Tuesday they’re launching a joint robotaxi service that will operate more than 1,000 of Baidu’s Apollo Go autonomous vehicles in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia. Baidu already runs driverless taxis in Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities and it signed an agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority in March to deploy the vehicles in the emirate. Under the Apollo Go agreement, taxis can be ordered by app through Uber, which has plans to offer similar services in Europe and Australia.

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

As property prices in the UAE’s major cities continue their bull run, developers are turning a sharp eye towards the little-known emirate of Umm Al Quwain. The UAE’s second-smallest and least-populous emirate, with around 60,000 residents, sits cozily between Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, just an hour’s drive into Dubai and 15 minutes from RAK’s Al Marjan Island, where the UAE’s first gaming resort is under construction. The once-quiet coastal enclave is now host to three mega developments, including two waterfront residential projects by Dubai-based Sobha Realty valued at a total of $28 billion.

International Holding Company: Abu Dhabi’s IHC has acquired financing platform eFunder, now rebranded as Zelo, to boost access to capital for small and medium-sized businesses and address the $250 billion MENA credit gap.

Aramco: Saudi AI start-up Lucidya has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round led by Impact46 and Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures.

ADNOC: ADNOC plans to transfer a 24.9% stake in Austrian oil and gas company OMV to its  XRG investment arm, as part of its strategy to consolidate international assets.

ADQ: Abu Dhabi green energy company Masdar will divest its stake in the Sharjah Waste-to-Energy plant to Tadweer Group, the waste management and recycling services company owned by sovereign fund ADQ.

💰 IPO Frenzy: Moroccan healthcare firm Vicenne’s IPO was oversubscribed 64 times, attracting $3.5 billion in orders for its $55 million offering and marking the North African market’s first listing of 2025.

📊 Listing Slowdown: Proceeds from GCC IPOs fell 6% to $3.4 billion in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, with Saudi Arabia leading regional issuance by raising $2.9 billion.

💳 Debt Clearance: Egypt repaid $1 billion to foreign oil companies in early July, reducing its outstanding debt to $2.5 billion, with full repayment expected by September.

💸 Fraud Fighter: Israeli web intelligence startup Heka raised $14 million in Series A funding, led by Windare Ventures, to expand across the U.S and Europe as it develops AI tools to counter a rapidly escalating global fraud epidemic.

📈 IPO Divergence: UAE share sales are gaining momentum into late 2025, while Saudi companies pursuing listings face investor caution over high valuations, reflecting diverging equity market sentiments across the Gulf, Bloomberg reports.

🛢️ Production Debate: OPEC partly rejected reports of a Saudi oil output surge, noting Riyadh stayed within its quota last month due to a recalculation of production metrics that adjusted how barrels were officially counted. 

☀️ Energy Push: Oman has signed a deal with Turkey to launch joint net zero and decarbonization projects starting in 2027, supporting its push for energy diversification and carbon neutrality.

🤝 Quantum Pact: Israel and the U.S. have proposed forming a $200 million joint fund to develop quantum computing, with possible UAE and Saudi participation, The Jerusalem Post reports.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed flew to Turkey on Wednesday for an official state visit in which he will hold talks with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The UAE President held a phone call on Tuesday with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss a range of issues between the two countries.

President Donald Trump’s appearance at Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey demonstrated soccer’s growing popularity in America, The New York Times reports. Among those who attended the match at MetLife Stadium were Jared Kushner, U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, star NFL quarterback Tom Brady and the NFL’s New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Richard Attias will return as interim CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative Institute, which organizes the kingdom’s annual FII conference, after Penny Richards resigned six months into the job, Semafor reports.

Antonoaldo Neves, CEO or Etihad Airways, told The National that the Abu Dhabi-based airline is aiming to expand 15% every year until the end of the decade, as it raised its growth target to 38 million passengers by 2030, up from the previous goal of 33 million.

Alexander Godwin has returned to Hasma Capital, the investment firm of Saudi Arabia’s billionaire Juffali family, in a London-based director role, Bloomberg reports. Godwin left the firm last year for a job at another family office, Misland Capital.

Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment, attended the Financial and Professional Services Dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King, at Mansion House, London, on Tuesday.

💬 Speaking King-lish: Linguistic code-switching, a common phenomenon in globalized cities, is becoming the “new norm” for young people in Saudi Arabia, where increasing business connections and education opportunities overseas have seen a rise in English being used alongside the official Arabic language, Arab News Reports. The trend reflects rapidly shifting social dynamics in the kingdom, which only made English lessons mandatory for first graders at state schools in 2021.

July 7-Aug. 24, Riyadh. Esports World Cup. A seven-week gaming extravaganza with a $70 million prize pot. Boulevard City.

Aug. 23-24, Riyadh. New Global Sports Conference. Showcasing how esports can create new global opportunities. Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh.

August 29, Dubai. Sustainability Innovation Forum 2025. A forum for construction companies, entrepreneurs, hotel executives, and design leaders. Al Habtoor Palace. 

Aug. 30-Sept. 7, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). The premier event for hunting, falconry and equestrian enthusiasts in the Middle East. ADNEC.

Sept. 1-3, Cairo. Pharmaconex. Brings together industry leaders to showcase innovations in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Egypt International Exhibition Center. 

Sept. 2-4, Riyadh. Global Water Expo. Bringing together the full value chain of water, wastewater and environmental services. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

Sept. 8-10, Dubai. WHX Tech 2025. Participants will explore the latest trends in health care and gain practical insights on the changing sector. Dubai World Trade Center.  

Sept. 12-14, Abu Dhabi. International Real Estate & Investment Show. A three-day event spotlighting the latest investment opportunities across the Middle East, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. ADNEC.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Abu Dhabi. Global Rail and Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference. A leading international event dedicated to the rail transport sector. ADNEC.

STARTUP WADI

Startups in the Gulf and other Arab countries in the Middle East nearly doubled their fundraising in the first half of the year. About $1.35 billion in venture capital funding was invested in the region’s early-stage companies during the period, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, data platform Magnitt reports. In Israel, one of the world’s busiest startup hubs, first-half funding reached $9.3 billion, the country’s strongest six-month performance in three years. The increase in venture funding in the Middle East contrasts with global emerging venture markets, where funding dropped to about $4 billion – the weakest first half since 2017.

GEE WIZZ

Etihad Airways is preparing to launch flights to several destinations affected by Wizz Air’s exit from its Abu Dhabi operations. Etihad, which is based in Abu Dhabi, announced on Tuesday that it would introduce flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan; Baku, Azerbaijan; Bucharest, Romania; Medina, Saudi Arabia; Tbilisi, Georgia; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and Yerevan, Armenia. Wizz Air currently flies from Abu Dhabi to all of those destinations, except Tbilisi. The Hungarian budget airline said yesterday that it would suspend its Abu Dhabi joint venture with the ADQ sovereign wealth fund, which owns Etihad, blaming persistent engine issues, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and regulatory challenges. Etihad said its services to all of the new routes would begin in March, except Medina, which will be operational from November. 

Mubadala: A consortium that includes the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund will acquire German energy company Techem for $7.9 billion. Others in the group include Swiss private equity company Partners Group and Singapore’s GIC.

Public Investment Fund: Marc Winterhoff, CEO of the Saudi PIF-owned California electric vehicle maker Lucid Motors, warned in a Bloomberg interview that Trump-era auto tariffs will sharply increase production costs, threatening price hikes for American-made EVs despite the company’s efforts to localize supply chains in the kingdom.

G42: Presight, an Emirati tech company owned by G42, is helping launch Kazakhstan’s first supercomputer, featuring prominently at a ceremony attended by Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

🏢 Luxury Estate: Vincitore Realty, a boutique developer in the UAE, awarded a $544 million contract to Luxridge Building Construction for delivering its latest wave of luxury real estate projects in Dubai.

💰 Big Brother: Egypt approved $101 million within its budget to support small and medium sized enterprises in a partnership between the Ministry of Finance and the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Agency.

🌐 Browser Boom: Israeli cybersecurity startup Island has quadrupled its valuation to $4.8 billion since late 2023 after raising tens of millions from J.P. Morgan, as demand for secure enterprise browsers surges globally.

🏢 Luxury Leaders: Singapore was ranked the world’s most expensive city for luxury spending for a third year, while London overtakes Hong Kong for second place and Dubai ranks as the costliest destination in the Middle East for high-end goods, according to Julius Baer’s annual report.

🏡 Housing Reforms: The UAE’s Majid Al-Futtaim firm has been granted a license to set up a housing construction company in Kuwait following residential reforms by the country.

☀️ Renewable Surge: The share of renewables in Oman’s electricity production more than doubled to 12% between late 2024 and mid-2025, driven by new solar and wind projects.

🧳 Driverless Luggage: Dubai airport services provider dnata has deployed a fleet of autonomous vehicles to tow baggage containers at Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International, WAM reports.

🐄 Livestock Crisis: Turkey’s livestock industry is facing crippling losses from the nationwide outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, visited the Liwa Date Festival in Al Dhafra region on Monday. Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan, UAE Ambassador to Bahrain and Vice Chairman of Al  Ain Sports & Cultural Club, also visited the festival. 

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, attended a Bastille Day reception at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening hosted by French Ambassador Nicolas Niemtchinow.

Leila Benali, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition, told Saudi news website Asharq that her country needs to invest over $40 billion to achieve its national energy goals.

Waleed Saeed Al Awadhi, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Securities and Commodities Authority, was elected Chair of the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ Africa and Middle East Regional Committee.

🎤 Star Stopover: Rapper Travis Scott will return to Abu Dhabi on Nov. 15 with his record-breaking Circus Maximus World Tour. The performance is part of a six-country run which includes India, Japan, South Korea, China and South Africa. The tour, which kicked off in 2023, is the highest-grossing solo rap tour of all time, making more than $209 million. Tickets go on sale from Thursday.

July 7-Aug. 24, Riyadh. Esports World Cup. A seven-week gaming extravaganza with a $70 million prize pot. Boulevard City.

July 15, Pittsburgh, Pa. Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit. U.S. President Donald Trump and Mubadala CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak are among those expected to attend the energy and tech summit hosted by Republican Sen. Dave McCormick. Carnegie Mellon University.

Aug. 23-24, Riyadh. New Global Sports Conference. Showcasing how esports can create new global opportunities. Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh.

August 29, Dubai. Sustainability Innovation Forum 2025. A forum for construction companies, entrepreneurs, hotel executives, and design leaders. Al Habtoor Palace. 

Aug. 30-Sept. 7, Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). The premier event for hunting, falconry and equestrian enthusiasts in the Middle East. ADNEC.

Sept. 2-4, Riyadh. Global Water Expo. Bringing together the full value chain of water, wastewater and environmental services. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

Sept. 12-14, Abu Dhabi. International Real Estate & Investment Show. A three-day event spotlighting the latest investment opportunities across the Middle East, Europe and the Asia Pacific regions. ADNEC.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Abu Dhabi. Global Rail and Transport Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference. A leading international event dedicated to the rail transport sector. ADNEC.