One of Abu Dhabi’s longest-running expat social institutions faces a reckoning after receiving an eviction notice on the plot of prime land that was originally gifted to the organization in the 1960s.

The Club (colloquially known as the “British Club”) sits on the edge of Mina Zayed, an industrial port area undergoing rapid gentrification, and is adjacent to Saadiyat Island, home to the city’s evolving cultural district.

Members, who pay around AED5,000 ($1,360) a year in fees, have access to two beaches, a 25-meter pool and sailing facilities, as well as several restaurants and bars.

The organization is set to meet next week for its first annual general meeting since telling its 3,500-strong membership the news last summer, The National reports.

Facing eviction by the end of 2026, The Club is now considering a new home in the Raha Beach area, close to Zayed International Airport, but will have to come up with substantial funding to develop a new site amid Abu Dhabi’s red-hot real estate market. 

PayPal is planning to run its digital commerce operations for 80 countries in the Middle East and Africa out of a new regional headquarters in Dubai.

Speaking at the Dubai AI Festival on Wednesday, PayPal’s President of Global Markets Suzan Kareere said the UAE hub would help customers with new features, including frictionless payments, more robust security and better network access to help companies sell across international borders.

“We want to empower businesses in this region to connect with our global consumers, while enabling consumers here to shop with confidence internationally,” she said.

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, the UAE’s Minister of Finance and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, discussed PayPal’s plans with Kareere, posting a photo of their meeting on Instagram.

The era of flying taxis is one step closer to reality in Abu Dhabi after the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority approved designs for a hybrid heliport at Zayed Port’s cruise terminal.

Developed in a partnership between the UAE’s AD Ports Group and Falcon Aviation, together with California-based Archer Aviation, the facility will be able to serve traditional helicopters as well as eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft, The National reports.

Earlier this year, the UAE started mapping out air corridors for air taxis and cargo drones, and the GCAA has now finalized a new regulatory framework for air transport services, due to be published by July.

The new heliport was chosen for its proximity to major attractions on Saadiyat Island, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and will become a key launch point for air taxi services planned for next year.

“We are enabling a future where sustainable, high-tech air transport becomes a core part of our urban landscape,” said GCAA Director General Saif Al Suwaidi. “This approval represents a new era for civil aviation, driven by partnership and vision.”

Now it’s official. U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to the Gulf starting May 13 for a four-day trip that will take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

Besides a heavy geopolitical agenda dealing with the strife-torn Middle East, the regional tour will focus on trade, particularly the 10% tariffs Trump announced for each of the GCC member countries. That’s an increase from previous levels, but nowhere close to the 145% levies imposed on China, which has roiled world markets with the prospect of a trade war.

The U.S. leader is especially game to lock down commitments from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to invest vast sums in the U.S. – $600 billion over 10 years from Saudi Arabia and $1.4 trillion from the Emiratis. Trump said he hopes to push the Saudi investment to $1 trillion.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced the trip at a White House briefing on Tuesday, saying the President intends to “strengthen ties” with the three Gulf states. “He will have many bilateral meetings and talks, and we look forward to the trip,” she said.

Trump said he discussed trade with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call on Tuesday, which also covered Iran and other topics, and posted it on his Truth Social platform. He made no mention of a possible side-trip to Israel after the Gulf tour. “We are on the same side on every issue,” Trump said.

The visit to Saudi Arabia was planned as the President’s first foreign trip since his inauguration, which was in 2017 at the start of his first term. That was overridden by the death of Pope Francis, with Trump scheduled to attend the funeral in Rome this coming Saturday.

Dubai’s telecom company, du, is collaborating with Microsoft to build a $545 million “hyperscale” data center.

Microsoft will be the primary tenant of the center, which will be built in stages.

Hyperscale centers are facilities used to meet the huge data and storage demands of AI and cloud computing services.

Currently, du operates five data centers across the UAE.

The project was unveiled on Tuesday by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation.

“Data is the wealth of the future and the foundation of technological progress,” he said.

The UAE, which created a ministry to promote tolerance and coexistence nearly 10 years ago, is now making longer life expectancy into a national project, tapping a young female biochemist to lead its investment campaign.

Fatma Almulla, an expert in Mideast healthcare finance, was appointed this month to head the Abu Dhabi Investment Office’s new initiative called HELM, which stands for Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine. The Mubadala sovereign wealth fund is a strategic partner.

In the new post, Almulla, 31, will seek to develop a cluster of alliances with some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies and healthcare firms – part of an effort to make the UAE a world leader in medical innovation. HELM aims to raise more than $11 billion in investment over the next 20 years.

“The UAE has the right to win in this global marathon,” Almulla said in an interview with The Circuit last week in Abu Dhabi. “In five years, I expect to see five big pharma companies with production facilities established here.”

Before assuming the HELM post, Almulla spent a decade abroad, earning two master’s degrees at the University of Glasgow and a doctorate in biochemical engineering at University College London. For the past two years, she’s worked at GKSD Investment Holding, a Milan, Italy-based consulting firm focused on healthcare and engineering, where she rose to become Vice President and Advisor to the Chairman on business development in the Middle East.

Almulla, who was named in 2023 to the Forbes Middle East “30 Under 30” list that spotlights the region’s upcoming leaders, said HELM will cultivate biotech startups in the UAE and Middle East through funding, mentorship and networking opportunities.

Fostering research in such fields as genomic medicines and advanced therapies through AI-powered diagnostics, Almulla said, should help people in the UAE lead longer and healthier lives.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How would you describe the mission of the new HELM initiative?

The cluster brings together an integrated and powerful ecosystem designed to drive innovation, attract global investments, and position Abu Dhabi as a global leader in life sciences. In this group, we are welcoming global pharma companies across biotech, pharma, MedTech, and digital health.

Not only big pharma companies. We also work with startups such as biotech and health tech ventures. We help them by linking them to our accelerators, such as Hub71, which gives them access to funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities in the Middle East. At its core, the cluster will enable advancements in genomic medicines, advanced therapies, and AI-powered diagnostics. Our niche is clear in terms of longevity and wellness.

Why is this program important for Abu Dhabi, in particular, and for the UAE and the Middle East overall?

The healthcare sector is very important. The size of this market is expected to grow to 93 trillion dirhams ($25.3 trillion) by 2045. Currently, the life sciences market alone is at 7.7 trillion dirhams and will grow to 40 trillion dirhams by 2045.

The UAE has the right to win in this global marathon. It has many advantages. For example, a third of the world’s population is within a four-hour flight from the UAE. More than 90% of global pharma companies have a presence in the UAE. We also have the second-largest national human genome project. Clinical trial approval in the UAE usually takes no more than 28 days, thanks to our streamlined regulators like the Department of Health.

We are helping these companies access the Middle East, Asia, and Africa regions, who are looking to expand in the region. As I mentioned with the market size and growth, there will be twice the demand for healthcare solutions. That means there will be a need for better and quicker therapies, advanced therapies, and genomic solutions.

How much investment can HELM potentially generate?

We expect the cluster will unlock 42 billion dirhams ($11.4 billion) in investments. It will contribute 94 billion dirhams in incremental GDP growth and create around 30,000 new jobs – all by 2045.

Which major institutions are supporting HELM?

Mubadala is one of our strategic partners. They already have a global life sciences investment platform. ADQ also has major investments in life sciences. Being part of the cluster allows us to leverage those assets. We collaborate with them to assess new investments. One of their recent investments was in a manufacturing platform, and now they are exploring bringing parts of that to Abu Dhabi.

We’re working with UAE University, Khalifa University, NYU Abu Dhabi, and Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. Partnerships with international universities are also in the pipeline. For regulations, we work with the Department of Health and the ADGM. For R&D, we work with Masdar as an innovation center. For infrastructure, we have KIZAD (Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi), Masdar, and the Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone. For talent development, we partner with universities globally.

We still need to develop specialized programs in areas like biopharma, biotechnology, and genomics. We’re also creating opportunities for postdoctoral and postgraduate studies. Talent development is an integral part of the cluster.  We’ll know more when we announce deals with pharma companies.

In a nutshell, what are your short-term and long-term goals?

Our vision is for 2045. But in five years, I expect to see five big pharma companies with production facilities established here. Building a full substance and formulation facility takes about four to five years. Capital deployment happens immediately.

If we close deals in the next two years, I believe by the five-year mark, we’ll see many of the big pharma companies here. We’re already working with some of them – that will attract others.

The UAE is amping up the use of artificial intelligence in all aspects of government.

Speaking at Dubai’s AI retreat 2025 on Sunday, Omar Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said all departments will be evaluated on the effectiveness of how they use the emerging technology, The National reports.

“We don’t want to leverage artificial intelligence just for the sake of AI,” Al Olama said. “We want to ensure that the application actually improves the quality of life of citizens in the UAE and in Dubai specifically.”

The minister spoke during the AI event’s opening session at Dubai’s Museum of the Future. The retreat brings together more than 1,000 AI experts, policymakers, and executives from companies including Microsoft, Meta, Google and IBM.

Among those participating in the week’s activities are Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Ruler of Dubai and UAE Prime Minister and Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation.

Delegations from more than 100 countries have come to the city for a deep dive into AI technology.

China is deepening its nuclear ties with the GCC by signing new cooperation deals with Saudi Arabia just days after the kingdom reached a similar energy agreement with the United States.

Riyadh and Beijing inked the deal at a China-GCC nuclear technology forum in Chengdu, according to China’s state-run Global Times.

The deal covers nuclear safety, security, non-proliferation, and emergency response.

GCC officials say they aim to leverage China’s expertise to strengthen energy security and accelerate sustainable development, Arabian Gulf Business Insight reports.

The move increases China’s influence in the Gulf following earlier agreements with the UAE and joint resource exploration with the kingdom.