The central banks of the UAE and Bahrain have signed a five-year currency swap agreement with a nominal value of AED 20 billion (USD 5.5 billion), aimed at promoting the use of local currencies in cross-border trade and investment and reducing dependence on the US dollar for bilateral transactions.
Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company grew its assets under management by 17% to USD 385 billion in 2025, up from USD 330 billion a year earlier, cementing its position as the world's 15th largest sovereign wealth fund.
Performance volatility is often diagnosed as a channel problem.Paid efficiency softens, organic visibility shifts, social engagement plateaus, and conversion rates fluctuate. The instinctive response is to optimise harder – refine targeting, adjust budgets, or change agencies.
Nobody can say with confidence how long a period of geopolitical disruption will last. That uncertainty is not a failure of analysis – it is the nature of the thing. What looks intractable from inside an escalation often resolves faster than the most cautious forecasts suggest.
Stock markets across the Gulf rallied sharply on Wednesday after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week halt in hostilities, with Tehran confirming it would allow vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz during the pause.
Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Holding Company has appointed Sumou Real Estate as exclusive development manager for a 3.07 million square metre plot in Riyadh, with total projected sales of SAR 4 billion (USD 1.06 billion).
Abu Dhabi's real estate market recorded its strongest quarter on record in Q1 2026, with transactions reaching AED 66 billion across 13,518 deals – a 160.7% increase in value year-on-year, according to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre.
The UAE has unveiled plans for an AED 6 billion Fourth Federal Corridor, a 68km motorway featuring 10 junctions, six to eight lanes and four flyovers, designed to reduce congestion and improve connectivity across the emirates.
Dubai Chamber of Commerce added 2,709 new member companies in March 2026, reflecting continued investor confidence in Dubai as a business destination despite regional uncertainty.
The UAE ranked 9th globally in goods exports in 2025, entering the world's top 10 for the first time according to the World Trade Organization's latest World Trade Prospects and Statistics report.
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