September 30, Chinese on-demand service company Meituan has launched its international food delivery brand, Keeta, in Dubai, marking its entry into the United Arab Emirates and its third new market in the Middle East in just 40 days. The expansion follows Keeta's rollout in Qatar in August and Kuwait earlier this month. The UAE becomes Keeta's fourth hub in the Gulf, after Saudi Arabia in September 2024.

September 18, The United Arab Emirates' economy is expected to grow 4.9% in 2025, up from an earlier forecast of 4.4%, due to higher oil production and strong growth in the non-hydrocarbon sector, the central bank said.  

September 10, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the top investment destinations for Chinese companies in the Middle East, attracting 84% and 79% of surveyed companies, respectively, PwC said in its latest survey. The Kingdom has emerged as one of the leading choices for future expansion over the next three to five years, driven by its rapid economic transformation and market scale.

September 7,  The contribution of the non-oil sector in the UAE’s GDP reached a new record high of 77.3% for the first time in the country's history in the first quarter of 2025, according to preliminary estimates issued by the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center.    

August 25, The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the top three artificial intelligence superpowers in the world, a report by a US data center company has found. The US led the rankings, followed by the UAE and then Saudi Arabia. The Gulf states placed ahead of South Korea, France, India, China, the UK, Finland and Germany in the analysis.

August 21, The UAE, through the Dubai Free Zones Council, has introduced the UAE One Freezone Passport, a reform designed to simplify operations for companies across the emirate’s free zones. The initiative allows businesses to hold a single license while accessing facilities and benefits in multiple free zones.

August 18, JINGDONG is pleased to announce the opening of its new warehouse in Dubai. The facility represents JD.com’s first asset investment in the country, made through its infrastructure investment and management platform, JINGDONG Property, and is operated by JINGDONG Logistics.

July 31, An air route linking the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou and Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates was launched, marking the official introduction of Emirates, one of the world's leading airlines, to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.  

July 30, The UAE's non-oil foreign trade rose by 24% annually in the first six months of 2025, bucking the global trend as the Emirates continues to diversify its economy and forge trade deals across continents.

July 16, A company based in the United Arab Emirates, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer. The agreement covers the purchase of 350 E20 eVTOL aircraft, with a total estimated value of US$1 billion, making it the largest pre-order for eVTOLs in China to date. 

June 24        The UAE retail sector is on track to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4% through 2028, as shopping malls across the country transform into integrated lifestyle destinations blending retail, dining, leisure, wellness, and technology.

June 20        The UAE attracted $45.6bn in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, ranking 10th globally and accounting for 37% of all inbound investment into the region, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development's World Investment Report 2025.

June 16        The United Arab Emirates recorded a 4% real GDP growth in 2024, reaching 1.77 trillion dirhams (about 482 billion US dollars), fueled primarily by robust expansion in non-oil sectors. 

June 2          Over the past five years, the UAE and KSA markets region have seen a dramatic shift toward online shopping. Around one third of consumers now use ecommerce as a mainstream channel, while their appetite to shop online on a daily basis is now double what it was in 2020. 

May 20           The UAE’s travel and tourism sector is projected to contribute approximately $72.2 billion to the national economy in 2025, representing nearly 13% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

May 16        WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technology announced the launch of fully driverless Robotaxi trial operations in Abu Dhabi – the first deployment of its kind in the Middle East. 

May 11           Disney's announcement last week that its newest theme park will be in Abu Dhabi offers further confirmation of the status of the United Arab Emirates as a global consumer crossroads located in the Middle East.

May 1           The Abu Dhabi economy will grow by 4.2% in 2025 and accelerate to 5.8% in 2026, according to International Monetary Fund (lMF) forecasts. It also said Dubai's economy is projected to expand by 3.3% in 2025 increasing to 3.5% in 2026.

April 23, UAE has been reported to have further extended the period of visa-free stay for Chinese citizens. The adjusted policy allows anyone with an ordinary Chinese passport that is valid for 6 months or more to enter the UAE visa-free. 

April 22, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected higher growth for the UAE economy for 2026 at 5% compared to 4 per cent for this year. The UAE will be the fastest-growing economy among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries this year and second fastest in 2026. 

April 21, The United Arab Emirates recorded total foreign trade of AED5.23 trillion ($1.42 trillion) in 2024, marking a remarkable 49% increase from AED3.5 trillion ($952.9 billion) in 2021. The surge cements the UAE's status as the top trade hub in the Middle East and Africa and among the world's top 20 trade centers for goods and services.

March 26         The Central Bank of the UAE stated that due to the strong performance of the tourism, transportation, financial and insurance services, construction and real estate, and communication industries, the UAE's GDP increased by 3.9% in 2024, and it is the second - largest economy in the Arab world.

March 6          The UAE has solidified its position as one of the world's most preferred investment destinations, successfully attracting foreign direct investments that have boosted its cumulative balance. In 2024, the UAE issued 200,000 new economic licences across various economic activities, with more than 1.1 million companies and economic institutions operating in its markets.     

February 27, Minister of Economy, said that the financial technology (Fintech) sector continues to power growth, contributing 8.7% to the UAE's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

February 13, The UAE began mapping air corridors and developing a regulatory framework for piloted and autonomous flying taxis and cargo drones, it was announced at the World Governments Summit. Aerial corridors and regulations are set to be defined within the next 20 months.  

February 6, In 2024, the non-oil foreign trade volume of UAE reached a record high of 2.997 trillion dirhams, showing a year-on-year increase of 14.6%. The main imported goods include gold, mobile phones, petroleum, automobiles, jewelry, diamonds and computers.

January 21        The UAE has ranked first among Arab countries in attracting investments in the car sales sector for 2024, according to a report by the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation. The report revealed that the UAE accounted for 38 per cent of the region’s imports of road vehicles and their components. Saudi Arabia followed with 23 per cent. 

January 20         The UAE has topped the Arab list as the best and most attractive destination for investment and business in auto sales activity for 2024. 

January 6          Non-oil activity hit a nine-month high in the UAE in December. The country logged a 55.4 rating for the month in S&P's global purchasing managers' index (PMI) in the non-oil economy, up from 54.2 in November.

December 30, Non-oil sectors contributed 75% to the UAE's GDP in the first half of 2024. The value of the UAE’s real GDP (at constant prices) reached AED981 billion in the opening six months of the year, recording an increase of 3.6%. 

December 26, Al Naboodah Group recently unveiled the highly anticipated 2025 models of the Haval H9 and H7 at the Ritz-Carlton, JBR, in partnership with Great Wall Motor. 

December 20, The United Arab Emirates has announced that its electric vehicle charging network will no longer be free as of next year. The new fees will be set at Dhs1.25 kwH plus VAT for the more rapid DC (direct current) chargers and Dhs0.70 kwH and VAT for the slower AC (alternating current) chargers.

December 17, The Federal Tax Authority has unveiled a new VAT refund system designed specifically for e-commerce purchases made by tourists during their stay in the UAE. This system, which is the first of its kind globally, reflects the UAE's ongoing efforts to enhance its tourism sector through innovation and digital transformation.

December 12, Real estate rents in Dubai will increase, though at a moderate pace, around 10 per cent next year as demand continues to stay strong due to the influx of new residents into the emirates.