"Someone would open the door, and I would run and grab the opportunity."
The five stories
moving the UAE today
Reconstruction Bet: Arada Signs $7 Billion New Damascus Deal With Syria’s Sovereign Fund
Arada has entered Syria through a joint venture with the state-owned Syrian Sovereign Fund to build a four million square metre city west of Damascus, comprising 11,000 homes, 500 hotel rooms, 1,000 serviced apartments, a 300-bed hospital and a 700,000 square metre park. The ten-year build makes Arada one of the first UAE developers into the country since the fall of the Assad government, taking its pipeline to $42 billion and more than 66,000 homes across four markets. The World Bank puts Syria's reconstruction bill at around $216 billion.
Free Float Shrinks: Taqa Formally Delists From the ADX
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company left the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange as of September 1, following Abu Dhabi Power Corporation's mandatory buyout of remaining shares. Taqa was one of the exchange's largest utilities by market value, and its exit lands while ADQ pursues full ownership of AD Ports at AED6.25 a share. Index and passive investors now have materially less Abu Dhabi utilities exposure available on-market.
Battle-Tested Pitch: Edge Pushes Into Europe on the Back of Its Counter-Drone Record
Edge says its systems accounted for roughly 85 percent of drone interceptions during the Iran war, when more than 2,200 drones were launched toward the UAE, and it is converting that record into export demand. The group is active in 91 countries and booked $8 billion in orders last year, 70 percent of it international, having registered a European entity with a Paris headquarters and a Bordeaux facility. European NATO members are under pressure to move from roughly 2 percent of GDP toward 5 percent.
India Allocation: Adia Anchors Another Infrastructure Fund
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has backed India's newest infrastructure fund, extending a long-running allocation to Indian roads, energy and digital assets. Adia has been among the most consistent sovereign investors in the market, and the commitment signals continued appetite for long-duration assets outside the disrupted Gulf trade corridors.
Pump Pressure: September Fuel Prices Take Effect With Diesel Up 13%
New rates from yesterday put Super 98 at AED3.80 a litre, Special 95 at AED3.69, E-Plus 91 at AED3.61 and diesel at AED4.30, a 13.2 percent monthly jump. Diesel has climbed AED0.70 in two months, widening the gap over petrol and feeding straight into transport, construction and last-mile delivery costs across the quarter.
Past Originals
You are not who you think you are. You are much bigger than you can ever imagine.
Safia Tahar
Pressure reveals character.
Fatima Hussein
As a business our DNA is continuous improvement...
Rahail Aslam
Insights & Analysis
UAE Health Insurance Cost: The Payroll Line Founders Consistently Underestimate
The Nafis Salary Support Overhaul Starts This Month. Employers Absorb the Difference.
Dubai Aircraft Leasing Just Went Global, and Almost Nobody Noticed
Dubai School Fees Are Frozen. Somebody Still Pays the Difference.
Dubai Wage Growth Went Backwards in 2025 While Output Per Worker Rose
