The early signs point one way. All 26 development plots across the wider RAK Central have sold, with developers including Pantheon Developments, Lapis Properties, BNW, Sugee Properties, Major Developments and DARA Properties now committed across the site. Those plots went before most towers rose above ground. Demand for Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah has run ahead of supply, and this project is the clearest test of whether it holds.

Inside RAK Central Square

The complex sits at the heart of RAK Central, a joint venture between Marjan and RAKEZ. That pairing brings together Marjan, Ras Al Khaimah’s master developer, and the emirate’s main economic zone. Construction has moved across all five towers. Each office floor runs to roughly 16,000 square feet, shaped for larger corporate tenants. Structural works are complete, while façade installation and mechanical, electrical and plumbing works are underway. The site has logged more than five million man-hours without a reportable health, safety and environment incident.

That record carries weight beyond optics. A build this size holds its schedule only when the work runs clean, and RAK Central Square is still tracking toward a Q4 2027 opening.

A full Ras Al Khaimah business district

The wider plan tells the fuller story. Infrastructure across RAK Central was finished in September 2025, and the district is moving from groundwork into buildings. The RAK Central masterplan sets out about 3 million sq ft of rentable office space, more than 7,000 residential apartments and over 1,000 hotel keys. Retail, parks, public spaces and a central town square fill out the rest. The scale ranks RAK Central among the largest mixed-use schemes in the Northern Emirates.

Read together, the plan looks less like an office park and more like a Ras Al Khaimah business district meant to run on its own. Workplaces sit beside homes. Hotels sit beside shops. The aim is a place where commercial activity and daily life share the same few blocks.

The systems you will not see

Some of the most telling work never shows. A district cooling plant will supply centralised cooling to more than 40 commercial, hospitality and mixed-use buildings, with a planned capacity of 35,000 refrigeration tonnes. Cooling shared at that scale cuts running costs for every tenant and clears rooftop plant from individual towers. Developers commit to central cooling when they expect a district to stay full for decades, not seasons.

What comes next

RAK Central Square now enters its finishing phase, with façades and internal systems taking shape ahead of the 2027 handover. The surrounding plots advance in parallel, each developer working to its own timeline inside the shared plan. Ras Al Khaimah is known for beaches and resorts, so the harder proof will come when the offices open and tenants arrive. Leasing interest will decide how quickly the towers fill. For now, the frame is up. The occupancy question those sold-out plots raised has become a matter of time, with the answer a couple of years out.

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According to the GCC Statistical Centre, the combined GDP of GCC economies reached approximately $2.4 trillion in 2025, supported by a population exceeding 63 million. Meanwhile, external merchandise trade amounted to approximately $1.59 trillion in 2024, demonstrating the region’s substantial contribution to international commerce.

These indicators establish a strong foundation for advancing economic integration through productive specialization, economies of scale, and harmonized investment frameworks.

Regional Trade Integration: Unlocking Economic Multipliers

The GCC’s economic potential extends considerably beyond its individual national markets. Expanding intra-regional trade can generate positive economic multiplier effects by stimulating manufacturing output, reducing transaction costs, increasing market accessibility, and improving capital allocation efficiency. Intra-GCC merchandise exports reached approximately $146 billion in 2024, with re-exports accounting for around $68 billion, reflecting the growing importance of regional logistics and distribution networks.

Greater customs interoperability, unified technical standards, digital trade documentation, and streamlined cross-border procedures could further enhance these commercial flows. Importantly, the next stage of integration should prioritize regional value-chain development rather than relying predominantly on the exchange of finished goods. Industrial complementarity between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait could generate higher domestic value addition while strengthening the GCC’s collective export competitiveness.

The UAE: A Strategic Economic Accelerator for GCC Integration

The United Arab Emirates occupies a particularly influential position within this emerging economic architecture, supported by advanced transportation infrastructure, internationally connected financial markets, competitive industrial zones, and an increasingly diversified economic structure.

The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade reached approximately AED 3.8 trillion in 2025, increasing 27% annually. This momentum continued during the first half of 2026, when non-oil trade reached AED 1.937 trillion, representing 13.1% year-on-year growth, while national non-oil exports increased 23.9% to AED 452.8 billion.

These achievements demonstrate the UAE’s transition from a conventional commercial intermediary toward a sophisticated production, export, investment, and global distribution economy. Dubai’s D33 Economic Agenda and the UAE’s broader industrial diversification initiatives provide complementary foundations for extending Emirati economic influence through regional integration.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s expanding industrial and manufacturing capabilities reinforce this strategic trajectory. The emirate recorded non-oil foreign trade exceeding AED 415.4 billion in 2025, increasing 36%, while non-oil exports expanded by 63% to AED 175.4 billion. Deeper GCC integration could consequently strengthen the UAE’s manufacturing competitiveness, attract cross-border investment, stimulate Emirati SME participation, and increase the contribution of knowledge-intensive activities to national economic output.

“The UAE is transitioning from a conventional commercial intermediary toward a sophisticated production, export, investment, and global distribution economy.”

Mohamed Al Musawi

Logistics Connectivity: Building an Integrated Gulf Economic Corridor

Transportation infrastructure represents a fundamental determinant of regional economic competitiveness. The development of interconnected railway systems, ports, industrial clusters, and multimodal logistics networks can substantially improve trade efficiency and supply-chain resilience.

One prominent example is the 238-kilometre Hafeet Rail project, connecting the UAE and Oman. The project reported 40% construction completion in April 2026, representing an important advancement toward integrated cross-border freight transportation. Such investments offer opportunities to reduce transport friction, improve cargo predictability, enhance industrial connectivity, and establish more efficient trade corridors between the Gulf production Centre and international markets.

For the UAE, improved regional connectivity can amplify the economic contribution of Jebel Ali Port, Khalifa Port, industrial free zones, and national railway infrastructure, reinforcing its position as a pivotal commercial gateway connecting Asia, Africa, Europe, and the broader GCC marketplace.

Industrial Specialization and the Future of Regional Competitiveness

The next generation of GCC integration should advance a coordinated industrial development model emphasizing sectoral specialization and technological complementarity. Saudi Arabia’s expanding manufacturing base, the UAE’s logistics and advanced industrial infrastructure, Oman’s maritime connectivity, Qatar’s energy-related industrial capabilities, and Bahrain’s financial and specialized manufacturing services create significant opportunities for integrated regional production ecosystems.

Such cooperation could accelerate technology transfer, strengthen research commercialization, improve industrial productivity, and reduce dependence on external suppliers. Moreover, coordinated investment frameworks could enable sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, and private capital to support cross-border industrial projects with measurable economic returns.

The Road Ahead: Integration as a Catalyst for Sustainable Prosperity

The future competitiveness of GCC economies will increasingly depend on their collective capacity to transform economic connectivity into productivity growth, investment efficiency, and export diversification. For the UAE, deeper regional integration represents an opportunity to reinforce its economic leadership while expanding market access, attracting high-value investments, and accelerating industrial innovation.

Ultimately, the GCC’s transition from six interconnected national markets toward a more unified economic powerhouse represents a strategic evolution in regional economic development—one capable of strengthening global competitiveness, enhancing economic resilience, and establishing the Arabian Gulf as an influential Centre of international trade, investment, and industrial prosperity.

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With two officials voting for a hike, the message leaned slightly hawkish, although the broader policy outlook remains largely unchanged from September, with another increase still expected before year-end. The lack of clear forward guidance leaves markets heavily dependent on incoming data. Treasury yields rose following Warsh’s press conference, with the 10-year yield moving back above 5%, while the dollar’s reaction was relatively subdued.

“Markets are no longer rewarding companies for investing heavily in AI, but increasingly demanding evidence of sustainable profits.”

The Fed appears reluctant to commit to a predetermined path, but this creates an uncomfortable situation for investors, who are left questioning what additional evidence policymakers need before tightening further. The risk is that continued uncertainty keeps bond market volatility elevated, potentially weighing on equity valuations.

Markets Drift as Fed Holds Rates and Big Tech Earnings Split

Meanwhile, Alphabet and Microsoft delivered competing narratives about the profitability of AI investment, leaving US equity markets somewhat confused. Microsoft shares gained around 3% after strong Azure growth and improving cash flow demonstrated that substantial AI spending can translate into tangible returns.

Alphabet, however, fell nearly 10% in after-hours trading as concerns about cash generation and the cost of its AI expansion overshadowed strong cloud growth. The divergence highlights a shift in investor sentiment: markets are no longer rewarding companies simply for investing heavily in AI, but increasingly demanding evidence that spending is generating sustainable profits. With Nasdaq futures under pressure, Amazon’s results later today will provide another important test.

Looking ahead, today’s US GDP and PCE inflation releases could prove more influential for interest rate expectations than yesterday’s Fed meeting, as strong growth alongside persistent inflation would reinforce the case for December tightening. The ECB is also expected to leave rates unchanged today, with attention turning to Christine Lagarde’s guidance on a potential December hike and the impact of rising European sovereign borrowing costs. Ultimately, markets are facing a difficult combination of monetary policy uncertainty and increasingly selective enthusiasm for AI, leaving risk appetite vulnerable to further surprises.

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Agentic AI describes software that can plan a task, act on it, and correct its own steps with limited human direction. It moves past tools that only answer prompts. The shift changes the unit of work, from a single answer to a completed job. For a business, the difference is practical. An agent can carry a process from start to finish, rather than pause for each instruction.

Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, signed the document alongside Dr. Feifei Li, Chief Technology Officer and President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. The signing took place in Shenzhen at the Dubai Business Forum China, an event organised by Dubai Chambers. Shenzhen ranks among China’s technology hubs, which set the signing near Alibaba’s home market.

What the Alibaba Cloud agreement covers

The MoU supports an initiative launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, to move the private sector toward technology. Dubai Chambers oversees that programme. The agreement sets out three tracks of work: building skills, backing startups, and helping larger firms deploy agents in production. Each track names concrete resources rather than broad goals, which shows how the partners expect the effort to run.

Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, commented: “We are committed to strengthening international partnerships in Agentic AI as an important enabler for knowledge exchange and broader access to specialised technologies and expertise. By deepening cooperation with partners from around the world, we are working to empower Dubai-based companies to develop their capabilities and leverage these technologies to enhance their operations and create innovative solutions and new business models. This will contribute to the growth of the digital economy and further strengthen Dubai’s position as a global hub for advanced technology.”

Training through Dubai Chambers Academy

Skills form the first track. Through the Dubai Chambers Academy, companies will access training content, certifications, technical workshops, and expert-led sessions. Certifications give employees a way to show the skills they build, and the workshops put those skills against real tools. The plan adds train-the-trainer programmes and educational resources, so a firm can build knowledge inside its own teams instead of leaning on outside help. This Agentic AI training is aimed at the employees who will run these systems once they go live. Capability building sits under the whole effort, because a company cannot deploy agents it does not understand.

Support for startups and compute

Startups form the second track. Alibaba Cloud will offer technical mentorship, technology credits, compute resources, and software licences. Software licences let a startup use paid tools without the upfront fee, and technology credits cover part of the running bill. Compute, the processing power that trains and runs AI models, is often the highest cost a young company carries. By covering part of it, the programme removes an early barrier. Selected startups will also connect with Alibaba Cloud programmes and its wider network, which can shorten the path from prototype to paying customers.

Eric Wan, General Manager of Middle East, Turkey and Central Asia, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said: “Agentic AI is moving from experimentation to everyday business use, and the companies that move first will set the pace for Dubai’s digital economy. Having served customers in the UAE since 2016, we are pleased to bring our technology, training and startup programmes to the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s community — helping local businesses build the skills and confidence to put AI agents to work in their own operations.”

Enterprise pilots and the marketplace

Established firms form the third track. Here the work will explore enterprise pilots and full production deployments, with technical and implementation expertise on hand. A production deployment means an agent running inside live operations, not a test on the side. Proven solutions will appear on the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, an online platform that links cloud users with independent software vendors. On it, buyers can test, purchase, deploy, and manage third-party applications and services. Alibaba Cloud has sold cloud services to private companies and public bodies in the UAE and the wider Middle East since 2016, and it runs two regional data centres. That footprint gives the agreement local infrastructure to build on, not a service delivered from abroad. The two sides will also develop case studies that measure business impact and commercial value, records that later adopters can weigh before they commit.

Why the adoption of Agentic AI matters for Dubai

The adoption of Agentic AI has become a stated goal for Dubai’s economy, and the government has tied it to productivity and growth. Agreements like this give the policy a route to delivery. Training supplies the people, startup support feeds the pipeline, and enterprise pilots test what holds up at scale. Dubai Chambers has built other scaffolding around the same goal. It set up an Executive Committee for Agentic AI, and it has moved to train more than 14,000 member companies through the Dubai Chambers Academy. The Alibaba Cloud deal adds a named infrastructure partner to that structure.

Risk sits beside the promise. An agent that acts on its own needs clear limits, human oversight, and a way to check its decisions. The case studies and training in the MoU point at those questions, though the text does not detail the safeguards. The two-year timeline gives a clear marker, and the case studies will show whether early projects return their cost. For now, the deal turns the adoption of Agentic AI from a public target into a set of named resources. Whether Dubai’s private sector takes them up at scale will show over the next two years, the window the wider programme has set.

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A balance sheet that kept expanding

The Arab Bank Q3 2026 results showed broad growth on the balance sheet. Total assets rose 5% to USD 81 billion, helped by stronger lending and a wider customer base. The loan portfolio grew 4% to USD 42.5 billion. Customer deposits increased 6% to USD 59.3 billion. That mix points to a bank funding its lending through deposits rather than leaning on wholesale markets. Chairman Sabih Masri said the performance reflected a balanced approach that pairs sustainable growth with careful risk management. He pointed to the Group’s wide geographic presence, varied revenue sources, disciplined risk controls, and its work on digital transformation as the pillars behind the numbers.

What Arab Bank Group’s third-quarter profits say about revenue

The Arab Bank’s nine-month profit owed much to income earned beyond traditional lending. Chief Executive Officer Randa Sadik said non-interest income rose 11%, a sign the Bank’s work to build varied revenue sources is paying off and easing its reliance on interest margins. Masri noted the results came against a backdrop of geopolitical strain in the region and wider economic uncertainty that has weighed on business conditions. Even so, the Group held its ground. Sadik tied the outcome to investment in people and technology, alongside governance practices meant to protect long-term value for shareholders, customers, and the communities the Group serves. She framed the period as proof the Bank can grow across all its lines at once.

Capital strength and asset quality

The Arab Bank capital adequacy ratio reached 17.4% under Basel III guidelines, above the minimum the Central Bank of Jordan requires. Sadik said the Bank kept non-performing loan ratios stable and held provision coverage above 100%, a cushion against future credit losses. Liquidity stayed ample, with a loans-to-deposits ratio of 72%. That level leaves room to lend more and to act on investment opportunities as they appear across the Group’s markets. Arab Bank Group’s third-quarter profits also rested on this firm asset quality. The Arab Bank financial results for 2026 describe a lender with capital, funding, and coverage all sitting above regulatory floors.

Digital and AI at the core

Technology ran through much of the commentary on the quarter. Sadik said the Bank’s digital and AI strategy is moving ahead, with wider use of advanced tools inside core banking operations. The work includes a redesign of the digital customer experience, automation of internal processes, and stronger analytics for risk management. New digital services went live during the period, aimed at adding value for customers. The strength behind Arab Bank Group’s third-quarter profits now feeds that technology agenda, with the Group holding a firm position as it invests in the next stage of growth.

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For many travellers, the appeal is simple. You get your time back. Rather than driving and watching the road, you can read, rest or answer email. Professionals use the charging points on board to prepare for meetings on the way. Families sit together without the strain of traffic. Etihad Rail calls it a convenient and affordable way to move between emirates.

Adhraa Almansoori, executive director of commercial and support at Etihad Rail Mobility, said the aim is for passenger rail to become “a natural part of everyday life,” a service people return to for comfortable and reliable travel. She said the first month shows passengers trust the new option.

What it means that Etihad Rail sold 120,000 tickets

The fact that Etihad Rail sold 120,000 tickets in a single month matters most for what it signals about habit. Early curiosity fills seats once. Repeat travel fills them again and again. That Etihad Rail sold 120,000 tickets this fast suggests the train is shifting from novelty toward routine. The operator says the strong start reflects growing confidence in inter-emirate rail, and it plans to add capacity as demand builds.

Getting to and from the stations

The network was built to link with other transport, not to stand apart from it. At Dubai Al Yalayis Station, a pedestrian bridge leads straight to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station, putting the Red Line within walking distance. In Abu Dhabi, shuttle buses run from Mohamed bin Zayed City Station to ADNOC headquarters on the Corniche, ADNEC Centre, Reem Mall and points across Yas Island. At the Al Dhaid and Fujairah stations, local transport providers help passengers reach the platform and carry on to their final stop. So the Etihad Rail stations work as one part of a wider door-to-door trip.

Fares, timings and the UAE passenger rail network ahead

Etihad Rail fares start low. Short hops from Al Dhaid to Fujairah begin at Dh19, and Dubai to Abu Dhabi starts at Dh39, which keeps the train within reach for regular use. Published Etihad Rail train timings run across the day, with several services in each direction, so you can plan a morning meeting or an evening trip home. The ride between Abu Dhabi and Dubai takes about 57 minutes. Abu Dhabi and Fujairah stations opened first during an introductory phase, and the official launch added Dubai Al Yalayis and Al Dhaid, joining all four cities on one line.

The UAE passenger rail network will keep expanding. New stations are planned for Liwa and Madinat Zayed, with other sites across the Al Dhafra Region, over the coming months. Almansoori frames the rollout as part of a wider effort to change how the country moves. News that Etihad Rail sold 120,000 tickets in its first month gives a clear read on demand, and the passengers filling those seats will decide how far the habit spreads.

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Who the two partners answer to

Each Greek institution carries a different mandate, and the difference matters for the businesses that will use them. Enterprise Greece works under the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its brief covers foreign direct investment, export promotion, and guidance for investors trying to read the local regulatory system. Dimitris Skalkos, its chairman, signed the memorandum of understanding. The second partner answers to its members rather than a ministry. The Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry represents more than 140,000 registered companies, and its president, Ioannis Bratakos, signed the cooperation agreement. One body holds state authority. The other holds the weight of a large private membership. Together they give Abu Dhabi firms two separate kinds of access, each with its own rules and its own reach.

Why the UAE-Greece investment partnership keeps deepening

The Abu Dhabi Chamber with new agreements, is building on trade and capital that were already moving. UAE-Greece non-oil trade reached about US$606 million in 2025. Three years earlier, the two governments announced the UAE-Greece Joint Investment Fund, a €4 billion framework meant to direct capital into the Greek economy. Emirati money has since spread across sectors. Masdar acquired TERNA ENERGY in a transaction that valued the company at roughly €3.2 billion. PureHealth paid €800 million for a 60 percent stake in Hellenic Healthcare Group.

Other commitments reached digital infrastructure and hospitality, widening what began as an energy-led relationship into something broader. Recent trade data points the same way, with Emirati exports to Greece rising sharply in 2025 and re-exports climbing alongside them.

How the Abu Dhabi Chamber with new agreements plans to help SMEs

Al Dhaheri framed the value of the deals around outcomes rather than signatures. He argued that partnerships should be judged by the opportunities they create and the markets they open, not by their number. The chamber, he said, wants to extend that access to more companies, with particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises that carry strong potential abroad. His stated goal is to move those firms into European markets with reliable intelligence and direct lines to partners.

A governance point sits underneath the language. An SME rarely has the standing to reach a foreign ministry agency or a national chamber on its own. These agreements lend it that standing, and shift some of the risk of a first foreign step onto institutions built to carry it.

What each agreement commits the parties to do

The memorandum with Enterprise Greece sets a working exchange between the two sides. They will share information on trade and investment opportunities, priority sectors and the requirements for establishing a business in either market. The Greek agency will also make introductions to relevant authorities, investors and potential partners, and support visiting delegations.

Skalkos placed his emphasis on what comes after the ceremony. He described the next task as connecting Emirati investors with Greek opportunities while opening a route for Greek companies into Abu Dhabi and the wider region. For his agency, the priority is the work that follows a signing: matching partners and building ties that hold over time.

The cooperation agreement with the Athens Chamber runs along similar lines, though closer to the ground. It centres on direct business-to-business contact, the exchange of market intelligence, and support for bilateral meetings, delegations and joint events. It also sets a framework for helping SMEs expand abroad and for sharing expertise in innovation, digital transformation and capacity building.

Bratakos called the UAE a strategic economic partner for Greece and pointed to investment, trade and entrepreneurship as areas with room to grow. For Greek SMEs, he noted, access to foreign capital and partners is central to competing and to Greece’s move toward a more outward-looking economy.

The accountability question behind the deals

Institutional agreements of this kind succeed or fail on follow-through. A memorandum can gather dust, or it can become a working pipeline. Both sides used the signing to stress the second outcome, which places the burden on the institutions rather than the firms they serve. The Abu Dhabi Chamber with new agreements in hand, now carries responsibility for turning access into transactions, with the two Greek bodies holding the same duty on their side.

The arrangement fits a wider method in Abu Dhabi of building state-backed and member-backed connections that let private companies reach markets they could not enter alone. Enterprise Greece and the Athens Chamber bring the local knowledge and the introductions.

The chamber brings the firms and the capital. Whether the model works will be measured in deals closed and companies established, not in documents signed. For now, the agreements reset the terms of a relationship that has leaned on a handful of large deals, and point it toward a wider base of mid-sized businesses on both shores.

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Rakbank delivered D 2.5B of profit after tax in 9M’26, up 21.3% YoY, reflecting growth across our core businesses, a diversified income stream and disciplined execution. The results also include the  AED 473M gain on sale of the merchant acquiring business.

Momentum broadening across every segment

Balance sheet growth continued across Personal, Business and Wholesale Banking, supported by 11% YoY CASA growth to D 48.3B. We welcomed 12,000 SMEs and provided  D 4.2B of new financing. Personal Banking expanded its wealth proposition into digital equities and silver, while Wholesale Banking continued to scale Transaction Banking.

Strong foundations supporting sustainable growth 

Strong capital and ample liquidity continue to reinforce the resilience of our balance sheet, with capital adequacy at 18.4% and ELAR at 14.5%.  Asset Quality remained strong, with impaired loans improving to 1.7% and Stage 3 coverage remaining among the strongest in the sector at 85.9%.

Delivering outstanding returns today and reimagining tomorrow

A diversified business and durable earnings continued to deliver outstanding returns, with ROE at 23.3% and ROA at 3.1%.  We are also investing in the future with our refreshed brand and new Personal Banking mobile app bringing together simpler, more intuitive digital experiences with the human touch.

About RAKBANK

Banking should feel simple. Human. Helpful. So that’s the kind we build.

Since 1976, we’ve been helping people and businesses across the UAE grow with confidence, giving them the tools, the support, and the trust to make things happen. We started as a community bank and grew into one of the country’s most dynamic financial institutions. What’s never changed is our belief that banking should work for people, not the other way around.

Today, we’re leading a new chapter, one that combines smart digital innovation with genuine human connection. We call it digital with a human touch.

We serve customers across every segment through our Personal Banking Group (PBG), Business Banking Group (BBG), and Wholesale Banking Group (WBG). As the UAE’s go-to SME bank, we’re helping thousands of businesses grow and thrive with seamless, digital-first banking.

Our group also includes Skiply, the region’s leading school payments app; Protego, our next-generation insurance aggregator; and RAK Insurance, one of the UAE’s most trusted insurers, together creating an ecosystem that makes life simpler and safer for our customers.

From empowering entrepreneurs and SMEs to launching the UAE’s first crypto brokerage for retail customers and our own AI-powered digital assistant, we’re shaping the future of banking while keeping the heart of it the same: people.

RAKBANK — Digital with a human touch.

For more information, please visit www.rakbank.ae

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The UAE-France Business Dialogue gave both governments a platform to convert long-stated ambitions into concrete commitments across energy, artificial intelligence and advanced technology. Leaders used the gathering to review existing partnerships and open discussion on where cooperation could widen next. The framing throughout was practical. Ministers and business leaders sat together to weigh future priorities and name the sectors likely to anchor growth on both sides.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan opened the proceedings by welcoming the French President and his delegation. He described a relationship that has held for more than five decades, resting on trust, mutual respect and a shared view of what progress should look like. That history matters here because it sets the terms of accountability. A partnership this old is measured less by declarations and more by what gets delivered.

Sheikh Khaled said the strategic partnership has changed shape to track shifts in the wider world. Global economic pressure, he noted, raises the stakes on reliable energy supply and supply chains that can absorb shocks. Cooperation in AI and advanced technology sits alongside that aim rather than apart from it.

Two panels frame the agenda

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the French President attended two panel discussions that set the intellectual frame for the day. The first, titled “The Power of Resilience: Shaping the Future of Energy and Beyond”, looked at how the energy sector is changing and why resilience, innovation and sustainable supply now sit at the centre of planning. The questions raised there reflect a broader anxiety about who controls energy flows and how states keep them secure.

The second panel, “Beyond Compute: AI Shaping the Future”, turned to the economic weight of artificial intelligence. Participants examined how advanced technology could reshape industry and create fresh models for growth. The session also looked at practical ways Emirati and French institutions might work together rather than in parallel. Both panels drew ministers and company heads into the same room, which is where the UAE-France strategic partnership tends to move from talk to arrangement.

The dialogue underlined how far investment ties already run, especially in conventional and clean energy and in AI. Leading UAE companies, including ADNOC, Masdar, MGX and G42 carry much of that weight. Their involvement signals that the commitments are backed by firms with the capital and operational reach to see them through.

Energy cooperation anchors the older ties

Energy cooperation formed the sturdier half of the agenda, drawing on decades of industrial contact. The talks covered liquefied natural gas, energy infrastructure, low-emission solutions and renewable projects. That range reflects a deliberate spread, with both sides keeping a foot in established hydrocarbons while building toward cleaner systems.

Who governs that transition is the live question. Both countries framed their work as a push for energy security and for systems that run more efficiently over time. The signed agreements put names to the ambition. ADNOC Gas and Schneider Electric agreed to assess advanced technologies and look for operational improvements, with the stated aim of lifting efficiency across energy systems through digital tools.

ADNOC Refining and Technip Energies went further, signing two contracts. One covers a refining capacity enhancement project. The other addresses sustainable aviation fuel, an area drawing growing attention as aviation looks for ways to cut emissions without grounding fleets. These deals show industrial cooperation continuing in a measured way, with each side bringing capability the other can use.

AI agreements point to the Campus AI build

The AI side of the dialogue leaned heavily on the Campus AI France project, a joint effort to develop advanced computing and AI infrastructure on French soil. The initiative brings MGX together with French and international partners, and it sits alongside G42’s own investments in advanced computing. For France, the appeal is a measure of AI sovereignty. For the UAE, it extends economic reach into a sector that will define the coming decade.

The MGX G42 AI data centre ambitions give the partnership scale that few bilateral arrangements can match. Both firms answer to some of the most active dealmakers in global technology finance, and their presence raises the governance stakes. Large compute infrastructure carries questions about control, access and oversight that neither government can leave unaddressed.

Three AI agreements were signed with AMI Labs. Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence agreed to strengthen cooperation in AI research and development and to exchange scientific and technological expertise. G42 signed to set a framework for cooperation in cloud computing infrastructure and AI models, with room to explore practical applications. Analog signed to look at integrating AI models into robotics and physical AI, a field that could extend intelligent systems into industrial settings.

What the agreements set in motion

The AI investment commitments made here form part of a larger pattern in which Abu Dhabi places capital across several global technology markets at once. The dialogue showed that pattern taking firmer shape in France, backed by research links and infrastructure rather than announcements alone.

Taken together, the agreements point to deeper integration between the two countries’ industrial, technological and research capabilities. They also open room for public-private partnerships in sectors both governments have named as priorities. The UAE-France Business Dialogue, measured by what leaders signed rather than what they said, moved the relationship onto firmer ground.

The harder work comes next. Memoranda of understanding set intent, not outcomes, and the value of these arrangements will depend on delivery, oversight and the discipline to hold each project to its stated aims. The UAE-France Business Dialogue gave both sides a clear agenda. Whether it produces the growth and competitiveness promised is a question for the years ahead, and for the institutions now charged with carrying the commitments forward.

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More than 30 meetings filled the schedule, each one arranged around a specific commercial or investment interest. Organisers drew on a network of 44 British and international companies and institutions. That structure matters, because it decides who gets access to whom, and on what terms.

Who the programme put in the room

The network leaned on firms with weight behind them. CMC Markets, the global financial services group, reported £46.3 billion in client assets under administration for the financial year ended 31 March 2026. Westcore Europe took part as well, managing a European real estate portfolio valued at €750 million. Numbers of that size signal the calibre of partner the Chamber set out to reach.

For the Abu Dhabi private sector, the appeal is direct. Access to established networks, specialised expertise and credible partners can shorten the path into a new market. Companies looking to expand existing operations, or to test an emerging sector, gain a route that would take years to build alone.

A cross-section of the emirate’s economy

The Abu Dhabi companies on the trip reflected the breadth of the emirate’s economy. They spanned financial services and fintech, energy and oil and gas, manufacturing and construction, investment and real estate, healthcare, retail and consumer goods, artificial intelligence and smart cities, and sports. Each sector carried its own priorities into the meetings.

That range let organisers match conversations to need. A fintech founder and an energy operator do not want the same introductions. By tailoring each meeting, the programme tried to make every session count toward a defined goal, whether a supply chain link, a joint investment or access to a technology the company could not source at home.

Ali Mohamed Al Marzooqi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said:

“One of our key priorities is to translate Abu Dhabi Chamber’s international relationships into tangible economic opportunities for the private sector. We want our international engagements to deliver practical value by connecting Abu Dhabi companies with the institutions and partners that can support their growth, open up new markets and provide access to expertise and opportunities beyond their existing networks.

“Global Executive Connect puts this approach into practice. By bringing businesses directly together with senior executives and decision-makers, we are creating opportunities for focused commercial and investment discussions that respond to their ambitions and international expansion plans.”

He added: “The diversity of companies participating in the programme demonstrates the depth of expertise and capabilities within Abu Dhabi’s private sector, and its potential to compete internationally. Our role is to build on these strengths by expanding our global partnerships, facilitating access to influential businesses and institutions in priority markets, and supporting companies as they pursue opportunities arising from these engagements.

“Our ambition is to broaden the international reach and impact of Abu Dhabi businesses, while helping to establish lasting commercial and investment relationships that contribute to their long-term growth.”

What the meetings covered

Discussions moved across several tracks. Participants explored international market expansion, commercial and investment partnerships, project collaboration and specialised services. Access to new technologies, industrial capabilities and operational expertise featured too. The sectors in play ran from financial services, investment and asset management through energy, engineering and advanced manufacturing to technology and artificial intelligence, healthcare, real estate and construction, retail and sports.

Breadth like this is deliberate. The Chamber is positioning itself less as a host of events and more as a broker of relationships, one that decides which doors open and tracks what follows. That role carries responsibility. Introductions are easy to announce and harder to convert, and the test of Abu Dhabi Chamber Global Executive Connect will be how many of these meetings produce signed agreements.

The Abu Dhabi UK business ties behind the visit

The timing sits on a rising trend. Abu Dhabi UK business ties have deepened in recent years, and the Chamber recorded a 45% increase in new membership registrations by British companies in 2025. Growth on that scale gives the programme its logic. Demand for a structured channel exists on both sides, and the Chamber is moving to govern that flow rather than leave it to chance.

British interest in Abu Dhabi reflects more than sentiment. UK firms are weighing the emirate as a base for regional growth, drawn by its regulatory setup and its reach into markets across the Gulf and beyond. For Abu Dhabi, each new member and each meeting adds to a case it has made for years that the emirate can serve as a bridge for capital and expertise between East and West.

Why governance sits at the centre

Programmes of this kind raise a quiet question of accountability. When a public chamber selects partners, arranges meetings and promises follow-up, it takes on a duty to show results that reach beyond the companies already well connected. The value of Abu Dhabi Chamber Global Executive Connect will rest on whether smaller firms, not only the largest, leave with something real.

The Chamber has said it will keep working on the engagements and support opportunities identified through the meetings. That commitment is the part worth watching. A single round of introductions builds momentum. Sustained support, measured against clear outcomes, builds trust, and Abu Dhabi has staked part of its international reputation on the second.

What comes next

The Global Executive Connect programme closed with a stated intent rather than a finished deal. Companies now carry their contacts home, and the Chamber has pledged to help develop the leads that emerged. Whether the Abu Dhabi delegation to London yields lasting partnerships will become clear over the months ahead, as talks either convert or fade.

For now, the Abu Dhabi private sector has fresh access to a network it could not easily reach on its own. The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry has shown again that it intends to turn relationships into outcomes. The harder work, converting goodwill into contracts, begins once the delegates return to the emirate.

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