MANAMA – November 01, 2026 -- Bahrain has awarded Golden Licenses to four large-scale projects representing USD 3.89 billion in investment, spanning aviation logistics, real estate and technology, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) announced at Gateway Gulf 2026.

ABU DHABI – November 01, 2026 -- Context Labs B.V. launched the AI Distillery, a Context Engine that converts an enterprise's operational and business data into a governed, customer-owned Context Package. The package works with any frontier or open-weight model and runs inside the customer's own environment. The product is available now through the Microsoft Marketplace.

FREMONT – October 31, 2026 -- Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) has been named Best Food Waste Initiative of the Year 2026 at the Middle East Waste & Recycling (MEWAR) Awards 2026 for diverting food waste from landfill across its Dubai operations with Power Knot LLC's LFC biodigester.

ABU DHABI – October 30, 2026 -- Falcon Capital Investments Limited, part of the Falcon Family Office Group, is investing in Pont Capital and will become a strategic shareholder in the London-based energy and natural resources investor.

Pont Capital invests across four energy and resource segments

Pont Capital allocates capital across private and public markets in traditional energy, low-carbon power, sustainable infrastructure and critical minerals. The announcement gave no stake size or transaction value.

Mainz – October 28, 2026 -- Credit insurer Coface downgraded the country risk ratings of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and expects the Middle East conflict alone to cut global growth by a combined 0.5 percentage points in 2026 and 2027. The rating changes, covering seven economies in total, come as escalating geopolitical tensions push up energy, commodity and financing costs.

ABU DHABI – October 28, 2026 -- etisalat's consolidated net profit for the first nine months of 2026 rose 45.9% year-over-year to AED 17.2 billion, boosted by the completed sale of its entire Vodafone Group stake. Q3 net profit alone reached AED 11.2 billion.

Vodafone exit delivers AED 21.9 billion in consideration

The Vodafone divestment generated total consideration of AED 21.9 billion, including the final dividend, and a gain of approximately AED 8.0 billion. etisalat said the transaction adds financial flexibility.

Dubai – October 27, 2026 -- Executive coach Shuja Rabbani told HR professionals at the HRSE in Dubai that HR leaders must build the capability to guide AI adoption while staying accountable for its impact on people. He has delivered the workshop to more than 300 HR professionals and industry leaders.

NEOM – October 27, 2026 -- Monthly RoRo vessel calls at the Port of NEOM reached 30 in September 2026, about 70% above the pre-war average of 17. War-diverted cargo is lifting traffic at a port built for a megacity that is shrinking, according to Windward maritime analysis.

Qatar – October 27, 2026 -- The benchmark VLCC rate from Saudi Arabia to China has passed $1.3 million per day, pushing freight above 25-30% of the cost of Gulf crude versus 1-3% in normal market conditions, according to Windward. The surge follows a tanker strike off Qatar on October 7.

Tehran – October 27, 2026 -- Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar have no subsea route to the outside world that avoids the Strait of Hormuz, after an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesman said on October 19 that seven major internet cables run beneath the waterway and that new targets and weapons would be unveiled.