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Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has completed an early $2.7 billion debt refinancing for the $4.3 billion Noor Energy 1 solar project. The 950MW hybrid complex involves China's Silk Road Fund as a shareholder and Shanghai Electric as the EPC contractor. The transaction replaces 2019 construction-period debt to lower financing costs during commercial operation.
Under Federal Tax Authority Decision No. 17 of 2026, UAE businesses can recover input VAT on six categories of employee expenses following rules that took effect on October 1. Eligible expenses include transport, accommodation, mobile services, and parking, subject to documented policies or contractual obligations. Taxable entities must retain compliance documentation for tax audits.
The UAE Financial Intelligence Unit and Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate anti-money laundering enforcement. The agreement establishes formal channels for exchanging supervisory data, intelligence, and regulatory insight on virtual asset service providers. It aims to strengthen compliance supervision across Dubai's mainland, free zones, and special development zones.
Chinese direct investment in the UAE surpassed $12 billion in 2025 as Chinese technology initiatives expanded across cloud computing and digital services. Concurrently, US export rules require Gulf nations to strip Chinese hardware from core networks to maintain access to advanced American AI semiconductors. UAE firms like G42 have removed Chinese equipment, balancing deepening Chinese commercial ties against American technological conditions.
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