News
Policy updates, China–UAE developments, industry news and official Middle East travel alerts.
Widespread aviation sanctions have halted regular commercial flights connecting Iran with Turkey, the UAE, and Oman. Travelers and business passengers are shifting to 2,400-kilometer overland coach journeys that take up to three days.
Philippine Airlines announced it will resume nonstop passenger services between Manila and Dubai on October 2, 2026. The route had been suspended for months due to military strikes and regional airspace hazards. Flights will initially run four times per week.
The Saudi Central Bank confirmed on September 22, 2026, that it has ended its formal participation in the mBridge cross-border digital currency platform. The initiative continues to operate with central banks from mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Macau. Analysts cited by the South China Morning Post noted that the exit removes the Gulf's largest economy from direct membership.
Chinese technology firm Alibaba announced plans to enlarge its data centre facilities in the United Arab Emirates alongside several other international markets over the next 12 months. The expansion is part of a plan to surpass 20 gigawatts of global data centre capacity by 2032 to support artificial intelligence workloads. The company also introduced a new AI chip called Zhenwu V900.
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