The National

Policy & Legal Updates

Dubai Permits Eight-Floor Residential Buildings in Al Satwa Under New Zoning Rules

Dubai Municipality has introduced updated urban planning and zoning regulations allowing residential apartment buildings of up to eight floors in Al Satwa. The new rules update longstanding restrictions that previously limited the district mainly to low-rise attached villas. Plots of 1,000 square metres or more qualify for maximum development allowances, encouraging the consolidation of smaller adjoining plots.

Industry News

UAE AI Power Advantage Faces Test as Campus Electricity Demand Surges

At full capacity, the UAE's planned artificial intelligence campus could consume electricity equivalent to a quarter of current national demand, according to The National. Abu Dhabi is developing a 5-gigawatt AI campus featuring the 1-gigawatt Stargate UAE cluster alongside international partners. The massive electricity load poses significant challenges for power generation, cooling, and grid management.

Industry News

Iran Reports Supertanker Exploded After Striking Mine South of Hormuz Strait

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy reported that a supertanker carrying over two million barrels of crude oil exploded and caught fire after striking a naval mine south of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities claimed the vessel had switched off its navigation systems and traversed an unauthorized route, while releasing no details regarding the vessel's identity, flag, or crew casualties. The reported incident highlights escalating maritime risks across the primary transit chokepoint for Gulf energy shipments.

Policy & Legal Updates

UAE amends e-invoicing rules ahead of compliance deadline

The UAE Ministry of Finance has issued Ministerial Decision No. 197 of 2026 amending executive provisions for the national e-invoicing system. The update introduces a 24-month temporary exemption for intra-tax group transactions starting January 1, 2027, and removes domestic data storage mandates.