19th May 2026 - 25th May 2026| WEEKLY BUSINESS ROUNDUP

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) confirmed private school fees in Dubai will remain unchanged for the 2026–27 academic year, following a leadership directive.

 

Energy and oil dominated headlines

The UAE’s energy sector was at the center of global attention after reports confirmed that the country’s exit from OPEC was driven by a strategy to expand production. Senior advisors said the UAE wants more flexibility to increase output capacity toward 5 million barrels per day by 2027. 

 

UAE strengthened its startup and innovation credentials

Several reports during the week highlighted the UAE’s continued rise as a global entrepreneurship and AI hub. Industry trackers noted strong growth in non-oil sectors, startup formation, digital government initiatives, and AI adoption in workplaces.

 

UAE interior ministry secures first ISO 42001 AI certificate

UAE Ministry of Interior became the first federal and security entity in the country to receive ISO 42001 2023 certification for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems. The standard addresses AI related risk, ethics, data privacy, transparency and trustworthy use, placing formal controls around how organizations govern deployment and oversight.

 

UAE and Austria explore trade & investment opportunities to build new partnerships

United Arab Emirates and Austria to strengthen their strategic cooperation by exploring trade and investment opportunities and fostering new partnerships between the private sector and business communities in the two friendly countries. UAE’s non-oil foreign trade with Austria reached USD2.1 billion in 2025, representing a growth of 16.4% compared to 2024 and a huge increase of 87.7% since 2019.

 

Dubai airports expect busiest Eid travel day on May 31 with 194,500 passengers

Dubai airport authorities expect Sunday, May 31, to be the busiest travel day of the season as more than 194,500 passengers are expected to pass through the airport. Reports reveal travel demand has significantly accelerated driven by a combination of outbound leisure travel, regional family trips, and the departure of pilgrims heading for Hajj.

 

Dubai parking payments set to turn fully cashless

Dubai is set to remove cash payments from parking metres from June 1 onwards. This move aims to enable motorists towards NOL cards and digital channels across one of the city’s busiest daily payment systems.

 

ADDED introduces an initiative in Al Ain to empower entrepreneurial families

Government authorities in Abu Dhabi launched the “Entrepreneurial Families” initiative in Al Ain to enable families to participate effectively in the emirate’s economic system. This initiative aims to provide guidance on business setup, licensing procedures and access to integrated government support services available within Abu Dhabi's business environment.

 

Ajman Chamber outlines a roadmap for integrating artificial intelligence into its services

Ajman Chamber organized the "Artificial Intelligence and its Role in Developing Services - Agentic AI" forum, reinforcing its strategic direction to match pace with the objectives of the Ajman Artificial Intelligence Program in the Ajman Government. The forum’s specialized discussions highlighted use of "artificial intelligence agents" in raising the efficiency of operations, enhancing service quality and increasing productivity levels, in addition to empowering human resources and supporting institutional decision-making.