Dubai Electricity and Water Authority closed 2025 with a significant milestone in the emirate’s clean energy transition, adding 1,000MW of renewable energy capacity during the year. The achievement forms part of progress under the 1,800MW sixth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, underlining DEWA’s continued acceleration of large-scale renewable energy projects in line with international standards.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA, said the milestone reflects the Authority’s commitment to advancing the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to fast-track the transition to clean energy and strengthen Dubai’s global leadership in sustainability and energy innovation. He added that the project demonstrates DEWA’s long-term planning and phased delivery approach, supporting energy system resilience while meeting the requirements of economic growth and sustainable development.

Al Tayer noted that the progress aligns with the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategy and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which targets 100 per clean energy production capacity by mid-century. The expansion reinforces Dubai’s position as a global benchmark for the transition to a green economy built on innovation and operational efficiency, while increasing the share of clean energy within the emirate’s power mix to support population and economic growth.

Launched in 2012 by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park remains one of the UAE’s flagship renewable energy projects. Total installed capacity at the site has now reached 3,860MW and is expected to exceed 8,000MW by 2030, significantly surpassing the original target of 5,000MW. Once fully developed, the project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 8.5 million tonnes annually and reinforce Dubai’s status as a global hub for the green economy.

DEWA continues to advance its renewable energy pipeline. During 2025, the Authority issued the tender for the seventh phase of the solar park, while the remaining 800MW under the sixth phase is scheduled to be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2026.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on January 12 launched the Season of Wulfa, a wide-ranging cultural initiative aimed at celebrating distinctive cultural occasions and reinforcing Emirati values.

The Season of Wulfa is designed to showcase local heritage, highlight values intrinsic to Emirati society, and strengthen Dubai’s position as a global destination that promotes tolerance, coexistence, and respect for cultures, according to a WAM report. The initiative reflects a broader vision to anchor cultural heritage within contemporary life while fostering social cohesion across communities.

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As directed by Sheikh Hamdan, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), will lead and oversee the initiative. The season will feature a comprehensive programme of events and activities taking place across the emirate, engaging residents, citizens, and visitors alike.

Heritage, spirituality, and community at the core

Heritage is intrinsically linked to spiritual values, community bonds, local customs, and hospitality. These elements form the foundation of the Season of Wulfa, which draws on deeply rooted traditions that continue to shape social interaction and collective identity in the UAE.

Channeling this theme, the Season of Wulfa encompasses events and initiatives beginning on the 15th of Sha‘ban (Hag Al Leila) and extending through the Holy Month of Ramadan and the celebrations of Eid. These occasions embody distinctive traditions and cultural practices that resonate with the spirituality and rhythm of life in the UAE, offering moments of reflection, connection, and shared experience.

The initiative highlights three core pillars of Wulfa: reflection, connection, and blessing. Each pillar is expressed through customs steeped in social and spiritual meaning. Collectively, these practices foster harmony and cordiality among individuals and communities, narrowing cultural boundaries and reinforcing shared values.

A citywide programme with broad collaboration

Featuring more than 50 initiatives and events across over 30 locations in Dubai, the Season of Wulfa will unfold in neighbourhoods, markets, and cultural destinations throughout the city. The programme will be implemented in collaboration with a range of government entities, private sector partners, and local communities, underscoring a collective approach to cultural preservation and participation.

By offering a cultural and humanitarian platform, the Season of Wulfa is positioned to appeal to a broad audience. Citizens, residents, and visitors from around the world are expected to engage with the season’s offerings, which aim to boost cultural exchange while highlighting universal human values rooted in deep-seated traditions.

The initiative also seeks to raise community awareness about the importance of preserving time-honoured cultural practices. By strengthening the sense of belonging across diverse segments of society, the programme supports activities and initiatives that reinforce culture’s role in social cohesion.

Sheikh Hamdan: Preserving living memory strengthens society

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed affirmed the importance of remaining open to innovative ideas and creative initiatives that bring individuals closer to their values, identity, and the wider community. He emphasised that the Season of Wulfa celebrates the UAE’s community ethos while preserving cultural heritage.

“This initiative celebrates the UAE’s community ethos while preserving our cultural heritage, enhancing the sense of belonging and harmony among community members, building cultural bridges, and ultimately reinforcing the cohesive spirit that forms the core of a society’s strength,” Sheikh Hamdan said.

“Our goal is to bring people closer, fostering deeper personal and social connections.”

He added that a society’s strength lies in its ability to preserve its living memory while transmitting values to new generations through contemporary approaches. According to Sheikh Hamdan, the initiative creates a space where the past meets the present, transforming customs and traditions into tangible experiences that inspire participation and collective responsibility.

By reinforcing pride in cultural roots, the Season of Wulfa enables the community to move confidently toward the future while maintaining a strong connection to its heritage.

Sheikha Latifa: Culture as a foundation for the future

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed emphasised that the events included in the Season of Wulfa, such as Hag Al Leila, Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr, and Eid Al Adha, are deeply rooted in humanitarian values that encourage positive interaction and harmonious coexistence among individuals, families, and communities.

She noted that the initiative focuses on building bonds and creating warm, shared moments that reflect the authentic spirit of Emirati culture. Through creative ideas and innovative experiences, the season blends rich local heritage with contemporary creativity.

“Dubai is distinguished by an approach that places cultural and social heritage at the heart of its priorities,” she said. She added that heritage represents a deeply rooted civilisational value that reflects collective history and serves as a foundation for shaping the future.

Guided by the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate has established itself as a model of cultural harmony and a meeting point for diverse cultures.

A global model for coexistence and tolerance

Today, nearly 200 nationalities live and contribute to Dubai’s story, united by shared experiences, traditions, and living narratives. These connections link the community to the past while shaping a collective identity grounded in respect and belonging.

Sheikha Latifa noted that the Season of Wulfa reinforces Dubai’s position as a global model for coexistence, harmony, and tolerance. Drawing strength from shared moments of belonging, the initiative reflects values of generosity and human connection.

Through its three pillars, reflection, connection, and blessing, the Season of Wulfa expresses the depth of Emirati culture and the authenticity of its values. It offers an inclusive space that celebrates cultural heritage and community traditions, forming the civilisational foundation upon which Dubai has grown.

Renewing traditions for future generations

The season also seeks to renew the expression of community values in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences while inspiring future generations. It creates opportunities for creatives and talented individuals to share ideas and perspectives through celebrations that carry a universal message of tolerance.

The programme will feature innovative, multi-sensory cultural experiences that bring together heritage, spiritual values, community bonds, and contemporary lifestyles rooted in local customs and hospitality. These experiences reflect the true meaning of Wulfa, familiarity, closeness, and community, while strengthening social ties and showcasing cultural heritage in engaging and relevant ways.

A colloquial word with roots in classical Arabic, Wulfa is derived from the word ‘Ulfa,’ meaning familiarity and affection. The term signifies closeness and harmony between people and is commonly used in the UAE and parts of the Arab world to describe affection, comfort, and a sense of nostalgic connection among individuals.

Through the Season of Wulfa, these meanings are translated into lived experiences, reinforcing cultural identity while opening pathways for dialogue, understanding, and shared humanity.

Dubai’s real estate sector delivered its strongest performance on record in 2025, posting more than 270,000 transactions valued at Dhs917bn, a 20 per cent year-on-year increase that reflects the market’s transition from rapid expansion to long-term, sustainable growth.

The milestone performance was underpinned by clear regulations, disciplined market practices and a long-term investment framework that has strengthened investor confidence and reinforced Dubai’s position as a global real estate hub.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, commended the collective efforts behind the sector’s achievements, noting that these initiatives have moved Dubai’s real estate market into a more advanced and mature phase capable of translating confidence into stable and sustainable value. He highlighted that the results reflect trust in Dubai’s vision, economic resilience and clarity of its development path, underpinned by careful planning, transparent regulation and a balanced approach that supports growth while safeguarding quality of life.

Sheikh Mohammed also underscored the strategic role of real estate within Dubai’s diversified economy, emphasising that innovation continues to guide the sector with a strong focus on people and long-term prosperity.

Strong investment momentum

In 2025, Dubai recorded 3.11 million real estate transactions across sales, leases and related services, representing a 7 per cent increase compared to 2024. Real estate investment exceeded Dhs680bn across 258,600 deals, up 29 per cent in value and 20 per cent in volume.

The investor base expanded to approximately 193,100 investors, marking a 24 per cent increase, including 129,600 new investors. Resident investors accounted for 56.6 per cent of total participants, highlighting strong domestic confidence alongside international interest.

Women continued to strengthen their presence in the market, investing Dhs154bn through 76,700 transactions. This represented growth of 31 per cent in value and 24 per cent in volume, reinforcing the sector’s increasingly inclusive investment landscape.

Luxury property investments reached Dhs3.98bn , up 5 per cent, while the average period for a renter to transition into property ownership stood at 4.8 years, underscoring the growing appeal of long-term ownership in Dubai.

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Geographic diversification across the emirate

Transaction activity remained balanced across the city. By transaction volume, the most active areas included Al Barsha South Fourth, Business Bay, Wadi Al Safa 5, Dubai Airport City, Dubai Marina and Jebel Ali First. In terms of transaction value, leading areas included Business Bay, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa and Mohammed Bin Rashid Gardens.

Mortgage activity also reflected strong demand across prime and emerging districts, with Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Business Bay and Burj Khalifa among the top areas by mortgage value.

Aligned with long-term strategy

The record-breaking results reinforce Dubai’s progress toward the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033, which targets a 70 per cent increase in transaction volume to Dhs1tn. The growth also aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the size of the emirate’s economy and position Dubai among the world’s leading economic cities.

His Excellency Omar Hamad Bu Shehab, Director General of Dubai Land Department, said the sector’s 2025 performance reflects a more mature and sustainable market built on transparency, governance and data-driven policies. He added that the results align with the objectives of D33 and the Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033, supported by legislation, digital transformation and close collaboration with developers, brokers and other stakeholders.

He noted that continued efforts to streamline procedures, enhance services and strengthen investor confidence are further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a preferred destination for long-term real estate investment.

President Donald Trump said on Monday any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25 per cent on any trade with the US, as Washington weighs a response to the situation in Iran which is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years.

“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25 per cent on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Tariffs are paid by US importers of goods from those countries. Iran, a member of the OPEC oil producing group, has been heavily sanctioned by Washington for years. It exports much of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India among its other top trading partners.

“This Order is final and conclusive,” Trump said without providing any further detail.

There was no official documentation from the White House of the policy on its website, nor information about the legal authority Trump would use to impose the tariffs, or whether they would be aimed at all of Iran’s trading partners. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The Chinese embassy in Washington criticised Trump’s approach, saying China will take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its interests and opposed “any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction.”

“China’s position against the indiscriminate imposition of tariffs is consistent and clear. Tariff wars and trade wars have no winners, and coercion and pressure cannot solve problems,” a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Washington said on X.

Japan and South Korea, which agreed on trade deals with the US last year, said on Tuesday they are closely monitoring the development.

“We … plan to take any necessary measures once the specific actions of the US government become clear,” South Korea’s trade ministry said in a statement.

Japan’s deputy chief cabinet secretary Masanao Ozaki told reporters that Tokyo will “carefully examine the specific content of any measures as they become clear, as well as their potential impact on Japan, and will respond appropriately.”

Iran, which had a 12-day war with US ally Israel last year and whose nuclear facilities the US military bombed in June, is seeing its biggest anti-government demonstrations in years.

Trump has said the US may meet Iranian officials and that he was in contact with Iran’s opposition, while piling pressure on its leaders, including threatening military action.

Tehran said on Monday it was keeping communication channels with Washington open as Trump considered how to respond to the situation in Iran, which has posed one of the gravest tests of clerical rule in the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Demonstrations in Iran

Demonstrations evolved from complaints about dire economic hardships to defiant calls for the fall of the deeply entrenched clerical establishment. US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 599 people – 510 protesters and 89 security personnel – since the protests began on December 28.

While air strikes were one of many alternatives open to Trump, “diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.

During the course of his second term in office, Trump has often threatened and imposed tariffs on other countries over their ties with U.S. adversaries and over trade policies that he has described as unfair to Washington.

Trump’s trade policy is under legal pressure as the US Supreme Court is considering striking down a broad swathe of Trump’s existing tariffs.

Iran exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022, according to World Bank’s most recent data.

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The Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced the award of the project to design, construct, and complete the Red Line expansion of the Riyadh Metro, extending the existing line by 8.4 kilometres. The move represents a new phase in strengthening the capital’s public transport network and enhancing connectivity across key districts.

The extension will run from King Saud University to the Diriyah Gate Development project and include five new stations. The project forms part of ongoing efforts to complete the capital’s public transport network while linking vital areas, residential communities, and major educational, cultural, and healthcare centers, a Saudi Press Agency report said.

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The project continues Riyadh’s ongoing development journey under the era of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, with continuous support and guidance from Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

It builds on the achievements of the Riyadh Public Transport Project, inaugurated under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in November 2024. Since its launch, the metro has served as the backbone of the capital’s public transport network, supporting the city’s long-term urban and mobility objectives.

Growing demand and ridership

Minister of state, cabinet member, and CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Eng Ibrahim Al Sultan emphasised that the Red Line extension project enhances the city’s public transport network and completes the commission’s efforts to develop a sustainable urban transport ecosystem. The project links Riyadh’s key centers, residential communities, and cultural and educational landmarks.

He noted that the extension responds to growing demand among residents and visitors for public transport since operations began in late 2024. Total ridership has exceeded 173 million passengers since inauguration, reflecting public confidence in the metro’s efficiency and service quality.

The new extension includes the construction of 7.1 kilometres of deep underground tunnels and 1.3 kilometres of elevated tracks, alongside new stations. Two stations will be located at King Saud University, serving the medical city, health colleges, and the university concourse.

Three additional stations will be located in Diriyah, including one planned as a future interchange with Line 7. The project is scheduled for completion in approximately six years.