The UAE Cabinet has approved a record budget for fiscal year 2026 with revenue at about Dh92.4 billion ($25.2 billion), aimed at "balanced development" for the economy and society.
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of a programme that will grant the Federal Financial Centre annual allocations from the federal budget, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said in a post on X. The programme aims to ensure the "financial sustainability of the federal state's institutions", he said.
The expected revenue is nearly 30 per cent higher than the Dh71.5 billion in the 2025 budget.
The budget "consolidates the federal system and reflects our ongoing commitment to balanced development", Sheikh Mohammed said.
He added that the UAE's cumulative outward foreign investment balance in 2024 hit Dh1.05 trillion, a 9 per cent year-on-year increase, placing the country first in the Arab world and among the top 20 global economies exporting FDI. The figure was drawn from the Cabinet's review of the results of the National Agenda for Foreign Direct Investment.
UAE exports, meanwhile, have more than doubled to about Dh950 billion from 2019 to 2024, reflecting the country's export development policy, Sheikh Mohammed said.
The country has adopted 35 international economic and co-operative agreements, he added. That has boosted the UAE's profile on the global stage and serving as a magnet for further investments.
"Our budgets are balanced, our investments are increasing, our foreign trade is accelerating, our economy is growing and our country is in glory and prosperity," Sheikh Mohammed said.
The UAE, the Arab world's second-largest economy, has continued to boost its economic mechanisms by introducing several initiatives and investor-friendly regulations in a bid to be among the most competitive in the world.
The Emirates has also been resilient amid uncertainty in the global economy. As a result, gross domestic product is projected to expand 4.8 per cent in 2025, which would outperform the global average, the International Monetary Fund said this month.
This will also be driven by strong non-hydrocarbon growth and Opec production increases, before expanding at a further 5 per cent rate in 2026, the Washington-based fund said. The economies of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are this year expected to jump 6 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively, the IMF added.
In a further boost to economic activity, the UAE last month unveiled the National Policy for Economic Clusters, with the goal of boosting the country's GDP by more than Dh30 billion a year.
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Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
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First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
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Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
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Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
