Large-scale projects in the UAE, ranging from transport infrastructure to world-class entertainment venues, remain on track despite the Iran war.
The Emirates is not limiting its ambitions as it invests in its future and advances its global standing.
Joseph Salem, a partner at the consultancy Arthur D Little in Dubai, said the launch of schemes as work continues on others even after the regional conflict began this year showed that growth would continue.
“You don’t see a slowdown in the announcements,” he said. “But it’s not about announcements. It’s the commitment linked to these announcements.”
He gave the example of the Dubai Metro Gold Line, a Dh34 billion project that was unveiled in April, more than a month after the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran began.
“Look at the Gold Line,” Mr Salem said. “There was an announcement a few months back. There has already been the appointment of advisers and work has already started and the funding is already flowing.”
He said the investment momentum “remains strong”, with the UAE benefiting from strong institutions and “a clear national direction” that has enabled the country “to play beyond short-term cycles”.
“Confidence remains high, it remains well-founded and it is supported by the country’s ability to deliver upon major programmes, whether we’re talking real estate, transport infrastructure or even entertainment,” he said.
“The UAE is building for the economy it intends to create over the next generation, rather than meeting today’s or tomorrow’s needs.”
Here we look at some of the high-profile projects that have captured the public's imagination.
Palm Jebel Ali
It is 25 years since construction started on Palm Jumeirah, which has long been a landmark of Dubai’s ambition.
Today, work is continuing apace on an even bolder project, Palm Jebel Ali, a seven-island mega scheme set to be twice as large as the original palm, spanning 13.4km with 90km of beachfront.
As well as thousands of homes, it will feature at least 80 resorts and hotels.
Only weeks ago, developer Nakheel launched hundreds of beachside homes on to the market following heavy demand for the release in late 2025.
Reports indicate that the first villas will be handed over this year, and the project as a whole will open in phases over several years.
Etihad Rail
This groundbreaking national rail project began operating at the end of June with a service from Al Hilal City in Fujairah to Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi.
A total of 10 stations covering the country are due to open by the end of March 2027, with the next launches – Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai and Al Dhaid in Sharjah – set for the end of September.
By the end of the decade, annual passenger numbers are expected to reach 36 million, and the service will ultimately connect to GCC-wide rail networks, representing a major milestone for a region long dominated by road transport.
“Etihad Rail is moving the UAE from emirate-level to solidifying at a federal level, connecting the emirates for passengers but also goods, and connecting the UAE to the environment within the GCC to allow for seamless mobility,” Mr Salem said.
Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line
The first phase of tunnelling on Dubai Metro’s Dh20.5 billion ($5.58 billion) Blue Line has been completed ahead of its expected opening on September 9, 2029.
Stretching 30km, half of which is underground, and featuring 14 stations, the Blue Line will reach areas including Dubai International City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Creek Harbour and Mirdif. It will also connect to the Red Line and the Green Line.
But the expansion does not stop there. In April, Dubai authorities unveiled plans for the Dh34 billion Gold Line, a 42km fully underground line with 18 stations, expected to open in 2032. It will link to the Red Line and the Green Line, plus Etihad Rail.
Al Maktoum International Airport
Dubai has long been a city of superlatives and nowhere is this more the case than with Al Maktoum International. It will become the world's largest airport with a capacity of 260 passengers a year once expansion plans are complete.
It was recently announced that Dh55 billion worth of contracts for the airport, also known as Dubai World Central, will be awarded by the end of this year, with commercial passenger services set to take off in 2032.
The airport is designed to have two passenger terminals, seven concourses, five parallel runways and more than 430 aircraft stands.
As the centrepiece of the Dubai South district, the vast facility will help transform the area between Dubai and Abu Dhabi into a global logistics hub.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
This Saadiyat Island modern art museum, designed by Frank Gehry, the late US architect famed for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, is set to open this year.
A central open-air courtyard is inspired by traditional Middle Eastern design, while dramatic cones, which will house art installations, will draw in air just as cooling wind towers do. At 42,000 square metres, it will be the largest Guggenheim museum.
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will focus on work from North Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as showing art by well-known western names.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi
Announced just over a year ago, Disney’s seventh theme park will be funded, built and operated in Yas Island by the Abu Dhabi government-backed developer Miral. Disney is taking the lead on creative decisions.
In recent months, Disney confirmed that plans remain on track despite the regional conflict.
Little information has been released about the resort, although Disney initially indicated it could take up to two years to design and four to six years to build, pointing to an opening date in the first half of the 2030s.
“Disney is transforming the UAE and Abu Dhabi into a capital for entertainment at the heart of the Middle East,” Mr Salem said.
The project would encourage people to visit and stay longer in Yas Island, Mr Salem suggested, so would probably support neighbouring attractions such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi.
“The visitors will get attracted by Disney and will spend one additional day within the realm of Abu Dhabi to visit Ferrari World the next day,” he said.
Wynn Al Marjan Island
This development on a 60-hectare artificial island in Ras Al Khaimah will feature a 70-storey resort tower, which is already at an advanced stage of construction, and the first gaming floor of its kind in the region.
There will also be hotels, ocean promenade restaurants, a harbour and private villas at the Dh18.7 billion scheme. It is being developed by Marjan, the RAK developer, with RAK Hospitality Holding and Wynn Resorts.
Officials recently announced a “modest delay” from the original spring 2027 opening date.
Wynn Resorts, headquartered in Paradise in the Las Vegas Valley, is known for its gaming centres in, among other places, the Chinese special administrative region of Macau.
Wynn Al Marjan Island is also being marketed as a venue for special events and weddings.
