The Middle East Economy

One of the key pillars of Dubai’s developmental blueprint, Dubai Plan 2021, is the creation of a forward-looking, proactive government that is in touch with the desires of the people, with whom its dealings are characterised by transparency and fairness. The largest revamp in the federal government’s history, announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin...

After years of speculation, an agreement signed in February 2016 has brought clarity regarding the introduction of value-added tax (VAT) to Dubai. The UAE, along with states around the Gulf, will begin to implement VAT from January 1, 2018, and will thereafter have a full year to fully establish the new tax.

Dubai’s economy is the result of a decades-long pursuit of diversification which has brought evolution into a variety of offerings, featuring services, finance, trade and global connectivity that has made the emirate a cross-continental meeting point for commerce. Dubai has felt the impact of the fall in crude prices since mid-2014, but it now...

While in 2015 the world’s emerging countries and fastest-growing economies suffered due to low commodity prices and currency depreciations, Dubai still enjoyed steady GDP growth at around 4% and an increased drive towards consolidating its position as a knowledge-based economy. With a well-diversified model and a set of transformation-oriented...

Dubai’s position as a centre of trade is likely to pay off again in the next few years as the deal between Iran and Western powers results in the reintegration of the country into the global economy. Located just across the Gulf, Dubai is already a conduit for goods in and out of Iran. The question now in the emirate is what opportunities will...

The economic narrative of Dubai has shifted in recent years, from passage through its first financial crisis as a major player in the global economy to a more forward-looking version of itself.