Author: Emirates Insight

When the global economy showed signs of softening in mid‑2025, Abu Dhabi’s non‑oil foreign trade did the opposite. According to released figures, Abu Dhabi Customs reported that trade in goods unrelated to hydrocarbons surged 34.7 per cent in the first half of the year, rising from AED 145 billion in the first half of 2024 to AED 195.4 billion in January to June 2025. The breakdown tells an equally compelling story. Non‑oil exports jumped 64 per cent to AED 78.5 billion (from AED 47.9 billion), imports increased 15 per cent to AED 80 billion, and re‑exports climbed 35 per cent…

It was full-on panic mode this past weekend as Bitcoin’s price plunged to $112,000. The entire market followed, with major ETH holders dumping their tokens as the price dropped below $3,400. But not everyone followed the same strategy. Smart money began looking for the best crypto to buy while prices were low. While some whales were offloading, others, like SharpLink, kept accumulating. SharpLink received another 15,822 ETH (worth $53.9M) just six hours ago. In total, they’ve spent 108.57M USDC over the past two days to buy 30,755 ETH at an average price of $3,530. SharpLink now holds 480,031 ETH, currently…

Before the Elon Musk Epstein List warning, the serial tech entrepreneur and recently fired White House employee warned us about ChatGPT and Microsoft. “AI is potentially more dangerous than nukes,” is one of his oft-quoted statements.’ Elon had high hopes for OpenAI, co-founding ChatGPT in 2015 and taking the wheel alongside CEO Sam Altman. Recently, Musk has thrown up his hands at the company, ultimately saying he is concerned about the direction of research and development. He went so far as to say, “OpenAI has become a closed-source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.” Here’s why Elon believes ChatGPT is…

Dubai’s property market recorded its second-best month on record in July 2025, driven by strong investor sentiment and a surge in transaction volumes. According to recent data from fäm Properties, 20,304 property transactions worth AED 65 billion were completed in July, a 24.9 per cent year-on-year increase in volume and a 29.5 per cent jump in value compared with the same month in 2024. Apartment sales rose 28.1 per cent year-on-year to 16,272 deals worth AED 32.2 billion, while commercial property transactions climbed 57.8 per cent to 606 transactions worth AED 1.5 billion. Villa sales increased by 6.4 per cent…

South Korean crypto season is officially underway! Some of South Korea’s largest lenders are set to launch their crypto and stablecoin-related services as the date for regulatory changes approaches. According to a local media article published on 3 August 2025, several banks in South Korea are in the process of creating dedicated organisations in preparation for the upcoming legislation that will enable them to issue and operate stablecoins. Furthermore, the publication mentions that banks are looking to form a consortium to quickly enter the crypto space in South Korea. Major South Korean banks such as Woori and Shinhan had initially…

Music, fireworks, and frosty glamour as Atlantis, The Palm is doing NYE in styleStart 2026 in serious style with global pop legends Maroon 5. The music outfit is coming to Dubai to headline this year’s New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at Atlantis, The Palm.Following in the footsteps of Sting and Lionel Richie, the multi-Grammy Award-winning band will take to the stage on December 31 for a spectacular open-air performance under the stars. Expect a hit-packed setlist with crowd favourites like “Moves Like Jagger”, “This Love”, “She Will Be Loved”, and “Payphone”, plus a jaw-dropping fireworks display lighting up the skies…

Its going to be a hot week, with a chance of rain, here’s what to expect from UAE weatherUAE weather might just offer a bit of relief from the heat today, Monday August 4, as light rain is expected in some areas, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM). It follows heavy showers in Al Ain on Saturday, and yes, mid-summer rain in the UAE isn’t as rare as you’d think. The rest of the country will see a mix of fair to partly cloudy skies with hazy patches rolling in throughout the day.Temperatures todayWe’re still deep in the…

Four Seasons, in collaboration with Indian real estate developer Provenance Land, has completed construction on its latest branded residential project in Mumbai. Located in the city’s Worli district, the new Four Seasons Private Residences Mumbai development has already sold 80 per cent of its units. Luxury Mumbai residences reach sales milestone Described as one of the world’s tallest branded residential towers, the project comprises of 41 homes across 64 floors. Residences range from full-floor three-bedroom units to five- and six-bedroom duplexes. Bart Carnahan, President, Global Business Development, Portfolio Management and Residential, Four Seasons, said: “In a city known for its…

Hedera Hashgraph has just taken a decisive step that could redefine its market positioning and the performance of HBAR price action: the network has officially joined the ERC3643 standard, a framework designed to unify on-chain identity, compliance, and tokenized asset issuance. This surprise move ties Hedera into the T-REX Protocol ecosystem, which already underpins billions of dollars in compliant security tokens across Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains – a significant step for HBAR’s sustained institutional adoption. For context, ERC3643 is not just another token standard. Unlike ERC20 or ERC721, it was explicitly built for regulated securities markets with embedded compliance, KYC/AML…

Things to do in Abu Dhabi this week: skate sessions, smash rooms, candle crafting and moreSummer might be sizzling, but there’s still plenty to keep you cool, creative, and out of the heat in Abu Dhabi this week. Whether you’re lacing up for a skate indoors, smashing stress from the comfort of your driveway, getting crafty with candle-making, or making a quick escape to Dubai for a game-changing night out. Here are four fun things to do in Abu Dhabi, offbeat ways to mix up your week.Smash things from your drivewayImage: ArchiveEver felt like smashing something just for the thrill…