United Arab Emirates: Industry Updates & Analysis

As the GCC's major oil fields transition into mature production phases, national oil companies face a critical choice: replicate the costly mistakes of global energy majors or build operating models specifically designed for mature assets. Shell's $491 million loss in the Permian Basin versus ConocoPhillips' $5 billion profit from the same fields reveals how the right organizational structure can transform economics without changing the underlying geology.

Middle Eastern M&A activity demonstrated notable resilience through the first half of 2026 despite the U.S./Iran conflict, with deal values holding steady at USD45.4 billion across 516 transactions. While consumer-facing sectors like retail, hospitality and tourism experienced selective slowdowns, strategic buyers and sovereign investors maintained robust activity, particularly in defense technology.

The United Arab Emirates' departure from OPEC in April 2026 represents the most significant defection in the oil cartel's 66-year history. What drove this founding-era member to abandon nearly six decades of coordinated production policy, and how will this decision reshape global energy markets as the UAE pursues an independent production strategy unconstrained by quota limitations?

The 100-day countdown to Expo 2020 Dubai has started!

In this series we interview experts across the Middle East to gain their views and experiences on how to grow, protect and ultimately thrive in todays evolving business environment.

In this series we interview experts across the Middle East to gain their views and experiences on how to grow, protect and ultimately thrive in today's evolving business environment.

Saudi Arabia is facing an unprecedented pace of change across all aspects, including social, cultural, economic and even regulatory.

The initiative enables companies operating offshore in the Emirate's free zones to carry out their commercial activities onshore in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long been described as a business-friendly country in the mainstream media and in widely followed surveys of competitiveness.