UNIESTATE, one of the UAE’s leading real estate developers, is commemorating its 30th anniversary with the launch of a new sales centre at Saaha Offices, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai. The milestone marks three decades of consistent growth, stability, and significant contributions to the UAE’s dynamic urban landscape.

The exclusive launch event brought together key UNIESTATE executives and a select group of brokers for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a guided tour of the state-of-the-art sales centre. Designed to embody the company’s blend of forward-thinking innovation and deep-rooted heritage, the new space represents both a celebration of legacy and a strategic move into the company’s next chapter.Over the past thirty years, UNIESTATE has steadily shaped communities across the UAE. Known for delivering spacious homes in established neighborhoods, the company has built a reputation for combining comfort and functionality in its developments. With an evolving portfolio, UNIESTATE continues to set benchmarks for modern living, underpinned by experience, trust, and quality.

Flagship development

Central to this new phase is Playa Viva, UNIESTATE’s flagship residential project on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah. Positioned alongside the highly anticipated Wynn Resort, Playa Viva exemplifies the company’s commitment to crafting elevated living experiences in high-growth destinations that promise both lifestyle appeal and long-term investment value.

Ebrahim Al Zaabi, UNIESTATE CEO, said, “The launch of our Downtown Dubai sales centre signals more than just a change of address, it marks the beginning of a reinvigorated trajectory where our heritage meets our ambition for the future. This office also strengthens our relationship with the UAE brokerage community, providing a unique space to engage with our team and showcase our developments.”

UNIESTATE invites brokers and prospective buyers to explore upcoming opportunities and visit the Playa Viva show apartment on-site.

The visit offers a firsthand experience of the brand’s design, scale, and quality, alongside the chance to connect with the company’s dedicated sales team and learn more about future developments.

The planned Etihad Rail network for the UAE is expected to include a stop at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), a move set to transform the nation’s travel landscape. Paul Griffiths, CEO Dubai Airports, envisions an integrated system where passengers en route to the airport can check in their baggage at train stations, effectively merging air and rail travel into a single, seamless journey.

This vision, once realised, will position the UAE among the few nations globally offering a truly unified transport ecosystem, enabling travelers to move effortlessly from city centers to airport terminals without handling their luggage twice. For a country known for its innovation and infrastructure prowess, the Etihad Rail–DWC connection represents a critical step toward redefining mobility and enhancing the passenger experience across the Emirates.

Read more-Etihad Rail partners with United Trans, Via to integrate rail into Citymapper app

Griffiths acknowledged that shifting the entire operations of Emirates and its sister airline Flydubai to DWC will be a formidable challenge.

Together, the two carriers account for nearly two-thirds of passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport (DXB). However, he stressed that the move is necessary as DXB continues to operate near full capacity.

According to a report in FlightGlobal, Griffiths said the transition is not only a response to demand but also part of a broader strategy to reimagine the UAE’s aviation infrastructure for the next generation of travelers. The new airport, designed for long-term scalability, will eventually be supported by the Etihad Rail network, offering passengers a convenient and sustainable way to access DWC from across the Emirates.

Once operational, the DWC rail stop will serve as a key hub in this transformation, allowing passengers to board trains from cities such as Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or Fujairah, check in their luggage en route, and arrive directly at the airport ready to fly.

Etihad Rail: Building the backbone of UAE mobility

Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE’s national railway network, is moving confidently toward launching passenger services by 2026. The network’s expansion aligns with the UAE’s ambition to create a world-class, integrated transport system that combines rail, road, and air connectivity.

A report by WAM highlighted that Etihad Rail aims to strengthen links between major cities and communities while meeting the highest international standards for safety, comfort, and efficiency. The passenger network will stretch across 11 cities and regions, from Al Sila in the west to Fujairah in the east, passing through key destinations such as Ruwais, Al Mirfa, Sharjah, Al Dhaid, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai.

At the Global Rail 2025 Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, Azza Alsuwaidi, deputy CEO of Etihad Rail Mobility, said the company is forging partnerships to create integrated first- and last-mile solutions. “Our focus is on ensuring passengers enjoy smooth and connected journeys,” she noted, emphasising collaboration with municipalities, transport providers, and digital platforms to ensure convenience at every stage.

A seamless, digital, and sustainable travel experience

Etihad Rail’s passenger trains will be designed to accommodate up to 400 passengers per trip, with multiple daily departures connecting major cities. Travel times will include 57 minutes from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, 70 minutes to Ruwais, and 105 minutes to Fujairah.

Alsuwaidi explained that the service will adopt a “digital tickets first” approach and feature fully segregated routes to enhance safety and eliminate collision risks. Onboard, passengers will find spaces for work, reading, and relaxation, reflecting a growing demand for comfort and productivity during transit.

She added that the company remains on schedule to begin operations in 2026, guided by three core principles: quality, safety, and reliability. With DWC expected to become one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, Etihad Rail’s direct connection to it will ensure that the UAE’s future travel hubs are not only globally competitive but also environmentally sustainable.

Etihad Rail’s long-term vision extends beyond standard passenger trains. Plans for a high-speed rail link connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai are advancing, with trains expected to travel at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour.

Once complete, the journey between the two cities will take just 30 minutes, further enhancing the attractiveness of rail travel as a practical alternative to road transport. Alsuwaidi noted that this high-speed project could contribute approximately Dhs145bn to the UAE’s GDP over the next fifty years, reinforcing the nation’s position as a leader in advanced mobility infrastructure.

Yango partnership: Completing the first and last mile

Supporting this vision of seamless connectivity, global technology company Yango Group has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Etihad Rail to integrate first- and last-mile ride-hailing services into the upcoming passenger network. The agreement, signed in October 2025 at the Global Rail Transport Infrastructure Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, aims to simplify end-to-end travel through smart mobility solutions.

The collaboration covers operational processes at and around Etihad Rail stations, including designated pick-up and drop-off zones, streamlined vehicle access, and peak-hour traffic management. A second phase of the partnership will explore deeper digital integration, potentially allowing passengers to book and pay for both rail and ride-hailing services through a single platform.

Yango brings extensive global experience to the initiative, having completed over 1.2 billion trips with 2.1 million registered drivers across more than 30 countries. With Etihad Rail projecting 36.5 million passengers annually by 2030, this partnership will play a crucial role in ensuring reliable last-mile connectivity to key destinations, including DWC.

As Dubai prepares to transition its aviation operations to DWC, the integration of Etihad Rail and smart transport platforms like Yango will position the airport as one of the world’s most connected mobility hubs. Passengers could, in the near future, plan a complete journey—from booking a Yango ride to the nearest train station, checking in their luggage at that station, and arriving directly at DWC for departure—all through a unified digital interface.

Such innovations not only improve convenience but also support the UAE’s sustainability agenda by reducing road traffic and emissions. For businesses, this integrated infrastructure offers new opportunities in logistics, travel technology, and urban development.

From Griffiths’ vision of baggage check-in at train stations to Etihad Rail’s nation-spanning network and Yango’s smart-mobility partnership, the UAE is steadily building the foundation for a new era of travel. The DWC stop on the Etihad Rail line will serve as a physical and symbolic junction, where the country’s ambitions for aviation, transport, and technology converge.

When operational, this integrated system will not only transform the passenger experience but also reinforce the UAE’s global reputation for innovation in infrastructure and connectivity.

The GCC Power Grid which links six Gulf states expects to invest more than $3.5bn over the next 10 years to strengthen the grid, integrate renewable sources and open new export opportunities to neighbouring countries, the head of the grid’s operator GCCIA told Reuters on Tuesday.

The GCC grid is due to connect to Iraq next April, its first external link beyond the region, and is also looking at connecting to Jordan and Egypt and possibly Syria in future, said Ahmed Al-Ebrahim, CEO of the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA).

GCCIA’s transmission system links the grids of all six Gulf Cooperation Council member states, stretching from Oman to Kuwait.

“The region’s renewable energy capacity will be very large in the future, and the opportunities ahead are extremely promising,” Al-Ebrahim said. Saudi Arabia’s aim to generate 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, for example, would create major potential for power exports from the Gulf to Egypt and eventually to Europe, he said.

GCCIA will finance the projects and recover the costs through annual fees paid by member states.

Ahead of the GCC grid connecting to Iraq, negotiations are under way to finalise electricity export agreements between Iraq and Gulf states, Al-Ebrahim said.

The project costs exceeded $300m, financed by GCCIA with no profit margin, and the authority expects to recover its investment over seven years through transmission tariffs, he said.

Jordan is also part of the expansion plans, and Syria could follow. “The first and most important step for us is the connection with Iraq, and then we will look at future opportunities,” Al-Ebrahim said.

He said data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) projects in the Gulf pose a “major challenge” to power grids because of high and fluctuating demand.

“This is where the importance of interconnection comes in, to stabilise the grids and reduce the impact of this fluctuation,” he added.

Oil producers TotalEnergies TTEF.PA, QatarEnergy QATPE.UL and Petronas PETRA.UL have signed a five-year agreement with Guyana’s government to explore a shallow-water block, authorities and company executives said on Tuesday.

Guyana has struggled to diversify its energy industry, currently dominated by a consortium that is led by US Exxon Mobil XOM.N and that has controlled all crude and gas output since the South American country became an oil producer in 2019.

The production sharing agreement for Block S4, located 50-100 km (30-60 miles) off Guyana’s coast, is the first signed following a tender in 2023 that allowed the government to allocate eight out of 14 offshore blocks offered to local and foreign producers for exploration and development.

The group will pay a $15m entrance bonus, Guyana’s energy minister Vickram Bharrat said during the signing ceremony.

“Every investor that comes to our shore and signs an agreement with us, they are of the understanding that this partnership will have to be a win-win partnership,” Bharrat said.

With a 40 per cent stake, TotalEnergies is the block’s operator.

“We want to go fast,” said TotalEnergies’ vice president of Exploration for the Americas, Daniel Larrañaga. “We want to explore this basin as soon as we can.”

Consortia including Exxon, Delcorp, Watad Energy, Arabian Drillers, Liberty Petroleum, Cybele Energy, International Group Investment, Montego Energy and Sispro also won blocks in the 2023 tender.

The government expects to sign more agreements this year to greenlight exploration in at least two additional offshore areas allocated in the same tender, minister Bharrat told reporters, adding that some negotiations, including bonuses and work programs, must be completed.

An exploration license previously granted to a consortium of Toronto-listed producer Frontera Energy FEC.TO and affiliate CGX Energy OYL.V for offshore block Corentyne, where reserves were found, was cancelled earlier this year after the government said the company had not met requirements for an extension.

Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) has introduced a new framework allowing companies registered in the DWTC Free Zone to issue multiple classes of shares, in a move aimed at increasing capital structuring flexibility and attracting a wider pool of investors.

The reform, announced on Monday, enables businesses to issue various share types beyond traditional ordinary shares, including preference, founder’s, restricted, and tiered share classes such as A, B, C, and D.

These can be customised in a company’s Memorandum of Association to define specific rights and restrictions, covering dividends, voting powers, transfer conditions, and safeguards for minority shareholders.

The initiative, part of Dubai’s ongoing drive to strengthen its position as a global business hub, aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to double the size of the emirate’s economy by 2033 and rank it among the world’s top three urban economies.

“With this pioneering step, the DWTC Free Zone is setting a new industry standard for capital structuring in the region,” said Abdalla Al Banna, VP of Free Zone Regulatory Operations at DWTC Free Zone. “By aligning with Dubai’s vision to be among the world’s leading global business hubs, we are creating an environment that empowers companies to scale and attract investment. Today’s founders and investors need flexible and transparent corporate structures to balance control, raise capital and retain talent.”

DWTCA framework to help firms attract investors

The framework is designed to help companies attract investors with varying risk appetites, protect founders’ long-term interests, assist family offices in succession planning, and incentivise employees through equity-based rewards.

While ordinary shares will remain the default option, businesses now have the flexibility to adopt advanced capital structures to support sustainable growth.

The announcement follows other recent developments within the DWTC Free Zone, including the 2024 expansion of its jurisdiction to One Za’abeel, the landmark project developed by the Investment Corporation of Dubai.

The free zone, which offers full foreign ownership, a 0 per cent corporate tax rate, and streamlined licensing, currently hosts companies across more than 40 sectors.

DWTCA said the new share framework reinforces Dubai’s reputation as a progressive and competitive global destination for enterprise and innovation.