The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai announced new taxi-fare structure on Wednesday, introducing higher booking fees and minimum fares aimed at aligning e-hailing and traditional taxi services.

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RTA has introduced the following taxi fare update

Under the authority’s revised scheme:

• During peak hours (8am to 9:59am, and 4pm to 7:59pm), the booking fee will be set at Dhs7.50 and the flag-fall fare at Dhs5.
• During off-peak hours, the booking fee will drop to Dhs4 while flag-fall remains at Dhs5.
• Night-time services will carry a booking fee of Dhs4.50 and a flag-fall fare of Dhs5.50.
• The minimum fare for e-hailing taxis is now set at Dhs13.

For travellers in Dubai, the new fare structure means that late-night and peak-period trips will likely carry a slightly higher upfront cost than before, especially for e-hailing bookings.

The updated fares take effect immediately, with RTA monitoring impact on usage patterns and service levels.

The Middle East and North Africa’s hospitality market is set to surge from $310bn in 2025 to over $487bn by 2032, driven by record tourism growth and a development pipeline unmatched in the region’s history, according to new data released ahead of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) World 2025, taking place in Dubai from October 27–29.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) projects that travel and tourism will contribute $367bn to the Middle East’s economy in 2025, supporting 7.7 million jobs.

International visitor spending is forecast to hit $194bn, nearly a quarter higher than 2019 pre-pandemic levels, while domestic tourism spending is expected to reach $113bn.

Industry data shows the region’s hotel construction pipeline reached an all-time high of 650 projects, totalling 161,574 rooms as of the second quarter of 2025. Of these, 337 projects (86,500 rooms) are already under construction, with another 147 due to break ground by mid-2026.

Saudi Arabia hospitality sector shows robust growth

Saudi Arabia remains the dominant force, accounting for 342 projects and over 92,000 rooms, followed by Egypt with 127 projects (28,000 rooms) and the UAE with 100 projects (25,470 rooms). Oman and Qatar round out the top five, with 27 projects (4,709 keys) and 16 projects (3,500 rooms) respectively.

“Saudi Arabia is targeting 150 million tourist arrivals annually by 2030, while Egypt aims for 30 million international visitors by 2028,” said Amr El Nady, head of Hotels & Hospitality MEA and MD, Global Hotel Desk at Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL). “Both nations are focused on expanding tourism’s contribution to GDP — Saudi Arabia targetting 10 per cent and Egypt 15 per cent, which is driving a wave of hospitality investment through projects like NEOM, The Red Sea Project, AlUla, and Egypt’s New Administrative Capital and Ras Al Hekma.”

El Nady noted that the surge in hotel development is attracting a mix of international operators and niche boutique brands, with new concepts ranging from ultra-luxury desert retreats to heritage-driven stays. “This diversification supports national economic transformation and sustainable tourism goals,” he said.

According to JLL, liquidity in hotel investment remains strong, buoyed by resilient performance across occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) metrics. “This strength has boosted appetite from both regional and global investors, including family offices and institutional funds,” El Nady said. “Dubai alone is on track to exceed last year’s forecast of $1.2bn in hotel transactions, showing sustained investor confidence.”

UAE stats reveal consistent growth

In the UAE, Dubai’s hospitality market continues to outperform, with around 10,000 new rooms expected by 2027.

“Occupancy reached 81 per cent in the first half of 2025, up 2.5 per cent year-on-year, while ADR climbed 4.7 per cent to $159,” said Vidhi Shah, director and head of Commercial Valuation at Cavendish Maxwell. “Dubai continues to set benchmarks for safety, inclusivity and connectivity, keeping it at the forefront of global leisure and business travel.”

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Oman is rapidly emerging as a new investment hub, with tourism projected to contribute 5 per cent to GDP by 2030 and 10 per cent by 2040, overtaking transport and logistics to become the country’s second-largest non-oil sector.

Oman plans to increase hotel capacity by 25 per cent by 2030, adding 9,600 rooms in five years, including 2,600 by the end of 2025.

In the first half of this year, over 1.1 million guests checked into 3–5-star hotels, driving an 18 per cent revenue rise to $367mn.

The region’s hospitality boom is further reinforced by government reforms and mega-events that continue to attract foreign investment.

Saudi Arabia’s Expo 2030 and the FIFA World Cup 2034 are expected to further boost demand for hotels, while new property laws allowing foreigners to buy real estate in designated areas from January 2026 are seen as a major driver for long-term capital inflows.

The investment landscape and tourism outlook will be under the spotlight at FHS World 2025, where more than 30 sessions will explore topics including smart capital, sustainability, mixed-use investment, and cross-border partnerships.

Sources: Fortune Business Insights, Lodging Econometrics, WTTC, JLL, Cavendish Maxwell.

In a strategic move to accelerate hospitality sector growth, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has launched an ambitious hotel investor incentive programme aimed at boosting development in the city’s emerging tourism corridors. This landmark initiative comes in the wake of Executive Council Resolution No. (68) of 2025, issued by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

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Under the newly introduced policy, investors in hotel establishments located in key development zones, including Dubai South, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Parks, and the Dubai Islands, will be eligible for 100 per cent reimbursement of the Dubai Municipality fee on room sales and the Tourism Dirham, valid for a period of two years after hotel opening, a WAM report said.

The incentive exclusively applies to new projects, hotels, resorts, hotel apartments, and other DET-approved hospitality developments, that are registered after the implementation of this resolution.

Strategic expansion to fuel hospitality ecosystem

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), a division of DET, hailed the initiative as a defining step in the evolution of Dubai’s hospitality offering.

“The launch of this hotel incentive programme, on the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, marks an important new phase in the development of Dubai’s hospitality ecosystem, expanding its footprint in emerging areas of the city, and ensuring we can maintain our strong tourism growth trajectory,” he said.

He further noted that the programme reinforces Dubai’s enduring commitment to public-private partnerships and a diversified market strategy, aligning with its broader objective to become the world’s leading city to visit, live, work, and invest in.

Commenting on the decision, Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, praised the initiative’s potential to catalyse private-sector investments, particularly in areas such as Dubai South, which is undergoing rapid transformation with a mix of residential, commercial, and infrastructure developments.

“This decision reflects the forward-looking vision of our leadership to strengthen the competitiveness of the business environment and foster an investment climate that attracts private-sector participation, supporting our ongoing efforts at Dubai South to build an integrated economic ecosystem that meets the needs of the emirate’s expanding tourism and urban landscape,” he said.

Enhancing Dubai’s global investment appeal

Echoing the sentiment, Khalid Al Malik, MD of Dubai Holding, said the new investor incentive exemplifies Dubai’s ability to consistently launch visionary and high-impact initiatives that solidify its global reputation.

“Dubai’s rise as a leading global hub is the result of visionary leadership and bold initiatives, such as the investor incentive programme, which continue to attract investment, foster innovation and advance sustainable growth across key sectors,” he stated.

He added that Dubai Holding remains committed to playing an active role by developing world-class destinations that not only drive foreign investment but also support economic diversification and affirm Dubai’s positioning as a future-ready global metropolis.

The timing of the initiative is strategic. Dubai’s tourism sector has recorded continued growth, with 12.54 million international overnight visitors welcomed in the first eight months of 2025, marking a 5 per cent year-on-year increase. This builds on two consecutive years of record visitation.

The same period also saw a notable uptick in hotel activity, with 29.03 million occupied room nights, up 4 per cent from the previous year, and an impressive 78.5 per cent occupancy rate, among the highest globally. That figure also reflects a 2-percentage point increase compared to the first eight months of 2024.

This growth trajectory, coupled with the rollout of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, highlights the critical need to expand Dubai’s hotel infrastructure into new zones to meet future demand.

The DET has been tasked with receiving, reviewing, and approving all investor applications related to the incentive. Projects must adhere to licensing and classification standards under Decree No. (17) of 2013, which governs hotel establishments in Dubai.

To qualify for the incentive:

• Hotel projects must be licensed at the time of application.
• Properties must begin operations within three years of applying.
• Applications must be submitted via approved DET forms and processes.
• Compliance with all terms is required throughout the two-year benefit period.

Investors may contact the DET directly for further information or to begin the application process at +971 600 55 55 59.

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday launched the Galaxy XR, a new category of AI-native extended reality (XR) devices developed in partnership with Google and Qualcomm Technologies.

The headset is the first product built on the Android XR platform, designed to integrate multimodal AI and deliver immersive experiences across discovery, play, and work.

“With Galaxy XR, Samsung is introducing a brand-new ecosystem of mobile devices,” said Won-Joon Choi, COO of Samsung’s Mobile eXperience Business. “Built on Android XR, Galaxy XR expands the vision for mobile AI into a new frontier of immersive and meaningful possibilities, allowing XR to move from concept to everyday reality, for both the industry and users.”

The Android XR platform, jointly developed by Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm, serves as the foundation for Samsung’s long-term XR roadmap, which includes future AI glasses.

“Android XR is the first Android platform built entirely for the Gemini era,” said Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google. “Through our partnership with Samsung, Android XR will unlock entirely new ways to explore, connect and create, building an open, unified platform for the next evolution of computing.”

Alex Katouzian, group GM of Mobile, Compute & XR at Qualcomm Technologies, added, “Galaxy XR embodies our vision for the future, where the synergy of AI and XR transforms the possibilities of personal computing.”

Multimodal AI Integration in Galaxy XR headset

The Galaxy XR headset features Gemini AI embedded at the system level, allowing natural interaction through voice, vision, and gesture.

The device can interpret users’ surroundings via integrated sensors and cameras, responding conversationally in real-time.

Powered by the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 platform with the Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, Galaxy XR offers up to 2.5 hours of battery life and ultra-high-resolution 4K Micro-OLED displays.

It supports iris recognition for security and features six microphones with beamforming, multiple cameras, and advanced tracking sensors for head, hand, and eye movement.

Samsung focuses on human-centric design and performance

The headset’s ergonomic frame distributes weight evenly, minimising facial pressure. Its separate battery pack reduces bulk, while a detachable light shield enables adjustable immersion. Galaxy XR weighs 545gm, excluding accessories, and supports vision correction through optional optical inserts.

Users can engage in immersive experiences including Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Photos, as well as XR-specialised applications. Through “Circle to Search”, users can draw a circle in midair to identify objects or access information.

The device also enables 3D video and photo capture, auto-spatialises 2D content into 3D, and supports real-time coaching via Gemini for gaming.

Adobe’s Project Pulsar app lets users create cinematic edits with depth and 3D layering.

Samsung is expanding XR into enterprise applications through partnerships with Samsung Heavy Industries and Qualcomm Technologies.

The Galaxy XR will be used for virtual shipbuilding training, productivity, and safety. Developers using Snapdragon Spaces can adapt business solutions for Android XR.

As part of its broader XR strategy, Samsung is working with Google and eyewear brands including Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to develop AI-powered smart glasses that merge design with technology.

For starters, Galaxy XR will be available from Oct0ber 21 in the US and October 22 in Korea.

Qatar and the US have written to EU heads of state expressing concern over the bloc’s corporate sustainability rules and their potential impact on liquefied natural gas exports, a statement from QatarEnergy showed on Wednesday.

Last week, Qatar’s energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, told Reuters that Qatar would not be able to do business in the EU, including supplying Europe with LNG to plug its energy gap, unless more changes are made to its Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

The letter signed by Kaabi and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the directive “poses a significant risk to the affordability and reliability of critical energy supplies for households and businesses across Europe and an existential threat to the future growth, competitiveness, and resilience of the EU’s industrial economy.”

Qatar says proposed watering down of rules not enough

The EU rule requires larger companies operating in the bloc to find and fix human rights and environmental issues in their supply chains or face financial penalties.

The European Commission did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Last week, the European Parliament’s legal committee backed plans to water down the law, having faced pushback from companies, but Kaabi said the changes did not address key concerns.

Qatar has been supplying between 12 per cent and 14 per cent of Europe’s LNG since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. QatarEnergy has established long-term supply contracts with major energy companies, including Britain’s Shell SHEL.L, France’s TotalEnergies TTEF.PA and Italy’s ENI ENI.MI.

Europe is expected to import up to 160 additional LNG cargoes this winter due to lower storage levels and a decline in pipeline flows from Russia and Algeria, according to analysts and data. This situation is likely to increase Europe’s dependency on US gas.