Q Mobility has announced the activation of a paid parking system across several commercial sectors in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, under the supervision of the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, starting April 6.

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The rollout will initially cover commercial sectors ME10 and ME11, along with a key commercial strip located along the main street within villa zones Z17-01, Z19, Z20 and Z27. The move is aimed at regulating parking in areas experiencing high traffic volumes and increased commercial activity.

Read more-New parking fees hit Dubai neighbourhoods. Is yours included?

Officials said the initiative is part of broader efforts to improve traffic flow and ensure better utilisation of public parking spaces in high-demand zones.

Residential areas reserved for permit holders

In addition to commercial districts, surrounding villa areas will also see tighter parking controls. Spaces in these residential neighborhoods will be reserved exclusively for permit holders.

Authorities noted that this measure is designed to preserve residents’ privacy while organising parking usage and preventing overcrowding caused by spillover from nearby commercial zones.

The latest development follows a series of similar initiatives across the emirate. Earlier this year, Q Mobility also announced the activation of a paid parking system in the Musaffah area, covering sectors M1, M2, M3, M4 and M24, with further expansion planned.

That initiative was similarly introduced under the supervision of the Integrated Transport Centre and forms part of a long-term strategy to regulate public parking and enhance mobility across Abu Dhabi.

Officials emphasised that these measures are intended to improve road user experience, support commercial activity, and facilitate easier access for visitors and employees to industrial and business hubs.

Dubai introduces seamless e-wallet parking payments

Meanwhile, in a related development highlighting advancements in parking solutions, Dubai Airports and Salik had signed a 10-year agreement earlier this year to introduce seamless E-Wallet parking payments at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

The agreement, witnessed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Mattar Al Tayer, will see Salik’s E-Wallet system integrated across 7,400 parking spaces spanning Terminals 1, 2, 3 and the Cargo Mega Terminal. Implementation began on January 22.

Under the agreement, visitors were able to pay parking fees directly through their Salik E-Wallet accounts, enabling a smoother and more efficient parking experience while improving overall traffic flow at one of the world’s busiest international airports.

Dubai’s real estate sector demonstrated its characteristic resilience last week, as transaction volumes surged 49 per cent following the conclusion of the Eid Al Fitr holiday.

Total ex-land transactions reached Dhs8.66bn ($2.36bn) last week, up from Dhs5.82bn in the previous shortened working week, according to Dubai Land Department (DLD) data. This is specifically for the period 23 March – 29 March 2026.

The sharp recovery suggests that the prior week’s moderated performance was a temporary calendar-driven lull rather than a cooling of underlying investor appetite. The data reinforces a broader trend seen throughout 2026: a market that remains heavily weighted toward primary off-plan sales and apartment-led volume.

Primary market dominance

The off-plan segment continues to serve as the market’s primary engine, generating Dhs6.74bn and accounting for 77.8 per cent of the total weekly value. Within this category, apartments remained the preferred asset class, contributing Dhs5.46bn, or 81 per cent of off-plan value. Villas followed with a more modest share of 11.3 per cent (Dhs763.2m), while commercial assets represented 7.3 per cent.

In contrast, the secondary or “ready” market recorded Dhs1.92bn in transactions, as per DLD data. While smaller in total volume, the ready segment remains the cornerstone of the city’s established residential hubs, led by Business Bay and Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC).

Financing profiles: Strategic divergence

The funding structure of the market remains split along traditional lines. The off-plan sector continues to be primarily cash-driven, with 97.9 per cent of transactions conducted as direct sales.

Mortgages accounted for a marginal 1.3 per cent of off-plan activity, as buyers typically opt for developer-led payment plans over traditional bank financing for uncompleted projects.

The secondary (ready) market shows a higher reliance on the banking sector, with mortgages accounting for 38.3 per cent of transactions (Dhs734.8m). This distinction underscores the differing profiles of the two segments: the primary market remains a magnet for global capital and investors seeking capital appreciation, while the ready market serves as the primary gateway for end-users and residents tapping into local liquidity.

Geographic highlights and trophy deals

Investor interest remains concentrated in high-liquidity master-planned districts and emerging waterfront developments.

Jumeirah Second emerged as the week’s value leader in the off-plan segment, recording Dhs591.4m in deals. This was bolstered by the week’s standout transaction: an off-plan apartment sale worth Dhs356.2m. Other top-performing primary locations included Al Yelayiss 1 (Dhs566.1m) and Madinat Al Mataar (Dhs555.4m).

In the secondary market, Business Bay maintained its status as the most liquid district, followed by Jumeirah Village Circle and the Burj Khalifa area. The highest-value resale was an apartment in Business Bay which cleared at Dhs34.1m, while the top ready villa deal was recorded in Jumeirah Park for Dhs11.5m.

Sector outlook

The swift return to high-volume trading following the holiday period highlights the robust “buy-and-hold” sentiment currently pervading the UAE’s real estate sector. With off-plan developments continuing to absorb the lion’s share of liquidity, the market appears well-positioned to maintain its momentum through the second quarter.

As Dubai continues to expand its urban footprint toward the south and through major coastal redevelopments, these high-velocity corridors are expected to remain the focus of both regional and international portfolios.

• Ali Shahin is the founder of The Real Estate Reports and Real Estate Reports Pro, independent platforms that dive into the data driving the property sector in the UAE.

Read Shahin’s previous articles here:

• A temporary pause: How Dubai’s property market is navigating recent tensions

• Dubai property activity rebounds while equity sell-off deepens amid regional tension

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has launched a new initiative aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the kingdom’s ports by extending the exemption period for incoming empty containers at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and Jubail Commercial Port.

The move increases the storage fee exemption window from 10 days to 20 days at both ports, a step designed to enhance logistics efficiency and support the steady movement of national exports, a Saudi Press Agency report said.

Read more-Saudi Arabia launches sea-to-air cargo corridor via western ports

According to Mawani, the initiative is expected to encourage shipping lines to import and redirect empty containers to ports in the Eastern Region, enhancing their continuous flow and ensuring a more consistent supply. It also aims to stimulate the redirection of empty containers located in Gulf ports to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam and Jubail Commercial Port.

This improved availability of empty containers is essential for export operations, helping to raise readiness levels and support the smooth flow of goods through Saudi ports, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Leadership perspective

Mawani President Suliman Al Mazroua said the initiative represents “a key enabler to motivate shipping lines to increase the flow of empty containers to Saudi ports,” contributing to enhanced availability to meet export needs.

He added that Mawani continues to develop qualitative initiatives that enhance the competitiveness of Saudi ports and reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a regional logistics center.

The initiative comes as part of broader efforts to develop the logistics sector and raise its operational efficiency. It supports the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to consolidate Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics hub while improving trade flow and port performance.

The United States has indicated it is engaged in “serious discussions” with what it described as a “new, and more reasonable” regime in Iran, signalling a potential pathway toward de-escalation of ongoing military operations, according to a statement posted by Donald Trump on Truth Social.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said “great progress has been made” in talks aimed at ending US military involvement in Iran, suggesting that a negotiated outcome remains the preferred scenario in the near term.

However, the statement also outlined a stark contingency should talks fail or if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened to maritime traffic. Trump warned that the US could escalate its military response to include strikes on critical Iranian infrastructure, including electricity generation facilities, oil fields, and Kharg Island—a key hub for the country’s crude exports.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes for oil and gas, remains central to the developments. Any disruption to its operations has immediate implications for global energy markets, supply chains, and insurance costs for shipping through the region.

Read: UAE joins global call to protect Strait of Hormuz shipping route

Trump’s comments suggest that US strategy is now tied not only to diplomatic outcomes but also to the restoration of commercial shipping flows through the strait. He indicated that failure to reopen the corridor could trigger a significant escalation targeting Iran’s energy and water infrastructure, including desalination facilities.

Aluminium prices surged to four-year highs on Monday as Iranian airstrikes on two major Middle East producers over the weekend raised the risk of a prolonged supply shock.

Benchmark aluminium on the London Metal Exchange was up 4.7 per cent to $3,453 a metric ton on Monday. Prices of the metal used in the transport, construction and packaging industries touched $3,492 earlier in the session.

The US-Israeli war on Iran and resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already restricted shipments of aluminium to export markets in the US and Europe.

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which runs the world’s largest single-site smelter, said it was assessing the damage from the Iranian strikes.

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), meanwhile, said its plant sustained “significant damage”.

Read more: Emirates Global Aluminium says its KEZAD site damaged amid Iranian attacks

Alba said this month that it was shutting smelting lines representing 19 per cent of its capacity.

Read more: Bahrain’s Alba confirms Iranian attack on its aluminium facilities

“Iran’s strikes on Middle Eastern aluminium plants are threatening to send a fragile market into crisis, raising the prospect of record prices,” Britannia Global Markets said.

“The conflict’s impact is being amplified because constraints on production elsewhere have eroded global inventories, leaving the market with little buffer against shocks.”

Aluminium prices hit a record $4,073.50 a ton in March 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a top producer of the metal.

Stocks of aluminium in LME-approved warehouses MALSTX-TOTAL have dropped more than 60 per cent since last May to 418,675 tons.

Concerns about severe shortages have pushed the premium for cash metal over the three-month contract to more than $60 a ton, its highest since 2007.

Industrial metals overall were supported by signs of stronger demand in top consumer China.

Analysts expect Chinese factory activity to have expanded in March, ending a two-month contraction, though supply chain shocks from the Iran war cloud the outlook.

Copper was up 0.3 per cent at $12,231 a ton, zinc gained 1.7 per cent to $3,168, lead firmed 0.6 per cent to $1,909 and tin CMSN3 climbed 1.5 per cent to $46,495 while nickel advanced 0.5 per cent to $17,270.