Ramadan fasting hours are set to be shorter across the UAE and wider region in 2026, offering some relief for employees and businesses as the holy month continues to shift earlier in the calendar year.

Astronomers estimate that fasting durations this Ramadan will be around 30 minutes shorter than in 2025, a change driven by the Islamic lunar calendar. Ramadan follows the Hijri calendar, which is based on the moon’s cycles and is around 10 to 12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used internationally. As a result, Ramadan moves earlier by roughly 10 days each year, gradually shifting through the seasons.

This year’s timing places Ramadan firmly within the winter period in the UAE, when daylight hours are shorter and temperatures are milder. The seasonal shift is expected to make fasting more manageable compared to recent years when the holy month fell closer to the summer period.

While fasting hours are expected to be shorter overall, the precise daily timings for suhoor and iftar will continue to be confirmed throughout the month, based on sunset and sunrise times.

Crescent moon

The start of Ramadan will depend on the official sighting of the crescent moon. Astronomers have indicated that the UAE is unlikely to spot the Ramadan crescent on the evening of February 17. The strongest possibility for moon sighting is expected on the evening of February 18, which would place the first day of fasting on February 19.

This timeline aligns with the official calendar issued by General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat, which also lists February 19 as the likely first day of Ramadan. The authority confirmed that Shaaban, the month preceding Ramadan in the Hijri calendar, began on January 20 following the sighting of the crescent moon on January 19.

Islamic months typically last either 29 or 30 days, depending on lunar observations, meaning the exact date of Eid Al Fitr will also be confirmed closer to the end of Ramadan.

For businesses across the UAE, shorter fasting hours and winter conditions may translate into steadier productivity levels during the month. Many employers are expected to continue adjusting working hours and operational schedules in line with labour regulations and customary Ramadan practices, particularly in sectors such as retail, logistics, construction and customer-facing services.

As Ramadan continues its gradual shift toward the cooler months, companies are increasingly able to plan staffing, working hours and commercial activity with greater predictability compared to the extended fasting days experienced earlier in the decade.

PwC has begun re-engaging with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund after a year-long ban on advisory work came to an end, according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.

Senior executives at PwC have told internal teams that they can once again submit proposals to the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, the report said. The discussions remain confidential, and those familiar with the matter declined to be identified. The move follows a temporary suspension imposed by the PIF last year that restricted PwC from certain advisory and consulting contracts.

Representatives for PwC and the PIF declined to comment, Bloomberg reported.

Saudi Arabia’s state-led investment and expansion drive has become a major growth engine for global consulting firms operating in the Middle East, including McKinsey & Co. and Boston Consulting Group. PwC generated £1.97bn ($2.5bn) in revenue from the Middle East in the 12 months to June 30, 2024, highlighting the region’s strategic importance to the firm’s global operations.

The PIF did not publicly disclose the reason for last year’s decision to suspend PwC’s advisory work, although the restrictions did not apply to the firm’s auditing engagements. Following the ban, PwC’s global chairman, Mohamed Kande, travelled to Riyadh for meetings with officials from the wealth fund, Bloomberg said.

PwC has continued to deepen its presence in Saudi Arabia, investing in localisation initiatives aligned with national priorities.

The firm also opened a large new office in Riyadh that serves as its regional headquarters.

Air Arabia’s Nagpur–Sharjah flight (G9 416) was cancelled early Sunday after a technical snag, disrupting travel plans for about 150 to 160 passengers.

Airport authorities said alternative arrangements were offered based on individual passenger preferences, underscoring airlines’ growing focus on service recovery during irregular operations.

As per schedule, flight G9 415 from Sharjah was due to arrive in Nagpur at 3:45am, with the return leg to Sharjah scheduled for 4:25am. Passengers opting to continue their journey were provided hotel accommodation in the city, while others cancelled travel in line with airline norms, according to a Times of India report.

Global disruptions pressure Gulf carriers

Earlier this week, severe weather across the USA, alongside planned airport infrastructure works in Europe, triggered a wave of flight cancellations and operational suspensions by major Gulf carriers, highlighting how environmental shocks and logistical constraints can rapidly ripple across global aviation networks.

Airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Qatar Airways issued travel advisories warning passengers of cancellations, suspensions and potential delays, as carriers balanced safety considerations with the need to maintain network resilience during volatile operating conditions.

Emirates confirmed it cancelled multiple services to and from the United States due to the anticipated impact of Storm Fern, affecting key routes linking Dubai with New York, Washington, Boston and Dallas, as well as select transatlantic connections between Europe and the US.

Separately, flydubai announced a temporary suspension of all operations to Basel, Switzerland, citing scheduled runway refurbishment at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport, with services paused from April 16 to May 22, 2026, reflecting infrastructure-led capacity constraints globally.

Intersec Dubai 2026 took place from January 12–14 at Dubai World Trade Centre. Against a backdrop of rising digital risk and large-scale infrastructure development, HID leveraged the event to highlight how trusted identity was becoming central to modern security strategies.

Here, Sam Cherif, senior director and head of the Middle East at HID, discussed what the company showcased at Intersec, where the regional security market was heading, and the trends shaping 2026.

What did you showcase at Intersec this year?

This year, we demonstrated how a unified, cyber-secure and user-centric approach to trusted identity could address both physical and digital risks in an increasingly connected environment.

At our stand, we showcased our full portfolio of trusted identity solutions, starting with HID Amico biometric facial recognition readers, designed for fast, contactless access in high-traffic environments. Through a live speed-gate demonstration, visitors were able to experience how biometrics could enhance security while delivering a seamless user experience.

We also highlighted our mobile-first infrastructure, with HID Mobile Access integrated into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, showing how smartphones were becoming one of the most secure and intuitive credentials available. This was supported by our cyber-hardened Mercury Intelligent Controllers and HID Aero Controllers, which form a secure backbone for modern access control systems.

Our HID Signo Readers were on display to demonstrate how organisations could adopt multi-technology support in a sleek, future-proof design. We also showcased our OMNIKEY desktop readers, which provide a versatile and secure solution for strong identity verification.

By supporting smart cards, digital credentials, including employee badges in Apple Wallet and credentials in Google Wallet, and advanced cryptographic protocols, the OMNIKEY readers help safeguard sensitive data and systems against cyber threats.

What is the anticipated growth of the security industry in 2026?

The outlook for the security industry in 2026 is robust, driven by rapid digital transformation, large-scale infrastructure development, and a tightening regulatory landscape.

Market data from IMARC Group suggests that the GCC security market was on track to reach $6.9bn by 2034, with a CAGR of nearly 9 per cent over the 2026–2034 period.

The UAE remains the fastest-growing market in the region and was projected to exceed $3.1bn by 2030. This growth is not just about scale, but sophistication. There was a clear pivot toward identity and access management and cloud-based security services. As the region hosts major global events and developed giga-projects, demand for trusted identity solutions that could scale quickly was rising.

In 2026, we expectaccelerated adoption of mobile credentials and biometric systems as organisations are moving away from legacy security methods that were easier to compromise.

What trends will dominate the sector this year?

One of the most significant trends shaping the security sector in 2026 is the convergence of physical security and cybersecurity. Access control systems are increasingly recognised as connected assets and needed to be protected with the same rigor as IT infrastructure. This is driving demand for cyber-hardened devices, encrypted communications, and secure credential management.

The rise of mobile and biometric identity is another major shift. Convenience, hygiene, and scalability have accelerated the move toward contactless authentication, particularly in high-traffic environments such as commercial buildings and government facilities. Mobile credentials are increasingly becoming the preferred choice for workforce and visitor access, especially as digital wallet integration set a new benchmark for usability.

User experience is also taking centre stage. Security solutions need to be intuitive and frictionless to ensure adoption and compliance. Systems that slow people down or disrupted operations are no longer acceptable. Interoperability gained importance as organisations sought flexible, standards-based solutions that integrated easily with existing systems. Together, these trends reinforce the idea that identity is becoming the foundation of modern security strategies.

What were some best practices to stay ahead of security attacks?

Staying ahead of security attacks required a proactive, layered approach that combined technology, governance, and user awareness. A key best practice is adopting a security-by-design mindset, where protection was embedded into systems from the outset rather than added later.

Convergence is also critical. Physical access control needs to align with cybersecurity strategies, as disconnected environments creates vulnerabilities. This includes using cyber-hardened devices, secure boot processes, and encrypted communications.

Credential management plays a major role as well. Reducing reliance on easily shared or duplicated credentials and shifting toward mobile and biometric authentication significantly lowers risk.

Regular updates, patch management, and lifecycle planning are equally important, as unsupported legacy systems posed serious threats.

Finally, interoperability and visibility matters. Solutions needs to integrate seamlessly with broader security and IT ecosystems, enabling centralised monitoring and faster incident response.

What were your projected growth plans for the year?

Our growth plans for 2026 are focused on expanding our footprint in the Middle East while deepening the value we delivered to customers and partners. We prioritise sustainable, long-term growth rather than short-term expansion.

A key focus is strengthening our regional presence through continued investment in local teams, technical expertise, and customer support. Proximity to customers allows us to better support complex, mission-critical deployments. We are also expanding our partner ecosystem through training, enablement programmes, and joint go-to-market initiatives.

From a market perspective, we see strong opportunities in government, critical infrastructure, transportation, and large enterprise sectors, particularly where digital transformation and cybersecurity were top priorities.

At the same time, we are accelerating adoption of mobile identity, biometrics, and cyber-secure access control platforms, with the aim of growing alongside the region as a trusted long-term partner in building resilient identity ecosystems.

The future of connectivity is no longer just about bandwidth. It is about understanding people and responding in real time.

For decades, progress in digital infrastructure was measured by scale: more users, more devices, faster networks. That expansion connected the world at an unprecedented pace. Yet scale alone did not always translate into simpler, more intuitive digital experiences.

As connectivity matured, its limits became increasingly visible. Networks could move data efficiently, but they could not interpret intent, anticipate needs, or adapt dynamically.

Today, artificial intelligence is addressing that gap by adding cognition to scale. Digital systems are beginning to learn from patterns, anticipate demand, and respond automatically.

When networks begin to learn

This shift marks a move beyond networks as isolated utilities toward integrated digital ecosystems. Connectivity, financial services, and digital platforms are increasingly converging into unified systems that adapt to how people live and work. When designed well, intelligence fades into the background, and experiences feel seamless rather than engineered.

At the foundation of these ecosystems are smarter networks. They are not simply faster; they are predictive, adaptive, and efficient. By anticipating demand, identifying issues early, and optimising resource use, intelligent networks improve performance, reduce downtime, and support sustainability without requiring constant user intervention.

Key capabilities shaping this transition include:

• Predictive network management, where AI models forecast usage patterns and dynamically reallocate resources to maintain performance during demand fluctuations.
• Proactive anomaly detection, using deep learning to identify irregularities before they escalate into service disruptions.
• Energy-aware optimisation, where AI orchestrates low-load cycles to reduce consumption while preserving service quality.

Together, these capabilities transform connectivity into a living system that learns and adapts across both the network edge and core.

Trust as infrastructure

As intelligence increases, data becomes the connective tissue that enables learning. But insight alone is insufficient. Trust is the true differentiator. Responsible systems must respect privacy, protect security, and understand context without overreach. Cognitive systems should enhance confidence, not erode it.

That same intelligence is also reshaping the customer experience. Support becomes faster and more anticipatory. Services feel more relevant. Interactions require fewer steps. When personalisation works, it feels natural rather than intrusive and context rather than surveillance.

This model extends well beyond telecommunications. Education platforms can adapt to individual learning styles. Insurance systems can assess risk dynamically and fairly. Healthcare technologies can integrate data streams to enable earlier, more accurate interventions. Smart cities can coordinate transport, energy, and communications through shared intelligence rather than siloed systems. The common thread is not the sector, but the ability to learn, adapt, and apply insight responsibly.

As digital ecosystems become more interconnected, governance and human oversight become essential. Artificial intelligence should support better decision-making, not replace accountability. The goal is not automation for its own sake, but systems that evolve ethically alongside the people who use them.

This principle underpins the concept of a cognitive ecosystem: an adaptive digital framework where intelligence, trust, and context are embedded into every connection. It is an approach being explored and implemented by organisations as they expand across connectivity, fintech, and emerging digital verticals, applying the same intelligence-driven logic across sectors.

Designing for velocity in the UAE

In the UAE, cognitive ecosystems are especially paramount as the country’s digital challenge is not scale or ambition but velocity. Few countries operate with a population that is as transient, diverse, and mobile, or with economic systems that must adapt continuously to global flows of talent, capital, and data.

In this environment, policy cannot treat digital infrastructure as static. Networks, platforms, and public services must be designed to understand change as a default condition. Cognitive digital systems — those that learn from patterns and adapt in real time — offer a way to govern complexity without over-regulating it.

For the UAE, the policy question is not whether to adopt AI, but where intelligence should sit. Embedding cognition at the infrastructure level allows services to adjust automatically to shifting demand, temporary residency, multilingual users, and cross-border digital activity without relying on manual intervention.

In a country defined by movement, digital systems must be built to think in motion because connectivity has reached maturity, and cognition will now define progress.

The writer is the group CTO, Beyond One.