Dubai has established a new committee to develop and coordinate the emirate’s media narrative across government, semi-government and private sector entities, in a move aimed at strengthening the consistency of its global messaging and reinforcing its international positioning.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, issued Council Decision No. (16) of 2026 establishing the Dubai Media Narrative Committee, which will define the strategic framework, priorities and core pillars of Dubai’s media narrative.

The committee will be chaired by Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council, with Her Excellency Nehal Badri, Secretary General of the Dubai Media Council, serving as Vice Chairperson.

According to the decision, the committee will work to ensure consistent messaging across key sectors, strengthen coordination between public and private sector organisations, and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global model for future cities.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed said the establishment of the committee marks “a strategic step towards creating an integrated institutional framework that ensures consistency across key messages and enhances their impact.”

“A clear and unified media narrative provides a strategic point of reference grounded in facts, strengthens trust, and further enhances Dubai’s global standing as an inspiring city committed to shaping a future rich with opportunities for all,” he said.

He added that Dubai’s creative and intellectual capabilities provide a strong foundation for developing a media narrative aligned with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

The committee comprises senior officials from key government entities, including Dubai Chambers, Digital Dubai, Dubai Future Foundation, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), The Executive Council of Dubai and other government representatives.

Mona Al Marri said rapid regional and global changes have increased the importance of developing a coordinated media narrative capable of effectively communicating Dubai’s achievements and ambitions to international audiences.

“In today’s world, a strong media narrative is a key driver of strategic influence and an essential tool for building awareness and shaping perceptions,” she said.

“The ability to develop an influential media narrative has become a strategic imperative. Those capable of shaping their story and communicating it creatively and authentically, while sustaining its impact, are better positioned to build trust and strengthen their influence.”

Under its mandate, the committee will propose policies, priorities and implementation plans for Dubai’s media narrative, submit recommendations to the Dubai Media Council, and oversee their execution in coordination with relevant entities.

It will also develop mechanisms to coordinate media efforts across government, semi-government and private sector organisations, guide official engagement on international media platforms, and establish key performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of Dubai’s communications strategy.

In addition, the committee will prepare analytical reports on media performance, monitor local and international media trends, assess emerging opportunities and challenges, and recommend improvements to strengthen Dubai’s media positioning.

The committee will also support efforts to counter misinformation through fact-based, transparent communication while providing technical advice on media-related matters when requested by the Dubai Media Council or other relevant authorities.

The General Secretariat of the Dubai Media Council will provide administrative and technical support, while all government entities and relevant organisations in Dubai will be required to cooperate by supplying the information, data and reports needed for the committee to carry out its responsibilities.

Residents and businesses across the UAE are preparing for another official public holiday later this month, with authorities expected to confirm the date for the 12 Rabi ul Awwal holiday closer to the occasion.

While the exact timing depends on the traditional moon sighting process, current estimates indicate that the observance could fall on Tuesday, August 25, with the day off potentially being granted on Monday, August 24.

The annual holiday, which marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is one of the most significant occasions on the Islamic calendar and is recognised as an official public holiday for employees in both the government and private sectors. The announcement is expected to provide workers with a welcome break while allowing organisations to plan business operations around the upcoming closure.

Official holiday awaits confirmation

Under the UAE’s public holiday regulations, the occasion is observed on the 12th day of Rabi’ Al-Awwal in the Hijri calendar. Since Islamic dates are determined by the sighting of the moon, the final holiday date is confirmed only after the relevant authorities announce it.

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According to the UAE Government’s official public holidays platform, the observance falls on 12 Rabi’ Awwal and applies to both public and private sector employees. The government also notes that Islamic holidays are determined by moon sighting, meaning the corresponding Gregorian date changes from year to year.

“The holiday is officially recognised for both sectors, with the final date announced in line with the Hijri calendar and moon sighting,” the government platform states.

The one-day holiday is traditionally observed across the country, offering residents an opportunity for reflection, family gatherings and community observance while enabling businesses to prepare their operational schedules in advance.

National Day break also on the horizon

Beyond the August holiday, residents can also look ahead to the UAE’s National Day celebrations later this year. The government’s official public holidays platform confirms that December 2 and 3 are designated as public holidays for both the public and private sectors.

“The National Day holiday is observed over two days and applies across both sectors,” according to the official government calendar.

Unlike Islamic holidays, National Day follows fixed Gregorian calendar dates, allowing businesses, schools and families to make travel and event plans well in advance.

Together, the 12 Rabi ul Awwal observance and the National Day holidays form an important part of the UAE’s annual public holiday calendar, balancing religious traditions with national celebrations while giving residents and employers greater certainty when planning the remainder of the year.

The average cost of a data breach for organisations in the Middle East has reached $8m, as cybercriminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to accelerate attacks while businesses continue to face mounting financial losses, according to IBM’s 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report.

The study found that 26 per cent of malicious breaches in the region involved AI-enabled attacks, while a further 11 per cent of organisations were unable to determine whether artificial intelligence had been used by attackers.

IBM said organisations that extensively deployed AI and security automation recorded average breach costs that were more than $3m lower than companies without these capabilities. Despite the potential savings, 23 per cent of organisations surveyed said they had yet to adopt AI and automation in their cybersecurity operations.

Saad Toma, General Manager of IBM Middle East and Africa, said: “As the number of cybercriminals harnessing the power of AI for malicious purposes rises, attacks are becoming faster and cheaper to launch, while breaches keep getting more expensive to find and fix. This growing imbalance is fundamentally changing the economics of cyber risk. Companies must invest in advanced threat detection and response technologies using AI and automation to stay ahead of emerging risks.”

The report identified mismanaged secrets and keys, excessive user privileges and poor role management, and the inability to prioritise threats as the three biggest factors driving higher breach costs for organisations in the Middle East. Conversely, encryption, DevSecOps practices and endpoint detection and response technologies were associated with lower financial losses.

Lost business remained the single largest cost component of a breach, averaging $3.57m, followed by post-breach response costs at $2.17m, detection and escalation at $1.9m, and notification costs of $360,000.

The financial services and technology sectors recorded the region’s highest average breach costs at $10.67 million each, while the industrial sector followed at $9.6m.

Phishing remained the leading initial attack vector, accounting for 18 per cent of all breaches analysed and carrying the highest average financial impact of $10.41m. Supply chain compromises and social engineering attacks, including IT helpdesk impersonation and multi-factor authentication fatigue, each represented 16 per cent of incidents, with average breach costs of $8.45m and $7.32m, respectively.

The report also highlighted increased cybersecurity spending following breaches. Among organisations surveyed, 59 per cent said they planned to increase investment in security tools and governance after experiencing a breach. Identity and access management ranked as the top investment priority for 44 per cent of respondents, while 39 per cent cited incident response planning and testing and quantum security for data and data transfers as key focus areas.

Despite growing awareness of cyber risks, encryption gaps remain. Only 35 per cent of breached organisations reported encrypting sensitive data both at rest and in transit at the time of the incident. However, 69 per cent said they had formal controls in place to monitor cryptography and cryptographic assets across their organisations.

The report also found growing adoption of AI agents within security operations centres. Among organisations operating dedicated security operations centres, 55 per cent had already deployed AI agents, while 57 per cent reported using machine identity inventory and lifecycle management to secure non-human identities such as service accounts and API keys. A further 43 per cent had extended zero-trust security principles to AI-driven processes.

Conducted by the Ponemon Institute and sponsored by IBM, the 2026 Cost of a Data Breach Report analysed real-world breach data from 602 organisations globally, including businesses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, between March 2025 and February 2026.

Abu Dhabi-based investment holding company 2PointZero Group reported a net profit of Dhs7.7bn ($2.1bn) for the first half of 2026, supported by acquisitions, investment gains and the consolidation of businesses following the formation of the group.

Revenue rose to Dhs21.9bn in the six months ended June 30, while adjusted EBITDA reached Dhs5bn, excluding fair value changes and one-off items. Operating profit stood at Dhs6.5bn.

The company said net profit from its operating businesses increased 2,301 per cent year-on-year, driven by the consolidation of Spanish fashion retailer Tendam and the strategic merger that created 2PointZero Group.

Revenue increased 2,042 per cent from a year earlier.

Chief executive Samia Bouazza said the group generated Dhs21.9bn in revenue, representing a 114 per cent increase on a pro forma like-for-like basis.

She said net profit included Dhs2.2bn from operating businesses alongside one-off gains from investments, including SpaceX and Anthropic, as well as other investment gains.

“Beyond the financial results, this period marked an important step in the evolution of 2PointZero. We completed the successful monetisation of our TAQA investment, demonstrating our ability to divest some assets at the right time, and expanded into North American energy infrastructure through the acquisition of Traverse Midstream Partners, representing ePointZero’s largest investment in energy infrastructure to date,” Bouazza said.

She added that the group’s cash position of Dhs13.7bn leaves it well placed to continue investing through market cycles.

During the first half, the group completed the sale of its entire 7.29 per cent stake in TAQA to Abu Dhabi Power.

Through its subsidiary ePointZero, it also acquired a 100 per cent stake in US-based Traverse Midstream Partners for $2.25bn in an all-cash transaction, expanding its energy infrastructure portfolio.

The group also participated in the Series G funding round of wearable technology company WHOOP and acquired a 60.8 per cent controlling stake in Italy’s ISEM Packaging Group for Dhs704m.

In July, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange added 2PointZero Group as one of six single-stock futures to its derivatives market, a move the company said would broaden international investor participation and improve the stock’s liquidity.

Saudi Arabia’s real estate market continued to demonstrate resilience in the second quarter of 2026, underpinned by robust non-oil economic growth, regulatory reforms and one of the world’s largest development pipelines, despite moderating residential sales activity and ongoing global uncertainty, according to CBRE.

In its latest Saudi Arabia Real Estate Market Review, the consultancy said the Kingdom is entering a new phase of its property cycle where project delivery, occupancy and investment performance are becoming increasingly important alongside the scale of new developments.

The report said non-oil economic activity expanded 2.9 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, helping drive overall GDP growth of 3 per cent, while continued government capital expenditure supported the rollout of giga-projects, transport infrastructure, tourism developments and large-scale real estate schemes across the Kingdom.

Construction and procurement activity remained strong during the quarter, with major project awards recorded in Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, the Eastern Province and Aseer. Government-backed developers including the National Housing Company (NHC), Diriyah Company, Expo 2030 Riyadh Company and Rua Al Madinah Holding continued to drive investment activity.

The office sector remained the Kingdom’s strongest-performing asset class, particularly in Riyadh, where demand for Grade A office space continues to outstrip supply. Driven by multinational companies establishing regional headquarters under Saudi Arabia’s Regional Headquarters (RHQ) programme, alongside expansion by technology, healthcare, financial services and consulting firms, Riyadh’s office stock has now surpassed 6 million square metres of gross leasable area, with occupancy across prime assets remaining close to full capacity.

Saudi Arabia’s residential market recorded a moderation in transaction activity during the quarter. Residential sales volumes across apartments, villas and land plots declined 14 per cent year-on-year to more than 41,000 transactions, while transaction values fell 27 per cent to almost SAR38bn.

Despite the slowdown in activity, residential prices continued to rise. The National Residential Price Index increased 2.6 per cent year-on-year, supported by sustained end-user demand and limited land availability in key urban centres. The quarter also marked the implementation of regulations under the Law on Non-Saudi Ownership of Real Estate, opening designated areas of the Kingdom to greater international investment.

The report also highlighted the continued expansion of master-planned housing developments, including the delivery of more than 5,500 homes at NHC’s Murcia project in Riyadh by the end of 2026.

Retail market fundamentals also remained healthy as consumer spending continued to grow. According to Saudi Central Bank data, point-of-sale spending increased from SAR58.4bn in April to SAR63.1bn in May, supported by a record 1.1 billion transactions. Approximately 400,000 square metres of new retail space is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, while vacancy rates remain around 6 per cent and prime rents in leading super-regional malls have held steady at around SAR3,275 per square metre.

Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector experienced softer trading conditions during the first half of the year amid weaker corporate travel demand and regional geopolitical uncertainty. However, CBRE said the long-term outlook remains positive, supported by domestic tourism growth, international visitor targets under Vision 2030 and a substantial hotel development pipeline. Hotel inventory reached approximately 177,000 keys by the end of the second quarter, with significant new supply planned across Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and the Red Sea coast.

Meanwhile, the industrial and logistics sector continued to benefit from Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy, with demand for modern warehousing remaining strong due to manufacturing localisation, expanding e-commerce activity and ongoing investment in ports, rail and logistics corridors. Rental growth across key logistics hubs in Riyadh and Jeddah remained robust during the quarter as high-quality warehouse space continued to face tight supply.

Matthew Green, head of research at CBRE MENA, said: “What is increasingly evident across Saudi Arabia is the scale of execution taking place on the ground. From major infrastructure projects and commercial developments to new residential communities and tourism destinations, investment is increasingly translating into delivery. Supported by a growing non-oil economy and progressive regulatory reforms, including the introduction of the new non-Saudi property ownership framework, Saudi Arabia is continuing to strengthen its position as one of the most compelling real estate investment destinations globally. The market is now transitioning into a new phase, where delivery, occupancy and investment performance are becoming just as important as the scale of the development pipeline.”