Abu Dhabi authorities responded to a fire incident at the Habshan gas-processing facility early on Wednesday morning, according to a statement from the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

Authorities said two Emirati nationals and one Indian expatriate were injured in the incident.

The incident comes shortly after public safety alerts were issued across the UAE earlier in the day, warning of potential missile and drone threats amid heightened regional tensions.

Habshan is a key gas-processing hub in Abu Dhabi’s energy infrastructure, playing a central role in the emirate’s upstream operations.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.

Trump’s announcement on social media represented an abrupt turnaround from earlier in the day, when he issued an extraordinary warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if his demands were not met.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the ceasefire, said in a post on X that he had invited Iranian and US delegations to meet in Islamabad on Friday.

Trump said the last-minute deal was subject to Iran’s agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the strait, which typically handles about one-fifth of global oil shipments. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said in a statement that Tehran would stop counter-attacks and provide safe passage through the waterway.

“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.”

Conditioned on Strait of Hormuz reopening

Two White House officials confirmed that Israel has also agreed to the two-week ceasefire and to suspend its bombing campaign on Iran. The agreement includes a cessation of Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, Sharif said.

It was not immediately clear how soon the ceasefire would take full effect. Israeli media reported it would begin once Iran reopened the strait and that Israel expected Iranian attacks to continue in the interim.

More than an hour after Trump’s announcement, the Israeli military said it had identified missiles launched from Iran, and explosions from intercepted missiles could be heard in Tel Aviv. Gulf countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also issued near-simultaneous alerts and activated air defences.

Trump, who has issued a series of threats in recent weeks only to back away, said progress between the two sides had prompted him to agree to the ceasefire. He said Iran had presented a 10-point proposal that was a “workable basis” for negotiations and that he expected an agreement to be “finalized and consummated” during the two-week window.

Markets breathed a sigh of relief, with US stock futures rising in the minutes following Trump’s message. Oil prices fell sharply, with US crude futures touching their lowest price since March 26.

Abrupt turnaround

Trump’s announcement capped a whirlwind day that was dominated by his threat to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran unless Tehran reopened the strait. That unnerved world leaders, rattled global financial and energy markets and drew widespread condemnation, including criticism from the head of the United Nations and Pope Leo.

Some international law experts have said attacking civilian infrastructure indiscriminately could constitute a war crime.

The closure of the strait has sharply increased oil prices, escalating the chances of a global economic downturn or even recession. The US Energy Information Administration earlier on Tuesday warned that fuel prices could continue to rise for months even after the strait reopened.

With the US midterm election campaign ramping up, Trump’s approval ratings have hit their lowest level ever, leaving his Republican Party at risk of losing its narrow majorities in Congress. Polls show sizable majorities of Americans are opposed to the war and frustrated by the rising cost of gasoline.

As the clock ticked down to Trump’s 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) deadline, US and Israeli strikes on Iran had intensified, hitting railway and road bridges, an airport and a petrochemical plant. US forces attacked targets on Kharg Island, home to Iran’s main oil export terminal.

Satellite communications operator Space42 has confirmed that all services under its Thuraya Telecommunications Company brand remain fully operational following reports of a missile-related incident in Sharjah earlier on Tuesday.

In a statement shared on X, the company said its infrastructure had not been affected and that operations are continuing as normal.

“Space42 confirms that all Thuraya services and infrastructure remain fully intact. We continue with our mission, with no disruption to customers and partners,” the company said.

The reassurance came after local authorities reported that an administrative building linked to Thuraya in Sharjah’s central region was involved in an incident earlier in the day.

Despite the proximity of the event, Space42 said there has been no impact on its satellite communications network or service delivery.

The UAE’s Ministry of Defence said air defence systems successfully intercepted one ballistic missile and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran, preventing further damage.

The incident is the latest in a series of attempted strikes across the Gulf as regional tensions enter a sixth week.

The reassurance came after local authorities reported that an administrative building linked to Thuraya in Sharjah’s central region was involved in an incident earlier in the day.

Despite the proximity of the event, Space42 said there has been no impact on its satellite communications network or service delivery.

Read more: Sharjah confirms missile incident, two hospitalised

The UAE’s Ministry of Defence said air defence systems successfully intercepted one ballistic missile and 11 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran on Tuesday.

The incident is the latest in a series of attempted strikes across the Gulf as regional tensions enter a sixth week.

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Office spaces in the UAE are experiencing a quiet transformation. Today, workplaces are designed to put people first, prioritising comfort, flexibility, and collaboration over rigid processes. Leading office furniture providers, such as Urban 411 office furniture are helping companies achieve this by offering project-based quoting, which gives detailed cost estimates and potential savings for outfitting an entire office.

Urban 411 is a UAE-based office furniture provider specialising in end-to-end workplace solutions, from supplying high-quality desks, chairs, workstations, and acoustic office pods to supporting full office fit-outs. The company works closely with businesses to plan, furnish, and optimise their spaces through project-based quotations, space planning, and tailored product recommendations. By combining functional design with practical execution, Urban 411 helps organisations create efficient, modern work environments that balance aesthetics, comfort, and performance — whether for a single office upgrade or a complete workspace transformation.

From fixed layouts to flexible spaces

Traditional offices were built to last, with rows of desks, assigned seating, and fixed cabins. While this structure offered control, it often limited flexibility and creativity.

Workplaces today are different. Companies are leaning toward layouts that can vary during the day. Movable walls, modular workstations, and multi-purpose areas make it possible for spaces to change to fit diverse purposes, including focused work, team collaboration, or casual brainstorming.

What happened? Instead of being stuck at one workstation or in one process, employees can work in places that meet their needs at the time.

Prioritising employee comfort and wellbeing

A workspace that supports productivity is also one that cares about wellbeing. Ergonomic furniture, adjustable desks, and supportive seating are no longer optional—they are essential to help employees stay comfortable and healthy throughout the day.

Lighting, air circulation, and even the spatial flow of an office contribute to how employees feel and perform. Offices designed around these principles create environments where people can focus, collaborate, and innovate without unnecessary stress.

Activity-Based Workspaces

A lot of businesses in the UAE are adopting activity-based working (ABW), which means that the office is set up around tasks instead of people.

This could include:

• Quiet areas for chores that need focus
• Open spaces for team work
• Lounges for casual talks
• Office Pods for phone conferences or online meetings
• Activity-based workspaces promote mobility, break up boredom, and facilitate different ways of working. Employees can pick the space that works best for the job, which makes them happier and more productive.

Technology meets design

As technology becomes more common in the workplace, furniture and layouts are changing to keep up. Modern desks and conference spaces are made to work with hybrid collaboration tools, cable management, and seamless connectivity.

The purpose is clear, use technology to help people, not the other way around. When furniture and technology are in sync, workers can concentrate on their tasks instead of dealing with messy setups or slow processes.

Sustainability in modern workspaces

Sustainability is no longer a trend; it’s something we need to do. By doing the following, UAE businesses are making choices that are good for the environment:

• Choosing furniture that will last a long time
• Using modular designs to cut down on waste
• Prioritising energy efficient lighting and materials

Sustainable office design is flexible and adaptive, which means that firms don’t have to replace things all the time and may work toward long-term environmental goals.

Reflecting culture through design

An office tells you a lot about a business. Open design can demonstrate that people are working together and being honest, whereas private or semi-private rooms can show that people are focused on deep work.

For organisations in the UAE that want to hire the best people, the physical workspace has become a subtle but powerful way to reinforce company culture. A well-designed office shows that you care about your employees’ comfort and needs.

The UAE as a hub of innovation

Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two largest cities in the UAE, are at the forefront of workplace innovation. The idea is to create environments that are good for people, not to make people work for systems. This applies to all kinds of places, from corporate offices to co-working spaces.

This strategy that puts people first isn’t just about how things look. It’s also about how effectively they work, how quickly they can be done, and how to get people to work together in a corporate world that is changing quickly.

Final thoughts

The future of work in the UAE is clear: workplaces need to be structured around people, not processes. Flexible, comfortable, and purposeful design is becoming the foundation of productive and engaged offices. Companies that embrace this approach will attract top talent, foster collaboration, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving work environment. Workspaces that put people first and genuinely support team performance will define success today and in the future.

Donald Trump has signalled a sharp escalation in rhetoric toward Iran, warning of potentially historic consequences as a 48-hour deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz nears.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

The statement comes after the US president issued a second ultimatum to Iran to fully reopen the critical shipping corridor, a move closely watched by global energy and logistics markets given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump suggested that recent developments could lead to sweeping political change in Iran, adding: “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalised minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”

He further described the moment as potentially “one of the most important” in global history, referencing “47 years of extortion, corruption, and death” and concluding: “God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

The remarks mark a significant intensification in tone from Washington, raising concerns across energy markets, shipping operators and insurers about potential disruptions to crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint that handles a substantial share of global oil trade.