Citizens of five Gulf countries could move closer to visa-free travel to Europe, with a major announcement on the process to waive Schengen visa requirements expected at the upcoming EU-GCC Summit in Riyadh on October 24.

GCC secretary-general Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi said visa-free travel for citizens of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait was “very close,” raising expectations of progress in travel arrangements between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union.

Currently, the UAE is the only GCC country whose citizens can visit the Schengen Area for short stays without obtaining a visa.

Riyadh summit may mark a turning point

Speaking on the latest episode of the Arab Views podcast, Al Budaiwi said the summit was expected to deliver progress on several issues, including the long-standing push to ease travel restrictions for Gulf citizens.

“On October 24, we will have the second EU-GCC summit coming, with many deliverables. We are expecting that we will reach many things,” he told Faisal J. Abbas, host of the podcast.

Read more-Tourists could soon travel across the GCC with one visa: Key details to know

“I will give you something exclusive. We are very close to reaching the beginning of the process to waive the Schengen visa for GCC citizens, for the five countries, the five remaining countries. So, in that summit, you will hear something positive about that,” he said.

The anticipated announcement concerns the beginning of the process rather than an immediate introduction of visa-free travel. Any change would depend on the subsequent steps agreed by the two sides, an Arab News report said.

GCC-EU trade deal faces hurdles

While progress on travel arrangements appears possible, a breakthrough on a free trade agreement (FTA) between the GCC and the EU remains less certain.

Al Budaiwi said the two sides had held negotiations for years without reaching a final agreement, highlighting differences over the terms proposed by the European side.

“Historically, we’ve entered into negotiations with them (the EU) for many years and we never reached, unfortunately, a conclusion,” he said.

“Now we have to start something new with the EU. However, unfortunately, the EU side insists on adding a few aspects to the FTA that they would propose to us,” he added.

According to Al Budaiwi, those provisions include human rights clauses that the GCC believes should be removed, presenting a continuing obstacle to negotiations.

JioHotstar has launched in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) through a partnership with STARZPLAY, expanding its international footprint as it targets the region’s large South Asian audience.

The service will be available as a dedicated JioHotstar destination within the STARZPLAY app and website, offering films, original series, reality programmes and television content across Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla and other languages.

The MENA expansion comes within weeks of JioHotstar launching in the UK, Canada and Singapore, as the streaming platform looks to extend the international reach of Indian entertainment.

JioHotstar will be available through STARZPLAY’s PLUS plan for Dhs34.99 per month, while the MAX plan costs Dhs49.99 per month and combines the JioHotstar entertainment catalogue with STARZPLAY’s sports portfolio.

JioHotstar targets MENA’s South Asian audience

The launch catalogue includes Malayalam originals such as Prince of Mollywood, Cousins & Kalyanam, Kerala Crime Files, 1000 Babies and Roslin, alongside films including Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Drishyam, Moonwalk and Thudarum.

Other Hotstar specials include Part Timers, Kappi Squad, The Court, Pritam & Pedro and Ali Baba Aur Chaalis Bhoot, with new JioHotstar Originals set to premiere alongside their release in India.

The platform will also offer the new season of Koffee with Karan, alongside reality franchises including Bigg Boss, Khatron Ke Khiladi and Laughter Chefs – Unlimited Entertainment. Anil Kapoor’s game show India Ka Top 1 Percent will also be available.

Viewers will be able to watch programming from JioStar television channels at the same time as its broadcast in India, including Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Anupama, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and Sayonee.

The content library will offer subtitles and dubbing across more than 12 languages.

STARZPLAY combines Indian entertainment and sport

The partnership also builds on STARZPLAY’s sports offering and its existing relationship with South Asian audiences through cricket.

The MAX subscription will combine STARZPLAY’s sports portfolio with JioHotstar’s films, originals, reality programmes and daily entertainment under a single plan.

Amit Malhotra, Head – International Business, JioStar, said: “Our partnership with STARZPLAY brings together a shared ambition to redefine what a modern entertainment platform can be. Through this partnership, we are creating a premier destination where audiences can discover the best in sports, Indian and global entertainment.”

He added: “Our belief at JioStar has always been that the future of streaming isn’t about forcing a choice between local, regional, Indian or global content—it is about bringing the world closer together. JioHotstar’s arrival in the Middle East and North Africa is a significant step in that direction.”

Malhotra said Dubai and the wider Gulf were at the heart of the company’s international ambitions.

Maaz Sheikh, CEO of STARZPLAY, said: “The next phase of streaming growth in MENA will be shaped by platforms that bring the right brands together and make the viewing experience more valuable. Audiences should not have to navigate an increasingly fragmented market to find the entertainment that matters to them.”

To mark the regional launch, JioHotstar and STARZPLAY staged a projection on Dubai’s Burj Khalifa featuring JioHotstar’s “Infinite Entertainment” branding.

The MENA launch extends JioHotstar’s international expansion across the UK, Canada and Singapore, with the platform seeking to build a wider global audience for Indian entertainment.

Saudi Arabia faced renewed threats to its aviation infrastructure after a projectile struck Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11 others, as air defences intercepted a ballistic missile targeting Khamis Mushayt early Monday.

The incidents followed a deadly attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to the supplied reports. The escalating strikes have disrupted airport operations, triggered international travel warnings and heightened concerns over the security of the kingdom’s civilian infrastructure.

The latest strike on Sunday came after the airport’s operations had been closed since Saturday.

Riyadh airport strikes raise security concerns

Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, causing a fire. Saudi authorities confirmed one death and 11 injuries in the latest incident.

Footage broadcast by Saudi state television showed religious pilgrims gathered near an airport gate before a bright flash sent people running. Parts of the terminal roof appeared to cave in during Saturday’s attack, which the Houthis claimed responsibility for.

Read more: Almost 1,500 flights cancelled across Saudi Arabia as attacks disrupt travel

The airport was closed following the earlier strike. The latest incident added to mounting concerns about the protection of Saudi Arabia’s aviation network as the kingdom intensifies its military campaign against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which is fighting the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

Coalition forces also reported intercepting a cruise missile near King Khalid International Airport and destroying a drone in the Eastern Province.

Khamis Mushayt missile interception prompts fresh alert

Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Khamis Mushayt in the kingdom’s southwestern Asir region early Monday, coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said in a post on X.

The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense issued an emergency alert in nearby Abha warning of a potential attack before later confirming that the danger had passed, an Arab News report said.

Khamis Mushayt and Abha have faced Houthi missile and drone attacks in recent weeks. The group has also targeted Jazan and Najran, two regions bordering Yemen, according to the supplied report.

Houthis claim attacks on Dammam Airport and Aramco facilities

In a televised address on Sunday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for Saturday’s Riyadh airport attack and said the group had also targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and two facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco.

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed that Dammam airport had been targeted, saying that “damage assessments and safety inspections of airport facilities are under way.”

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 recorded several delays and cancellations affecting arrivals and departures.

The UAE has introduced fee exemptions for student inventors and People of Determination across 29 industrial property services, in a move aimed at lowering the cost of protecting innovations and encouraging wider participation in the country’s intellectual property ecosystem.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MOET) reviewed Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, which provides the exemptions as part of efforts to strengthen the UAE’s innovation environment, improve access to intellectual property (IP) protection services and support the development of new ideas into commercially viable assets.

The ministry began implementing the resolution on September 14, 2026.

Fee waivers cover 29 industrial property services

The resolution provides a full exemption from fees for 29 services. Of these, 11 are available to both student inventors and People of Determination, covering applications for patents, industrial designs, integrated circuit layouts and utility certificates, a WAM report said.

The exemptions also cover the first substantive examination of a utility certificate, its substantive re-examination, publication of registration and annual fees for the second, third, fourth and fifth years of industrial property protection.

The original fees for these services range from Dhs100 to Dhs1,000.

Read more: Saudi Arabia extends tax penalty waiver until December 2026: Key details revealed

A further nine services are exempt from fees for People of Determination, with the original charges ranging from Dhs1,000 to Dhs9,000. Another nine services are covered for student inventors, with fees previously ranging from Dhs500 to Dhs4,500.

The measures are intended to reduce the financial barriers to protecting inventions and help students and People of Determination safeguard the results of their research projects. They could also support efforts to develop those innovations into industrial property assets with potential for further development and investment.

UAE strengthens intellectual property framework

Dr Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, assistant undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector at MOET, said the resolution reflects the UAE’s commitment to fostering creativity and innovation by making it easier for eligible inventors to register their work and protect their rights.

He said the measures would support their participation in the national IP ecosystem, improve access to services and enable them to benefit from available support mechanisms, contributing to the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for creativity and the new economy.

Al Muaini also highlighted the country’s efforts to develop a comprehensive legislative and regulatory framework for industrial property rights, including patents and industrial designs, in line with international best practices and standards.

These efforts include the Federal Law on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights and the UAE’s accession to the Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs. The initiatives are intended to strengthen IP protection and create a supportive environment for inventors, entrepreneurs and businesses.

Digital services support growing demand

The ministry is also working to enhance the digital infrastructure underpinning IP services, including patent, industrial design and utility certificate services.

According to Al Muaini, these developments are designed to improve service efficiency, accelerate registration and protection procedures, and provide a smoother, more flexible experience for inventors, innovators and business owners. The efforts align with the objectives of the UAE’s We the UAE 2031 vision.

Patent applications rise 9% in first half of 2026

The fee exemptions come as the UAE records growth in demand for industrial property protection.

MOET reported a 9 percent increase in patent applications in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The country received approximately 4,361 patent applications during 2025.

Applications for utility certificates also rose 21.43 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the corresponding period a year earlier.

The total number of patent, utility certificate and industrial design applications registered in the country has reached 22,184 to date, according to the ministry.

The figures point to growing interest among innovators and companies in protecting their industrial property rights. By reducing service costs for eligible applicants, the new exemptions aim to make that protection more accessible and encourage innovation across the UAE.

The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) has announced major road upgrades in Mussafah, aiming to ease congestion, improve road safety and strengthen connectivity between the industrial area, Mohamed Bin Zayed City and Zayed City.

The project will cover approximately 13 kilometres along E30 and 8th Street, improving traffic flow and reducing travel times for commuters and businesses operating across the area.

A key component of the project is a new free-flowing highway along 8th Street, featuring three lanes in each direction. Three additional lanes on either side will provide access to nearby shops and amenities while keeping local traffic separate from expressway movements.

Read more: Dubai is changing its street signs, here are the five areas getting them first

The upgraded street is expected to accommodate approximately 4,000 vehicles per hour, according to a WAM report.

The project also includes upgrades to four interchanges along E30, improved connections with 8th Street and E20, and modifications to nine major junctions. Two new bridges are planned between Mussafah and Mohamed Bin Zayed City, alongside a dedicated pedestrian bridge.

Infrastructure to support economic growth

Engineer Eisa Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Director-General of Infrastructure Development at DMT, said the improvements would address the needs of commuters, businesses and local road users.

“Mussafah’s road network serves residents travelling to work, businesses moving goods and people making local journeys throughout the day. Planning for these different needs is essential to the area’s continued growth,” he said.

By separating through-traffic from local access and improving links with neighbouring communities, the project aims to support economic activity while making daily journeys safer and more convenient.

Al Mazrouei added that the approach would also prepare the road network for future connections, ensuring current infrastructure decisions support Abu Dhabi’s long-term development.

The Mussafah upgrades form part of broader efforts to strengthen transport links across Abu Dhabi. Other planned infrastructure includes a two-tunnel undersea link connecting the eastern tip of Abu Dhabi Island to Mussafah, passing beneath Khor Al Maqta and the Al Hudayriyat Island channel.

Together, the planned improvements are intended to enhance connectivity, support commercial movement and accommodate the emirate’s future transport needs.