The UAE Capital Market Authority has approved the abolition of 15 fees following a comprehensive review of its fee framework, in a move designed to simplify regulatory processes, reduce costs and improve service efficiency for licensed companies and individuals operating in the country’s capital markets.

The decision follows an extensive assessment of fees linked to a broad range of services and activities under the authority’s supervision. Each fee was reviewed against current regulatory requirements, evolving market conditions and the authority’s service delivery model, resulting in the removal of charges that were no longer considered necessary under the approved framework, a WAM report said.

Periodic review supports evolving market needs

The authority said the latest measures reflect its ongoing commitment to regularly reviewing regulations, procedures and the fee framework governing the UAE’s capital markets. The initiative is intended to ensure the regulatory environment remains aligned with market developments while supporting the needs of industry participants.

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The review also seeks to strike a balance between maintaining effective regulatory oversight and enhancing transparency around fees associated with services under the authority’s supervision. By eliminating outdated charges, the authority aims to create a more efficient and business-friendly operating environment.

Waleed Saeed Al Awadhi, CEO of the Capital Market Authority, said, “The authority remains committed to continuously reviewing and developing its fee framework to ensure it evolves alongside the capital markets and responds to the needs of licensed companies and individuals.”

He added, “This review forms part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency of regulatory services and reduce the burden on market participants, contributing to more resilient capital markets, a more effective business environment, and higher-quality services.”

Resolution available on the authority’s website

The authority confirmed that the abolished fees relate to a variety of services and activities under its regulatory oversight and form part of the broader review of its approved fee framework.

It encouraged licensed companies and individuals to review the Board Resolution published on its website for detailed information on the services covered by the fee abolition, as well as guidance on how the decision will be implemented.

Abu Dhabi has introduced a new policy aimed at encouraging healthier consumer choices by changing how food and beverage products are displayed in supermarkets and on online grocery platforms across the emirate.

Launched by Healthy Living in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Registration Authority (ADRA), the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development’s (ADDED) regulatory arm, the initiative will redesign in-store layouts and digital retail interfaces to reduce the visibility of high-fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) food and beverage products, according to a WAM report.

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The policy will become mandatory from January 1, 2027 and regulates the placement and promotion of HFSS food and beverage products in both physical and online supermarket environments without restricting their sale.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH), Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (ADQCC), and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), the initiative is designed to promote healthier purchasing decisions while maintaining consumer choice.

High-visibility displays to be restricted

Under the new standards, food and beverage products classified as unhealthy under the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre’s SEHHI classification will no longer be allowed in prominent, high-exposure areas such as store entrances, end-of-aisle displays and checkout counters. Similar restrictions will apply to online supermarket platforms, where these products can no longer be featured prominently on home pages, search results, promotional pop-ups or checkout pages.

The policy applies to physical supermarkets larger than 4,000 square feet.

Consumers will continue to have access to all products, with HFSS items remaining available in their regular aisle locations. The policy focuses on reducing the prominence of less nutritious products rather than limiting their availability.

Mohamed Munif Al Mansoori, Director-General of ADRA, said, “We are working closely with relevant entities to meet the growing demands of consumers, placing their health, safety, and well-being at the top of our priorities. Our collaboration with Healthy Living reflects a shared commitment to making healthier choices easier and accessible for all consumers. In addition to ensuring compliance of commercial entities with regulations and standards, we also deliver awareness campaigns that empower consumers to make more informed decisions and better understand the choices available to them in the market.”

Retailers begin implementation ahead of deadline

Dr Ahmed AlKhazraiji, Executive Director of Healthy Living, said the policy reflects Abu Dhabi’s long-term focus on preventive healthcare and evidence-based public health interventions.

“In Abu Dhabi, our commitment to prevention as the foundation of a healthier society is what Healthy Living was built on, and this policy is a direct reflection of that. Our approach is rooted in behavioural science and real-world evidence, and interventions like this have delivered measurable results globally. When the products consumers encounter first are not the least nutritious options, healthier choices become the natural default – empowering people to make better decisions,” he said.

Officials said the policy was developed in close consultation with retailers across the emirate to ensure the new requirements align with operational realities while incorporating international best practices.

Several retailers have already started implementing the standards ahead of the compliance deadline. Carrefour has become one of the first supermarket chains to complete the rollout across its Abu Dhabi stores.

Ahmed Galal Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, said, “We are proud to support this ambition and to have achieved compliance with the Responsible Food and Beverage Placement Standards across our Carrefour stores in Abu Dhabi. We remain committed to creating environments that deliver healthier, more convenient shopping experiences for the millions of customers we serve each year.”

The policy marks another step in Abu Dhabi’s broader strategy to strengthen preventive healthcare through practical retail interventions, encouraging healthier purchasing habits while preserving consumer freedom of choice. By reshaping the way products are presented both in-store and online, authorities aim to make healthier options more visible and accessible, supporting long-term public health objectives without limiting product availability.

DP World has begun operations at its first multi-client third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse in Saudi Arabia, expanding its warehousing and distribution network as demand for modern supply chain infrastructure grows under the kingdom’s Vision 2030 programmeThe 15,250 square metre facility, located in Riyadh’s Al Mashael Logistics Hub, offers more than 17,000 pallet positions and provides storage, inventory management and distribution services through a single logistics provider.

Access to major transport corridors

The warehouse gives customers access to major transport corridors across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Operating as a non-bonded facility, it enables customs-cleared goods to move directly into the domestic market, helping reduce delivery times and improve inventory availability.

“Supply chains today require greater flexibility, visibility and speed,” Mohammad Alshaikh, CEO of DP World Saudi Arabia, said in a statement.

He said the facility would provide scalable warehousing and distribution services while strengthening the company’s logistics footprint in Riyadh to support trade and economic growth across Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in logistics infrastructure as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy, driving demand for warehousing and distribution services across manufacturing, retail, e-commerce and industrial sectors.

Raveen Guliani, COO of Logistics at DP World GCC, said Saudi Arabia was among the company’s fastest-growing logistics markets in the region and an important gateway for regional trade.

“As supply chains become more integrated across the Gulf, customers are looking for partners that can connect warehousing, transportation, ports and distribution through one integrated network,” he said.

The warehouse has been designed to serve consumer goods, industrial products, automotive, retail and technology sectors. It also offers import consolidation and distribution services, with storage areas that can be adapted for temperature-controlled operations as demand increases.

New facility supports DP World’s Saudi operations

The Riyadh facility complements DP World’s existing logistics operations in Dammam and forms part of the company’s broader logistics network linking ports, inland transport, warehousing and distribution across Saudi Arabia.

It also builds on DP World‘s investments in the kingdom, including the expansion of Jeddah South Container Terminal and the previously announced $250 million Jeddah Logistics Park, a 415,000 square metre logistics development.

The US carried out fresh strikes in Iran overnight, the US military said, further intensifying a five-month-old war that was already expanding beyond its main fronts to embroil additional countries in the region.

“US forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8:00 p.m. ET today (0000 GMT),” US Central Command said in a statement.

“The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East.”

Earlier on Wednesday, a drone hit a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said in an initial assessment, while US and Saudi forces launched strikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq and Iran fired missiles at US troops in Jordan.

A statement from Egypt’s petroleum ministry confirmed a fire at the port but made no mention of a drone attack. It was not immediately clear who was responsible.

The latest strikes in Iraq and Egypt threatened to draw more Middle Eastern countries into the conflict, after the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen last week declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia.

The US strikes in Iran on Wednesday followed President Donald Trump’s vow earlier in the day to retaliate against Iran for firing on US troops.

“So it’s our turn,” Trump told reporters at the White House, promising to “hit them very hard” even as he again said Washington would continue to aim for a peace deal with Tehran.

Iran confirmed overnight that it had fired on US bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and also spurned an Omani proposal to jointly manage the strait, a critical global shipping route for oil and gas.

The war began in February, when the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that Trump said would last only a few weeks. A temporary ceasefire agreement in June collapsed amid renewed fighting over the strait, which Iran says it now controls.

Oil prices shot up on Wednesday in one of the sharpest spikes of the five-month war. Brent crude futures rose more than 8 per cent to push the benchmark well above $90 a barrel, reversing much of a plunge earlier this week when Trump had unexpectedly halted US strikes.

Tensions in Iraq

The joint US-Saudi attacks marked the first time Riyadh has publicly joined strikes alongside Washington.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, powerful Iran-backed paramilitary groups incorporated into the Iraqi security forces, said at least 20 members were killed and 32 wounded in U.S.-Saudi strikes targeting several bases across Iraq.

Washington and Riyadh said they struck Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq in retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi oil targets launched from Iraq.

The office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took power just two months ago, urged the parties involved to avoid escalation and said he wanted to keep the country out of regional conflicts.

The Iraqi presidency denounced the strikes on the paramilitaries as “an unacceptable attack and a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty”, while also calling for a halt to attacks by armed groups against Iraq’s neighbours.

Hours before launching the attacks on Iraq, the U.S. military said its air defences had averted a surprise Iranian attack on US troops in the region.

Jordan’s military said it had shot down five Iranian missiles. US bases in Jordan have lately become primary Iranian targets, where three US service members were killed this month in the worst US losses since March.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had fired several ballistic missiles at US military installations in Jordan, and had struck three tankers that were attempting to transit through the Strait of Hormuz along an unauthorised route.

Today, the most successful global events compete for economic relevance, and Saudi Arabia understands that distinction better than most. Across the Kingdom, events are increasingly being treated as vehicles for accelerating investment, strengthening priority sectors and supporting long term economic diversification. Indeed, the Saudi events industry has become a clear example of how national ambition and private sector delivery can combine to build globally competitive platforms.

The scale of that opportunity is significant. According to the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, Saudi Arabia now has the largest information and communication technology market in the Middle East, valued at more than $48bn, whilst the digital economy contributes around 15 per cent of national GDP. And in tandem, the unprecedented growth of Saudi Arabia’s MICE market sits within a broader national transformation strategy focused on expanding non-oil sectors, attracting foreign investment and positioning the kingdom as a globally connected business hub.

In that context, events play a much larger role than visibility alone. They create concentrated environments where industries can engage, collaborate and accelerate more effectively.

As a result, international companies increasingly view Saudi Arabia’s leading platforms as market entry infrastructure, providing direct access to regulators, investors, partners and customers in a highly concentrated environment

That alignment also explains the pace at which the events ecosystem has expanded. In many global markets, building internationally recognised platforms takes decades. For Tahaluf, the joint venture model – underpinning events like LEAP, bringing together Informa PLC’s global operational expertise with the institutional backing of SAFCSP and EIF – has compressed those timelines significantly. Since 2022, Tahaluf’s portfolio has grown to span technology, cybersecurity, fintech, real estate, healthcare, gaming and more. This rapid growth has allowed us to respond quickly to emerging sectors and evolve formats in line with changing market expectations.

At the same time, the structure of business events is changing globally. Delegates increasingly expect environments that combine networking, content, culture and live experiences in ways that reflect how modern business relationships are built. The strongest platforms are designed around participation and engagement, creating spaces where connections are more meaningful and outcomes more tangible.

Festivalisation of business events

The shift has a name: the festivalisation of business events. The objective is to create platforms that people actively want to attend because they deliver relevance, access and genuine commercial value. The longer participants remain within an ecosystem, the more opportunities emerge for collaboration, investment and deal-making.

LEAP is one of the clearest examples of how this translates in practice. It has grown into one of the world’s largest technology events, attracting more than 200,000 attendees and generating billions of dollars in announced investments. One of the joys of building a business in a new market is that it allows for greater flexibility to shape it around regional sensibilities.

To create something that truly resonates and earns advocacy, the experience needs to be engaging and desirable. This means moving beyond tightly packed, grid-based exhibition halls towards environments designed more like considered town squares, where planning, openness and scale create a more immersive and valuable experience for attendees.

This is spirit that works so well for startups and investors. For example, Ejar – the Saudi proptech startup – met its first investor at LEAP 2023. That introduction led to a $400,000 investment, followed by further funding rounds as the company scaled. Today it operates across multiple cities in Saudi Arabia and will return to LEAP 2026 with a unicorn booth. That arc is exactly what these platforms are designed to produce.

Year-round convening hub

The wider impact extends beyond any single event. Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a year-round convening hub rather than a periodic host market. Alongside Tahaluf’s sector-led platforms, events such as Riyadh Season and MDLBEAST have helped establish the kingdom’s credentials as a destination for large-scale live experiences.

I feel our experience at Tahaluf offers a clear lesson. When events are aligned with national priorities and designed around long-term economic outcomes, they become far more than temporary gathering points. They become platforms that continuously strengthen investment, collaboration and sector growth over time. Increasingly, Saudi Arabia’s events industry is operating at the centre of economic diversification, supporting growth that extends far beyond the events themselves.

The writer is the CEO of Tahaluf.