Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) has signed a framework agreement with Emarat EV Charging Stations Company (UAEV) to develop and operate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across mosque parking areas in Dubai.

The agreement grants UAEV temporary site occupation licences to install and manage EV charging stations, as part of efforts to integrate sustainable mobility solutions into community infrastructure. The contract runs for eight years, with an option to renew, supporting the long-term development of the project in line with clean energy and smart city objectives.

The project will include the installation of modern charging stations, along with maintenance, performance monitoring, secure payment systems and advanced energy management technologies aimed at improving efficiency and reducing environmental impact. A dedicated digital application will also allow users to locate available charging stations.

Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director General of IACAD, said the initiative represents a shift towards developing mosque services within a broader sustainability-focused ecosystem that anticipates future community needs. He added that integrating clean energy solutions into mosque facilities strengthens their role as community hubs while aligning with national strategies on energy, environment and smart transformation.

Engineer Ahmed Al Kaabi, Board Member of UAEV, said: “This agreement reflects the importance of effective partnerships in advancing sustainable mobility across the UAE. Through joint efforts with IACAD to deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure in mosque facilities, we contribute to integrating clean transport solutions into community amenities and supporting the country’s transition toward a low-emissions future.”

Ali Al Darwish, Acting Chief Executive Officer of UAEV, said the collaboration represents a practical step towards expanding EV charging services in community-centric locations, while maintaining a structured approach to scaling the charging network.

Consultant Engineer Ali Al Halyan Al Suwaidi said the project is based on advanced technical standards, incorporating the latest EV charging technologies with a focus on safety, operational efficiency and future scalability, supported by integrated energy management and monitoring systems.

The initiative highlights IACAD’s efforts to embed sustainability and smart infrastructure into religious and community facilities, positioning mosques as part of Dubai’s broader urban development strategy.

For Natasha Sideris, founder and CEO of Tashas Group — which operates one of the UAE’s most recognisable casual dining chains, tashas — the past few weeks have been defined less by headlines and more by recalibration.

When the Iran war broke out on 28 February, she initially feared the worst — a potential 50 per cent drop in revenue across parts of the business.

The reality, while still painful, has been more contained.

Across the group — which spans more than 40 restaurants across the UAE, South Africa, the UK and Saudi Arabia — she says her outlets in the Emirates are now tracking closer to a 25 to 30 per cent decline, with performance varying sharply by location and concept.

Since the outbreak of the war, regional tensions have disrupted travel, dented consumer confidence and triggered a slowdown across parts of the UAE’s hospitality sector, particularly in tourist-heavy and high-density areas.

“So we’ve got a number of brands in the portfolio… and all of those brands are trading differently,” she said in a video interview with Gulf Business.

Watch the full interview below:


The variation is stark. Some outlets are trading in line with previous years, including tashas in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi. Others are down between 25 and 30 per cent, while higher-end concepts and tourist-driven venues have taken the biggest hit.

“People are a little bit more scared of being in denser areas… Marina Mall, for example, is a little bit more affected,” she said.

The timing has compounded the pressure. The onset of the conflict coincided with Ramadan, historically a quieter period, and now rolls into the summer months, when demand typically softens further.

The result, she said, was an immediate need to act.

“We reacted really quickly… we needed a little bit of a war chest.”

That response included a series of operational changes. Menus were cut almost in half — from around 55–60 items to closer to 25–30 — removing higher-cost dishes and simplifying supply chains.

“That takes a lot of pressure off the supply chain and allows us to control pricing,” she said.

The group also took the more difficult step of reducing staff costs. Employees were given a choice between layoffs and temporary salary cuts.

“We either have to retrench 30 per cent of the staff or we all have to take a 30 per cent haircut… let’s all suffer together,” she said.

The decision, she added, was supported internally, but remains under constant review.

“Now, whether we’re going to have to make tougher calls… we don’t know how long this will continue.”

Internally, the business is now operating on a near real-time footing, with frequent reviews of performance and short-term outlook.

“Every week is a surprise… it’s a constant evolution,” she said.

Even within a single city such as Dubai, resilience is proving highly location-dependent. Beachfront venues and those with strong local clientele have held up better than those reliant on tourism or located in dense commercial districts.

Against that backdrop, Sideris remains cautious — but not defensive. The group is continuing with expansion plans in the UAE, including new openings across Sharjah, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah in the coming months.

“We are not stopping. We believe in the region; we will modify operations to suit the lower turnovers for now,” she said.

Her outlook hinges on timing. A near-term easing could see a recovery towards the end of the year. A prolonged disruption would push that timeline further out.

“If this thing can come to a head, we could normalise by October, November,” she said. “If it carries on, then early next year.”

Zooming out: pressure builds across hospitality

Beyond Tashas Group, the pressures Sideris describes are beginning to surface more widely, echoed by other industry leaders she speaks to regularly.

“I think everyone’s having a very similar experience,” she said, referencing conversations within a CEO group of hospitality operators.

The backdrop is a war-driven shock to regional travel and costs. In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, tens of thousands of bookings were cancelled, while airspace disruptions hit mobility across key routes.

The wider impact is significant. The Middle East’s tourism sector is estimated to be losing around $600m per day in visitor spending, with forecasts suggesting inbound travel could fall 11 to 27 per cent in 2026 if tensions persist.

For operators, that is now feeding through in real time.

On the demand side, fewer tourists and disrupted flights are weighing on footfall, particularly in destination dining and high-density areas. On the cost side, higher fuel prices are pushing up food, logistics and operating expenses.

The response is increasingly consistent across the sector: simplify menus, tighten procurement and focus on core, high-margin dishes: mirroring the steps taken by Sideris.

At the same time, many are leaning on domestic demand and loyal customers to stabilise performance.

The result is a market balancing strong long-term fundamentals with short-term volatility.

“It’s a constant evolution,” Sideris said.

For now, the focus remains on preserving cash and staying agile.

“It’s a matter of time.”

Gold rose to a near three-week high on Wednesday, as oil prices and the dollar fell sharply after the US and Iran came to an agreement to cease hostilities for two weeks as talks begin on a permanent end to the conflict.

Spot gold was up 2 per cent at $4,795.99 per ounce, as of 0920 GMT. Earlier in the session, bullion rose more than 3 per cent to its highest level since March 19.

US gold futures for June delivery gained 3 per cent to $4,824.70.

Read more-What gold’s surge really says about currency confidence

The US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, subject to Iran’s agreement to pause its blockade of oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said.

Oil prices fell more than 13 per cent to below the $100 a barrel mark, while the dollar sank to its lowest level in a month on the news.

“The weaker dollar is supporting gold, but essentially it is also supported by lower oil prices, lower inflation and increased rate cut expectations after the ceasefire announcement,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Gold has fallen 10 per cent since the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28. Though the metal is viewed as an inflation hedge, higher interest rates weigh on the non-yielding asset.

Investors now see a 43 per cent chance of at least one rate cut by year-end compared to 14 per cent a day prior, as per CME’s FedWatch Tool. The market now awaits minutes of the US Federal Reserve’s March policy meeting later in the day.

Stocks and bonds surged, but beyond the immediate relief investors were keen to see whether the ceasefire leads to a broader resolution before placing major bets.

“We continue to retain a constructive outlook for gold targeting a price of $5,900/oz by the end of the year, driven by diversification demand as result of rising debt levels and lower real interest rates,” Staunovo said.

Spot silver jumped 5.7 per cent to $77.06 per ounce, platinum gained 3.9 per cent to $2,033.86 and palladium added 4.1 per cent to $1,529.53.

Regional tensions showed little sign of easing on Wednesday, with fresh attacks reported across the Gulf despite a recently announced ceasefire between the US and Iran.

The UAE Ministry of Defence said its air defence systems intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones launched from Iran on April 8, underscoring continued security risks even as diplomatic efforts intensify.

The latest incidents bring the total number of intercepted threats since the start of the escalation to 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles and 2,256 drones. Authorities said the attacks resulted in three minor injuries, taking the cumulative number of injuries to 224.

In parallel, Kuwait reported a wave of drone attacks targeting critical infrastructure. Kuwaiti armed forces said air defences intercepted 28 drones launched from Iran over several hours, beginning at around 8am.

While many of the drones were neutralised, some strikes caused damage to oil infrastructure, electricity plants and water distillation facilities, highlighting the vulnerability of key energy and utility assets in the region.

The developments come just hours after Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising global energy flows.

The head of a body representing global airlines warned on Wednesday it would take months for jet fuel supply to recover even if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, given disruptions to Middle East refining capacity.

Fuel is the second-largest expense for air carriers after labour, typically accounting for about 27 per cent of operating expenses, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz as part of retaliatory moves in the war has choked supplies of jet fuel globally and news of a ceasefire and the possibility of safe passage through Hormuz sent airline stocks soaring.

Read more-Full list: Global airlines cancel flights across Middle East amid regional conflict

Oil fell below $100 per barrel after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran that was subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, told reporters in Singapore that while he expected crude oil prices to fall, jet fuel costs were likely to remain slightly elevated due to the impact on refineries.

“If it were to reopen and remain open, I think it will still take a period of months to get back to where supply needs to be given the disruption to the refining capacity in the Middle East,” Walsh said.

He shrugged off comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic, which crippled global travel.

“This is not similar to COVID. This is not a crisis anywhere close to what we experienced (in COVID),” he said. “In COVID, capacity reduced by 95 per cent because borders closed. We’re nowhere near that.”

Airline shares surge

Airlines across the world have been cutting flights, carrying extra fuel from home airports and adding refuelling stops as the Middle East conflict squeezes jet fuel supply, piling pressure on an industry already hit by a doubling of jet fuel prices.

Jet fuel prices normally move in tandem with oil prices, but they have more than doubled since the Iran conflict, far outpacing a 50% rise in crude prices prior to the two-week ceasefire news.

The news and a possible safe passage through Hormuz lifted airline stocks in Asia and Europe.

Shares of Australia’s Qantas Airways jumped more than 9 per cent, Air New Zealand rose over 4 per cent, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific climbed 5 per cent, while India’s IndiGo soared as much as 10 per cent.

In Europe, Wizz Air, Air France-KLM climbed around 14 per cent by 08:30 GMT, while Lufthansa, Finnair, British Airways-owner IAG and Ryanair were up between 8 per cent and 10 per cent, outperforming an overall surge in European indexes.

A sharp drop in oil prices, resulting in cheaper jet fuel, would benefit Lufthansa and other peers, said a Frankfurt-based trader, adding that the prospects of being able to restart Middle East flights also helped sentiment.

Walsh said the hit to capacity for Gulf carriers, which last year accounted for 14.6 per cent of international capacity, would be temporary.

“Some of that capacity will be replaced by airlines outside of the region, but there’s no way they can replace the (entire) capacity that was provided by the Gulf carriers,” he said, adding that data from April and May would provide a clearer picture of the scale of disruption.

“I fully expect the Gulf hubs to recover and recover quickly,” he said.

On refining capacity, Walsh said the reopening of the strait, if sustained, would be positive not just for crude flows but for refined products, including jet fuel.

“It will take some time for refineries outside of the region to adapt and increase,” he said, pointing to India and Nigeria as countries with capacity to increase refined product output in the interim.

Walsh added he “would like” to expect China and South Korea to resume exports of refined products once crude flows resumed.

“So there is (refining) capacity available once we get the crude oil flowing, but it’ll take a little bit of time, and with the crack spread elevated the way it is, I think that provides an incentive for refineries to increase the production of jet fuel,” Walsh said.

The crack spread refers to refinery margins.