02 | Hitachi Rail to modernise the Makkah pilgrimage metro

As of 2026-09-24, this upgrade sends a clear signal: Saudi Arabia is placing greater emphasis on the reliability, operational performance and long-term sustainability of existing rail systems that must handle exceptionally concentrated passenger demand during Hajj. Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Hitachi Rail have signed a contract to modernise the Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddassah metro, which connects Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat.

The line is 18 km long, has 9 stations and a designed capacity of approximately 72,000 passengers per hour in each direction. The project will focus on improving system reliability and operational performance while supporting long-term operation. The parties have not disclosed the contract value, delivery schedule or the specific equipment to be replaced. Rail equipment, signalling and specialist maintenance companies should therefore watch how the modernisation scope is divided and which supporting procurement requirements emerge from the upgrade of the existing system.

Source: Railway PRO, 2026-09-24

03 | Saudi Arabia Railways signs rolling-stock agreements for the Phosphate 3 expansion

Saudi Arabia’s mineral-transport expansion is moving beyond route capacity into rolling-stock procurement and critical-system maintenance, creating demand across the locomotive, freight-car and onboard-system supply chains. Saudi Arabia Railways has signed agreements with Alstom, Progress Rail and Greenbrier to support the Phosphate 3 expansion and improve the capacity and reliability of its North Freight fleet.

Greenbrier will design, manufacture and supply 782 new freight cars, while Progress Rail will supply 33 new freight locomotives. Alstom has secured a 5-year contract worth €22 million to maintain critical onboard systems on locomotives operating along the North-South corridor. The corridor carries approximately 13.5 million tonnes of freight annually and connects mining sites with processing facilities and export points. Rolling-stock manufacturers, component suppliers and rail-engineering companies should track the project’s procurement packages, maintenance standards and local delivery requirements.

Source: GDN Online, 2017-12-05

04 | Abu Dhabi seeks deeper healthcare AI cooperation with China

Abu Dhabi’s visit to China is not a single-technology procurement exercise. It is intended to establish longer-term links across research, clinical application, drug development and regulatory cooperation. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi is leading a delegation to Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing from September 21 to 30 for discussions with government bodies, hospitals, universities and technology companies.

The talks cover 4 areas: AI, robotics and medical technology; precision cancer care and advanced diagnostics; drug development and clinical trials; and healthcare regulation and traditional medicine. The delegation includes representatives from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, PureHealth, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. Chinese companies with capabilities in medical AI, robotics, diagnostics or biopharmaceuticals should assess the partners and compliance pathways required for joint research, clinical cooperation and local application validation.

Source: Gulf News, 2026-09-22

05 | Microsoft plans more than $10 billion in additional Gulf digital investment

Microsoft’s planned investment indicates that Gulf digital-infrastructure development is strengthening both computing capacity and business continuity; regional competition is no longer only about the number of data centres. The company plans to invest more than $10 billion across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait by 2030, covering cloud and AI infrastructure as well as the expansion of its regional operations.

Microsoft also plans to invest more than $400 million in subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030 while advancing digital-resilience assessments and critical-data protection. It will continue working with Abu Dhabi’s G42 and cooperate with Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai in selected areas, but it does not plan equity investments in the latter 2 companies. For hardware, software and digital-service providers, market access will increasingly depend on meeting critical-data protection, business-continuity and local-partnership requirements rather than offering generic cloud solutions alone.

Source: KELO-AM, 2026-09-23

06 | UAE Central Bank sanctions Bank Melli Iran and prohibits related transactions

The measure further tightens the boundaries for financial transactions involving Iran, requiring businesses to assess counterparties, payment routes and trade-finance arrangements within the same risk review. The Central Bank of the UAE has taken enforcement action against Bank Melli Iran’s branches in the UAE, prohibiting them from conducting all financial transactions to and from Iran, including trade finance and fund transfers.

The Central Bank said the action followed non-compliance with applicable regulations, laws and supervisory decisions, including requirements concerning anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and proliferation financing. For businesses with Iran-related exposure, the payer, receiving bank, intermediary bank and underlying trade documents may all affect whether a transaction can proceed. Before entering a new transaction, businesses should check the latest restrictions and applicable requirements with the relevant financial institutions.

Source: Khaleej Times, 2026-09-23

Other updates

  • 07 | Etihad Rail begins selling tickets for its Dubai service: Passenger services between Dubai’s Al Yalayis Station and Abu Dhabi will launch on September 30, with comfort fares priced at AED 39, premium fares at AED 109 and 5 round trips scheduled on the first day. (Source: The National, 2026-09-22)
  • 08 | Saudi Arabia begins applying a data and AI training framework: The Saudi Data and AI Authority and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation have started applying the Data and AI Training Programme Standards Framework; the first phase evaluated 10 programmes for different participant groups. (Source: Zawya, 2026-09-23)
  • 09 | DMCC introduces a family-wealth foundation regime: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre has formally established its Foundations Regulations, providing high-net-worth individuals, family offices and entrepreneurs with a separate structure for holding, managing and transferring assets across generations. (Source: EnterpriseAM, 2026-09-24)
  • 10 | First Abu Dhabi Bank identifies ocean-economy financing opportunities: FAB’s ocean-economy paper calls for clearer standards, better data, stronger project pipelines and financing structures that can convert ocean-protection needs into investable projects. (Source: First Abu Dhabi Bank, 2026-09-23)
  • 11 | Six Senses AMAALA opens on the Red Sea: The Saudi Red Sea resort has opened with 100 suites and villas, 25 branded residences, and a spa and longevity centre. (Source: La Revue des Hôtels, 2026-09-23)
  • 16 | UAE fintech Pemo receives Central Bank in-principle approval: The spend-management platform has received in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, providing a regulatory basis for expanding its financial products for small and medium-sized enterprises. (Source: TahawulTech, 2026-09-23)
  • 18 | Al-Futtaim adopts a unified payment solution across 50 brands and 12 markets: Al-Futtaim has selected Juspay to build a common payment-orchestration layer covering payment routing, fraud management, local payment methods, analytics and reconciliation. (Source: TechNode Global, 2026-09-23)
  • 19 | UAE healthcare group expands its Central Asian dialysis network: M42’s Diaverum has opened its first clinic in Kyrgyzstan and marked 10 years of operations in Kazakhstan, where it now has more than 55 clinics serving over 3,400 patients. (Source: M42, 2026-09-22)
  • 20 | Saudi Arabia’s digital economy approaches 16% of GDP: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology estimated that the digital economy accounted for nearly 16% of GDP in 2025, while the information and communications technology market was worth approximately $53 billion. (Source: Asharq Al-Awsat, 2026-09-23)
  • 21 | Hapag-Lloyd and DP World deepen their African logistics partnership: The companies will expand cooperation on long-term terminal capacity in Dakar, Luanda and Dar Es Salaam, as well as port-infrastructure development in Banana and Maputo. (Source: DredgeWire, 2026-09-23)
  • 22 | The UAE’s and Saudi Arabia’s most valuable brands reach a combined $127 billion: Kantar’s BrandZ ranking shows that the combined value of the 2 countries’ leading brands rose 20% over the past year, reaching the highest level since the ranking launched in 2020. (Source: Kantar, 2026-09-23)
  • 23 | Qatar discusses new cruise opportunities with international operators: Qatar Tourism and Old Doha Port met 5 cruise operators during Seatrade Cruise Med 2026 to discuss future itinerary opportunities, long-term partnerships and operating requirements. (Source: Cruise Arabia, 2026-09-24)
  • 24 | Primark opens its first store in Bahrain: Primark has opened at City Centre Bahrain, marking the international retailer’s entry into the country’s value-retail market. (Source: 365 Retail, 2026-09-24)
  • 25 | Saudi Arabia ranks highly across several trade indicators: In the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, Saudi Arabia ranked 3rd globally for Creation of Firms, 4th for Equal Opportunity and 7th for Large Corporations, while its overall ranking rose to 13th among 70 economies. (Source: Zawya, 2026-09-24)
  • 26 | India and OPEC hold high-level talks on energy security and oil-market stability: The parties held the 7th OPEC–India Energy Dialogue in New Delhi, discussing oil-market stability, energy security and the need for timely and adequate investment across the oil industry. (Source: ET Edge Insights, 2026-09-23)
  • 27 | Saudi EV company Ceer unveils its future model line-up: Ceer has presented the Exobot electric sedan and SUV and said it plans to launch 5 additional models by 2030, with the first vehicles expected to go on sale in Saudi Arabia in early 2027. (Source: International Finance, 2026-09-23)
  • 28 | Bahrain regulator approves a new obesity-treatment drug: Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority has approved the oral GLP-1 medicine Foundayo (orfoglipron) for sale through local pharmacies, subject to approved medical guidelines and the required medical consultation. (Source: GDN Online, 2017-12-05)
  • 29 | Saudi Arabia’s domestic EV programme faces price competition from Chinese brands: Ceer aims to localise 45% of materials and parts by 2034 and build annual capacity of up to 240,000 electric vehicles; Chinese brands accounted for 12% of new-vehicle sales in Saudi Arabia in 2025. (Source: AGBI, 2026-09-24)
  • 30 | Emirates Foundation establishes a responsible-AI partnership: Emirates Foundation signed an agreement with the Responsible AI Future Foundation during the UN General Assembly in New York to advance the use of AI for philanthropy and inclusive growth. (Source: The National, 2026-09-23)

Last updated: September 2026. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice.