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Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has finalized a significant infrastructure upgrade on Sheikh Zayed Road, widening a 700-meter stretch near the Umm Al Sheif Street exit. This project expands the highway from six to seven lanes, increasing its vehicle capacity by approximately 16 percent, allowing up to 14,000 vehicles per hour to traverse this crucial corridor.

Sheikh Zayed Road, a key arterial highway in Dubai, connects numerous residential areas and vital commercial hubs, including landmarks such as the Dubai International Financial Centre, Burj Khalifa, and Dubai Mall. As one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, it supports a dense mix of economic and social activity, serving global corporations, financial institutions, hotels, and leisure destinations.

The recent expansion targets persistent congestion near the Umm Al Sheif junction, particularly during evening peak hours. By removing overlap points and increasing lane capacity, the RTA aims to improve traffic flow, reduce travel times, and enhance road safety by decreasing traffic density. This enhancement is part of the RTA’s broader commitment to optimize Dubai’s road network and ensure more efficient, reliable journeys for commuters across the city.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

Flydubai, the Dubai-based low-cost carrier, has entered into a strategic interline agreement with TAROM, Romania’s national airline, to provide passengers seamless connections to 15 destinations through Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport. The partnership aims to enhance travel options across TAROM’s network, which includes key European cities such as Athens, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Paris.

Under the agreement, travelers booking with flydubai will benefit from coordinated itineraries, single-ticket bookings, and through-checked baggage to final destinations on TAROM’s domestic and international routes. The collaboration reflects flydubai’s ongoing efforts to strengthen connectivity between the UAE, Romania, and broader Eastern and Central Europe.

Ramesh Anantharaman, Divisional Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Business Effectiveness at flydubai, emphasized the importance of the partnership in boosting trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between the regions. “This agreement offers our customers simplified travel and expanded access across TAROM’s regional network,” he said.

Flydubai has operated flights between Dubai International Airport and Bucharest since 2012, responding to growing demand. The airline currently offers double daily flights on the route and plans to launch service to Iași, Romania’s second destination, starting September 19, 2025.

Costin Iordache, General Manager of TAROM, described the partnership as a strategic move to improve connectivity and facilitate travel between key cities. “Together, we provide passengers with safe, reliable, and convenient options that support tourism and business,” he said.

Flydubai currently serves over 135 destinations in 57 countries with a fleet of 93 Boeing 737 aircraft. The carrier has prioritized opening direct air links to previously underserved markets, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a global aviation hub.

Passengers traveling in flydubai’s Business Class enjoy lie-flat seats and premium services, while Economy Class offers comfortable seating with adjustable headrests and entertainment options, underscoring the airline’s commitment to an enhanced travel experience.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

Dubai Municipality has officially inaugurated the first sand equestrian track in the mountainous enclave of Hatta, marking a significant milestone in the region’s ongoing development as a premier tourism and leisure destination. The initial phase of the track spans 2.54 kilometres in length and three metres in width, designed to offer equestrian enthusiasts a safe and immersive riding experience amid Hatta’s distinctive natural landscape.

The project is part of a broader strategic initiative led by the Supreme Committee to Oversee the Development of Hatta, aligning with a comprehensive regional development plan aimed at enhancing the economic and recreational infrastructure of the area. The new equestrian facility exemplifies Dubai’s commitment to expanding its tourism offerings while supporting local economic growth and the aspirations of Hatta’s residents.

According to Bader Anwahi, CEO of the Public Facilities Agency at Dubai Municipality, the track has been constructed to meet international safety and quality standards. “The sand equestrian track in Hatta has been developed to international standards, providing horse riders with a safe and distinctive way to experience the region’s unique mountainous landscape,” Mr. Anwahi said. He emphasized that the project is intended not only to promote equestrian sports but also to preserve the cultural heritage of horsemanship, an integral aspect of Emirati identity.

The track is expected to contribute to a diversification of leisure activities in Hatta, fostering new economic opportunities particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in equestrian services, retail, hospitality, and tourism sectors. By attracting both local and international visitors seeking authentic adventure experiences, the initiative aims to bolster the local economy and reinforce Hatta’s status as a scenic and promising destination within the United Arab Emirates.

Visitors to the track can either bring their own horses or rent horses locally, enabling riders of varying skill levels - from amateurs to professionals - to enjoy the trail while taking in panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. This new infrastructure complements Dubai Municipality’s broader goals of enhancing quality of life and positioning Dubai as a leading global city for residents and tourists alike.

The sand equestrian track in Hatta marks a tangible step forward in the emirate’s vision for integrated regional development, blending heritage preservation with economic diversification and sustainable tourism growth.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Alexander Agafiev Macambira

Alexander Agafiev Macambira is former tech contributing writer for Forbes Monaco.

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline by scheduled passenger traffic, will begin operating its Airbus A350 on daily flights between Dubai and Hangzhou, China, starting October 26, 2025. The move comes just three months after the airline launched its inaugural service to the eastern Chinese city, underscoring its ongoing investment in the region.

Flight EK310 will depart Dubai International Airport at 04:15 and arrive in Hangzhou at 16:00 local time. The return leg, EK311, departs Hangzhou at 00:10 and arrives in Dubai at 06:10.

This marks the first deployment of the A350 on the route and introduces Emirates’ Premium Economy product to the Hangzhou market for the first time. Configured in a three-class layout, the A350 offers 312 seats: 32 in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy, and 259 in Economy.

The A350 is the first new aircraft type to join the Emirates fleet in over 15 years, complementing its long-haul Boeing 777s and double-decker Airbus A380s, both of which currently serve destinations across mainland China. The aircraft features Emirates’ latest cabin interiors, including higher ceilings, wider aisles, and updated inflight entertainment systems designed to enhance passenger comfort and connectivity.

Premium Economy on the A350 offers wider, reclining leather seats with leg and footrests, in-seat power, a cocktail table, and 13.3-inch entertainment screens. Select flights will also feature amenity kits and a curated onboard menu, including Chandon Vintage Brut 2017.

“Introducing the A350 to Hangzhou is the natural next step as we expand our footprint in China with our newest aircraft and latest onboard experience,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.

The deployment is part of Emirates’ broader strategy to strengthen ties with China and cater to rising demand for international travel to and from the region.

Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

Dubai presents a demographic profile unlike any other major city in the world. Approximately 92 percent of its population are expatriates, with Emirati nationals making up only about 8 percent. This reality defines the city’s social structure, economy, and global identity.

The largest expatriate communities originate from South Asia. Indians account for around 38 percent of Dubai’s population, followed by Pakistanis (17 percent), Bangladeshis (7 percent), and Filipinos (7 percent). These are joined by sizeable populations of Iranians, Egyptians, Syrians, and Western nationals from Europe and North America.

But these numbers are not just demographics - they are woven into the texture of everyday life. Dubai’s multicultural character is visible in its neighborhoods, where languages, cuisines, and cultures coexist across districts like Deira, Al Karama, and Al Barsha. Schools cater to dozens of national curricula. Workplaces bring together talent from every continent. Daily life is marked by extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity.

This diversity has been central to Dubai’s economic success. The city’s private sector is powered almost entirely by foreign labor, from construction and logistics to finance and technology. More than 200 nationalities live and work in Dubai, and the city receives over 17 million international visitors annually, reinforcing its role as a global tourism and business hub.

Yet, Dubai’s demographic makeup also reflects its transience. Most residents live in the city on temporary work visas. Citizenship remains rare and highly restricted. Integration is limited not by social barriers, but by the structural nature of residency laws that tie presence in the city to employment or investment. In this way, Dubai operates less as a melting pot and more as a global crossroads - a place of opportunity, but not always of permanence.

Still, the result is a city that functions as a cultural and economic mosaic. Dubai’s strength lies in its ability to bring together people from vastly different backgrounds and, for a time, make them part of something shared. Its identity is not bound to any one nationality, but forged in its complexity.

Dubai is a city of transience - but one whose cultural complexity is enduring.

Photo credits: Dubai Instagram. Dubai Run

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

Dubai’s metamorphosis from a modest 20th-century trading port into a modern metropolis is not a tale of petrochemical luck, but of economic vision, aggressive policy reform, and deliberate diversification. While much of the Gulf’s narrative is shaped by the oil boom, Dubai took a different path - one that now positions it as a model for post-oil economic strategy in the region.

In stark contrast to popular assumption, oil contributes less than 1 percent to Dubai’s GDP today, according to official data from the Dubai Statistics Center and UAE government reports. In 2022, oil and gas accounted for just 0.7% of Dubai’s GDP, down from over 50% in the 1970s. Unlike Abu Dhabi, its wealthier neighbor, Dubai’s oil reserves were limited from the start, compelling leaders to think beyond hydrocarbons.

Instead, Dubai bet early - and big - on logistics, tourism, real estate, finance, and free-zone trade. As early as the 1980s and 1990s, the city began laying the infrastructure for an economy driven by services, not oil. The establishment of Jebel Ali Port in 1979 - now the largest port in the Middle East and among the top ten busiest in the world - was an inflection point. It became the gateway to Dubai’s rise as a regional logistics hub, enabling the growth of re-export trade and cementing the city’s geographic centrality between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

By the early 2000s, this pivot was evident in urban form: mega projects like Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) signaled a strategic push into tech, media, and finance. These zones allowed 100% foreign ownership, zero income taxes, and light regulation - creating an environment friendlier to global capital than much of the surrounding region.

The results are measurable. In 2023, non-oil trade in Dubai surged to over AED 2 trillion (~USD 545 billion), a historic high. Tourism now contributes nearly 12% of Dubai’s GDP, with the city consistently ranking among the top three most-visited cities globally, drawing more than 17 million international visitors annually (as of 2023). In real estate, Dubai saw record-breaking investment in 2023, with foreign property buyers accounting for 41% of transactions, largely from India, China and Europe.

Perhaps most emblematic of Dubai’s ambitions is the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building - less a piece of architecture than a statement of intent. And yet, beneath the skyline lies a framework of policy that ensures Dubai’s global relevance is more than symbolic. The city has crafted an economic ecosystem that is highly responsive: from blockchain regulation to fintech sandboxes, and from digital nomad visas to 10-year Golden Visas for investors, the tools of modern economic diplomacy are constantly in play.

Even amidst global headwinds - COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions - Dubai has proven remarkably resilient. The emirate was one of the first to reopen after the pandemic, using its airline, Emirates, and strict but efficient health protocols to restore tourism and business traffic.

Critics may raise valid concerns about sustainability, housing inflation, and the precariousness of a largely expatriate workforce, but Dubai’s strategic agility is undeniable. With plans underway to build the world’s largest airport (Al Maktoum International) and expand its maritime and digital infrastructure, Dubai’s economic transformation is not yet complete - it is simply entering its next phase.

In short, Dubai’s story defies the stereotype of oil-fueled opulence. It is instead the story of a place that confronted its resource limitations and made them a strength, leveraging geography, policy, and ambition to emerge as a global diversification pioneer - and perhaps a model for other post-oil economies to study.

Photo credits: Dubai Instagram

Alexander Agafiev Macambira

Alexander Agafiev Macambira is former tech contributing writer for Forbes Monaco.

The transformation of the Gulf economies is neither sudden nor superficial. It is a deliberate, long-term disentanglement from decades of hydrocarbon dependency - charted not through proclamations but through ports, satellites, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence labs.

What began as oil-funded ambition is now materializing in physical infrastructure and institutional reform. Dubai’s thriving free zones, Abu Dhabi’s clean energy and AI corridors, and Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion NEOM project are not vanity ventures. They are components of a broader, carefully engineered strategy to reposition the region’s economic identity.

Yet in much of the West, the narrative remains static: Gulf nations as petro-states, rich but rigid. This framing overlooks the scale of structural change now underway. The real shift is in sovereign wealth funds prioritizing ESG, in regional universities partnering with global research centers, and in early-stage commitments to green hydrogen and quantum computing.

This pivot is not merely about economic diversification. It is a bid for relevance - a transition from commodity capital to human and intellectual capital. 

Photo credits: Abu Dhabi Off Plan. Masdar City. Abu Dhabi

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

In observance of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, municipal authorities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have announced a series of public service adjustments, including complimentary parking and extended public transportation hours.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirmed that all Customer Happiness Centres will remain closed on Friday, September 5. However, smart service centers located in Umm Ramool, Deira, Al Barsha, Al Twar, and RTA’s headquarters will continue operating around the clock.

As part of the observance, all public parking in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be free of charge throughout the day.

Public transport services across Dubai will follow modified schedules. The Dubai Metro’s Red and Green Lines will operate on extended hours, beginning service at 5 a.m. and continuing until 1 a.m. the following day. Adjustments have also been made to bus routes, tram schedules, marine transport services, and vehicle testing centers, though specific changes were not immediately detailed.

The announcement reflects the UAE’s broader effort to accommodate public needs during religious observances, ensuring access to essential services while honoring the cultural and spiritual significance of the holiday.

Photo credits: AutoDrift

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

In a continued push to foster digital literacy and professional development, Sharjah Public Libraries has unveiled an enhanced version of its Smart Knowledge Library, offering residents across the United Arab Emirates free access to online courses in digital skills, entrepreneurship, and other professional fields.

The platform, which was officially relaunched on August 28, now features a streamlined mobile-friendly interface and a broad catalog of short educational courses available in both Arabic and English. Developed with accessibility in mind, the updated system includes video tutorials to assist users through the enrollment process and offers instant digital certificates upon course completion.

Originally introduced in 2021, the Smart Knowledge Library was established as part of Sharjah’s long-term strategy to promote self-learning and professional development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharjah Public Libraries gained recognition for making over 15 million digital resources freely available to the public - an initiative that underscored the emirate’s commitment to open access education and digital inclusion.

The platform’s expansion is aimed at cultivating a knowledge-based society by integrating digital culture and continuous learning into daily life. Courses are led by recognized subject matter experts and incorporate interactive assessments to enhance user engagement and retention.

Sharjah Public Libraries, operating under the Sharjah Book Authority, continues to position itself at the forefront of digital education initiatives in the region, reaffirming its role as a key player in the UAE’s broader knowledge economy.

Photo credits: Sharjah Libraries

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.

Abu Dhabi will host the 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress from October 9 to 15. The announcement reflects the United Arab Emirates’ growing role in international environmental diplomacy and its sustained efforts to advance biodiversity conservation.

The IUCN Congress, held every four years, is regarded as one of the most significant global platforms for environmental governance and conservation science. It convenes government leaders, scientists, civil society, youth representatives, and private sector stakeholders to shape conservation priorities and promote nature-based solutions to pressing ecological challenges.

Among the central features of the 2025 Congress will be a major update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - widely considered the most authoritative global resource for assessing species' extinction risks. The update will include the European Red List of Threatened Species and a particular emphasis on pollinators, whose populations are under increasing pressure worldwide.

The Congress will also see the release of the latest IUCN World Heritage Outlook, a critical assessment of the health and management of natural World Heritage sites globally. In addition, the IUCN will present its highest honors, including the Cullman Medal, the John C. Phillips Memorial Medal, and the 2025 International Ranger Awards. The host nation for the next IUCN World Parks Congress will also be announced.

Dr. Amna Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, noted that the UAE currently maintains 49 protected areas, encompassing roughly 15.5 percent of its territory. The country has pledged to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030 and continues to lead wildlife reintroduction programs, efforts rooted in the environmental legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

“The UAE continues to strengthen its role as a global hub for practical, innovative solutions to environmental and biodiversity challenges,” said Dr. Al Dahak.

Dr. Shaikha Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and IUCN Regional Councillor for West Asia, emphasized the inclusive nature of the event: “We look forward to welcoming participants from across the globe to Abu Dhabi.”

Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List is considered a cornerstone of conservation science. It provides comprehensive, peer-reviewed assessments of the status of species across all regions, helping guide global policy and local conservation strategies. The Red List is developed through a vast international network of scientists and conservation organizations.

IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar underscored the Congress’s role as “a critical opportunity to deliver real, science-based solutions supported by communities and grounded in clear policy frameworks.”

The 2025 Congress is expected to solidify new global initiatives that may shape the future of conservation policy, reinforcing international collaboration at a moment of accelerating biodiversity loss and environmental change.

Photo credits: IUCN World Conservation Congress

Oksana Bozhko

Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.