Overview
- President Mohamed bin Zayed and Vice President Mohammed bin Rashid toured the 19th Dubai Airshow, the largest edition with more than 1,500 exhibitors, 148,000 visitors, and 490 delegations from 115 countries, featuring COMAC’s C919 in its Middle East debut and the unveiling of the UAE-made Calidus B-250 light attack aircraft.
- The 12th Dubai International Conference of Air Force Leaders convened over 100 official delegations to discuss hypersonic technologies, drones, AI integration and air–space operational concepts, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a defense-tech convening hub.
- UN envoy Mahmoud Mohieldin projected UAE GDP growth of about 4.7%–4.9% for 2025—above global averages—with non-oil sectors such as technology, real estate, tourism and services underpinning momentum that indicators suggest could exceed 5% in 2026.
- Dubai Police reported 7.322 million emergency (999) calls in 2024 and a 99.3% answer rate within 10 seconds in Q3 2025, with drone systems averaging 57 seconds to reach top-priority incidents and expanded capabilities outlined through 2028.
- Knowledge and community platforms expanded, with the Knowledge Summit’s digital center reaching 15 million items for 3 million users and its skills academy training about 10,000 learners, while the National Tolerance Festival drew large participation including a 3,000-person ‘Tolerance to Mars’ march; separately, international reporting spotlighted Morocco’s prolific meteorite trade and ongoing governance challenges.