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united arab emirateslatest news & developments
The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) is tightening oversight of large infrastructure projects across Africa as Gulf states intensify competition for strategic influence

UAE ramps up African infrastructure investment as Gulf states compete for trade influence

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is accelerating oversight of large road projects in Togo, Madagascar and Nigeria as Gulf states expand strategic infrastructure investments…

The UAE is fast-tracking a major west-east oil pipeline expansion aimed at bypassing the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tension and disruption to global energy supplies.

UAE fast-tracks oil pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz

The project is expected to complement the existing oil pipeline of 1.8 million barrels a day to meet global demand

The proposed sale is part of Shell’s broader strategy to streamline its global portfolio and focus on higher-margin operations, as major oil companies recalibrate amid volatile energy markets and geopolitical pressures.

UAE targets Shell’s 600 SA petrol stations in $1bn deal

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is in advanced talks to acquire Shell’s South African downstream assets. The deal could reshape the country’s fuel retail sector and deepen…

A world re-imagined: In the cult movie Mad Max, all economies have crashed and the fight for survival is a battle to control energy or fuel in a post-apocalyptic world.

Welcome to the age of empire

The South African government has navigated this period remarkably well. It has not capitulated to any of the stronger blocs, whilst retaining its dignity and independent views

His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.  GCIS. Photo: File

Middle Eastern tensions could test South Africa’s diversification strategy

Geopolitical instability does not necessarily undermine trade and investments, economic alignment can weather the storm of volatility

The devastation at the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in Minab, southern Iran after a US-Israel missile strike this weekend: Images: Fars News Agency

Khamenei killing puts limits of self-defence under UN Charter to the test

The United Nations Charter prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, the only recognised exception being…

US President Donald Trump. Photo: Supplied

UPDATED: Iran hits US Gulf base in retaliation against attacks on Tehran

US President Donald Trump warned members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard to lay down their arms or face ‘certain death’.

Modernisation: Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe at the Investing in African Mining
Indaba 2026. Photo: Mining Indaba

AI funding set to bring mining into 21st century

Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe says the country faces challenges in developing an effective system for exploration and mining licences

Propoganda: We must acknowledge that powerful states use “fake news” or lies as part of their political strategy.

Blind to the facts on global issues

The uncritical cheerleaders for the West cannot be taken seriously until they acknowledge that the West supports and collaborates with authoritarian regimes such as Saudi Arabia,…

Drawing the line in the sand: The recognition of Somaliland’s sovereignty brings the dilemma of recognised borders back to the surface. Photo: Clay Gilliland

Somaliland and the African border dilemma

But insisting that borders are absolutely sacred under all circumstances brings its own dangers

The Green Exchange Window is being launched under the Rwanda Stock Exchange, in partnership with the Kigali International Financial Centre, as part of the country’s broader roadmap toward sustainable finance which was unveiled at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates. (Wikipedia)

Africa’s moment to green its capital markets

Critically, we are looking at connecting real capital to real needs. When a green bond enables a utility company to invest in clean energy, it means more households can access…

If the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is to translate into real commercial activity, this financial architecture has to grow with it.

East Africa trade soars to $38bn in second quarter, narrowing deficit

The increase was largely driven by exports, which surged 40.5% to $18.6 billion, reflecting rising global demand

(Wikimedia Commons)

South African firms suspect UAE companies may have obtained military intellectual property

A Special Investigating Unit investigation is focused on employees of defence firms suspected of passing on military intellectual property

The human thread: South African designer Thebe Magugu was a speaker at the Abu Dhabi Culture Summit.

The Soul in the machine: Holding onto our humanity in a tech-driven world

In a world rushing toward automation, one city’s cultural celebration reminds us that connection, spirit and story are still our most vital technologies

Sudan accuses the UAE of supporting genocide in West Darfur by aiding the Rapid Support Forces. Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic

SA’s arms exports to UAE, a state accused of violating Genocide Convention

In 2023, South Africa sold nearly R88 million worth of arms to the United Arab Emirates, to support a paramilitary group in Sudan

A Somaliland police officer gives directions to voters in front of a tent operating as a polling station during the 2024 Somaliland presidential election in Hargeisa on November 13, 2024. (Photo by LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images)

Ramifications of the US recognising Somaliland as a state

Somaliland’s strategic value in the Horn of Africa means the repercussions of such a decision would be far-reaching

Wanted: People protest outside the United Arab Emirates’ embassy calling for the extradition of Atul and Rajesh Gupta, their wives Chetali and Arti and others who face charges of money-laundering.
Photo: Deaan Vivier/Beeld/Gallo Images/Getty Images

State struggles to mine the Gupta leaks emails for evidence

The reluctance not only to deploy private counsel but to follow their advice has proved a recurring theme in state capture cases

(The Times/Esa Alexander)

Dismantle green colonialism and stop the greed of corporates and Northern governments

The fight for climate justice must include the people who are most affected, including those in the Arab region

The Canadian government declared Joy Ruth Acheng (above) persona non grata in Canada while Henry Mayega was expelled by the UAE. Acheng was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni.

Political corruption is eroding diplomacy and Uganda’s image abroad

The country’s ambassadors to Canada and the United Arab Emirates have been expelled from those countries

Smoke rises as clashes in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces reached boiling point in 2023.(Photo by Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

‘Rebels’ should give up hope of ruling Sudan, says RSF adviser

US peace talks to end the 16-month war in the country have yielded no concrete results