UAE News Today 23 December 2025: the updates that affect work and life

What changes your day more than a new rule or a new route? Often, it’s the small practical shifts, a bridge that opens, a new permit process, or a weather pattern that slows the school run.

Listen to our audio summary above for key insights from UAE News Today — Top Stories & Updates | 23 December 2025.

In UAE News Today (23 December 2025), we’re focusing only on selected updates that matter to UAE-based business owners and busy residents. We’re covering aviation and transport, business and finance signals, Sharjah community updates, and what to plan for next (DSF and New Year’s Eve).

A quick weather note as well. The National Centre of Meteorology pattern this week points to humid nights and early mornings, with a chance of mist or fog in western and internal areas. If your team drives before sunrise, keep commutes cautious and delivery ETAs realistic.

UAE transport and infrastructure updates businesses should watch

Transport news can feel like background noise, until it hits your cash flow. When roads clog up, deliveries slip, staff arrive late, bookings drop, and customers decide to stay home. In Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, today’s updates are mainly about capacity and smoother movement, which is good news if we plan early.

For SMEs, the big question is simple: where will people and goods move faster next, and what does that mean for our location, staffing, and customer footfall?

UAE airports mega expansion plans (DWC, Sharjah, RAK) and what it means for growth

An AI-created view of large-scale airport infrastructure expansion in the UAE.

Major UAE airports are signalling long-term growth, with expansion plans spanning Dubai’s Al Maktoum International (DWC), Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah. The direction is clear: more capacity, more airside infrastructure (runways and gates), and more room for passenger and cargo growth over time.

For business owners, we should think beyond flights. Airport expansion tends to pull an entire local economy outward, like a magnet.

Where the opportunities usually show up first

• Tourism and hospitality: more visitor volume supports hotels, short-stay apartments, tour operators, and event suppliers.
• Logistics and e-commerce: demand rises for warehousing, fulfilment, last-mile delivery partners, cold-chain services, and customs support.
• Aviation services: maintenance, ground handling, training, crew services, and specialist recruitment often grow alongside capacity.
• Retail and concessions: airport retail, cafés, lounges, and service kiosks expand when terminals expand.
• Nearby property and fit-out: areas around airports can see new commercial needs, from staff accommodation to light industrial units.

We don’t need to be “in aviation” to benefit. If we run a cleaning company, a signage firm, a caterer, a uniform supplier, a clinic, a recruitment agency, or a managed IT service, airport-linked growth can still mean new contracts.

A short SME checklist to act on this week:

• Map your customer mix: are you exposed to tourism, trade, or corporate travel?
• Review route planning: identify airport-adjacent zones where service times matter.
• Build partner lists: freight forwarders, travel agencies, and facility managers.
• Plan hiring pipelines: seasonal demand can become year-round demand.
• Stress-test stock and storage: if volume rises, can you fulfil without delays?

Dubai Trade Centre bridges: what is open now, what changes next, and how to plan routes

If we move goods or people around Sheikh Zayed Road, DIFC, Downtown Dubai, or the Dubai World Trade Centre area, bridge changes are never “minor”. The current update is practical: two bridges are already open, and the remaining phases will continue through 2026 to reduce congestion and improve connections.

The real business benefit is predictability. When routes stop being a daily gamble, we can tighten delivery windows, schedule more jobs per day, and reduce overtime from traffic delays.

Simple ways to plan around the phased openings:

• Update delivery ETAs in WhatsApp templates and invoices for clients in DIFC, Downtown, and around DWTC.
• Shift staff start times slightly earlier on heavy-traffic days for roles that must be on-site.
• Use corridor thinking: pick two preferred routes for each service zone, then swap based on peak times.
• Brief drivers weekly, not monthly: bridge phases change, and old shortcuts can become slow lanes.

Dubai’s integrated RV route: a new kind of weekend footfall

Dubai Municipality has launched the region’s first integrated RV route, linking road-trip corridors with organised stops and outdoor facilities. For tourism operators, outdoor retailers, cafés near key routes, and experience-led brands, this is a clear sign that nature tourism is becoming more structured.

The official announcement is here: Dubai Municipality’s integrated RV route.

If we sell camping gear, run a coffee concept, manage short-term stays, or operate guided trips, it’s worth thinking about weekend demand patterns shifting from malls to open spaces, especially in cooler months.

Dubai and UAE business signals: property, banking innovation, and January 2026 rule changes

Today’s business picture is a mix of market heat, finance infrastructure, and near-term operating changes. Some of it affects only certain sectors, but the January 2026 items in particular touch almost everyone, from cafés and schools to packaging suppliers.

For a broader view of UAE market movements and sector signals, we can keep an eye on the UAEThrive Blog, especially if we’re tracking location-based demand by Emirate.

Dubai real estate activity this week: what strong transactions can signal for SMEs

Dubai recorded about US$6bn in real estate transactions last week, which works well as a temperature check. High transaction volume often shows confidence, liquidity, and ongoing interest across segments (from end-users to investors).

For SMEs, property activity is less about headlines and more about second-order demand. When people buy and move, they spend money on everything around the move.

Common spillover areas we should watch:

• Fit-out and maintenance: contractors, electricians, painters, joinery, flooring, pest control, and AC maintenance.
• Home services: movers, deep cleaning, curtains, smart home installs, and handyman call-outs.
• Facilities management: building contracts grow when communities fill up.
• Relocation and lifestyle spend: nurseries, gyms, salons, and neighbourhood retail can see rising demand.

A sensible caution: activity isn’t the same as affordability for everyone. A busy market can still leave many residents feeling priced out. The practical approach is to watch neighbourhood-level trends in our own service areas. If enquiries rise in JVC, Business Bay, Dubai Hills, or along new transport links, that matters more to our pipeline than citywide totals.

CBD activates Open Finance: a plain-English guide for founders and finance teams

Commercial Bank of Dubai has announced it has fully activated Open Finance for customers. In plain English, Open Finance lets customers share their financial data with regulated third parties, with clear consent. Think of it like giving a trusted app permission to read specific account details, rather than sharing passwords or screenshots.

For founders and finance teams, the business upside tends to fall into three areas:

• Faster onboarding: less paperwork when setting up finance tools, credit products, or payment services.
• Better cash-flow visibility: accounting and treasury tools can pull data more reliably.
• Smoother payments and reconciliations: fewer manual steps to match invoices, receipts, and account movements.

Before we sign up to any Open Finance-connected product, it’s worth asking three direct questions:

• What permissions are requested, and can we limit them?
• How is data stored, and what security standards are used?
• What are the fees, and do they change by transaction volume?

This is not a “today we must change everything” moment. It’s a sign that the UAE’s banking rails are getting more connected, which usually creates better tools over time.

Dubai changes in January 2026 that can affect costs and operations

Several Dubai changes set for January 2026 are relevant for daily operations and cost control. We don’t need to panic, but we should prepare early.

Tiered sugar tax
If we sell sweetened drinks, desserts, or packaged items, expect pricing and margin pressure.

• Action: review recipes, portion sizes, and supplier invoices before January.
• Action: update menu boards and online listings so pricing is consistent.

Friday school timing linked to Friday prayer timing
This affects parents, school transport, and any business that relies on Friday staffing.

• Action: confirm new school schedules with staff who have school runs.
• Action: adjust shift rotas for retail and customer-facing roles on Fridays.

Wider single-use plastics ban
Packaging is an operations issue, not a marketing slogan.

• Action: audit all consumables, bags, cutlery, cups, and delivery packaging.
• Action: line up compliant suppliers early to avoid price spikes.

DXB biometric corridor expansion
If more travellers use biometric processing, airport flow can change for business travel.

• Action: remind travelling staff to check document readiness and airline guidance.
• Action: build a little buffer into meeting schedules around peak travel days.

Two calendar reminders for planning and revenue:

• DSF 12-hour sale can drive sharp footfall in a tight window. If we’re in retail, F&B near malls, or run pop-ups, staffing and stock should match the surge.
• New Year’s Eve concerts and venue packages will concentrate traffic in specific zones. If we deliver, run reservations, or manage events, plan for congestion and higher customer service volume.

Sharjah updates: practical community news, culture, and support for founders

Sharjah’s updates today mix public health, public safety, business support, and culture. For many of us, Sharjah is both home and a working base, so municipal activity and event planning can directly affect customer experience.

Public health and city operations: pest control after heavy rains, plus police readiness for New Year’s Eve

After recent heavy rains, Sharjah has stepped up pest control activity to reduce mosquito breeding and related health risks. For facilities teams, schools, clinics, cafés, and retailers, this matters because pests create complaints fast, and they can damage repeat business. If we manage a site, we should check for standing water around drains, planters, and service corridors, and coordinate building-wide treatments where needed.

Sharjah Police has also confirmed readiness for New Year’s Eve 2026, including increased presence and round-the-clock preparedness. The official update is here: Sharjah Police readiness for New Year’s Eve 2026.

For venue owners and managers, this is a reminder to plan the basics well:

• confirm crowd management and entry lines,
• brief staff on safe transport options after peak hours,
• and use emergency and non-emergency channels correctly so urgent calls get priority.

Founder and culture highlights: SEF 2026 masterclasses, digital urban planning, festivals, and new openings

Sharjah’s founder ecosystem keeps building practical support. SEF 2026 masterclasses (tied to SRTIP) are positioned around real skills founders often need but rarely schedule time for, fundraising, branding, content, speaking, AI workflows, and burnout prevention. If we’re running lean teams, training that saves time or reduces mistakes can be worth more than another networking coffee.

On the city planning side, Sharjah’s council has pushed for a unified digital portal for urban planning, including permits and land applications, with stronger data integration across agencies. For developers, consultants, and small contractors, the “why it matters” is simple: fewer unclear steps can mean fewer delays, and clearer addressing can also help emergency response and delivery accuracy.

A few community notes worth bookmarking:

• The Sharjah Festival of African Literature begins on 14 January. Education providers, publishers, and family-focused brands can find strong community engagement around events like this.
• Sharjah’s Poetry Criticism Award winners highlight the Emirate’s ongoing role in Arabic literary scholarship. It’s a smaller item for most SMEs, but meaningful for schools, libraries, and cultural tourism.
• A new Shuweihi tea shop has opened in Sharjah, bringing a nostalgia-led tea concept. For F&B operators, it’s another signal that calm, experience-led spaces can compete well against fast-turnover formats.

Finally, a niche update that still matters for certain buyers and traders: Sharjah has announced new licence plates for classic vehicles and motorcycles, sold via Emirates Auction. If we’re in the classic car community, repairs, detailing, or resale, these identity-driven items can affect demand and collector interest.

Conclusion

Today’s practical takeaways are about planning, not noise:

• Airport expansion plans across Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah point to long-term travel and cargo growth.
• Dubai Trade Centre bridge openings are already easing key routes, and phased changes through 2026 mean we should keep logistics plans flexible.
• January 2026 Dubai changes (sugar tax, school timing, plastics rules, DXB biometrics) can affect costs, staffing, and customer expectations.
• Open Finance activation is a steady shift towards safer, consent-based data sharing in banking tools.
• Sharjah’s pest control and police readiness help protect public health and event safety, which supports smoother trading days.
• Early-morning fog risk means cautious driving and realistic ETAs for teams on the road.

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