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The UAE news today for 3 December 2025 sits right in the heart of the 54th Eid Al Etihad period, so the mood across Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi is one of pride, colour and packed streets.
Listen to our audio summary above for key insights from UAE News Today — Top Stories & Updates | 03 December 2025.
We see this energy flowing into real business outcomes. National Day events are filling cafés and malls, real estate data is guiding the next round of investment decisions, and new tech and mobility projects are quietly changing cost structures for fleets, landlords and service providers.
In this daily round‑up, we focus on what matters for UAE‑based business owners, investors and professionals. We look at community events that drive footfall, property and retail trends that shape pricing, and tech and infrastructure updates that open fresh opportunities for SMEs, start‑ups and larger firms.
By the end, we want every reader to know how today’s mix of celebration and policy progress can support growth plans, expansion choices or simply smarter day‑to‑day decisions.
National Day week is always busy. Today’s headlines cluster around a few clear themes that affect how we all plan the next quarter.
Key themes for 3 December 2025
For busy founders and managers, this means three simple questions. Where is demand growing, where are costs shifting, and where do we need better visibility so customers can find us at the right moment?
Caption: Al Etihad Parade on Jumeirah Road bringing residents and visitors together during 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations. Image created with AI.
The Al Etihad Parade on Jumeirah Road has become a focal point of this year’s 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations in Dubai. Organised by Brand Dubai, it features a long convoy of more than 500 decorated cars running along the coast, all in UAE colours, flags and themed designs.
For families and residents, it is a feel‑good moment that turns Jumeirah into one long viewing platform. For local businesses, it is much more than a photo opportunity. Cafés, restaurants, dessert shops and convenience stores along Jumeirah Beach Road benefit from heavy walk‑in traffic before, during and after the parade.
We see several practical angles for SMEs in this stretch and nearby areas:
Even if a business is not directly on Jumeirah, using parade footage and National Day visuals across social feeds this week keeps brands close to the community mood.
Sharjah’s Ports and Border Points Committee joined 54th Eid Al Etihad celebrations at the border with Oman, with bands, student performances and national songs greeting travellers. Gifts for visitors at the crossing added a human touch to what is often seen as a purely functional space.
For residents, this is a warm reminder of the close ties between the UAE and Oman. For logistics firms, tour operators and cross‑border SMEs, it carries a clear business message. Friendly, well‑organised border points support long‑term confidence in trade and tourism flows.
Soft diplomacy of this kind reassures trucking companies, bus operators and travel agencies that both sides care about the experience at the border, not just the paperwork. Over time, that supports investment in cross‑border routes, warehouse hubs near the frontier and joint tourism itineraries that include Sharjah, Fujairah and nearby Omani destinations.
Several human‑interest stories today speak to the UAE’s young, creative and family‑oriented population.
In Sharjah, Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah completed their “Khamisna Ghir” programme, an eight‑week run of cultural and arts activities. Music, film screenings, theatre and family workshops such as cake decorating and flower arranging gave girls a safe space to explore skills and confidence.
In Abu Dhabi, the “World of Studio Ghibli” exhibition has been confirmed for Manarat Al Saadiyat in summer 2026, with 16 galleries and immersive sets from films like Totoro and Spirited Away. Tickets start from AED 125, and many families are already noting it down as a school‑holiday highlight.
In Dubai, ten‑year‑old Kashvi Majmundar won a major Best Debut acting award for her role in a global streaming series, beating adult nominees. Her success shows how UAE‑based talent can reach international platforms.
Put together, these stories tell us something simple. Demand is rising for creative, educational and family‑centric experiences. Schools, training centres, arts venues, edtech start‑ups and entertainment brands have clear room to grow if they offer safe, high‑quality programmes for children and teens, especially girls and young women.
Fresh data from Colliers for Q3 2025 confirms that both Dubai and Abu Dhabi real estate markets remain strong. Residential and office assets in key districts show high occupancy and solid rent collection.
In Dubai, average property prices per square foot have more than doubled over the last five years, reaching around AED 1,683 by October 2025. The pace of increase is cooling, but levels are still at historic highs. At the same time, rent growth is beginning to stabilise. Recent figures point to modest annual growth and even a quarter‑on‑quarter fall in average leasing prices as new supply reaches the market.
The performance of Dubai Residential REIT underlines this picture, with occupancy near full and a large portfolio value. For institutional investors, this shows that income‑producing residential assets in the city remain attractive.
Practical takeaways:
Sharjah is sending a clear message to both property investors and shoppers.
First, the Sharjah Real Estate Exhibition ACRES 2026, set for 21 to 24 January, will offer reduced transaction fees for deals concluded at the event. Discounts will apply to developers, GCC nationals and foreign buyers, which lowers entry costs and gives brokers a clear promotional hook.
Second, Sharjah Shopping Promotions 2025–2026 runs until 15 January 2026, with heavy discounts, heritage events and a “Wall of Lockers” prize game plus a AED 100,000 grand draw. Retailers and malls can tap into the campaign theme “Discover What’s Behind the Lock” with in‑store activations, themed displays and social media contests.
Together, these moves position Sharjah as a value‑driven, family‑friendly market. Investors see fee savings and future rental demand, while residents and visitors see deals, family activities and a comfortable price point.
Sharjah’s approach fits well with wider retail planning in the UAE. For instance, Dubai’s official retail body regularly publishes a packed yearly calendar of shopping festivals and events, as seen in Dubai’s 2025 retail calendar announcement. The regional direction is clear: planned, year‑round retail seasons that support occupancies, hotel stays and F&B bookings.
On the other end of the spectrum, Dubai continues to strengthen its role as a global luxury and lifestyle hub.
The “Dubai Peninsula” project in Jumeirah, near the Four Seasons, is in the spotlight as an ultra‑luxury waterfront enclave. With a superyacht marina, Aman and Rosewood hotels and branded residences, plus high‑end retail and dining, it is being designed as a tightly curated district for ultra‑high‑net‑worth residents and visitors.
At the same time, a wave of global brands is arriving in major malls. Pacsun is coming to Mall of the Emirates, Primark will open three flagship stores, and beauty and fashion labels such as Skims and Ulta Beauty are planning prominent locations.
For local brands and service providers, this brings both competition and opportunity:
Dubai’s retail and property story is not just about rent levels. It is about staying visible and ready in a market where the bar keeps rising for experience, service and storytelling.
Sharjah is taking clear steps in green mobility. ION will install and run fast DC EV chargers at ENOC stations across the emirate, with app‑based booking, live charger status and wallet payments.
For residents and SMEs, this reduces range anxiety and makes daily EV use more realistic. For fleet operators, delivery companies and corporate car schemes, it opens the door to wider EV adoption with predictable charging times and locations.
At the same time, Emirati start‑up Sulmi is developing the country’s first fully local AI‑powered electric motorbike, the EB‑One. Only 200 Founder’s Edition units are planned, with delivery from 2026, but the signal is bigger than the number. We are seeing advanced manufacturing, mobility software and battery technology being built in the UAE, not only imported.
Businesses can prepare in simple ways:
On the regulatory side, Dubai’s Legal Affairs Department has introduced a unified digital Legal Profession System. The platform handles licensing, renewals and professional conduct for lawyers and law firms, and connects with other government entities and UAE Pass.
For legal professionals, this means less paperwork and clearer processes. For SMEs and larger businesses that rely on legal advice, it should translate into faster onboarding of law firms, quicker document checks and fewer delays when setting up companies, registering contracts or handling disputes.
In parallel, identity security is gaining more attention. Companies like Saviynt are expanding in Dubai to offer AI‑driven identity and access management, with plans to host cloud services locally to meet data residency needs. As more organisations in banking, energy, government and telecoms use AI and cloud platforms, identity governance becomes a key part of risk management.
In simple terms, every business that uses shared systems, remote access or SaaS tools should care about who has access to what, and how those rights are updated over time. This is moving from “IT detail” to board‑level discussion.
Abu Dhabi’s news today contains three stories that speak to long‑term trends.
Bombardier is building a 120,000 square foot maintenance facility at Al Bateen Executive Airport, due to open in the second half of 2026. The centre will service Global, Challenger and Learjet aircraft and create around 100 skilled jobs. For aviation, aerospace suppliers and training providers, it signals growing demand for specialist MRO services within the emirate.
The Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi has also explained a recent fish die‑off in Al Muzoon Canal. The cause was low dissolved oxygen due to an algal bloom, not chemical pollution. Dead fish have been cleared and water quality continues to be monitored. For waterfront communities, hotels and developers, this kind of timely, science‑based communication helps maintain confidence in local environmental management.
Finally, First Abu Dhabi Bank, together with the UAE Embassy in London, has hosted the first UAE Career Forum for Emirati students in Europe. Top employers such as FAB, KPMG, Masdar, BCG and Emirates took part, showing how serious the country is about building a pipeline of globally educated national talent.
For businesses across finance, consulting, energy and government, this means a growing pool of young Emiratis with international experience who can join graduate programmes, leadership tracks and specialist roles.
Drawing all of this together, what are the practical takeaways for UAEThrive readers?
Across all of these themes, visibility matters. When residents search for cafés near a parade route, EV‑friendly workshops, legal advisors or real estate services, they often start with local search. Listing on trusted local directories like UAEThrive helps keep brands easy to find at exactly these high‑intent moments.
Today’s UAE news for 3 December 2025 reflects a confident, community‑driven country. National Day events fill streets from Jumeirah to the Oman border, real estate and retail remain active across Dubai and Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi continues to invest in aviation, environment and talent.
At the same time, digital legal systems, identity security platforms and green mobility projects point to a more efficient, lower‑carbon future. For business owners and investors, the message is clear. Stay informed, align with these trends, and keep your brand visible in the places where customers, partners and future staff are already looking.
For official national updates and wider policy context, resources such as the UAE National Media Office offer a useful reference point alongside daily business coverage.
If we run a company in the UAE, this is a good moment to review our positioning, pricing and visibility. To help with that, we can add or update our free UAEThrive listing so customers can find us by city, service and “near me” searches. It only takes a few minutes to start: add your UAE business for free on UAEThrive.
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