Life and business in the UAE move quickly. On 13 December 2025, we have fresh updates that touch how we live, work, invest, and plan across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
Listen to our audio summary above for key insights from UAE News Today — Top Stories & Updates | 13 December 2025.
In this daily briefing, we highlight the main national, business, mobility, culture, and lifestyle stories that matter for residents and decision‑makers. As UAEThrive, a UAE business directory, we also keep an eye on how these stories affect local companies and the services people search for every day.
UAE city skylines at dusk, connecting business and daily life across Emirates. Image created with AI.
Policy changes in the UAE rarely sit only on paper. They guide real decisions for families, schools, hospitals, and companies.
Today’s updates show how the country is strengthening child protection and setting the rules for future mobility. Both topics matter if we work in education, healthcare, tech, insurance, or any sector that serves families and commuters.
Federal Decree‑Law No. 12 of 2025 focuses on children with unknown parents and sets a clearer path for their care. In simple terms, it allows UAE families, including expatriates, to apply for custody under strict conditions. Single women over 30 can also apply, subject to screening and approvals.
The priority in the law is the child’s best interests. Authorities carry out background checks, home assessments, and ongoing follow‑up to make sure the child is safe and well supported. This builds on existing UAE Government guidance on children’s safety and rights in education and the wider community, such as the policies highlighted on the official portal at u.ae.
For society, this law sends a clear signal about dignity and care for every child, regardless of background. For companies in education, healthcare, and social services, it reinforces the need for strong safeguarding policies, trained staff, and clear reporting procedures when any risk appears.
Dubai has adopted new executive regulations to govern autonomous vehicles, including self‑driving cars, robo‑taxis, and driverless buses. The rules define categories of vehicles, who can operate them, and what safety standards they must meet.
Before any autonomous vehicle can carry passengers or goods on public roads, it needs testing, digital mapping, and technical checks. Operators must hold licences, monitor vehicles in real time, and report incidents. Only approved routes and speeds are allowed, so early services will likely focus on set corridors and zones, then expand as the system proves itself.
For transport, logistics, insurance, and tech businesses, this is a practical signal that commercial services could become real around 2026. There are clear openings for startups in AI, smart mobility platforms, and data analytics that support safe routing, fleet management, and customer apps across Dubai.
Autonomous robo‑taxi operating on Dubai streets, pointing to future mobility services. Image created with AI.
The UAE continues to deepen its position as a regional hub for innovation, trade, and safe investment. Today’s business stories show how Sharjah is growing its tech ecosystem and how Dubai’s safety record supports long‑term economic value.
For SMEs and founders, these themes translate into real questions: where do we open our next office, which ecosystem do we plug into, and how do we present the UAE story to partners abroad?
SPARK, Sharjah’s innovation park, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russia–UAE Business Council. The agreement targets cooperation in AI, smart mobility, advanced manufacturing, and smart cities.
In practice, this could mean joint research projects, shared testbeds, and pilot zones for new technologies. Tech firms and SMEs that base teams in Sharjah may find more direct routes into Russian markets, and Russian companies could use SPARK as a launchpad into the Gulf.
For investors and founders, this partnership points to more cross‑border deal flow and potential new jobs in engineering, data science, and product design. If we run a B2B service company, such as legal, HR, marketing, or cloud services, this ecosystem growth is a signal to position our offers around Sharjah’s innovation clusters.
An EY study with Dubai Police highlights how Dubai’s low crime rate supports economic growth, tourism, and foreign investment. Safer streets and strong policing help protect people, property, and long‑term projects.
For businesses, safety is not only about comfort. It shapes decisions on where to move staff, open new branches, and host global events. A family that feels safe in Dubai is more likely to accept a relocation package. A tourism brand is more confident to run large festivals and conferences.
International companies comparing locations in the region look at crime statistics alongside tax, costs, and infrastructure. Dubai’s stability becomes a key part of its pitch when boards ask why they should place regional headquarters or high‑value assets in the city.
Transport and city management updates affect daily commutes, customer footfall, and staff planning. Around 13 December 2025, Abu Dhabi and Dubai both have important mobility news, while Abu Dhabi also prepares for a major marathon weekend.
If we manage a retail outlet, café, or office, these details are helpful for rota planning, delivery timing, and customer communications.
Abu Dhabi marathon runners on a closed road, with spectators and city skyline. Image created with AI.
The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon brings thousands of runners onto the streets, along with road closures and diversions. Key routes such as Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (E10) and surrounding streets face phased closures during race hours.
Drivers should expect delays near the Corniche, key bridges, and main approach roads to the start and finish areas. Simple planning steps help: leave earlier, check navigation apps, and follow official marathon maps and signs. Staff who work near the route may benefit from remote options or adjusted shift times.
For cafés, restaurants, and shops along the course, the event can bring both disruption and opportunity. Clear signs, take‑away offers, and early‑opening hours can turn marathon crowds into extra sales rather than lost access.
Abu Dhabi has introduced a regulated parking system in commercial sectors of Mohammed Bin Zayed City. The first phase targets selected blocks, with marked bays and clearer rules. Parking is free at this early stage, but the system signals a possible shift to paid or time‑limited parking later.
For residents and employees, this affects daily habits. It reduces long‑term parking in front of shops and improves rotation of spaces for paying customers. Drivers should read new signs carefully to avoid penalties as enforcement tightens.
Local businesses can benefit from better access if they act early. It helps to brief staff, mention parking details in customer messages, and be ready to update directions on their business listings as the system evolves.
Dubai has expanded digital nol card options so commuters can use their smartphones instead of plastic cards. Eligible Samsung and Huawei devices can store a nol card in Samsung Wallet or Huawei Wallet, linked through the nol Pay app.
The setup is simple: add the card in the app, follow the on‑screen steps, and top up as usual. One key detail matters for users: once a physical card is fully moved to a phone, the card itself stops working at gates and readers.
For regular Metro, tram, bus, and RTA taxi users, this change reduces the risk of losing a card and makes top‑ups faster. Employers with large commuting teams, such as malls, co‑working spaces, and training centres, can build this into onboarding packs and travel briefings.
Dubai’s Events Security Committee is already working on New Year 2026 preparations. Plans cover crowd control, security checks, and traffic management for hotspots such as Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, and Dubai Marina. The approach follows the kind of measures described in Dubai’s security plans for New Year’s Eve celebrations, shared by the Government of Dubai Media Office at mediaoffice.ae.
Residents and visitors can expect road diversions, dedicated viewing zones, and extended public transport hours. Booking early, sharing access details with guests, and allowing extra travel time will reduce stress on the night.
For hotels, restaurants, and event organisers, New Year’s Eve remains one of the biggest trading nights of the year. The opportunity is high, but operations must match official guidance on capacity, safety checks, and access controls to protect guests and staff.
Planned New Year celebrations in Downtown Dubai with fireworks and managed crowds. Image created with AI.
Culture and lifestyle stories show where residents spend time and where visitors want to go. For businesses, these trends point to partnership ideas, sponsorships, and seasonal campaigns.
Today’s updates highlight Sharjah’s role in theatre and winter festivals, Dubai’s fitness momentum, and tourism guidance that hotels and hosts can share with guests.
Sharjah has opened the 9th Desert Theatre Festival, attended by the Ruler of Sharjah. The event features plays in a desert setting, including a work written by the Ruler, with a focus on thoughtful, serious theatre and heritage themes.
For creative professionals, this supports a stronger ecosystem for writers, directors, actors, and production crews. Schools and universities can draw on festival performances for theatre education and cultural programmes.
At the same time, Al Jubail Winter Festival has returned to Al Jubail Markets. Families can enjoy kids’ zones, a mini zoo, live shows, food kiosks, and heritage‑focused activities. The setting combines modern entertainment with a market atmosphere that feels rooted in Sharjah’s history.
Local traders and F&B outlets benefit from higher footfall and the chance to test new products in a real‑world environment. For small brands, a stall at Al Jubail can work like a live showroom, with instant feedback from families.
Family‑friendly activities at Al Jubail Winter Festival in Sharjah. Image created with AI.
Dubai Fitness Challenge 2025 has wrapped up with more than three million participants. Events like Dubai Ride, Dubai Run, and the new mass Dubai Yoga gathering turned main roads and landmarks into open workout zones.
At the same time, female‑led wellness communities across Dubai are gaining strength. These include women’s run clubs, Pilates on the water, sound healing circles, and creative empowerment sessions. Many meet in parks, on beaches, and in shared studios rather than traditional gyms.
For gyms, wellness brands, cafés, and sportswear retailers, this combination is powerful. There is clear demand for regular, social fitness, not just one‑off challenges. Partnering with women‑led groups, offering healthy menu options, or providing venue support can build strong, loyal audiences.
Tourism operators and hotels can also package wellness weekends, combining Dubai Fitness Challenge dates with female‑focused events for guests who want active breaks rather than only shopping or dining.
Women’s wellness communities meeting on Dubai’s beaches and promenades. Image created with AI.
Dubai continues to welcome large numbers of visitors, but clear rules apply. Tourists are reminded to dress modestly in certain areas, respect public behaviour laws, ask before taking photos of people, and handle prescription medications only with proper documentation. Alcohol is allowed in licensed venues, but public drunkenness and drinking in unauthorised areas are offences.
These guidelines help keep public spaces comfortable for everyone and protect visitors from fines or legal issues. Hotels, tour operators, and short‑term rental hosts can turn this into value by sharing simple, friendly guest guides before arrival.
Looking ahead, early interest is already building for headline events, including a Keinemusik electronic music night at Bab Al Shams Arena in March 2026. Such desert events create demand for staycations, transfers, and curated experiences around the main show. Hospitality and travel partners can plan packages that combine tickets with dining and accommodation in a lawful and culturally respectful way.
Today’s UAE news for 13 December 2025 shows how policy, transport, culture, and wellness all connect to daily business decisions. Child protection laws shape how schools and clinics operate, mobility updates affect commutes and deliveries, and cultural events point to new marketing and partnership ideas.
As UAEThrive, we see these stories as signals. They help us, and our readers, decide where to invest, how to brief staff and clients, and which seasons offer the best chances to grow.
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