Etihad Airways has unveiled its new “Beyond Borders” product and guest experience at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 in Dubai, introducing redesigned cabins and a new design language that will be extended across parts of its fleet.

The centerpiece of the launch is Etihad’s new Airbus A330 cabin, featuring redesigned First, Business and Economy cabins. The Beyond Borders design will also be introduced across the airline’s A321LR aircraft, creating greater consistency between its cabins and premium spaces.

The new A330 is scheduled to enter service in September 2027, with 15 aircraft set to join Etihad’s fleet over five years. The three-cabin aircraft will serve regional and medium-haul routes across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The aircraft will feature four First suites, each with a closing door, 32-inch screen, wireless charging and dedicated storage. The Business cabin will have 24 fully lie-flat seats with direct aisle access, sliding doors and 17.3-inch screens.

Economy will include 252 seats, with 32 in a dedicated Extra Legroom section offering four inches of additional pitch. The cabin will also feature 13.3-inch 4K touchscreens and personal charging.

First Class will play a larger role in Etihad’s fleet as the airline expands the product through new aircraft and retrofit programs. The A321LR, which already features First suites and fully lie-flat Business seats, is being used as a model for extending premium products to regional and medium-haul routes.

Etihad said it is investing $20 billion in new aircraft and customer experience, including a $1 billion fleet retrofit program. The airline is also working to extend the Beyond Borders concept beyond aircraft cabins to lounges, dining, amenities, wellbeing and connectivity.

The new design is inspired by Abu Dhabi’s landscape and architecture, with lighter cabin interiors and shared design elements intended to create greater consistency across aircraft and lounges.

Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves said the airline is increasing the number of First seats across its fleet as part of the program, while further Beyond Borders products and experiences are expected to be announced in the coming months.

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The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) will lead the emirate’s participation at the 33rd Arabian Travel Market (ATM), taking place from September 14 to 17 at Dubai World Trade Center.

More than 115 co-exhibitors from Dubai’s public and private tourism sectors will join DET at the event, including hotels, destination management companies, tour operators and government entities.

The Dubai stand will also include representatives from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Dubai Health Experience, Dubai Municipality, and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs.

DET’s Hosted Buyers Program is expected to bring more than 300 travel trade professionals and over 40 travel media representatives from 40 countries to Dubai. The program will include meetings and destination visits alongside the exhibition.

The department will use the event to brief international travel trade representatives on upcoming developments, including the $34.85 billion passenger terminal planned for Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International Airport. Discussions will also cover projects under the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, including Palm Jebel Ali, Hatta and Jebel Ali Beach.

The 2026 edition of ATM is being held under the theme “Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology,” with the wider program covering areas such as travel technology, sustainability, business events, and changing traveler behavior.

DET will also highlight initiatives related to sustainable tourism and tourism skills through its Dubai Sustainable Tourism and Dubai College of Tourism programs. The Dubai stand will feature work by Emirati artist Mariam Abbas, alongside local food and beverage brands and a guide to Emirati cuisine.

Ahead of ATM, DET held a tourism ecosystem briefing in June that brought together more than 1,700 industry stakeholders. The department has also conducted international roadshows and launched the “A Dubai Invite” initiative, which encourages residents to invite family and friends to visit the emirate.

ATM 2026 is expected to bring together more than 55,000 attendees, 2,800 exhibitors and 6,600 buyers, according to the event organizer.

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The Middle East’s gaming market is expanding alongside major government-backed investment in the sector, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE setting ambitious targets for gaming, esports and related jobs.

Saudi Arabia expects gaming and esports to contribute $13.3 billion to its GDP by 2030 and create nearly 39,000 jobs. The country’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy also aims to incubate 250 gaming companies by 2030.

Dubai’s Gaming Program 2033 aims to create 30,000 gaming-related jobs and increase the sector’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP by approximately $1 billion by 2033. The program also seeks to place Dubai among the world’s top 10 cities for gaming.

The consumer market is growing alongside these investment targets. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, collectively referred to as MENA-3 by Niko Partners, had 72 million gamers in 2024. That figure is projected to reach 84.3 million by 2029, while games revenue is expected to increase from $2 billion in 2024 to $2.8 billion in 2029.

Women accounted for more than 37% of the MENA-3 gaming population in Niko Partners’ 2025 research, up from 32.6% in 2023. The UAE recorded the highest female share among the three markets at 37.3%, compared with 32.2% in Egypt and 28.2% in Saudi Arabia in the earlier dataset.

Across the wider Asia and MENA markets tracked by Niko Partners, women accounted for 42% of players in 2026, up from 39.5% the year before.

Smartphones are the most widely used gaming device across MENA-3, with 87.2% of gamers playing on mobile. Players spend an average of 8.7 hours a week gaming on smartphones, according to Niko Partners data.

The market is also seeing growth across other platforms. Niko Partners expects the launch of major titles including Grand Theft Auto VI to support console growth in 2026, although higher hardware prices could constrain adoption.

Esports is another significant part of the region’s gaming investment. Saudi Arabia’s 2024 Esports World Cup featured 1,500 players across 23 events and 22 game titles, with a prize pool exceeding $60 million.

The following year, the 2025 Esports World Cup attracted more than three million visits and generated more than 750 million online views, according to figures cited by AppsFlyer.

Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Esports and Gaming District is targeting 10 million annual visitors by 2030 and plans to incubate 30 game development companies.

Niko Partners expects MENA-3 to remain the second-fastest-growing region by gaming revenue among the markets it tracks, behind India. Player spending across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt is projected to reach $3 billion by 2030.

The broader Asia and MENA games market generated $88.9 billion in revenue in 2025 and is projected to reach $103.6 billion by 2030. The number of players across the 13 markets tracked by Niko Partners is expected to rise from 1.77 billion in 2026 to 1.99 billion in 2030.

For the Middle East, the growth is being accompanied by continued government investment, expanding player numbers and a larger role for esports. Saudi Arabia and Dubai have set specific targets for jobs, companies and economic contribution, while the MENA-3 consumer market is projected to continue growing through the end of the decade.

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Trade between the United Arab Emirates and India topped $100 billion for a second consecutive year in the 2025-26 financial year, as economic ties deepen under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Bilateral trade reached $101.25 billion during the financial year, up from $60 billion when the CEPA entered into force in 2022.

The CEPA, the UAE’s first bilateral trade deal, has helped expand trade in goods and services and create new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Trade between the two countries spans petroleum products, gems and jewelry, food, textiles, chemicals, electronic goods, and engineering products. Investment has also grown across sectors including energy, infrastructure, private equity, financial services and real estate.

The partnership is expanding into logistics, investment, and supply-chain connectivity, with initiatives including Bharat Mart and a Virtual Trade Corridor, as well as cooperation under the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

The initiatives aim to facilitate the movement of goods and investment between the two countries and to connect them with wider global markets.

Cross-border private-sector investment is also expected to grow, particularly in banking and financial services.

Beyond their bilateral relationship, the UAE and India also cooperate through BRICS. The UAE became a full member of the group in January 2024 and is also a member of the New Development Bank, established by the BRICS countries to finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

The 18th BRICS Summit opened in New Delhi on September 12 under India’s presidency, with the two-day meeting focused on “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Co-operation and Sustainability.”

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The world’s first global humanoid robot sports league, CyberHero, has launched in Riyadh, with Hero Esports announcing plans for an inaugural season spanning eight cities worldwide.

The inaugural event, CyberHero x Riyadh, was held at Boulevard City on September 9, bringing humanoid robots into a combat competition and offering a preview of the league’s format and broader vision.

Created by Hero Esports, Asia’s largest esports company, CyberHero will span four regions: the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia. Two of the eight events are planned for the Middle East.

The league focuses on physical AI, bringing together artificial intelligence and machines that operate in the physical world. Hero Esports aims to use competition to test the capabilities of humanoid robots, generate performance data and explore how humans, AI and robots can increasingly work together.

The Riyadh event also marked the Middle East’s first humanoid robot combat show, featuring EngineAI T800 humanoid robots in a purpose-built arena. The robots stand approximately 1.73 metres tall, weigh between 75 and 85 kilograms and have 29 articulated joints. They can walk, run, punch, kick, turn and recover after falling.

“CyberHero was born from a bold idea about the future of competition: that robots can be pushed to test their limits, break new boundaries and improve through data generated in competition,” said Danny Tang, co-founder and CEO of Hero Esports.

“That is one of the lessons we have learned from esports, and it is also a responsibility we see for Hero Esports over the next decade to use competition to drive innovation and progress. We are now establishing a global technology lab at our Shanghai headquarters to bring together technical expertise and talent from around the world,” Tang said.

As the series develops, Hero Esports is seeking partnerships across universities and education, tourism, technology, sports, entertainment, business and music.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, welcomed Riyadh as the host of the first CyberHero event and highlighted Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in esports and the growth of the sector.

At the heart of CyberHero is a team-based competition model that brings together builders, coders and drivers. Builders design and engineer the robots, coders develop and train their AI systems, and drivers control the robots and make real-time decisions during the competition.

Combat is the league’s first discipline, with additional formats planned as humanoid robots become more capable. The long-term goal is to build a globally competitive platform that evolves alongside advances in physical AI.

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Elon Musk’s Boring Company plans to build 150 km of tunnels across the United Arab Emirates, expanding its partnership with the country after raising $3 billion in a funding round led by the UAE.

The deal, which also involves UAE-affiliated investment entities, will support infrastructure projects beyond the company’s Dubai Loop, the Boring Company said.

The latest investment values the Texas-based company at $23 billion and will also fund hiring across engineering, production and operations.

The announcement builds on a series of agreements the Boring Company has secured in Dubai as it advances its underground transport plans.

Under an agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the company is developing the first phase of the Dubai Loop, covering 6.4 km and four stations between Dubai International Financial Center and Dubai Mall.

The initial section is intended to serve as a starting point for the wider network. The full planned alignment is expected to stretch 22.5 km across 19 stations, linking Dubai World Trade Center and the financial district with Business Bay.

Work on precast concrete tunnel segments is already underway, while tunneling is scheduled to start in late 2026.

Unlike conventional metro systems, the Loop is designed around direct, point-to-point journeys. Autonomous electric vehicles would carry passengers through the tunnels directly to their destinations, without the multiple stops typically associated with subway networks.

The company says the approach could shorten travel times while reducing the amount of infrastructure required at street level and freeing urban space for pedestrians and green areas.

The first phase is estimated to cost about $154 million and is expected to take roughly one year to complete after design work and preparatory activities are finished. The full 22.5km network is estimated at about $545 million, with construction expected to take around three years.

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The United Arab Emirates has pledged to invest 40 billion euros ($46.5 billion) in Germany, targeting sectors including artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced technology and energy as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties.

The investment was announced on Thursday during UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s state visit to Germany, where he met Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The new commitment comes on top of around 34 billion euros ($39.45 billion) that the UAE has already invested in Germany and marks a significant step forward in a long-term economic partnership that is expected to drive growth and competitiveness over the coming decades.

Of the planned investment, 10 billion euros ($11.60 billion) will be allocated to projects in Bavaria, one of Germany’s major industrial and technology centers, reflecting the UAE’s confidence in Germany’s industrial, technological and innovation capabilities.

A key area of the investment will be in data infrastructure. The two countries plan to support the development of new data centers with about 1 gigawatt of capacity, with Germany agreeing to create conditions to facilitate their implementation, according to officials.

The push comes as demand for computing power rises with the expansion of artificial intelligence. The investment will also target energy infrastructure, including renewable energy, hydrogen and energy efficiency.

The two countries intend to establish a dedicated framework for technology cooperation, bringing together researchers, investors and companies to support innovation, develop new technologies and create commercial opportunities between the two countries.

For the UAE, closer cooperation with Germany provides access to advanced industrial, engineering and research capabilities that could support its efforts to build a more knowledge- and technology-driven economy. For Germany, the partnership brings additional UAE capital for technology and infrastructure projects.

The two countries welcomed 29 agreements between UAE and German companies worth more than 9.4 billion euros ($10.91 billion), with further corporate investments planned.

The investment comes as Germany seeks to strengthen its industrial base, secure energy supplies and broaden its international partnerships. Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the Gulf region in February as Berlin sought to deepen energy and defense ties.

The UAE and Germany have longstanding economic ties, with bilateral trade, excluding oil, worth about 13.35 billion euros ($15.5 billion) a year. The two countries have also agreed to expand cooperation in security, defense, trade and energy, laying the groundwork for a broader phase of economic and strategic cooperation.

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Arabian Travel Market 2026 will return to Dubai next week with a stronger focus on artificial intelligence, digital transformation and the technologies reshaping global tourism.

The event, taking place from September 14 to 17 at Dubai World Trade Center, will be held under the theme Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology.

Now in its 33rd edition, ATM will bring together destinations, airlines, hotel groups, travel technology companies, tourism authorities, and other industry stakeholders at a time when the sector is navigating economic uncertainty, changing traveler expectations, and rapid technological change.

Organizer RX Global said this year’s event will place particular emphasis on confidence, resilience and collaboration, while examining how technologies including AI, smart mobility and immersive platforms could influence the future of travel.

One of the biggest additions is the launch of ATM Travel Tech, a dedicated co-located exhibition focused on technology. More than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries are expected to participate across two halls, while the Tech & Innovation Hub will feature developments in AI, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, fintech and green technologies.

The wider conference program will span the Global Stage, Future Stage and Experience Hub, with sessions covering artificial intelligence, aviation, hospitality, destination resilience, luxury travel, accessibility, sustainability and investment.

Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director – UAE at RX Global, said the event is returning at a time when the global travel industry is adapting quickly to changing conditions.

“ATM has always been about bringing the global travel community together, and this year that role feels particularly important,” she said, adding that the focus will be on strengthening partnerships while addressing immediate industry priorities and longer-term opportunities.

Dubai tourism officials are also positioning the event as part of the emirate’s wider ambition to reinforce its status as a global business and leisure hub.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said platforms such as ATM are important to strengthening international partnerships and accelerating innovation across the visitor economy.

The event also comes as the Middle East continues to invest heavily in tourism, hospitality and connectivity.

Haitham Mattar, Managing Director for India, Middle East & Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the next stage for the region would be to convert those investments into sustainable, long-term demand.

That shift, he said, will increasingly depend on using technology and data to understand travelers better, reduce friction across the guest journey and deliver more relevant experiences.

Emirates, meanwhile, said it will use ATM to deepen tourism partnerships and explore opportunities across specialized traveler segments, while Al Rais Travel plans to launch a new digital platform featuring Voice AI and Chat AI tools designed to make trip planning more personalized.

Sabre, which joins as a strategic partner for ATM Travel Tech, also highlighted the need for travel companies to balance current geopolitical and economic uncertainty with emerging technological opportunities.

The technology focus comes as ATM continues to expand. According to the organizers, the event has grown 16% year-on-year and now attracts more than 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

With AI, automation, and digital platforms increasingly shaping how travelers search, book, and experience trips, ATM 2026 is positioning technology not as a side theme but as a central part of how the global tourism industry plans for its next phase.

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Egypt’s mobile wallet market continued to expand sharply in the first half of 2026, with the number of transactions rising 62% year-on-year to 2.22 billion, according to the National Telecom Regulatory Authority.

The value of transactions increased 56% to EGP 2.96 trillion ($57.6 billion), up from EGP 1.90 trillion ($36.9 billion) in the same period last year, while the number of mobile wallets grew 23% to 57.01 million.

The figures point to the growing role of telecom-linked wallets in Egypt’s digital payments ecosystem, as regulators push to widen financial inclusion and reduce reliance on cash.

Vodafone Cash remained the market leader, accounting for 53% of registered wallets and 57% of active wallets. e& money followed with 23% of registered wallets, ahead of Orange Cash at 20% and WE Pay at 4%.

Vodafone Cash also dominated transaction activity, handling 69% of transactions by volume and 77% by value. e& money accounted for 20% of transaction volume and 14% of value, while Orange Cash accounted for 10% of transaction volume and 8% of value.

Wallet-to-wallet transfers were the most common use case, accounting for 54% of transactions and 67% of the total transaction value. Mobile and internet top-ups accounted for 25% of transaction volume, while deposits represented 13%.

The growth of InstaPay also featured prominently in the NTRA data. Transfers from bank accounts to wallets through InstaPay accounted for 78% of deposit transactions and 58% of the total value deposited into mobile wallets.

Direct deposits accounted for 15% of deposit transactions and 28% of the value, while incoming remittances from abroad accounted for 3% of transactions and 10% of the value.

Cash, however, remains an important part of how consumers use mobile wallets. While cash withdrawals represented only 12% of wallet outflow transactions, they accounted for 75% of the value withdrawn or spent.

The report also highlighted demographic differences in adoption. Men held 38 million wallets, or 67% of the total, compared with 19 million wallets held by women.

Users aged between 26 and 45 accounted for half of all wallets nationwide. Those aged 36 to 45 held 14.5 million wallets, while users aged 26 to 35 held 14.1 million.

Cairo had the highest concentration of mobile wallets, with 10.6 million, or 19% of the national total. Giza followed with 6.5 million, while Sharqia, Alexandria and Qalyubia each accounted for around 6%.

The NTRA said it is continuing to work with telecom operators to develop the regulatory framework around mobile wallet services as part of broader efforts to expand electronic payments and financial inclusion across Egypt.

The latest figures underline how quickly mobile wallets are becoming embedded in the country’s financial system, even as cash withdrawals continue to account for a significant share of transaction value.

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Saudi telecom company Etihad Salam Telecom Company (Salam) signed 29 strategic partnerships during LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, expanding its offering across connectivity, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, AI and enterprise technology.

The agreements form part of Salam’s broader push to position itself as an integrated digital solutions provider for businesses and government entities, rather than a traditional telecommunications operator. The company’s partnerships span telecommunications and digital infrastructure, cloud and data services, cybersecurity, enterprise technology, localization, financial services and mobility.

At the event, Salam also highlighted its Connectivity+ strategy, which combines connectivity, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and AI-enabled services within a single offering.

Salam CEO Ahmed Al-Anqari said the company is focused on making AI more accessible to Saudi businesses while strengthening local digital capabilities.

The company showcased applications across Industry 4.0, AI-powered healthcare, mobility and logistics, including industrial IoT, digital twins and real-time fleet management solutions.

The partnerships included agreements covering areas such as AI adoption, cloud services, smart-city and IoT solutions, and enterprise technology. Salam did not disclose the combined financial value of the 29 agreements.

The developments come as Saudi Arabia continues to expand its digital infrastructure and AI capabilities under its Vision 2030 agenda, with telecom operators increasingly moving into cloud, cybersecurity and enterprise technology services.

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