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Berlin government district and construction cranes at sunset
World

UAE pledges 40 billion euros to Germany

Announced in Berlin on September 10, 2026, the UAE's 40-billion-euro investment pledge centres on data centres and AI, on top of 34 billion euros already invested, with 30 deals sealed.

Amara Okonkwo
Sep 11, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dijla News?
Dijla News is an English-language publication covering Gulf and wider Middle East business: deals, sovereign funds, real estate, technology and markets across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and neighboring economies, with every number attributed and every news item dated.
What countries does the Gulf region include?
The Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf region, includes the six GCC states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — plus Iraq and Iran on its shores. Business coverage usually focuses on the GCC six, the region’s largest trading and investment bloc.
What is a sovereign wealth fund?
A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund that holds and grows a country’s surplus revenues, usually from oil or gas. The Gulf runs the world’s largest, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the UAE’s ADIA and Qatar’s QIA.
Which are the largest sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf?
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) are the Gulf’s largest sovereign funds, each managing hundreds of billions of dollars in global assets across equities, real estate, infrastructure and technology.
How much does it cost to start a business in Dubai?
A Dubai free-zone license typically costs from about AED 10,000–25,000 (roughly $2,700–$6,800) per year including registration, while mainland setups start near AED 15,000–30,000 with visa and office costs added. Total first-year budgeting of $6,000–15,000 is a practical starting range.
What is a free zone in the UAE?
A free zone is a designated UAE jurisdiction where foreign investors can own 100% of a company, with streamlined licensing, customs exemptions and their own regulators. Dubai alone has more than 20 free zones, each specialized — from media (Dubai Media City) to finance (DIFC) and commodities (DMCC).
Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?
Yes. Foreigners can buy, sell and rent out property in designated freehold areas of Dubai and Abu Dhabi with full ownership rights, including apartments, villas and off-plan units. Purchase costs add roughly 4% transfer duty plus agent and trustee fees; no annual property tax applies.
What is Saudi Vision 2030?
Vision 2030 is Saudi Arabia’s national plan to diversify its economy away from oil — building new sectors such as tourism, entertainment, logistics and mining, developing projects like NEOM, and growing the Public Investment Fund into one of the world’s largest sovereign investors.
What is the Saudi Public Investment Fund?
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and the main engine of Vision 2030. It manages over $700 billion in assets, anchors giga-projects such as NEOM, owns stakes in global companies and has transformed Saudi football, gaming and entertainment sectors.
Which stock exchanges operate in the Gulf?
The Gulf’s main exchanges are the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) — the region’s largest — the Dubai Financial Market and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in the UAE, the Qatar Stock Exchange, Kuwait’s Boursa and the Muscat Stock Exchange. Several are included in emerging-market indexes.
What is the Tadawul?
Tadawul is the Saudi Exchange, the largest stock market in the Middle East. Its headline listing is Saudi Aramco, the world’s most valuable listed company at its 2019 IPO. Tadawul is tracked by global index providers and opens to foreign institutional investors under QFI rules.
Is cryptocurrency legal in the UAE?
Yes, with regulation. The UAE licenses virtual-asset firms through ADGM in Abu Dhabi and VARA in Dubai, and the central bank frames digital-asset rules. Licensed exchanges operate legally; unlicensed activity and marketing are restricted. Bahrain and Saudi rules differ, with Saudi Arabia banning crypto trading.
What are the biggest industries in the Gulf?
Oil and gas remain the Gulf’s core industries, followed by sovereign-fund investment, banking and finance, real estate and construction, logistics and ports, tourism, petrochemicals and — fastest-growing — technology and renewable energy under national diversification programs.
Why is Dubai real estate so expensive?
Dubai property prices are driven by limited prime land, strong foreign demand — including golden-visa buyers — tax-free yields that attract investors, and record transactions since 2021. Prime areas such as Palm Jumeirah and Downtown command the region’s highest per-square-foot prices.
What currency is used in the Gulf?
Each Gulf state has its own currency pegged to the US dollar: the UAE dirham (AED), Saudi riyal (SAR), Qatari riyal (QAR), Kuwaiti dinar (KWD), Bahraini dinar (BHD) and Omani rial (OMR). The dollar peg keeps exchange-rate risk minimal for business.
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