UAE Commits to $1.4 Trillion Investments in the US

Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and US President Donald Trump meet in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (AP)
Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and US President Donald Trump meet in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (AP)
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UAE Commits to $1.4 Trillion Investments in the US

Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and US President Donald Trump meet in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (AP)
Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and US President Donald Trump meet in Abu Dhabi on Thursday (AP)

Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on Thursday announced a plan to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States over the next ten years, in several sectors such as technology, artificial intelligence, and energy.

Speaking alongside US President Donald Trump at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed underscored what he called a “strong partnership” with Washington that has flourished under Trump.

The UAE is the third and last stop of Trump's Gulf tour, following Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Trump is only the second US president to visit the Emirates since George W. Bush first visited the country back in 2008.

On Thursday, the Emirati President said his country is determined to continue strengthening friendship with the US for the benefit of both nations and their peoples while working together in support of peace and stability regionally and globally.

“The UAE's plan to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States over the next 10 years is a testament to the strength of our strategic relationship,” he said.

Trump described Sheikh Mohamed as a long-time friend and a highly respected leader. “I have to say that we've been friends for a long time,” the US President said.

“You are a great warrior. A very strong man, brilliant man, a man with vision like few others,” Trump said.

On UAE’s $1.4 trillion US investment pledge, Trump said: “Thank you very much. We will work very hard to deserve it.”

Sheikh Mohamed also discussed with Trump prospects for cooperation and opportunities to expand their scope, particularly in investment, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, industry, and other areas that support future prosperity.

During the meeting, both leaders discussed a number of regional and international topics of shared interest, focusing on developments in the Middle East, particularly efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and contain escalation that threatens the region’s security and stability.

They emphasized that both countries share a strong friendship and strategic partnership built on solid foundations of mutual trust, respect, and shared interests, in addition to a long history of cooperation in political, economic, cultural, and other fields.

Sheikh Mohamed underscored the UAE’s commitment to further strengthen its cooperation with the US in light of their shared views on working to promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East and globally, and building an effective international position to address shared global challenges.

This, he said, reflects the UAE’s consistent approach of supporting peace, stability, and development regionally and globally through collective multilateral action.

The two sides stressed their keenness to continue strengthening their strategic cooperation, in line with the shared commitment of their leaderships to further develop bilateral relations in a way that serves mutual interests.

The Emirati and US presidents then witnessed the announcement of a 1-gigawatt artificial intelligence data center, which is part of a joint AI complex between both countries.

Sheikh Mohamed awarded the Order of Zayed - the UAE’s highest civilian honor granted to heads of state - to Trump in recognition of his efforts to enhance cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and the United States.



Repeated Houthi Attacks on Makkah, Madinah Deterred by Saudi Air Defense Vigilance

Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)
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Repeated Houthi Attacks on Makkah, Madinah Deterred by Saudi Air Defense Vigilance

Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)
Vehicles drive along a road in Makkah on October 25, 2026. (AFP)

The terrorist Houthi militia's attempts to target the Makkah and Madinah regions with ballistic missiles and drones continue in a blatant assault on Islamic holy sites and a persistent defiance of all red lines and humanitarian and religious norms.

In the latest chapter of this escalation, Saudi air defenses announced on Saturday the interception of two ballistic missiles fired toward Makkah and Madinah. The successful military interception caused shrapnel to scatter across several locations, most notably with fragments falling in Wadi al-Mughammas, roughly 23 kilometers from the Grand Mosque and near the holy site of Arafat.

International and Islamic bodies and institutions strongly condemned the attack. The Muslim World League stressed that targeting the Makkah and Madinah regions is “a flagrant violation of religious sanctity and an assault on the feelings of more than one and a half billion Muslims worldwide.”

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Houthi attacks on Makkah, Madinah, Taif, and Jeddah governorates, warning of the dangerous consequences should they continue.

He called on the countries of the Islamic world for collective action and a firm stance to deter the militias and put an end to their practices.

Scholars, clerics, and activists on social media platforms around the world denounced the attempts to target holy sites and civilians, deeming it a crime strictly prohibited by Islamic law and criminalized under the rules of international humanitarian law.

They reaffirmed the Islamic world's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in all measures it takes to protect its territories and Islamic holy sites.

Wadi al-Mughammas is one of the main valleys in the Tihama plain east of Makkah. It borders the holy site of Arafat from its northeastern and geographically links Arafat with Wadi Hunain.

The valley holds prominent historical significance due to the occurrence of the famous "Year of the Elephant" incident there (around 570–571 AD), the same year that coincided with the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

Historical records note that the campaign commander, Abraha, used Wadi al-Mughammas as a camp for his elephant-equipped army in preparation to advance and demolish the Holy Kaaba, before the campaign ground to a halt in the valley because the elephant refused to advance toward Makkah, and the army subsequently suffered widespread destruction, forcing its remaining remnants to retreat and withdraw toward Yemen.

Ali bin Hamid al-Nafie, undersecretary at the Presidency of Religious Affairs for the Grand Mosque, stated that the repeated cross-border attacks and operations by the Houthi militia are no longer mere fleeting military skirmishes.

Instead, he noted, they reflect a systematic strategy targeting the security and spiritual symbolism of the Makkah and Madinah regions, which serve as the spiritual heartland and year-round destination for millions of visitors and Umrah pilgrims.

The continuous targeting of these areas with ballistic missiles and drones proves the expanding scope of Houthi objectives, which transcend direct battlefield conflict to impact regional security, the stability of the holy sites, and the safety and security of their visitors and pilgrims, Al-Nafie said.

He added that the efficiency of the interceptions demonstrated by Saudi defense systems against all militia attempts reflects the high level of vigilance and advanced readiness of the military and security apparatuses.

Protecting the holy sites and ensuring the safety of their visitors represent a top security and political priority for the Saudi leadership, and these attacks only increase the stringency of preventive and defensive measures to counter any future threats, he remarked.

Dr. Fawaz bin Adel Ghunaim, a researcher and academic at Taibah University in Madinah, stated that the legal and religious status of the Two Holy Mosques represents a foundational pillar in the region's history and legislative framework.

He explained that the protection of these holy sites has been respected and revered throughout the ages, even prior to Islam, when caravans of pilgrims heading to the Kaaba were safeguarded by established customs that criminalized any transgressions against them.

He noted that threats directed at Makkah or Madinah are an explicit violation of the sanctity of these regions, and a crime affecting the spiritual and ideological security of more than one and a half billion Muslims.


Saudi Arabia, Lebanon Discuss Bolstering Security Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, Lebanon Discuss Bolstering Security Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz and his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz received on Sunday a telephone call from his Lebanese counterpart Ahmad Al-Hajjar.

Al-Hajjar condemned the blatant attacks targeting Saudi Arabia by the terrorist Houthi militia, stressing his country’s solidarity with the Kingdom.

The two sides discussed the latest developments in the region and stressed the importance of strengthening security cooperation within the framework of their partnership.


King Salman Directs Citizen Support Measures Ahead of 2027 Electricity, Water Tariffs

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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King Salman Directs Citizen Support Measures Ahead of 2027 Electricity, Water Tariffs

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, based on a proposal by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, directed on Sunday a series of support measures for citizens coinciding with Saudi Energy and the National Water Company's announcement of consumption tariff adjustments effective January 1, 2027.

The support measures provide a SAR500 monthly allowance increase for civilian and military personnel across civil service salary scales and operational program contracts, as well as retirees and eligible beneficiaries of deceased subscribers or retirees under the Social Insurance system.

Families receiving Social Security benefits will receive a monthly stipend of SAR500 under established regulatory mechanisms to offset the impact of electricity and water tariff adjustments.

For Saudis working in the private sector, the minimum wage a worker must earn to count fully toward quotas under the Nitaqat Saudization program will rise to SAR5,000 six months after the measures take effect, and to SAR6,000 twelve months after the first increase, boosting wage levels and reinforcing sustainable private-sector employment for citizens.