Real non-oil GDP grew by some 7.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021, which the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) attributes to the easing of business closures and the decline in restrictions on international travel.
The CBUAE quarterly economic report also highlighted a 9.3 percent annual increase in Emirati oil production during the same period, in line with a related OPEC+ agreement.
In addition, the occupancy rate of hotels in Dubai during the fourth quarter of 2021 was 82 percent, compared to 63 percent and 80.6 percent during the same period in 2020 and 2019 respectively.
The report also addressed local and international economic and monetary developments and stock markets, and highlighted the UAE is continuing to lead efforts aimed at addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, which is positively reflected in its pace of recovery.
The Central Bank estimated a total real GDP growth of 2.3 percent in 2021, and for 2022 it is maintaining its forecast for an aggregate real GDP growth of 4.2 percent, with non-oil real GDP increasing by 3.9 percent and real oil GDP by 5.0 percent.
In a first for the UAE, the Ministry of Finance has launched the Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, giving citizens and residents access to a government-backed, Shariah-compliant investment opportunity.
Emirates Airline has introduced the world's first conflict cover for travel that includes medical reimbursement of up to $25,000, hotel stays "during airport closures" and a free trip extension of up to 30 days, offering travellers "greater peace of mind".
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is likely to make an 80-85 per cent operational recovery by the end of 2026 following the regional developments, announced CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths.
Microsoft has been sued by shareholders who accused the company of defrauding them and inflating its stock price by failing to disclose slowing growth in its Azure cloud business and the need to spend billions of dollars on AI infrastructure.
UAE climate-tech company HyveGeo has been crowned the winner of Dubai Holding's Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator, securing pilot funding and the opportunity to test its solutions within Dubai Holding's business ecosystem.