UAE holiday dates; GCC visa ‘coming soon'; Dubai real estate record; New Saudi law – 10 things you missed this week
Whether you're planning your next day off or tracking the region's real estate boom, we've got you covered.
Catch up on 10 of the biggest stories news stories of the week as selected by Arabian Business editors.
When is the next 2025 UAE holiday?
People in the UAE enjoyed a long weekend break as workers in the public and private sectors were given a holiday to mark Islamic New Year on Friday, June 27.
It followed a short time after an extended holiday for Eid Al Adha, earlier in June.
There are more official public holidays to come, however, with planned breaks to mark:
Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) birthday
UAE National Day
Unified visa for UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman launching 'soon' says GCC chief
A unified tourism visa for visitors to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman will be launched soon, according to GCC Secretary General Jassem Al Budaiwi.
In a statement by the GCC Secretariat, Al Budaiwi expressed gratitude to member nations for efforts to realise the unified tourism visa. After it is introduced, non-GCC visitors to the region will be able to move freely between the six nations using a single visa.
Once approved, the unified Gulf tourist visa will allow its holders to visit six GCC countries, focusing on attracting and retaining tourists within the region to enhance economic integration.
UAE announces petrol prices for July 2025
The UAE has released its petrol prices for July 2025. The prices have increased compared to the rates in June.
While prices have remained steady recently, motorists are paying considerably less at the pump compared to the same period last year across all fuel types, even though there were price variations throughout the previous year.
From July 1, the cost of filling up vehicles in the UAE has been:
E-Plus: AED 2.51 a litre from AED 2.39 in June
Special 95: AED 2.58 a litre from AED 2.47 in June
Super 98: AED 2.70 a litre from AED 2.58 in June
Diesel: AED 2.63 a litre from AED 2.45 in June
Dubai slashes travel time on major road from 12 to 3 minutes with new tunnels and bridges
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched the Al Safa Street Improvement Project, a major infrastructure upgrade aimed at cutting travel time, enhancing traffic flow, and supporting the Emirate's rapid urban development.
The project, extending 1.5km from the junction of Al Safa Street with Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Wasl Street, is designed to accommodate population growth and elevate quality of life across key districts.
Once complete, the travel time on Al Safa Street will drop from 12 minutes to just 3 minutes, while road capacity will double from 6,000 to 12,000 vehicles per hour in both directions.
UAE announces new mortgage procedures
The UAE has announced new mortgage plans to slash bureaucracy and support real estate efficiency.
In a move toward seamless government services in the UAE, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) held its inaugural Customer Council meeting to overhaul the mortgage release procedure following loan repayment.
The initiative—part of the Ministry's Smart Government agenda—brings together federal and local authorities, the Emirates Development Bank, and end-users to pinpoint bottlenecks and co-design a streamlined process.
Saudi Arabia's new Social Insurance Law takes effect from today
Saudi Arabia's new Social Insurance Law, issued last year on July 2 by a Royal Decree, came into force this Tuesday.
The General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) stated that the law applies exclusively to new civil employees joining the public and private sectors, who do not have any prior contribution periods in the current Civil Pension Law or Social Insurance Law.
The amended law stipulates a gradual increase in retirement age. There will be no change in the current GOSI subscriber benefits. The organisation stated that the statutory retirement age for individuals affected by the amendments will range between 58 and 65 years.
Dubai real estate sales hit record $89bn in H1 2025; best-selling projects and neighbourhoods revealed
Dubai's real estate market recorded its highest-ever half-year performance, with 98,603 property sales worth AED326.7bn ($89bn) completed in the first half of 2025, according to the latest update from fäm Properties.
The growth was fuelled by a record-breaking Q2, which saw 53,118 transactions worth AED184bn ($50.1bn) — a 25 per cent increase in value compared to the previous peak of AED147.2bn ($39.7bn) in Q4 2024, and 5.39 per cent more transactions than the earlier record of 50,400 deals.
Highlights of the analysis include:
Plot sales: AED 32.2bn ($8.7bn) from 1,384 deals (up 49 per cent YoY)
Villas: 10,019 units sold worth AED66.5bn ($18.1bn) (up 38.3 per cent YoY)
Apartments: AED81.6bn ($22.2bn) in sales (up 18.7 per cent YoY)
Commercial properties: AED3.6bn ($980m) from 1,252 transactions (up 12.5 per cent YoY)
Dubai to welcome 3 new global universities for 2025-26 academic year
Dubai is set to welcome three leading international universities for the upcoming academic year as it aims to become a global education hub.
Three leading international universities — IIM Ahmedabad (India), American University of Beirut (Lebanon), and Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences (Saudi Arabia) — are set to open branch campuses in Dubai during the 2025-26 academic year, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) confirmed.
The move is part of Dubai's wider push to position itself as a top 10 global destination for higher education under the emirate's Education 33 strategy, aligned with the broader Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
Dubai South Properties launches new luxury real estate community Hayat
Dubai South Properties has launched Hayat, a master-planned community covering 10 million square feet.
The development sits in the Golf District at Dubai South, close to Al Maktoum International Airport's current terminal.
The development will house approximately 2,500 residential units comprising townhouses, semi-attached and standalone villas, mansions, apartments, and hotel apartments.
Dubai suspends 2 engineering firms, announces major upgrade to contractor evaluation system
Dubai Municipality has suspended two engineering consultancy offices from licensing any new projects for six months, following violations of professional regulations, licensing terms, and ethical standards.
The decision was made by the Committee of Registration and Licensing the Practice of Engineering Consultancy and Contracting and aims to protect the interests of property owners and developers across the emirate.
The action is part of the municipality's broader regulatory role, which includes routine field inspections to ensure that engineering consultancies adhere to approved legal and professional standards.
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