uae

According to Cointelegraph, during the US-Iran conflict, UAE investors chose to buy the dip in AI and digital assets rather than reducing their overall positions.eToro data shows that in the first quarter, UAE users increased their holdings in several software and AI infrastructure stocks that had significantly pulled back in price. eToro market analyst Josh Gilbert stated that the behavior of UAE investors is driven by long-term themes rather than risk aversion, with the most obvious signals appearing in the AI infrastructure and software sector—ServiceNow (+125%), Super Micro Computer (+65%), Adobe (+54%), and Oracle (+38%) all saw significant increases in holdings against a backdrop of market pressure.In terms of crypto assets, Strategy Inc. remains the eighth highest held stock by UAE investors, indicating a continued allocation to crypto-related assets. Deutsche Bank's report on April 13 indicated that this conflict is more likely to strengthen rather than weaken the region's demand for AI, cybersecurity, and sovereign digital infrastructure; however, it also cited reports that the Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and Bahrain have been attacked, and the planned 1GW Stargate park in Abu Dhabi is also under threat.The report also noted that sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf region manage approximately $5 trillion in assets by 2025, with Abu Dhabi-related institutions being one of the most active sources of funding in the global AI sector. Local crypto businesses in Dubai are operating normally. HashKey MENA Managing Director Ben El-Baz told Cointelegraph that business remains normal, relying on cloud trading and custody systems; Binance also confirmed that the vast majority of employees chose to stay, but the Token2049 Dubai event has been postponed to 2027.The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) continues to advance its activity-type regulatory framework. VARA Market Assurance Director Sean McHugh stated that during times of pressure, serious market participants seek the clearest regulatory environment rather than the most lenient jurisdictions.

According to CoinDesk, affected by the situation in the Middle East, Binance is offering its employees in the UAE the option to temporarily relocate to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.A Binance spokesperson stated, "In light of the recent regional tensions, we are providing our employees with the option for temporary relocation as a precautionary measure prioritizing employee welfare, to offer flexibility and support during uncertain times." The spokesperson also mentioned that many employees are currently choosing to stay in the UAE, and the company's operations in the UAE remain normal.It is reported that Binance has about 1,000 employees in the UAE, accounting for 20% of its global workforce, and the company's global operations are also supported from Abu Dhabi. This relocation proposal comes after the signing of a ceasefire agreement. The regional conflict, which lasted for about six weeks, has impacted business activities in the UAE. Since the outbreak of the conflict in late February, the UAE has intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones, with another interception occurring on April 8.The conflict in the Middle East has affected several cryptocurrency and major events in the UAE: the TOKEN2049 Dubai summit has been postponed to 2027, the TON Gateway has been canceled due to safety and travel concerns, the Middle East Energy Dubai Exhibition and the Dubai International Boat Show have been postponed, and the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia F1 events, which have sponsorship exposure value for the crypto industry, are also facing cancellation.

According to CCTV News, on April 3 local time, UAE Ministry of Defense spokesman Humaidi stated in a media interview that UAE territory has not been used to launch any attacks against Iran, firmly denying allegations that the U.S. military has launched strikes against Iran from bases within the UAE. Humaidi emphasized that the UAE will continue to focus on defense while "reserving all military options."He also stated that the UAE will not allow its sovereignty and security to be violated and will take all necessary measures to respond to threats.

As Iran intensifies its strikes on key energy nodes, a large natural gas field in the UAE has been ignited. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump has called on allies to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.The drone attack on the Shah gas field occurred near the border between the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This marks the first time Iran has damaged the country's oil and gas upstream facilities during the conflict. The UAE government stated that operations at the gas field have been suspended, and there were no casualties on site. The gas field is jointly operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Texas-based Occidental Petroleum.Due to multiple drone and missile attacks, the UAE closed its airspace at night. Authorities reported that air traffic returned to normal on Tuesday morning. Just a day before the attack, Iran also struck a fuel depot at Dubai's main airport, causing a massive plume of smoke to rise over the world's busiest international transit hub and leading to a brief disruption of flights.

A fire broke out at a fuel tank facility near Dubai International Airport (DXB) on March 16 local time, initially identified as a drone attack. Flights at Dubai International Airport were temporarily suspended, and Emirates Airlines announced the suspension of operations, with some flights originally scheduled for today being canceled.Today, several flights from China to Dubai were diverted to other airports, including flight EK363 from Guangzhou to Dubai, flight EK303 from Shanghai to Dubai, and flight EK329 from Shenzhen to Dubai, which were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC). Flight EK307 from Beijing to Dubai was diverted to Muscat. Previously, Chinese airlines had suspended flights to Dubai until the end of the month, with only Emirates Airlines continuing to operate.

According to Cointelegraph, the circulating market value of USDC has risen to about $79.2 billion, nearing its historical high. The market value of this stablecoin has continued to climb from about $70 billion in early February, breaking through $75 billion at the beginning of this month. Rami Al-Hashimi, who claims to be a Dubai analyst, associates this surge in demand with capital outflows from the UAE. He stated that the current demand for USDC on Dubai's over-the-counter (OTC) platforms is difficult to meet, attributing this to the severe fluctuations in the local real estate market.According to him, property prices in Dubai have dropped by about 27% this month. Data from TradingView shows that the DFM Real Estate Index, which tracks listed real estate and construction companies in Dubai, has fallen from a recent high of about 16,800 points to around 11,516 points, a decline of about 31%. Al-Hashimi also mentioned that some property sellers have begun to accept cryptocurrency payments and are offering discounts of 5% to 10% to buyers who pay in BTC.

According to Iranian state media, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that after the U.S. military attacked Iranian islands (Hark Island), U.S. ports, docks, and military bases within the UAE have become legitimate targets for strikes.On the evening of the 13th Eastern Time, U.S. President Trump posted on social media, stating that the U.S. Central Command "just" bombed the Iranian oil export hub Hark Island at his direction, "completely destroying all military targets on the island." Trump mentioned that he did not choose to destroy the island's oil infrastructure. However, he threatened that if Iran or any other country interferes in any way with the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, "I will immediately reconsider this decision."

Due to the situation in the Middle East, Bybit has activated its regular security and business continuity management mechanism (BCP) to ensure the safety and operational stability of the teams in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The company stated that the global system is currently operating stably, and core trading and user assets are not affected. Management is closely monitoring regional developments and will update internal and external communications in a timely manner based on official information.Key arrangements are as follows:Bybit has launched a cross-departmental BCP response mechanism, led by Co-CEO Helen Liu, to confirm the safety status of all UAE employees one by one, establish daily follow-ups and emergency contact mechanisms; provide remote work support, accommodation coordination, co-living arrangements, and medical life assistance;Business arrangements: designated backups for key positions, cross-regional support, office equipped with 8 hours of power backup, and stable operation of systems and user asset security;Personnel arrangements: UAE employees can choose to work remotely or use the office as a protective location, temporary departure can be applied for; overseas employees must report their travel plans and may postpone their return; all transfers of employees planned to be moved to the UAE are temporarily suspended.Helen Liu emphasized, "Employee safety is the top priority," and the company will continue to communicate transparently to ensure business continuity and convey confidence to users and the community.

According to the Wall Street Journal, regional officials have stated that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Gulf countries are unlikely to endure Iranian strikes in the long term. One possible option is to begin targeting missile and drone launch sites within Iran.UAE Foreign Affairs Advisor Gargash stated, "We should not adopt a passive defense strategy, but rather be more proactive in our defense. We must examine the types of conflicts that are emerging. At the same time, we have certain capabilities ourselves, and our philosophy is that our responses should match the severity of the conflict." On Sunday, the UAE closed its embassy in Tehran and withdrew its diplomats from Iran.

According to market news, due to the sudden escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, Binance has issued an internal security announcement requiring all employees in the UAE to immediately avoid outdoor activities and stay in safe indoor areas.Recently, Iran launched ballistic missiles towards Israeli/U.S. military targets, some of which flew over or were aimed at the UAE. Although most were intercepted by air defense systems, the UAE government issued an emergency safety alert to all residents early this morning.

On the night of February 28 local time, Iran announced a new round of missile strikes against "aggressors." According to reports from the main station, explosions were heard again in Dubai, UAE, and Doha, the capital of Qatar. (CCTV International News)

According to the UAE's state news agency, the relevant authorities handled an incident involving shrapnel falling in a residential area of Abu Dhabi, which resulted in some material damage and the death of an Asian national.

According to Arkham data, the UAE has accumulated approximately $453.6 million worth of Bitcoin through its Bitcoin mining operations in partnership with Citadel.On-chain records show that its most recent outflow occurred about 4 months ago, and most of the mined Bitcoin remains held. Data indicates that after deducting related costs such as energy, the current floating profit of the UAE's Bitcoin holdings is approximately $344 million.

According to The Fintech Times, UAE digital bank Zand is expanding its partnership with Ripple, specifically to support RLUSD in Zand's regulated digital asset custody services, research direct liquidity solutions between the regulated dirham stablecoin AEDZ and RLUSD, and explore issuing AEDZ on the XRPL.

According to FinanceFeeds, two Democratic senators have written to Treasury Secretary Scott Bancenet, requesting an assessment of whether the UAE government's affiliated entity's $500 million investment in the cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial should undergo a national security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).The committee, led by the Treasury Department, is responsible for reviewing foreign investment transactions that may involve sensitive technologies or data. According to a previous report by The Wall Street Journal, G42, supported by Abu Dhabi royal family member Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial through an entity named Aryam Investment 1. The report indicated that some of the funds flowed to the Trump family and its affiliates. The Trump camp denied any knowledge of this. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Angus King questioned in their letter whether the deal could allow a foreign government access to user data and mentioned G42's past collaborations with Chinese companies. They requested the Treasury Department to clarify by March 5 whether a review process has been initiated or if a recommendation has been made to the president.World Liberty Financial is the issuer of the stablecoin USD1, which has circulated over $5 billion since its launch in March 2025. The company lists Trump and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff as honorary co-founders. A company spokesperson previously stated that the two were not involved in the UAE-related transactions.

According to a report by Reuters, two Democratic senators from the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim, have written to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, requesting a review of a transaction involving an Emirati entity acquiring a stake in a cryptocurrency company owned by the Trump family.It has been reported that a company under the Emirati national security advisor purchased a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million. The two senators are calling for an investigation into whether this transaction poses any national security risks.Warren and Kim are asking Bessent, who is responsible for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to determine whether a CFIUS review is necessary for the Emirati acquisition of the 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, and if so, to conduct a comprehensive, thorough, and fair investigation. They have requested that Bessent respond to several questions by March 5, including whether CFIUS has reviewed the transaction in any form or submitted any recommendations to President Trump.The two senators pointed out that the transaction raises significant national security concerns regarding whether countries like the UAE could potentially access "sensitive personal information" collected by World Liberty Financial.

According to The Block, a senior Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives has launched an investigation into the cryptocurrency project World Liberty Financial (WLFI) related to Donald Trump, following reports that the project received a $500 million investment from an entity linked to a member of the UAE royal family.U.S. House member Ro Khanna sent a letter to WLFI co-founder Zach Witkoff requesting detailed information and relevant documents. The letter cited an earlier report from The Wall Street Journal, stating that Aryam Investment 1 (controlled by UAE National Security Advisor and President's brother Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan) acquired a 49% stake in WLFI.

According to Decrypt, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut has warned that a deal involving UAE investors secretly paying Trump-associated cryptocurrency firms may involve potential criminal activity. Murphy alleged that four days before Trump's inauguration, Aryam Investment, linked to UAE Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, agreed to acquire 49% of Trump-associated cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial for $500 million, with approximately $187 million flowing to entities associated with the Trump family and at least $31 million going to family-associated entities of Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.Subsequently, the Trump administration approved the expansion of UAE's access to advanced U.S. AI chips, which had been restricted during the Biden administration. In his Senate speech, Murphy summarized the accusation as: a secret massive transfer of funds to Trump and envoy-associated families, followed by the U.S. sharing restricted security technology with the UAE. He stated that this is corruption, constitutes elements of bribery, and is potential criminal behavior, warning that although accountability may be delayed, the consequences are inevitable, the rule of law will return, and those who trade power for money will go to jail. Previously, it was reported that a confidant of the Abu Dhabi royal family secretly invested $500 million to acquire 49% of the Trump family's WLFI company; Trump responded that he was unaware of the $500 million investment from Abu Dhabi into WLFI, and that his sons were handling it.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is calling for Congress to hold hearings on the $500 million acquisition of WLFI equity by UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Reports indicate that the transaction documents were signed by Eric Trump, with approximately $187 million flowing directly into entities related to the Trump family, and at least $31 million going to entities associated with Trump ally Steve Witkoff.Elizabeth Warren stated that this move is "purely a corrupt act" and urged the Trump administration to rescind its decision to sell sensitive artificial intelligence chips to the UAE. She also called for Trump administration officials, including Steve Witkoff, David Sacks, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to testify before Congress on related issues, claiming that they jeopardize U.S. national security for the benefit of a president-associated cryptocurrency company.