US weighs fresh strikes on Iran before midterms
US President Donald Trump has reportedly directed the Pentagon to prepare new military options against Iran. The plans include potential strikes on missile and drone capabilities, energy infrastructure and other military targets. However, Trump has indicated that attacks will not resume before the November 3 midterm elections. The Pentagon is reportedly examining several possible targets […]
The UAE's economy expanded by 0.4% annually during the first half of 2026, reaching Dh961.9 billion ($262 billion), according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. This growth was primarily fueled by the non-oil sector, which increased its contribution to the GDP by 1.8% to 79.2%. The FCSC attributed these results to the UAE's ongoing economic diversification and the growing influence of non-oil activities.
The center noted that these expanding contributions signify a diverse range of growth drivers, supporting sustainable and balanced economic development across multiple sectors. In the second quarter alone, the real GDP fell by 2.1% annually to Dh476.9 billion. However, even this decline was largely due to the non-oil sectors, which contracted by 1.1%, primarily because of regional developments and travel disruptions, particularly in tourism, transport, and trade.
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- US draws up options for new Iran strikes despite Trump poll pledge gulfnews.com
- UAE economy grew in first half of 2026 despite impact of Iran war thenationalnews.com
