标签： Asia

Dubai’s gold market witnessed an unprecedented rally as prices soared to record-breaking levels, with 24K gold reaching Dh635.5 per gram on Wednesday evening. This represents a remarkable increase of Dh115.5 per gram within the first month of 2026 alone, significantly outpacing the entire year’s performance of 2025 when prices closed at Dh520 per gram on December 31.

The precious metal’s surge extended across all variants, with 22K, 21K, 18K, and 14K gold trading at Dh588.5, Dh564.25, Dh483.5, and Dh377.25 per gram respectively. The global benchmark spot gold surpassed the psychological $5,300 milestone before settling at $5,288.26 per ounce at 8pm UAE time.

Financial analysts attribute this historic rally to multiple converging factors. Alex Kuptsikevich, Chief Market Analyst at FxPro, noted that the collapse of the USD index enabled gold to break through the $5,300 barrier for the first time in history. “Precious metals act as politically neutral assets,” Kuptsikevich explained. “They respond to White House policy but maintain independence from the direct influences that affect stocks, bonds, and the US dollar.”

The current market dynamics reveal a significant shift in investment patterns. According to experts, gold is benefiting from dual capital movements: flight from US assets and simultaneous outflows from the cryptocurrency market. This contradicts earlier expectations that cryptocurrency would thrive under potential pro-crypto policies, instead demonstrating gold’s enduring appeal as a politically independent store of value.

Vijay Valecha, Chief Investment Officer at Century Financial, emphasized that sustained central bank purchasing, combined with increasing investor preference for non-dollar assets, continues to drive strong underlying demand. Despite potential short-term corrections due to overbought conditions, the fundamental outlook remains bullish amid persistent geopolitical tensions, trade conflicts between the US and NATO allies with Canada, stalled Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, and ongoing tariff uncertainties.

Adding to the complex economic backdrop, US consumer confidence has plummeted to multi-year lows, further enhancing gold’s traditional role as a hedge against economic volatility, bond market fluctuations, and inflationary pressures. This convergence of factors has created ideal conditions for gold’s spectacular performance, establishing it as the preferred safe-haven asset during current global uncertainties.

In a significant upward revision of its regional forecast, Boeing has projected that airlines across India and South Asia will require 3,290 new commercial aircraft over the next two decades. This substantial increase from the previous estimate of 2,835 jets reflects the extraordinary transformation of the region into one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets.

The aerospace giant attributes this accelerated demand to multiple converging factors: robust economic expansion, rapidly growing middle-class populations, and an unprecedented surge of first-time air travelers. This perfect storm of conditions has created an environment where carriers are aggressively modernizing fleets and expanding capacity while airports undergo comprehensive upgrades.

According to Boeing’s detailed breakdown, the projected fleet composition reveals 2,875 single-aisle aircraft—the workhorses of regional and domestic routes—alongside 395 wide-body jets destined for international expansion. This strategic allocation underscores the dual growth pattern occurring within the market: intensive domestic network development alongside international route expansion.

Ashwin Naidu, Boeing’s Managing Director of Commercial Marketing for India and South Asia, emphasized the unique nature of this growth cycle: “While many global aviation markets have reached maturation focused primarily on fleet replacement, India represents the opposite phenomenon—explosive organic expansion that requires both new aircraft and infrastructure development.”

The company specifically highlighted infrastructure challenges, noting that over 30% of India’s aviation network remains concentrated around Delhi and Mumbai, creating operational bottlenecks that must be addressed to sustain growth. This assessment comes as Boeing itself regains industrial momentum, having delivered the most aircraft in 2025 since 2018 and surpassing Airbus in net orders for the first time in seven years.

Despite this optimistic outlook, the industry continues to face significant headwinds. Supply chain disruptions persist, limiting manufacturers’ ability to capitalize on strong demand and forcing airlines to allocate substantial resources toward maintaining older aircraft until new deliveries can be completed.

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the United Arab Emirates’ largest financial institution by assets, announced unprecedented financial results for 2025, achieving a historic net profit of Dh21.11 billion. This represents a remarkable 24 percent surge from the previous year, demonstrating the bank’s exceptional operational performance across its diversified portfolio.

The bank’s extraordinary performance was fueled by robust client engagement, substantial non-interest income expansion, and strategic execution across all business segments. Pre-tax profits soared even higher, climbing 27 percent to reach Dh25.20 billion, while operating income increased by 16 percent year-on-year to Dh36.68 billion.

FAB’s balance sheet experienced significant growth, with total assets expanding by 16 percent to Dh1.40 trillion. The institution’s lending portfolio grew by 17 percent to Dh616 billion, while customer deposits increased by 7 percent to Dh841 billion. Notably, the bank’s gross non-performing loans ratio decreased to a record low of 2.2 percent, reflecting stringent risk management practices.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, FAB’s Chairman, emphasized that these results represent “multiple years of consistent progress in building scale, resilience and long-term value.” He highlighted the bank’s expanding global footprint and its role in facilitating international capital flows between the UAE and key growth markets.

The bank’s international operations demonstrated particularly strong performance, with international loans growing by 35 percent and deposits increasing by 25 percent. FAB’s overseas franchise now contributes 19 percent of group revenue, with significant advancements in Turkey, India’s GIFT City, and landmark transactions in Nigeria.

Group CEO Hana Al Rostamani attributed the record performance to both operational excellence and the accelerated implementation of the bank’s artificial intelligence strategy. “2025 marked a transformative acceleration in our AI journey,” she stated, referencing the deployment of Microsoft Copilot to all employees and over thirty enterprise-wide agentic AI applications that enhanced productivity and client experience.

In recognition of this exceptional performance, the Board recommended a record cash dividend of 80 fils per share, totaling Dh8.84 billion – the highest distribution in FAB’s history.

The bank demonstrated strength across all business units: Investment Banking & Markets revenue grew 16 percent to Dh11.79 billion, Wholesale Banking revenue increased 11 percent to Dh6.40 billion, and Personal, Business, Wealth & Privileged Client Banking delivered 10 percent revenue growth to Dh12.65 billion.

Non-interest income emerged as a particularly strong performer, surging 36 percent to Dh16.35 billion and accounting for 45 percent of group revenue. Fees and commissions jumped 28 percent, while FX and investment income climbed 40 percent driven by record trading volumes.

FAB maintained robust liquidity and capital buffers, with a CET1 ratio of 13.3 percent and liquidity coverage ratio of 154 percent. The bank advanced its sustainable finance agenda, facilitating Dh381 billion in sustainable and transition financing – achieving 76 percent of its 2030 target.

With this strong financial foundation and clear strategic roadmap, FAB enters 2026 positioned to sustain high-quality performance while deepening international connections and scaling AI-driven transformation across its global operations.

In a significant move highlighting the Middle East’s escalating importance in global professional services, ECOVIS International President Kay conducted a strategic visit to Dubai, hosted by the network’s UAE member firm ECOVIS JRB. The high-level engagement underscores the region’s transformation into a critical hub for quality-driven advisory services amid rapidly evolving regulatory landscapes.

The visit served as a platform to reinforce ECOVIS International’s commitment to the UAE and broader Middle Eastern markets, which are undergoing profound structural shifts. President Kay emphasized the region’s deliberate transition from historically low-tax, low-regulation environments toward frameworks prioritizing robust governance, transparency, and systematic compliance. This evolution aligns perfectly with ECOVIS’s global positioning as a mid-market professional services network focused on quality and technical depth.

During intensive meetings with ECOVIS JRB leadership, including founding partners Salman Rafique (Compliance and Assurance) and Rashmi Rajkumar (Tax and Financial Reporting), discussions centered on aligning quality standards and governance frameworks. Kay emphasized that ground-level engagement in the UAE enables deeper strategic alignment as the market matures into a regional center for cross-border advisory coordination.

The dialogue highlighted fundamental changes in regional compliance expectations. Rafique noted that businesses can no longer treat compliance as a year-end formality, but must implement consistent systems, documentation, and governance throughout the year. Regulators now demand demonstrable substance, clear audit trails, and accountability—a shift requiring significant operational adaptation.

Rajkumar addressed the transformative impact of the UAE’s Corporate Tax introduction and digital compliance initiatives, including upcoming e-invoicing requirements. She stressed that real-time, accurate accounting has become the foundation for effective tax compliance and audit readiness, making robust internal processes and digital preparedness critical competitive advantages.

The visit solidifies ECOVIS International’s recognition of the Middle East as a long-term strategic pillar for growth and influence, while reinforcing ECOVIS JRB’s role in guiding businesses through regulatory complexity with clarity and confidence.