UAE

Dubai’s ‘Green Corridor’ emerges as key trade route amid sea disruptions

Dubai Customs’ “Green Corridor” initiative was launched as an emergency trade facilitation measure. Within weeks, it evolved into one of the Gulf’s most significant alternative logistics routes, helping businesses reroute cargo away from disrupted maritime corridors while keeping trade flows moving across the region.

The initiative, activated in cooperation with Oman Customs in March 2026, came as regional developments began affecting key shipping routes and placing global supply chains under pressure. Dubai Customs said the corridor was operationalised within 72 hours after disruptions started impacting traditional sea lanes. The response reflected a growing challenge facing global trade hubs.

As shipping disruptions, geopolitical tensions, rising insurance costs, and congestion increasingly affect established maritime routes, governments and logistics operators are being forced to develop alternative transport networks capable of sustaining cargo movement during periods of instability. Dubai’s Green Corridor was designed to do exactly that.

What is ‘Green Corridor’?

The Green Corridor is an accelerated customs and logistics route linking Oman and Dubai through the Hatta Border Crossing.

Under the system, cargo arriving through Oman can be redirected overland into Dubai under streamlined customs procedures, allowing shipments to bypass delays affecting conventional shipping routes.

The initiative allows containers destined for Jebel Ali Port, Dubai’s local market, and re-export operations to continue moving through alternative land routes while remaining under customs supervision.

Dubai Customs described the corridor as a “vital trade artery” that helped sustain regional and international cargo flows during a period of significant pressure on global supply chains.

The route effectively created a contingency logistics network capable of redirecting shipments away from disrupted maritime pathways while reducing delays for businesses dependent on fast cargo movement.

Why was the initiative launched?

The Green Corridor was introduced in response to disruptions affecting regional shipping routes and maritime trade operations.

While Dubai Customs did not specify individual incidents, the disruptions triggered operational challenges across logistics networks, including shipping delays, route diversions, rising freight and insurance costs, and mounting congestion at alternative ports.

For Dubai, maintaining uninterrupted trade flows carries broader economic importance. The emirate serves as one of the world’s largest re-export and logistics hubs, connecting cargo flows between Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Any prolonged disruption to shipping routes can affect importers, exporters, retailers, manufacturers, logistics companies, and free-zone operators that depend on predictable cargo movement.

The Green Corridor was intended to minimise those risks by creating a rapid-response alternative transport route. Dubai Customs said the initiative was developed in close cooperation with customers and strategic partners to ensure trade continuity and preserve supply-chain resilience during changing regional conditions.

How did cargo movement change?

The scale of the shift became visible almost immediately after the corridor was activated. According to Dubai Customs, customs declarations processed through the Green Corridor increased from around 12,000 in March to nearly 100,000 in April 2026.

The total value of goods transported through the corridor, including insurance and freight costs, rose from Dh1 billion to more than Dh8 billion during the same period. The figures illustrate how rapidly companies adjusted supply-chain operations once an alternative route became available.

Importers and logistics providers facing delays or uncertainty along traditional maritime routes appear to have increasingly redirected cargo through Oman and onward into Dubai via land transport.

The increase in declaration volumes also highlights the extent to which businesses prioritised operational continuity and route diversification during the disruptions.

How does the corridor operate?

The system relies on a combination of digital customs integration, advance cargo processing, and continuous customs supervision. Dubai Customs said shipments are transported in sealed trucks under full customs monitoring throughout transit, allowing cargo to move quickly while maintaining security controls and procedural compliance.

Advanced customs systems process pre-arrival cargo information, manifests, bills of lading, and shipment data before goods reach border crossings. That allows customs teams to accelerate inspection, verification, and clearance procedures without compromising shipment integrity or security requirements.

Unified customs procedures and customs seals also allow businesses to move cargo more flexibly across borders while reducing administrative delays. The initiative effectively combines physical transport infrastructure with digital customs coordination to create a faster alternative trade route.

Roles Fujairah, Khorfakkan play

Dubai Customs expanded the initiative beyond the UAE-Oman land corridor by introducing facilitation measures for shipments entering through Fujairah and Khorfakkan.

Under the revised procedures, containers arriving at those ports can move directly overland to Dubai immediately after arrival instead of completing standard customs clearance processes at the originating ports.

The measure reduces cargo dwell times and shortens overall shipment processing periods for businesses operating through alternative ports. The strategy reflects a broader logistics diversification effort aimed at reducing dependence on a single trade route or maritime gateway during periods of disruption.

Why was transit period extended?

Dubai Customs also extended the allowable transit period for goods from 30 days to 90 days in response to operational feedback from companies and logistics operators. The change gave businesses additional time to reorganise transport schedules, warehouse operations, and supply-chain planning as regional shipping conditions evolved.

Longer transit windows are particularly important during periods of disruption because businesses often face unpredictable delivery schedules, rerouting requirements, customs bottlenecks, and port congestion.

The extension provided companies with greater operational flexibility while reducing pressure on cargo operators dealing with changing regional logistics conditions.

Why does initiative matter for Dubai?

The Green Corridor is as much an economic resilience initiative as it is a customs programme. Dubai’s position as a global trade and logistics hub depends heavily on its ability to maintain uninterrupted cargo movement during periods of instability. The emirate’s ports, airports, free zones, and re-export networks are central to its broader economic model.

The initiative demonstrated Dubai’s ability to rapidly deploy alternative logistics infrastructure while coordinating between customs authorities, ports, logistics companies, and the private sector.

Dubai Customs said the corridor reinforced the emirate’s position as a globally connected trade hub capable of sustaining commercial activity under changing conditions.

Dr. Abdulla Busenad, Director General of Dubai Customs, said the initiative reflected Dubai’s “proactive and flexible approach” to managing regional and international developments while supporting business continuity and economic sustainability.

He said Dubai Customs worked closely with relevant entities and strategic partners to create an operational framework capable of preserving trade continuity and maintaining business confidence under all circumstances.

What it signals about future trade?

The Green Corridor may also offer an early indication of how regional logistics systems could evolve in response to future disruptions. Trade hubs are increasingly investing in route diversification, digital customs integration, and contingency infrastructure as supply-chain resilience becomes a larger strategic priority for governments and businesses alike.

Dubai Customs said the initiative could serve as a practical model for future regional integration frameworks by strengthening logistics resilience through alternative trade routes capable of maintaining cargo flows during emergencies affecting traditional shipping lanes.

The rapid growth in shipment volumes moving through the corridor suggests businesses are willing to quickly restructure logistics operations when alternative systems provide predictable customs procedures, operational flexibility, and faster cargo movement.

That shift reflects a broader recalibration taking place across global trade networks, where resilience and adaptability are increasingly becoming as important as speed and scale.

UAE

Emirati Women’s Day: Hamda Al Mansoori takes UAE-grown ventures from AI and manufacturing to cross-border partnerships

From AI agents and smart manufacturing to investment opportunities in Syria and partnerships with Chinese companies, the Emirati entrepreneur is building businesses designed to scale beyond the UAE.

As the UAE marks Emirati Women’s Day, a new generation of Emirati women is emerging not only as leaders within established industries, but as founders, investors and technology builders creating businesses with ambitions far beyond the country’s borders.

Among them is Hamda Al Mansoori, an Emirati entrepreneur whose business interests span a notably diverse range of sectors — from manufacturing and jewellery to artificial intelligence, digital transformation, investment, consulting and business development.

Through ventures including The Black Box Group, Z2A Group Holding and Outworks, Al Mansoori is building an ecosystem that brings together industry, technology and investment, with the UAE serving as its base for regional and international expansion.

Where manufacturing meets technology

Through The Black Box Group, Al Mansoori has pursued a business model that increasingly blurs the line between traditional industries and emerging technologies.

The group’s activities span manufacturing and jewellery as well as business development, branding, digital solutions, enterprise resource planning systems, AI-powered business automation, logistics and expansion strategies.

Technology has also made its way onto the manufacturing floor.

Artificial intelligence is being incorporated into jewellery production processes to help monitor different stages of manufacturing, analyse operations, identify potential issues and track material loss — with the broader objective of improving efficiency and product quality.

The scale of the ambition became more visible during the group’s participation in Make it in the Emirates 2026, where it announced a pipeline of projects and opportunities worth more than $10 million.

The figure points to a broader strategy: building UAE-based businesses that can develop locally while being structured for expansion into international markets.

Betting on the next generation of AI

Alongside manufacturing, Al Mansoori has moved into one of the fastest-evolving areas of the global technology industry: AI agents.

Through Outworks, the focus is on enterprise artificial intelligence and developing solutions that can take AI beyond answering questions or assisting employees.

AI agents are designed to carry out defined tasks and workflows within organisations, interact with systems and enterprise knowledge, and support operations under established permissions and controls.

For governments, financial institutions and large corporations, however, the race to adopt AI is increasingly about more than capability.

Data sovereignty, cybersecurity, governance and human oversight are becoming central to how organisations decide where and how artificial intelligence can be deployed.

It is an area in which UAE technology companies have an opportunity to compete: not simply by adopting global AI products, but by developing enterprise solutions from the Emirates that address the specific requirements of governments and businesses in the region and potentially beyond.

Looking beyond the UAE

Al Mansoori’s interests extend beyond technology.

Through Z2A Group Holding, her activities include investment strategy, business development and exploring opportunities in regional and international markets.

One of the markets under consideration is Syria, where the group participated as part of a UAE delegation visiting Damascus for economic meetings and discussions around potential investment opportunities.

Areas being explored include industry, tourism and economic development, with an emphasis on identifying opportunities for longer-term projects and partnerships.

The approach reflects a wider investment philosophy that looks beyond capital alone, combining investment, technology, business expertise, project development and knowledge transfer.

For UAE companies looking outward, such markets can represent an opportunity not merely to invest, but to participate in developing businesses and sectors at an earlier stage of growth.

Building bridges with China

At the same time, Al Mansoori’s businesses are expanding their international network through cooperation and partnerships with companies outside the region, including Chinese firms across areas related to technology, manufacturing and business development.

China’s position in advanced manufacturing, technology and global supply chains makes such relationships increasingly relevant for UAE businesses seeking international expertise and scalable industrial capabilities.

The opportunity lies in connecting those capabilities with the UAE’s strengths as a business, investment and technology hub — potentially creating projects that combine international technology and expertise with businesses developed and managed from the Emirates.

It is a model that reflects the increasingly international character of UAE entrepreneurship: build from the UAE, partner globally and expand into new markets.

The UAE remains the launchpad

Despite the diversity of sectors and geographies, the UAE remains at the centre of Al Mansoori’s business strategy.

The country’s investments in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and the digital economy, coupled with its push to attract global businesses and capital, have created an environment in which local entrepreneurs can think beyond the domestic market from the outset.

Al Mansoori’s portfolio reflects that shift.

Rather than building her career around a single industry, her ventures bring together manufacturing, AI, technology, investment, consulting and international partnerships.

The common thread is the attempt to create businesses that can originate in the UAE while competing and expanding internationally.

Emirati Women’s Day: From empowerment to creating opportunities

Al Mansoori’s story takes on particular relevance as the country celebrates Emirati Women’s Day.

The conversation around women’s empowerment in the UAE is increasingly moving beyond representation and leadership positions.

Emirati women are today founding companies, developing technology, directing investment, entering new markets and negotiating international partnerships.

From manufacturing operations incorporating artificial intelligence to enterprise AI agents, and from exploring investment opportunities in Syria to developing relationships with Chinese and international businesses, Al Mansoori’s journey reflects the increasingly global outlook of a new generation of Emirati entrepreneurs.

And perhaps that is one of the more significant stories to emerge this Emirati Women’s Day: Emirati women are no longer only taking their place in the industries of the future — they are increasingly helping to build them, from the UAE to the world.

UAE

When will summer end in the UAE?

The UAE’s astronomical summer will come to an end on September 23, when the autumnal equinox marks the official start of autumn, although meteorologists classify September as the first month of the autumn season, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Al Jarwan said the country’s hottest period, known in Arabic as Al Qayz, begins to ease in the final third of August with the rising of the star Suhail, long regarded across the region as a traditional sign of gradually cooler weather.

He explained that while temperatures remain high through September, the Indian seasonal low-pressure system weakens progressively during the month.

The UAE continues to be influenced by thermal low-pressure systems extending from central Arabia, bringing active winds that can raise dust and reduce visibility.

At the same time, conditions remain favourable for the formation of convective clouds, particularly over the eastern mountains, with thunderstorms and rainfall occasionally extending into inland parts of the country.

September also sees a seasonal shift in wind patterns, with south-easterly winds prevailing overnight and during the morning before giving way to north-westerly sea breezes in the afternoon and evening.

Humidity gradually increases compared with August, particularly during the second half of the month, creating more favourable conditions for fog and mist to develop in scattered areas across the UAE.

Al Jarwan noted that astronomical summer began with the summer solstice on June 21 and lasts for three months until the autumnal equinox on September 23. During the first half of summer, temperatures typically range between 41°C and 43°Cduring the day but can exceed 50°C in some areas during heatwaves.

In the latter half of the season, from August 11 onwards, higher humidity combines with persistent heat and the seasonal Kous winds to support the formation of towering thunderclouds over the Hajar Mountains, producing the localised summer thunderstorms known as Al Rawayeh.

With much of the summer still ahead, residents are continuing to adapt their routines to the season’s intense heat by shifting outdoor activities to the early morning and evening hours, while increasingly turning to air-conditioned leisure and fitness venues during the day.

Dubai Mallathon, running from 15 June to 15 September, has become one of the city’s flagship summer initiatives, allowing residents to walk and run along designated indoor routes across participating shopping malls during the cooler morning hours. The programme is designed to encourage physical activity throughout the summer despite the high temperatures.

Beyond organised fitness events, shopping malls, indoor attractions, museums, aquariums, family entertainment centres and beaches during the cooler hours remain among the most popular destinations for residents and visitors. As temperatures gradually begin to ease towards late August, outdoor parks, mountain areas in the east of the country and desert destinations are also expected to see increasing numbers of visitors.

UAE

UAE suspends new visas for 3 countries over Ebola

The UAE has announced a series of additional precautionary measures affecting travellers arriving from three African countries as part of efforts to strengthen national preparedness against potential Ebola virus outbreaks.

The measures, jointly announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), apply to arrivals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.

Authorities said the decision is part of the country’s preventive and proactive strategy to address developments related to the Ebola virus and safeguard public health.

Under the new measures, all new visas for nationals of the three countries, including visit visas, will be suspended.

Entry into the UAE will also be restricted for travellers arriving from the affected countries, including those who transit through other destinations before reaching the Emirates.

Travellers who have spent more than 21 consecutive days outside the listed countries prior to their arrival in the UAE will be exempt from the restrictions and permitted entry, according to the authorities.

The measures are scheduled to take effect at 1 p.m. on Saturday, 6 June 2026, and may be extended depending on developments in the global health situation.

Despite the restrictions, cargo operations between the UAE and the three countries will continue without interruption. Transit flights will also remain operational, ensuring the continued movement of goods and international air traffic.

The announcement comes as governments around the world continue to monitor Ebola-related developments in parts of Africa.

The disease, which causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever, has prompted heightened surveillance and preparedness measures in several countries whenever outbreaks emerge.

NCEMA and ICP said they would continue to closely monitor global health developments in coordination with local and international partners.

Authorities will assess any potential implications for other countries and implement further measures when necessary, based on approved health standards and risk assessments.