1:52 am - September 2, 2025
A UAE weekly round-up shows Dubai and Abu Dhabi expanding sustainable infrastructure, speeding digital government services, and pursuing cross-border growth—from district cooling and luxury real estate to regional data-centre investments and trade missions.
The UAE’s latest weekly business round-up paints a portrait of sustained growth across infrastructure, real estate, logistics and digital services, anchored by Dubai’s and Abu Dhabi’s ongoing push to diversify and modernise their economies. The issue dated 18 August 2025 collates developments that show how public bodies and private investors are aligning on sustainability, efficiency and cross-border opportunity.
Empower’s district cooling expansion in Dubai’s science precinct
Empower is designing a new district cooling plant for Dubai Science Park, with a capacity of 47,000 Refrigeration Tonnes (RT). The project will serve around 80 mixed-use buildings and construction is slated to begin by the close of the first quarter of 2026. Honestly, this initiative underscores Dubai’s climate-conscious approach to urban development, leveraging technologies such as thermal energy storage and AI to optimise performance. The plan will also aim to conserve freshwater by using treated sewage effluent, aligning with the emirate’s sustainability objectives and Empower’s market leadership in cooling services.
Public-sector efficiency and labour market digitalisation
In a sign of growing e-government and efficiency gains, MoHRE reported that the first half of 2025 saw a record 18 million smart transactions processed. This reflects a broader push toward digitisation of employment services, talent matching and wage compliance, with industry observers noting the potential for faster processing times and improved data transparency as the labour market absorbs new technologies.
Luxury real estate and commercial demand continue to power the market
Market analyses published in mid-August 2025 indicate a continued surge in demand for luxury office space across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Industry data suggests heightened appetite among multinational tenants and domestic firms, supported by a buoyant economy and an expanding supply of premium-grade offices. Meanwhile, coverage of Dubai’s high-end residential maintenance services points to a broader trend of affluence driving ongoing upkeep and lifestyle-related services in the city.
Abu Dhabi’s livestock sector embraces modern markets
Abu Dhabi’s agricultural authorities reported that 2024 sales through the Fodder Market platform topped AED 1.47 billion, a sign of the system’s growing reach and efficiency. The TAMM-linked marketplace recorded more than 455,000 purchase requests and benefited roughly 17,400 livestock owners across the UAE. The ADAFSA platform connects buyers with approved suppliers across 112 outlets and 17 suppliers, reflecting a deliberate move to digitalise and streamline the livestock economy and strengthen food security.
New digital infrastructure investment accelerates regional expansion
Zero Two, the Abu Dhabi-backed digital infrastructure platform, concluded a strategic investment in Evolution Data Centres, securing a co-controlling stake alongside Warburg Pincus. The transaction is framed as accelerating the deployment of hyperscale, renewable-powered data centres across Southeast Asia, and as part of a broader ADQ-linked strategy to strengthen technology ecosystems and diversify investments beyond the UAE’s borders. Executives emphasize sustainable deployment and scale to meet rising cloud and AI demand.
High-end asset management eyes cross-border diversification
According to industry reporting, Mubadala Capital is reportedly partnering with Cain International on luxury real estate investments. Cited sources point to fresh capital flowing into high-value projects that could broaden Abu Dhabi’s sovereign- and family-backed investor footprint into global luxury assets, aligning with Mubadala’s recent activity in real estate and private markets.
Dubai’s toll network momentum and outlook
Salik reported first-half 2025 revenue of AED 1.53 billion, up approximately 39.5% year on year. The growth is attributed to new toll gates introduced in 2024 and the shift to variable pricing from January 2025, which together boosted traffic and revenue. The company signalled an upgraded financial outlook for 2025, reflecting ongoing demand for mobility infrastructure in Dubai as the city continues to expand its population, tourism and network.
Cross-border commerce and trade roadshows
Dubai’s trade and investment outreach extended to Southeast Asia, with DMCC hosting a Made for Trade Live event in Jakarta on 12 August 2025. In partnership with the UAE Embassy in Jakarta and Indonesian industry groups, the event showcased Dubai’s ecosystem and offered Indonesian firms insights into company setup, regional clusters and access to Dubai’s business networks. The activity underscores UAE–Indonesia commercial ties and the role of Dubai as a hub for multinational trade and logistics.
A week of activity, a longer arc of growth
Taken together, the week’s headlines underscore a multifaceted expansion: strategic infrastructure investments in sustainable cooling; digital modernization of government services; a resilient market for high-end real estate; a digitised and more transparent agricultural sector; regional data-centre scale-up; and active diversification of UAE investment into global luxury assets. The cross-border elements—Indonesian engagement through DMCC, and Southeast Asian data-centre expansion—signal a continued drive to connect Dubai and Abu Dhabi with growing regional markets, while domestic initiatives reinforce food security, urban sustainability and mobility.
The lead article’s takeaway is clear: Abu Dhabi and Dubai continue to operate as focal points in a broader strategy to integrate advanced technology, sustainable infrastructure and international trade into a cohesive growth narrative. As the year progresses, observers will be watching how these initiatives translate into tangible outcomes for jobs, investment flows and city-scale resilience.
Source Panel
– UAE Weekly Business News (Gateway Group) — lead overview and issue framing
– Gulf Business — Empower signs 47,000 RT District Cooling Plant at Dubai Science Park
– DMCC — Made for Trade Live Jakarta (12 August 2025)
– Abu Dhabi Media Office — ADAFSA Fodder Market platform 2024 sales and impact
– Abu Dhabi Media Office — Zero Two investment in Evolution Data Centres
– Arabian Business — Mubadala Capital reportedly partnering Cain International for luxury real estate
– Zawya — Salik revenue in H1 2025 and outlook update
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.gatewaytouae.com/post/uae-weekly-business-news-18-08-2025 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://gulfbusiness.com/empower-to-build-new-47000-rt-district-cooling-plant-at-dubai-science-park/ – Empower, Dubai’s dominant district cooling provider, has signed a contract to design a new District Cooling Plant at Dubai Science Park with a capacity of 47,000 Refrigeration Tonnes (RT). The plant will service around 80 mixed-use buildings, and construction is slated to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2026. Dubai Science Park hosts numerous science-focused entities, reinforcing the emirate’s drive towards sustainable infrastructure. Empower’s plan includes cutting-edge technology such as thermal energy storage to reduce peak demand, treated sewage effluent to conserve freshwater, and artificial intelligence to optimise performance. This aligns with Empower’s market leadership and Dubai’s sustainability objectives.
- https://landing.dmcc.ae/made-for-trade-live-jakarta-12-august-2025 – Made for Trade Live hosted by DMCC took place in Jakarta on 12 August 2025, in partnership with the UAE Embassy in Jakarta and KADIN Indonesia. The event aimed to showcase Dubai as a global business hub and help Indonesian firms learn how to start, operate, and expand in Dubai. The Jakarta venue provided insights into the DMCC ecosystem, company setup processes, and access to Dubai’s industry clusters. Speakers and attendees explored opportunities to connect Indonesian businesses with DMCC’s 25,000-member network and Dubai’s vibrant trade infrastructure, reinforcing UAE–Indonesia commercial ties and cross-border investment potential.
- https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/economy/abu-dhabi-agriculture-and-food-safety-authority-records-aed-1bn-470m-in-sales-through-fodder-market-platform-in-2024/ – Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) reported that 2024 sales through the Fodder Market platform exceeded AED 1.47 billion. The TAMM-linked platform registered 455,650 purchase requests and benefited around 17,400 livestock owners across the UAE. The Fodder Market connects buyers with approved suppliers, expanding the network of outlets and suppliers (112 outlets across 17 suppliers) and streamlining ordering through a user-friendly digital system. The update highlights ADAFSA’s ongoing efforts to modernise the livestock sector, strengthen food security, and improve market transparency and efficiency within the UAE’s agricultural economy.
- https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/technology/zero-two-completes-strategic-investment-in-evolution-data-centres/ – Zero Two, an Abu Dhabi-based digital infrastructure platform, completed a strategic investment in Evolution Data Centres, a Southeast Asian data-centre platform. The transaction secures a co-controlling position for Zero Two alongside Warburg Pincus, strengthening Evolution’s growth trajectory. The investment aims to accelerate the deployment of hyperscale, renewable-powered data centres across key Southeast Asian markets. The deal underscores ADQ-linked entities’ growing footprint in regional digital infrastructure and aligns with broader UAE ambitions to diversify investments and advance technology ecosystems. Executives emphasised collaboration, sustainable deployment, and accelerated scale across evolving cloud and AI demand.
- https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/real-estate/mubadala-capital-reportedly-partnering-cain-for-luxury-real-estate-investment – Arabian Business reports that Mubadala Capital is reportedly partnering with Cain International for luxury real estate investments. Citing Bloomberg sources, the piece notes both firms committing fresh capital to a collaboration that could expand their portfolios and fuel high-end projects. Cain International, led by Jonathan Goldstein and backed by Eldridge Industries, has a portfolio including Aman-branded properties and upscale developments. The Bloomberg-derived information points to a broader strategy among Abu Dhabi’s sovereign-backed investors to pursue global luxury assets, aligning with Mubadala’s recent activity in real estate and private markets. The article reflects market interest in high-value, location-centric real estate.
- https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/salik-reports-aed-153bln-revenue-in-h1-2025-up-395-yoy-fy-2025-guidance-upgraded-fszytpav – Salik, Dubai’s toll operator, announced AED 1.53 billion in revenue for the first half of 2025, up about 39.5% year-on-year. The report highlights the impact of new toll gates introduced in 2024 and the transition to variable pricing from January 2025, which boosted traffic volumes and revenue. Salik also signalled a strengthened financial outlook for 2025, with upgraded guidance, reflecting robust demand and a buoyant Dubai economy. The results underscore ongoing growth in Dubai’s mobility infrastructure, with toll revenue benefiting from population growth, tourism, and extended network usage.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
✅ The narrative is timely and aligns with multiple contemporaneous official announcements and trade reporting (many items published 12–18 Aug 2025). Key items have same-day or earlier coverage: Empower district cooling (reported 18 Aug 2025 by Meed/Gulf Business), Zero Two investment in Evolution Data Centres (ADMO / Evolution press releases dated 12 Aug 2025), Salik H1 2025 results (company release reported widely 13–14 Aug 2025), ADAFSA Fodder Market 2024 sales (Abu Dhabi Media Office summary published 14 Aug 2025) and MoHRE digital transactions (MoHRE / Gulf News / Zawya coverage in July–Aug 2025). 🕰️
⚠️ Several paragraphs clearly draw from press releases or official communications (ADMO, Evolution, Salik, MoHRE, Empower). That means the narrative is not original reporting but a compilation of press announcements — normally acceptable for a weekly roundup but reduces originality. ‼️
🟨 Where to be cautious: some figures (e.g. ADAFSA AED1.47bn sales in 2024; Empower 47,000 RT capacity; Salik AED1.527bn H1 revenue; MoHRE 18m transactions) trace back to single official pages or government press releases — fresh but effectively recycled. Because several elements predate the Gateway compilation by up to 6 days (e.g. ADMO 12–14 Aug, Salik 13–14 Aug), the piece is fresh but largely aggregative.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
⚠️ Many direct quotes and near-verbatim wording appear to be reused from corporate or government releases. Examples: Empower CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar remarks and the Evolution / Zero Two commentary mirror official statements (Empower/Meed/Gulf Business; Evolution press release 12 Aug 2025; ADMO). Salik financial commentary and figures match the company announcement (Salik press release / Zawya / Khaleej Times, 13–14 Aug 2025).
🟨 Earliest known usages of identical or highly similar quotes are in the primary press releases or government pages (Empower/Gulf Business, Evolution and ADMO, ADAFSA page dated 14 Aug 2025, MoHRE July 30 / Aug 2025 posts). Where quotes are identical to those press releases, flag as reused (not independent). ✅
⚠️ If the Gateway piece presents those lines as original reporting or exclusive quotes, that would be misleading — they are attributable to the named organisations and were published earlier or concurrently.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
✅ The narrative aggregates material from generally reputable official and trade channels: Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO), ADAFSA (Abu Dhabi authority), MoHRE official site, Salik company disclosure (and coverage by Zawya/Khaleej Times/Emirates247), Evolution Data Centres and Zero Two press statements, DMCC event listing, Meed/Gulf Business and Arabian Business reporting. These are authoritative for the items they report (company / government figures).
⚠️ Some items are based on single outlets or unnamed ‘industry reporting’ (e.g. Mubadala Capital reportedly partnering Cain International — Arabian Business cites Bloomberg / anonymous sources). That particular item should be treated as reported but not fully confirmed by the parties (Mubadala/Cain declined comment); mark as second‑hand. ⚠️
‼️ No evidence found that key named entities (Empower, ADAFSA, Zero Two, Salik, MoHRE, DMCC, Mubadala, Cain) are fabricated — all have verifiable public presence and matched press posts or credible coverage.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
✅ Time‑sensitive claims checked and largely corroborated online: Empower plant specs and timeline (47,000 RT; construction Q1 2026) reported 18 Aug 2025 (Meed/Gulf Business), Zero Two–Evolution transaction announced 12 Aug 2025 (Evolution site / ADMO / DCD), Salik H1 2025 financials publicly released mid‑August 2025, ADAFSA Fodder Market 2024 totals recorded by Abu Dhabi Media Office 14 Aug 2025, MoHRE smart transactions material published July–Aug 2025.
⚠️ The Mubadala–Cain partnership is reported by Bloomberg and reproduced by Arabian Business on 13 Aug 2025; parties have not publicly expanded details — treat as plausible but partially unconfirmed.
🟨 Language/tone: the roundup uses promotional summary phrasing typical of a curated weekly business brief; no obvious regional spelling inconsistencies. No major internal contradictions found in published figures.
⚠️ Risk: several paragraphs rely solely on press releases and unnamed ‘industry reporting’ — if the Gateway piece implied original investigative reporting, that would be misleading. Lack of independent follow-up for Mubadala/Cain is a coverage gap.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
✅ The Gateway Group weekly compilation largely passes a factual check: most major claims and numeric figures are corroborated by contemporaneous official releases and reputable trade reporting (Empower — 18 Aug 2025; Zero Two / Evolution — 12 Aug 2025; Salik H1 results — 13–14 Aug 2025; ADAFSA Fodder Market 2024 totals — ADMO 14 Aug 2025; MoHRE digital transactions — MoHRE/Gulf News/Zawya July–Aug 2025). 🟢
⚠️ Major risks and caveats: the narrative is predominantly aggregated from press releases and government posts (📰 ‼️), so originality is low and many quotes are reused verbatim from those releases. The Mubadala–Cain partnership item is based on reporting that cites anonymous sources and company non‑comment (🔎 ⚠️) — treat that claim as reported but not fully confirmed. Where the Gateway piece republishes official numbers without added independent verification, editors should label those lines as derived from named announcements.
Final recommendation: publishable as a curated roundup if credited clearly to the named organisations and press releases (✅), but flag reused quotes and single‑source items (❗) — especially the Mubadala/Cain report — for follow‑up verification before treating them as independently confirmed.
