In near-total silence and far from the media spotlight, one of Egypt’s largest privately owned farms has slipped into the hands of an Emirati company.

After a travel ban that had been in place since 2021, the UAE’s decision to allow its citizens to visit Lebanon signals a possible return of Emirati investment to a country whose political landscape is starting to shift.

In a fresh scandal, Washington has added seven companies headquartered in the United Arab Emirates to its sanctions program targeting entities involved in the war in Sudan.

Regional disputes, especially in Sudan and Yemen, could further strain relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with their maritime border demarcation issue.

In the final days before officially stepping down on January 20, 2025, a legislative message from the U.S. Congress reached President Joe Biden’s administration, urging the UAE to halt its negative role in the ongoing war in Sudan.