Two Dubai-it moments on the same day.
On 11 November, I was honoured to be among the 13 recipients of the inaugural @DubaiitAward, presented by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (@HamdanMohammed), Crown Prince of Dubai. That evening at Wild Game Fest at SALT, Kite Beach, we celebrated an expression of the ambition those awards recognise: turning ideas born in Dubai into experiences for the world.
We unveiled Dubai Developed in Fortnite 2033, independently developed by @WildXUnlimited, a member of our @DMCC_Gaming. The experience brings Almas Tower, Uptown Tower, home to SO/ Uptown Dubai, and Burj 2020 into a virtual vision of our city alongside other Dubai landmarks.
@Fortnite gives Dubai another way to connect with an international audience through exploration, play, and shared experiences. It offers people a first encounter with our city long before they visit in person, while giving developers based here a platform to take their creativity to the world.
Our @DMCC_Gaming is now home to over 170 gaming companies. This project demonstrates what that community can achieve, bringing together game development, tourism, culture, and education.
I am particularly pleased that students at the American University in Dubai (@AUDubai) helped recreate their campus following a masterclass in Unreal Editor for Fortnite. Their work has moved from the classroom into an experience that players around the world can explore.
My sincere thanks to @Samsh93 and the @WildXUnlimited team for their vision and dedication, to @EpicGames for the tools that enable creators to build within @Fortnite, and to our @DMCC_Gaming team for bringing this initiative together. My thanks also to @DubaiCulture, @DubaiDET, Shamal Holding, SALT, and @AUDubai for their contributions.
Receiving a @DubaiitAward earlier in the day, then seeing our community bring Dubai into @Fortnite that evening, made 11 November a fitting celebration of what Dubai does best.
Games made in Dubai, by talent developed in Dubai, played by the world.
Deeply humbled to receive the inaugural @DubaiitAward | جائزة دبي الأفعال in the Project Managers category. My sincere thanks to HH Sheikh @HamdanMohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Dubai-it Award team for this honour.
This award is dedicated to my dear mother, to everyone who has supported me, and, in equal measure, to those who have challenged me. Since 2001, all of that experience has shaped who I am today.
The recognition belongs equally to my @DMCCAuthority colleagues and partners, whose commitment and hard work have helped develop Dubai's diamond trade and build trade hubs across multiple sectors.
Congratulations to my fellow recipients, and here's to many more years of contributing to Dubai's continued success.
The UAE has amended its e-invoicing rules, including a 24-month exclusion for tax groups. But larger businesses must still appoint an Accredited Service Provider by 30 October 2026.
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/m6rhMc77OV
#UAELaw#EInvoicing#VAT#AlKabbanLaw
نفخر بالإعلان عن تصدّر فريال أحمدي، نائب المدير التنفيذي والرئيس التنفيذي للعمليات في مركز دبي للسلع المتعددة، فئة المناطق الحرة ضمن قائمة قادة الاستدامة في الشرق الأوسط 2026 الصادرة عن مجلة فوربس الشرق الأوسط، بحصولها على المركز الأول.
ومن قيادة استراتيجية الاستدامة في مركز دبي للسلع المتعددة، ودفع عجلة الابتكار البيئي في منطقتي أبتاون دبي وأبراج بحيرات جميرا، بما يشمل مبادرات الطاقة المتجددة وإدارة النفايات وتعزيز المرونة في مواجهة التغيرات المناخية، إلى تمكين الشركات من خلال منصة الاستدامة التابعة للمركز، تواصل فريال أحمدي، من خلال قيادتها، تعزيز التزامنا بالنمو المستدام وتحقيق أثر إيجابي طويل الأمد.
وبصفتها أول رئيسة لفرع الإمارات في تحالف سيدات أعمال بريكس، أدّت فريال أحمدي دوراً قيادياً في تأسيس الفرع وتطوير أعماله، من خلال جمع القيادات الحكومية وممثلي القطاع الخاص لتعزيز ريادة الأعمال النسائية والمشاركة الاقتصادية للمرأة. ومؤخراً، قادت مشاركة فرع الإمارات في قمة التنمية التي تقودها المرأة والاجتماع السنوي العام للتحالف في نيودلهي، ممثلةً دول�� الامارات العربية المتحدة، حيث أسهمت في تعزيز التعاون الدولي في مجالات التجارة والاستثمار وتسهيل الوصول إلى الأسواق أمام الشركات التي تقودها النساء في اقتصادات دول بريكس.
للاطلاع على القائمة الكاملة لعام 2026، يُرجى زيارة الرابط التالي: https://t.co/hdHiIDjDMW
Dubai’s ambition in gold has always been about more than leading the market. It has been about pioneering the market’s next move. That foresight began more than 24 years ago.
On 24 April 2002, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, @HHShkMohd , announced the creation of the Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre, @DMCCAuthority . It was conceived as a trading, refining, and storage hub that would bring banks, refiners, jewellers, and traders together under world-class standards, with the ambition of capturing half of the international gold business. At the time, Dubai held about 10% of the market.
Today, @DMCCAuthority is home to more than 26,000 companies, including more than 1,500 in precious metals, gemstones, and diamonds, and accounts for 15% of Dubai’s annual foreign direct investment and contributes 7% of its GDP.
With Dubai at the centre of its gold trade, the UAE is the world’s second-largest physical gold trading hub, after Switzerland.
On 8 October 2026, His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, @MaktoumMohammed , First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance, chaired a meeting that reviewed six strategic directions for the Dubai Gold Strategy, covering trading, financing, storage, competitiveness, price discovery, and jewellery and retail demand.
For me, this carries the same foresight and significance as the 2002 announcement: anticipating what the market will need and building the foundations for its next stage of growth.
To support this strategy, we bring together the region’s largest non-sovereign precious metals vault, DMCC Tradeflow, @dmccfinx , the Dubai Gold & Commodities Exchange (@DGCX), and the Dubai Commodities Clearing Corporation (DCCC), the largest multi-asset clearing house in the Middle East. Together with our responsible sourcing framework, this infrastructure supports trade, secure storage, inventory financing, hedging, and clearing and settlement.
Dubai’s foreign gold trade reached about AED 1 trillion in 2025, up 60% on the previous year. That scale brings both opportunity and responsibility. We remain committed to strengthening transparency, liquidity, and price discovery, and to helping Dubai set global standards for the precious metals trade.
Join us at the 14th Dubai Precious Metals Conference on 16 and 17 November 2026 at @sodubaiuptown .
https://t.co/8CBb2yZR41
It was a pleasure to reconnect with Alan Martin, Head of Responsible Sourcing at @lbmaexecutive , during the International Bullion Centre (IBC) meeting in Sorrento.
I have known Alan since his time as Research Director at Partnership Africa Canada, now @IMPACTtransform , through our engagement in the Kimberley Process. I learned far more than I bargained for from him and his civil society colleagues. Their research was rigorous, their questions were searching, and their determination to see meaningful progress left a lasting impression. I owe Alan and his former colleagues a great deal for that education.
Alan brings that same discipline to LBMA, connecting conditions on the ground with decisions taken in international trading centres. LBMA’s Responsible Sourcing Programme is mandatory for every Good Delivery List refiner, backed by annual independent audits and public reporting. Its work to build practical pathways for responsibly produced artisanal and small-scale mined gold to reach formal markets is particularly important.
Having participated in the early deliberations around the IBC recommendations, I take pride in the UAE’s continued commitment to responsible sourcing. Through its Due Diligence Regulations for Responsible Sourcing of Gold, aligned with @OECD guidance, the UAE has embedded these obligations in national regulation. These measures reflect our own commitment to the global value chain, consistent with the objectives underpinning the IBC recommendations.
The UAE is not a bystander in the gold value chain. As a principal participant, we have a responsibility to help shape its future. We are committed for the long term and will have new initiatives to share soon, built on cooperation and broad participation.
My experience in the diamond industry has reinforced the importance of acting early and collectively. The gold industry must also address emerging risks and opportunities before circumstances force it to play catch-up. Stronger traceability, greater transparency, and responsible access to finance can protect confidence while opening opportunities across the value chain.
LBMA’s leadership in bringing bullion centres together is an important contribution. Lasting progress depends on governments, miners, refiners, traders, financiers, and civil society each playing their part, with benefits extending from mining communities to markets.
Thank you, Alan, and the @lbmaexecutive team, for sustaining the dialogue and keeping the work moving. Through @DMCCAuthority, I look forward to continuing to contribute.
@GOLDCOUNCIL@MOFUAE@UAEmediaoffice@DXBMediaOffice@DGCX@dmccfinx@DMCCAuthority
Belal Jassoma @bjassoma, Senior Director, Tech Ecosystems at DMCC, joins the Turning Ambition into Impact panel at @AiEverythingAD. The panel explores practical AI adoption across industries.
رسالة صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم، نائب رئيس الدولة رئيس مجلس الوزراء حاكم دبي، رعاه الله، مصدر فخر لفريق مركز دبي للسلع المتعددة، ودافع لمواصلة مسيرة الإنجاز.
#مركز_دبي_للسلع_المتعددة
Two days at CV Summit 2026 in Zurich, and a week that showed how closely Dubai and Switzerland now work together.
Before the summit, I opened a workshop with M/HQ for wealth managers and family offices. We discussed what families need as their businesses, investments, and succession plans become more international, and where they still meet friction.
At the Kongresshaus, I delivered a keynote titled “Connecting Markets: The Future of Global Blockchain Innovation.” My argument was that blockchain innovation may be built locally, but its greatest impact comes when ecosystems connect. Our partnership with CVVC and @CV_Labs began at Davos in 2020 and helped lay the foundations of the @dmcccrypto , now home to more than 800 companies. From Zug to Zurich, I have watched the conversation at this summit move with the industry, towards institutional adoption, payments, and tokenisation.
Tokenisation came up in many of our conversations. Our tokenisation of the world’s largest silver bar shows what it has to become to matter commercially. The 1,971-kilogram bar was manufactured in the UAE. @Tokinvest_Cap handles the regulated issuance, Brink’s holds it in custody, and its ownership is verified through @DMCCAuthority’s Tradeflow platform.
At the booth, the conversations were practical: business setup, licensing, and international growth across @dmcccrypto, @dmccaicentre , and @DMCC_Gaming .
Thank you to Olaf Hannemann, @MathiasRuch, and the @CV_VC and @CV_Labs teams, and to every founder, investor, and technology leader who joined us. My thanks also go to @Bjassoma, Patrick Ghata, Samer Merhi, Cherry Koo, and the @DMCCAuthority team, whose work made the two days a success.
Build your Web3 business from Dubai with @dmcccrypto :
https://t.co/1gMgwB6rlj
DMCC has recorded 7.7% growth in British companies over the past 12 months, taking its UK business community to more than 2,250 companies, as we concluded our latest #MadeForTrade Live roadshow in #London. British companies now account for approximately 8.5% of DMCC’s international business community, with strong representation across professional services, technology, energy, finance and wealth.
The roadshow explored how British businesses can use Dubai as a platform for international expansion, connecting UK expertise with opportunities across the UAE, Gulf region and other high-growth markets.
With UK-UAE trade in goods and services exceeding GBP 25 billion in 2025, up 3.7% year on year, and the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement moving towards implementation, the commercial relationship is entering a new phase. DMCC is strengthening the ecosystems, connections and market access that enable British companies to capture that opportunity from Dubai.
Read more: https://t.co/mgltjTH5DW
For tea businesses, the right infrastructure can make trading simpler from the start.
Primus Intertea Traded DMCC uses the DMCC Tea Centre to access dedicated facilities that support efficient operations and international tea trade through Dubai.
Hear from Prateek Doogar, Founder and Tea Master, on how DMCC Tea Centre helps companies start trading from day one.
Explore DMCC Tea Centre https://t.co/6U5MJa0Iom
DMCC’s Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, @FeryalAhmadi, met with H.E. Ou Boqian, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai and Northern Emirates, at a high-level reception in Dubai marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The occasion comes at a timely moment, following last week’s BRICS Summit in New Delhi, which marked the culmination of the inaugural year of the UAE Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) and Feryal Ahmadi’s first year as UAE Chapter Chair. As the BRICS Chairship passes from India to China in 2027, the UAE Chapter of the BRICS WBA will continue to work closely with the Chinese Chapter to build on this momentum, strengthen business connectivity between the UAE and China, and expand opportunities for women across BRICS economies.
#BRICSWBA #WomensBusinessAlliance #UAE #China
DMCC proudly hosted the Annual Partner Awards 2025, celebrating the outstanding achievements of our consultant community and recognising the partners driving our continued growth.
Over the past year, our partner ecosystem has delivered remarkable results, including a 53% increase in partner agreements and nearly 35% growth in active consultants supported through partner referrals.
Congratulations to all our winners and nominees on their well-deserved achievements. We thank our partners for their continued contribution and look forward to building on this shared success.
DMCC has recorded 9.4% growth in its Chinese business community over the past 12 months, as it concludes its 2026 #MadeForTrade Live China roadshow across Shanghai, Wuxi and Xi’an – three of China’s leading centres for technology, advanced manufacturing, new energy and industrial development.
With more than 1,000 Chinese companies already based in DMCC – over 60% operating across future-facing industries including energy, engineering and machinery, and technology – the three-city programme focused on the sectors increasingly defining UAE-China commercial ties and the next phase of bilateral growth.
Across Shanghai, Wuxi and Xi’an, DMCC connected Chinese businesses with opportunities to establish and scale international operations from Dubai into high-growth markets across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The programme saw DMCC sign new agreements with the China Chamber of International Commerce Xi’an and Shanghai Pudong Service Center for Overseas Investment to deepen trade and investment cooperation, business matching and direct commercial exchange.
In Shanghai, DMCC also launched the Chinese-language edition of its Future of Trade 2026 report, bringing its latest insights on the changing geography of global commerce directly to Chinese business leaders.
Read more: https://t.co/EA35unvKVO
شارك فرع دولة الإمارات في تحالف سيدات الأعمال بدول «بري��س»، برئاسة فريال أحمدي، نائب المدير التنفيذي والرئيس التنفيذي للعمليات في مركز دبي للسلع المتعددة ورئيسة فرع دولة الإمارات في التحالف، في قمة التنمية بقيادة المرأة 2026 والاجتماع السنوي العام للتحالف في نيودلهي، حيث دفع بأجندة تنفيذية لتعزيز ريادة المرأة وقيادتها ومشاركتها الاقتصادية في أسواق دول «بريكس».
وجاءت المشاركة ضمن برنامج الأعمال الأوسع المرتبط برئاسة الهند لمجموعة «بريكس» لعام 2026 والقمة الثامنة عشرة للمجموعة، حيث أسهم فرع دولة الإمارات في أعمال مجموعات العمل التابعة للتحالف، واعتمد التقرير السنوي لتحالف سيدات الأعمال في «بريكس» لعام 2026، وبحث فرص التعاون الاقتصادي العابر للحدود بين دول المجموعة. وركزت المناقشات على مدار اليومين على مبادرات عملية لدعم مشاركة المرأة وتمكينها في مجالات التمويل والتجارة والاستثمار والتكنولوجيا والرعاية الصحية والسياحة والصناعات الإبداعية والأمن الغذائي.
وبدعم من مركز دبي للسلع المتعددة لفرع دولة الإمارات من خلال قيادة فريال أحمدي، وبنيته التحتية للتجارة الدولية وشبكات الأعمال والمنظومات القطاعية المتخصصة، تو��صل دولة الإمارات ربط الشركات ورؤوس الأموال والفرص عبر اقتصادات «بريكس» والأسواق العالمية.
More than 300,000 Islamic finance transactions were registered through DMCC Tradeflow in 2025, with transaction values reaching AED 1.32 trillion. The milestone reflects the growing scale of Islamic finance activity through DMCC Tradeflow, which provides financial institutions with digital infrastructure for the efficient and secure execution of Shariah-compliant commodity transactions.
Discover DMCC Tradeflow and explore its role in Dubai’s Islamic finance ecosystem: https://t.co/lZDj2L5dh1
H.E. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Chairman of @DubaiChambers, met with @FeryalAhmadi, DMCC's Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer and Chair of the UAE Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA), alongside Prof. Hoda Al Khazaimi, Co-Chair of the UAE Chapter for the WBA Creative Industries Working Group, on the sidelines of the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi.
The high-level discussion focused on the UAE Chapter’s development-led agenda for women’s economic empowerment across BRICS, including strengthening the participation of women-led enterprises in cross-border trade and investment, expanding access to finance and digital platforms, and opening new pathways to international markets.
#UAE #BRICS #WBA #WomenInBusiness #NewDelhi
@DP_World@DubaiChambers@DxbChamberComm@EHRDC_Dubai
DMCC has announced a record USD 41.7 billion in diamond trade through Dubai in 2025, surpassing the previous all-time high in 2011 and cementing the emirate's position as one of the world's leading diamond trading hubs.
Natural diamonds accounted for 95.8% of total trade value, with natural polished diamonds reaching USD 18.7 billion in 2025, a rise of nearly 25% year-on-year, while recording exceptional long-term growth of 246% in value over the past five years. Beyond diamonds, Dubai's precious stones ecosystem continued to diversify, with coloured gemstones reaching a record USD 1.1 billion in trade.
Together, the results highlight the strength, resilience and continued evolution of Dubai's world-leading precious stones ecosystem.
Read more: https://t.co/Gs1sSeID3t