If you've been asking what's new in UAE lately, the honest answer is: almost everything. Plenty of "game-changing" announcements in this country fizzle out before they ever show up on the street. This list is the other kind. These are eight UAE updates 2026 has already delivered, or is days away from delivering, with prices, dates and locations checked against official sources before publishing.
1. Uber's driverless taxis are already picking up riders
An empty driver's seat gliding through Umm Suqeim still looks strange, but it's real. Uber switched on Baidu's Apollo Go driverless service in Dubai on August 20, 2026, starting in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim, with New Horizon Luxury Transport running the fleet on the ground. Book UberX, Uber Comfort, or the dedicated "Autonomous" option on the app, and you might get matched with one of Baidu's sixth-generation RT6 robotaxis, which seat up to three passengers.
2. On Running finally opened a store here
On shoes had been imported into Dubai by runners since a number of years ago, and hence the launch was long awaited. The first UAE store of On was launched on July 22, 2026 at the Mall of the Emirates, on Sheikh Zayed Road, in the area of Al Barsha. The store is spread over an area of 265 square metres and contains the complete CloudTec collection of shoes along with running, training, tennis and daily use apparel.
The store operates for 10 am to 11 pm on weekdays and 10 am to midnight on weekends. This is the third On store in the GCC region, after those in Riyadh and Kuwait.
3. A "rent now, pay later" scheme for tenants is landing this month
This is the one most residents are actually watching. The Dubai Land Department has been finalising a Rent Now Pay Later scheme that lets eligible tenants split their annual rent into 12 equal, zero-interest monthly instalments instead of the usual one-to-four cheque system. A participating bank pays the landlord the full annual rent upfront, and the tenant repays the bank monthly.
The DLD has pointed to September 2026 as the target launch window, though at the time of writing it hasn't published the participating banks, eligibility rules or any processing fees. It follows the Flexi Rent programme the DLD rolled out in June 2026.
4. Playing music in your café or shop now comes with a bill
Here's one that caught a lot of small business owners off guard. From December 1, 2026, any UAE business that plays copyrighted music commercially- think cafés, restaurants, hotels, gyms and malls- needs an annual licence under the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's new Collective Management in Music Guide, issued under Ministerial Resolution No. 136 of 2026.
The fee scales with venue type and size. Restaurant and café licenses are charged annually, at AED 1,500 for up to 50 seats, AED 2,700 for 51-100 seats, AED 4,800 for 101-200 seats, and in addition AED 20 per additional seat for more than 200 seats. The upper limit is AED 6,000. In all industries under discussion, the annual fee is between about AED 1,500 and AED 50,000 per year for the biggest malls, with airlines capped around AED 45,000.
5. The world's first flying taxi hub is basically ready to fly
Many people must have driven past the location next to Dubai International Airport not knowing its significance. The VDX vertiport, built by the RTA and Skyports Infrastructure, was technically completed in April 2026, obtaining certification from the General Civil Aviation Authority in July. The vertiport is the world's first certified commercial vertiport, which is a first in history.
This four-storey structure measuring 3,100 square metres will be able to accommodate as many as 170,000 passengers and 42,000 air movements annually. This is the star attraction among four vertiports, which will also include Dubai Marina, Dubai Mall and Atlantis The Royal, in addition to the American University of Dubai.
Joby Aviation that entered into an exclusive six-year agreement with the RTA, will be flying the actual aircraft; Joby has already flown the UAE’s first point-to-point crewed electric vertical take-off and landing flight as early as November 2025. Sheikh Hamdan inspected the finished vertiport in April 2026 and called for the commercial operation before the end of the year.
6. Starlink can now sell you internet directly
For years, Starlink coverage in the UAE existed in a grey zone. That changed on August 28, 2026, when the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority granted Starlink Satellite Communications LLC a 10-year General Space Services Licence, letting it build and operate a public satellite network here. The service went live for customers on September 3, 2026.
The licence covers individuals, businesses, government entities, and maritime and aviation customers, so it's not just a home broadband play.
7. Etihad Rail passenger trains are running
Coming soon passenger train by Etihad Rail seems to be an old item in UAE news headlines, therefore, even the actual launch of this train seems to be newsworthy too. Passenger services commenced their operation on June 30, 2026, through the first route Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, with the help of a train fleet of 13 trains each having a capacity of up to 400 passengers in Comfort, Premium, and family classes with Wi-Fi and food facilities inside the train.
The discounted rate for the launch was 50%, with Comfort Class at AED 55 (previously AED 109) and Premium Class at AED 120 (previously AED 239). The network extended its reach even more through the addition of Dubai and Al Dhaid stations on September 30, 2026, Al Dhafra stations on December 30, 2026, and Sharjah station in March 2027. The maximum speed of the trains on the network is 200km/h, and a special 350km/h high-speed Abu Dhabi-Dubai track will be added at some later date.
8. Abu Dhabi keeps its F1 season finale
There has been some uncertainty on this issue throughout the summer months. With regional tensions caused by the ongoing Iran war forcing F1 to cancel their events in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with Bahrain's race rescheduled to be held in Malaysia in October, there has been uncertainty surrounding Abu Dhabi and its usual closing slot of the season. This has left F1's head Stefano Domenicali to announce an official decision by mid-September, with Europe being considered as an alternative choice.
Domenicali has announced during the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will indeed stay where it is supposed to be. The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is set to close the 2026 Formula One season in Yas Marina Circuit from December 3rd until December 6th, with the race being held on December 6th.
