US Treasury Hezbollah sanctions target 10 cash courier network
Washington has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals linked to a covert financial network moving hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to Hezbollah. International financial compliance officers and regional jurisdictions now face heightened scrutiny as US authorities target commercial flight couriers bypassing formal banking channels.
Commercial flight couriers moved millions across borders to evade financial monitoring
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated the network operating via commercial airline flights between Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran, moving up to hundreds of millions of dollars outside formal financial systems to obtain foreign currency and evade restrictions.
The action expands longstanding US counterterrorism measures documenting the operational, financial, and logistical integration between Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
Dubai Real Estate 2026: 82.9% of Handovers Already Sold
Buyers Snap Up 82.9% of Dubai’s 2026 Residential Handovers Off-Plan
📣 ARTICLE HEADLINE
Buyers have already claimed 80,127 of the 96,585 residential units scheduled for delivery across Dubai in 2026, leaving an absorption rate of 82.9% before keys are handed over.
Data tracked by fäm Properties and DXBinteract reveals that off-plan purchasing isn't slowing down despite massive construction volume. The high demand spans both single-family homes and high-density towers, though villa inventory is practically cleared out. Out of 5,376 villas scheduled for handover this year, 95% are sold. Meanwhile, buyers have picked up 82% of the 91,209 apartments hitting the market in 2026.
The top ten developers account for 43,217 of the units scheduled for delivery in 2026, and 41,015 of those properties are already off the board, a 94.91% blended absorption rate. Capital commitment remains high across the board, backed by AED 118 billion in new project launches brought to market since February.
| Community / Segment | Units Under Construction | Absorption Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Total (2026 Delivery) | 96,585 | 82.90% |
| 2026 Apartment Handovers | 91,209 | 82.00% |
| 2026 Villa Handovers | 5,376 | 95.00% |
| Downtown Dubai (2026 Delivery) | 3,981 | 96.60% |
| Business Bay (2026 Delivery) | 16,938 | 88.70% |
| Al Hebiah Fifth (Villas) | 2,060 | 98.70% |
| Nad Al Sheba First (Villas) | 1,569 | 98.20% |
| Wadi Al Safa 5 (Villas) | 8,216 | 96.40% |
| Al Yufrah (Villas) | 6,429 | 94.70% |
| Dubai South (Villas) | 5,698 | 94.50% |
| Ras Al Khor (Apartments) | 6,950 | 93.50% |
| Al Barsha South 2 (Apartments) | 12,655 | 85.00% |
Central districts and established villa belts are seeing near-total sell-outs. In Downtown Dubai, 3,981 apartments are due for handover this year, and 96.6% of them belong to buyers. Across Downtown's entire under-construction pipeline of 6,248 apartments, 92.2% are sold.
Business Bay shows a similar pattern on a larger scale. Out of 16,938 apartments finishing delivery this year, buyers have taken 88.7%. Looking at Business Bay's broader active construction pipeline of 30,317 units, the absorption rate sits at 82.8%.
Further out, secondary nodes are taking in heavy off-plan volume. Ras Al Khor has sold 93.5% of its 6,950 units under construction, while Al Barsha South 2 has absorbed 85% across 12,655 apartments being built.
Villa communities are running even tighter. Al Hebiah Fifth has sold 98.7% of its 2,060 villas under construction. Nad Al Sheba First has reached a 98.2% absorption rate across 1,569 units. Larger master developments are pulling matching figures: Wadi Al Safa 5 stands at 96.4% sold across 8,216 villas, Al Yufrah sits at 94.7% across 6,429 units, and Dubai South has locked in 94.5% across 5,698 villas.
fäm Properties CEO Firas Al Msaddi noted that Dubai's expanding population and wealth base continue to support this absorption rate across active construction zones.
The structural impact on prospective end-users is immediate: buying a ready home upon completion will mean dealing with a tight secondary market, because very little inventory is reaching handover unowned. Citywide, 564,072 residential properties are actively under construction, with most planned for handover by 2028. Investors and end-users have already purchased 425,863 of those homes, locking up 75.5% of the total building site pipeline. Looking all the way through the 2026 to 2029 pipeline, 71.45% of all off-plan homes have already been bought.
Dubai International Airport Braces for 3.7M Return Rush
3.7 Million Passengers Set to Surge Through DXB in Return Travel Peak
Dubai International Airport is stepping up operations as resident families stream back into the city from their summer breaks.
Daily Traveler Counts Could Hit 222,000 Across DXB Terminals
airport teams are preparing for approximately 3.7 million passengers to move through the hub over the peak post-summer travel period. Daily traffic is projected to reach as high as 222,000 travelers at the height of the rush, putting heavy volume through baggage zones and arrival halls.
Connecting traffic will account for a massive share of the airport's footfall, with transit passengers making up about 46% of the total travel volume throughout the surge. Airport operational teams are working around the clock to manage passenger flows and keep terminal processing moving efficiently.
Operational crews remain on site across all terminals to handle the influx until the travel surge subsides.
Kuwait Visa Rule Changes: Automatic Extensions End Sept 1
Automatic Visa Extensions End September 1 as Standard Rules Return
Kuwait will discontinue all automatic extensions for entry visas and leave permits on September 1, 2026, reinstating standard legal validity periods.
How the Change Affects Visitors and Residents
For foreigners currently inside Kuwait on visit visas, emergency extensions are coming to an end. Holders of these visas must comply with the standard legal durations, procedures, and renewal requirements that governed entry visas before the emergency period took effect.
For residents currently outside Kuwait, standard durations for leave permits are also returning. However, if you departed Kuwait on or before August 31, 2026, you will retain the additional exceptional extension benefits under existing regulations. Anyone leaving after that cutoff date must return within the standard legal absence period.
Checking Your Compliance Deadlines
To verify your exact return deadline and legal status, follow the official Ministry of Interior verification steps:
- Open the Sahel app to generate your official residency permit status certificate.
- Check the specific expiration date listed on the certificate, which serves as the official legal baseline for your leave permit.
- Ensure your travel back to Kuwait is scheduled within the timeframe indicated on that document.
US visa ban struck down for 75 nations by federal judge
Judge Blocks State Department Suspension of Immigrant Visas for 75 Nations
U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan struck down a federal policy suspending immigrant visa issuance for applicants from 75 countries on August 21, 2026. The ruling directly impacts prospective immigrants across South Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, and the Caribbean whose processing had been frozen under the State Department mandate.
Federal Court Finds Marco Rubio Exceeded Authority in Global Visa Pause
Judge Vargas declared the State Department policy, which took effect in January, "patently unlawful" after finding it ran afoul of federal immigration statutes that strip the secretary of state of direct authority over consular officers' processing duties. The judicial order halts a blanket suspension that targeted nations including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Bosnia, and Albania.
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott previously defended the pause, stating the administration paused processing to reassess procedures and prevent foreign nationals from taking welfare and public benefit resources. Cables dispatched to U.S. diplomatic missions had instructed consular officers to refuse any applicants whose visas were print-authorised but unprinted, as well as visas that were printed but had not yet left consular premises.
Judge Vargas wrote that categorically barring immigrant visas based solely on an applicant's nationality represented a direct abrogation of statutory law.
The policy was originally introduced on January 14 under administrative directives expanding public charge exclusions across U.S. overseas posts.
Feb 8 Ramadan Start Expected in UAE 2027 Calendar
UAE 2027 Public Holidays: Ramadan Expected to Begin on February 8
Astronomical calculations point to Monday, February 8, 2027, as the expected start of Ramadan in the UAE.
The official search for the crescent moon is set for the evening of Sunday, February 7, 2027. If the UAE Moon Sighting Committee observes the moon that night, worshippers will perform their first Tarawih prayers before starting the daily fast on February 8. Throughout the holy month, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, refraining from food, drink, and smoking while focusing on prayer, charity, and community.
Key Break Dates on the 2027 Calendar
Because Islamic months run on lunar cycles, every projected date remains subject to official crescent sightings, but astronomical models give early sight of how the year's long weekends will line up.
The year kicks off with a public holiday on Friday, January 1, 2027, creating a three-day weekend before offices reopen on Monday, January 4.
Following Ramadan, which lasts either 29 or 30 days, Eid Al Fitr is expected to begin around March 9 or March 10, 2027. The official break is projected to run from March 9 through March 11 or 12. If Ramadan spans a full 30 days, March 12 gets added to the public holiday schedule, creating a four-day official break that bridges directly into the weekend for a potential six-day stretch off work.
Later in the spring, Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha are expected to run from May 15 to May 18, 2027. That sequence begins with Arafah Day on Saturday, May 15, followed by Eid Al Adha from Sunday, May 16 through May 18.
Further down the calendar, the Islamic New Year is expected on Sunday, June 6, 2027, while the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Birthday is projected for Saturday, August 14, 2027. The public holiday calendar rounds out with Eid Al Etihad on December 2 and 3.
What the Dates Mean for Planning
Residents booking annual leave can target March and May for extended time off. Combining regular weekend days with the anticipated Eid Al Fitr break in mid-March could unlock nearly a week off work using minimal formal leave.
Businesses and operational teams need to factor reduced daily working hours into their early 2027 project timelines. Ramadan shifts working schedules across both public and private sectors, followed by potential multi-day office closures during the March and May Eid periods.
