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Our team of editors have curated the most significant developments from across the region over the weekend, in case you missed. Here's what happened on Saturday and Sunday:

In Dubai, the emirate's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced a new partnership with ‘Shamal Holding’, which will see the construction of a new bridge linking Sheikh Zayed Road to Dubai Harbour. The two-lane bridge, spanning 1500 metres, is expected to reduce the travel time from 12 minutes to 3 minutes.

A new report by recruitment experts Cooper Fitch, also revealed that the UAE job market is expected to remain strong through 2024. The agency predicts salaries will increase 4.5 percent on average next year as organisations compete for a limited supply of qualified candidates.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has announced new regulations for privatisation projects to provide more clarity for businesses. The National Center for Privatisation & PPP published new guidelines on Friday after approving amendments late last year.

On the travel front, Middle East airline traffic increased by 33.3 per cent in 2023, compared to the year before, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA also announced that the recovery in air travel continued in December 2023 and total 2023 traffic edged even closer to matching pre-pandemic demand.

Aside from this, the Gulfood trade show, the largest annual food and beverage sourcing event worldwide, will return to Dubai from 19-23 February 2024. Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre, Gulfood continues to be the premier platform for the global food and beverage community.

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