The state visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul to the UAE will usher in new horizons for joint cooperation between the UAE and Turkey. The Turkish President had fruitful talks with President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the prospects of joint cooperation, exploring ways to promote cooperation in different spheres and tapping current potentials to serve the common interests of both countries. During his visit, the Turkish president visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and the new campus of Zayed University. The 11th President of the Republic of Turkey furthermore visited Masdar, Abu Dhabi's multifaceted renewable energy company as well as the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, before addressing the Abu Dhabi-Turkish Investment Gathering and discussing expanding horizons of cooperation with Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
President of Turkey Abdullah Gul has urged the Turkish and Emirati business communities to benefit from the joint political will of the leadership in both countries to enhance trade and economic cooperation and Turkey and the UAE constitute a strategic economic power in the Middle East which will allow both countries to overcome the impact of financial crises.

Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi met with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk in Washington to discuss continued cooperation in the avenues of trade and investment and Sultan Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, speaking to the media at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said the Arab Spring presents challenges to the economies across the region, but also important opportunities to address pressing economic issues, including unemployment, corruption and stifling regulations that have held back growth.

The Ministry of Economy has launched series of measures and actions to control markets in the UAE, and Dubai Industrial City (DI), a member of TECOM Investments, launched the second phase of its warehouse and showroom development, offering state-of-the-art storage facilities that will augment the growing logistics industry in Dubai and the UAE. Global marine terminal operator DP World announced another record year for container handling, with over 54.7 million TEU handled across its global portfolio in 2011, an increase of 10% against the prior year, while the shipping and port industry must watch out for new frontiers of growth and emerging new patterns in global trade amid mounting global uncertainties.
Last but not least, trade exchanges between the UAE and South Korea stood at $23 billion in 2011, reaffirming the position of the UAE as one of the major markets to South Korean companies.

The UAE Central Bank has completed all the new regulations and legislation related to credit cards, according to a high-level banking source. As many as 3.7 million credit cards have been issued by the banks operating in the UAE, and the UAE Central Bank earlier requested the banks to provide data on the fees and interests imposed on credit cards. Details of the new controls are expected to be announced in February, including controls on electronic payment methods. First Gulf Bank PJSC (FGB), a leading financial institution in the UAE, announces a net profit of Dh3,707 million for 2011, 8% higher than last year. FGB has been able to maintain its growth throughout 2011 through partaking in profitable investment opportunities while adhering to sound risk management policies. The bank maintains a positive outlook and expects to be very well placed to support the infrastructure projects recently approved by Abu Dhabi.

Integrating renewable energy generation into UAE power grids is more achievable and realistic than in other countries in Europe, an industry expert has said. The abundance of renewable energy sources, particularly solar, in the UAE compared to unpredictable sources in Europe, means the country is indeed ideally positioned to capitalise on next generation smart power applications. The target of achieving a rate of 7% renewable energy out of Abu Dhabi's total generation capacity by 2020 and 5% in Dubai by 2030 is relatively low from a global perspective and does not present a real problem for integration into the network. By way of comparison, the European Union has a 2020 target of 20% of all energy consumption from renewable sources, necessitating a capacity far above this level in order to meet overall consumption.

Al Ain Zoo becomes a hub of conservation efforts, having hosted the third annual workshop of the International Union for Conservation and Nature’s (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Task Force which will present its revised guidelines later this year at a conference in South Korea. Sir Bani Yas Island, on the western coast of Abu Dhabi, is also becoming one of the Middle East's largest wind turbine sites, based on cooperation between the Abu Dhabi's leading tourism asset developer the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) and the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company- Masdar, to create a green environment in the Emirates.

Etihad Airways, the fast-growing Gulf airline, has agreed to spend $20 million to buy 40 per cent of the national carrier in the island country of Seychelles. The deal with Air Seychelles is Etihad’s second investment in an overseas carrier in just over a month and follows the agreement in December to become the largest shareholder in Germany’s second largest carrier, Air Berlin. The UAE aviation sector is to receive another major boost as 62 Emirati nationals are positioned to commence their careers at Strata Manufacturing, having graduated from an intensive course to qualify as composite aircraft technicians. The Abu Dhabi Government furthermore approved the construction of the Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC), part of a $6.8-billion (Dh24.95 billion) expansion plan for the capital's international airport and the Abu Dhabi-owned satellite company Yahsat is evaluating the launch of a third spacecraft. Engineers from the Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) also announced that the DubaiSat-2 project has completed a crucial stage in the design phase.

A major port project has been unveiled in Abu Dhabi's Western Region in a move which will take the pressure off the capital's existing logistics hub. The port on Sir Bani Yas Island, jointly developed by Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) and the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), is part of a Dh730 billion investment in the Western Region and is linked to the transport needs of the ongoing projects on Yas and Saadiyat Islands. Another of Abu Dhabi's flagship projects, a hospital worth close to $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion), is set to open in the first quarter of next year. Mubadala Healthcare, a unit of Mubadala Development, indeed announced the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi on Sowwah Island will open its doors early next year. The hospital, modelled on the reputed Cleveland Clinic in the US, is designed to operate five different specialist institutes covering digestive disease, eye, heart and vascular disorders, neurological treatment, and respiratory and critical care, and will be an outstanding medical facility that brings the very highest international standards of care to patients in Abu Dhabi and the wider region.

The UAE has made a qualitative leap in humanitarian assistance by focusing on development aid that achieves aspired social welfare in disaster-struck regions rather than delivery of immediate relief at times of crises, according to Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Red Crescent Authority. In a statement to mark the 29th anniversary of the creation of the RCA, Sheikh Hamdan made a passionate appeal to the world community to stand united against repercussions of the aggravating humanitarian suffering as a result of spread of poverty, hunger, diseases, displacement, refuge, homelessness and deprivation.

Emirati walker Jalal Bin Thaneya reached his destination, 47 days after he began the most ambitious journey of his life on foot, walking from Ruwais in Abu Dhabi to Makkah. Bin Thaneya undertook the walk to raise funds for the Dubai Centre for Special Needs.

The largest silk carpet in the world, estimated at one million dollars, is on show at the Carpet Oasis in Dubai. Carpet Oasis is organised every year as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival by Dubai Customs Authority and an opportunity for carpet dealers and buyers from all over the world to come together to share their interest in the handmade wear. The most expensive carpet at the exhibition is part of some 170,000 carpets displayed over an area of 12,000 m2 by some 70 carpet sellers presenting their silk, woolen or covered with jewellery handmade carpets.

The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (ADACH) unveiled its plans for two key projects in Al Ain, the Al Ain National Museum (AANM) and Hili Archaeological Park (HAP). The AANM forms part of the Al Ain Oasis Cultural Quarter Master Plan and will celebrate the heritage and culture of the city, while Hili Archaeological Park is an internationally significant archaeological site which will engage visitors with the early roots of the UAE. ADACH furthermore established state-of-the-art facilities at the National Archive Building in Abu Dhabi and HH Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, said experts were finalising the work on Ajman heritage encyclopaedia, making tremendous efforts to bring the emirate’s history into life, The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) has just received an international boost as seven of its last year’s movies (and one from 2010) have been nominated for 11 Oscars. Another great news for Abu Dhabi’s film industry is “The Help”, a movie co-produced by Imagenation Abu Dhabi, which got four Oscar nominations, and the second edition of the Sharjah Light Festival will be held from February 9 to 17.

Eighteen holes from redemption or another step towards it, at least : the golf tournament in the UAE capital is the biggest test so far for Tiger Woods, with all of the world's top four players, and six of the top 10, present at the National Course for the Abu Dhabi Championship. The event is to provide the talented player a unique opportunity to climb up his way back up a series of most prestigious players and out of a deep fall over the past two years.