Business from Wednesday, May 20th, 2026

Britain said on Wednesday it had secured a trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) worth $5 billion a year in the long run.

The UAE’s new crude oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is now 50 per cent complete, as the country accelerates its delivery towards 2027.

HSBC appealed to staff not to fight AI on Wednesday, saying it would destroy jobs while creating new ones, as banking rival Standard Chartered sought to calm workers over comments that the technology would replace "lower-value human capital".

Families in the UAE can pay their children's school or university fees, transport and extra curricular activities in monthly instalments using payment app Tabby.