UAE and Morocco report significant economic and budgetary shifts

The United Arab Emirates has approved a federal budget for 2027 of AED 90.1 billion ($24.5 billion), alongside a broader spending plan for 2027–2029 totaling AED 292.5 billion. While overall federal expenditure for 2027 shows a slight decrease compared to 2026, spending on government affairs, infrastructure, and social development remains a priority. Notably, financial investments are set to see a significant reduction of 63.6%.

In Morocco, economic indicators show varied trends. Customs revenues reached 80.28 billion dirhams by the end of September 2026, a 9.9% annual increase driven by import VAT and customs duties. The national budget deficit also narrowed to 33.3 billion dirhams for the same period, down from 50.6 billion dirhams in 2025.

On the startup front, Morocco recorded $2.1 million in funding during Q3 2026, led by a $2 million Series A extension for ORA Technologies. Meanwhile, water resource management shows improvement, with national dam reservoir levels reaching 65.51% capacity, a significant increase from 32.68% the previous year.