From Power Outage In Sharjah To Rare Species Reserve In Abu Dhabi, 5 GCC Updates

Across the GCC, this week brought a mix of progress and public interest updates. From flight disruptions at major UAE airports and a swift power restoration in Sharjah, the region continued to move across multiple sectors.

5 GCC Updates For You

1. Rare Species Reserve Takes Centre Stage At Sheikh Zayed Festival, Abu Dhabi

The UAE’s cultural calendar continues to expand, and Al Wathba is proof. The ongoing Sheikh Zayed Festival has introduced the Rare Species Reserve. It’s an educational pavilion designed to raise awareness about endangered plants and animals. Visitors walk through interactive displays that focus on conservation, and the update was first reported by Gulf Today. Now in its third season, the event also features Al Wathba Jurassic, where life-sized robotic dinosaurs draw families and school groups.

2. Sharjah Rolls Out Unified Digital Justice Services

Sharjah has taken a major step in judicial reform with the launch of the Sharjah Judicial Platform (sjd.ae). Introduced by the Sharjah Judicial Council, the platform brings courts, public prosecution, and notary services into one digital system. According to Gulf News, Sheikh Faisal bin Ali Al Mualla said the initiative supports the emirate’s Digital Justice vision. Users can now manage civil, criminal, labour, and notary services remotely. Authorities plan to expand services and integrate AI tools in later phases.

3. Power Restored After Brief Sharjah Outage

Through intensive efforts by the technical teams, Electricity has been fully restored to all affected areas quickly and efficiently pic.twitter.com/UL8Z6Q3ULF

— sewa_sharjah (@sewa_sharjah) January 11, 2026

The Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority moved quickly after a short power disruption on Sunday. Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority confirmed electricity was restored across all affected areas, including residential zones and the Sahara Centre mall. The outage started from a technical fault that triggered automatic grid protection systems. Crews restored power in phases after safety checks, limiting disruption and returning to normal within hours. 

4. UAE Airports Face Cancellations And Delays

Flight operations across the UAE hit turbulence as Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports recorded 15 cancellations and 299 delays in a single day. Dubai International Airport accounted for the majority, with 14 cancellations and 218 delays. Abu Dhabi International reported one cancellation and 81 delays.

According to Travel and Tour World, airlines such as Flydubai and Emirates were among the most affected. Passengers were advised to monitor live updates, contact airlines directly, and review travel insurance coverage.

Also Read:From New Bus Routes In Dubai To Oman’s Flood Alert, 5 GCC Updates For You 

5. Qatar Airways Sets New Connectivity Benchmarks

Qatar Airways has become the first airline to operate a Boeing 787-8 equipped with Starlink internet. Reported by MENAFN, the airline has now installed Starlink across its entire Airbus A350 fleet and operates nearly 120 connected widebody aircraft.

Within 14 months, the rollout covered Boeing 777s, A350S, and 787s. Named World’s Best Airline by Skytrax in 2025, Qatar Airways has already delivered free high-speed Wi-Fi to over 11 million passengers since October 2024.

Several high-impact developments shaped the GCC news cycle this week, spanning aviation, public utilities, digital governance and cultural tourism.

Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/ Plastic Lines from Pexels, Sheikh Zayed Festival/Website