This week’s GCC Updates spans a major hiring drive at Sharjah’s airport, a new diplomatic visa deal, Oman’s push into AI-driven cinema, a fresh deep-space capture over Abu Dhabi, and a reminder of why Doha’s oldest market still matters.
5 GCC Updates For Today
1. Sharjah Plans To Hire 150 Passport Control Officers
Sharjah’s Executive Council plans to recruit 150 passport control officers for Sharjah International Airport has been approved. The official hiring will roll out in three phases starting in October. The move is designed to keep pace with rising flight and passenger numbers alongside the airport’s ongoing expansion projects, including a Dh1.2 billion terminal upgrade set to lift capacity to 20 million passengers a year, while also supporting Emirati employment and career development in the sector.
2. Saudi Arabia And Pakistan Sign Diplomatic Visa Waiver
On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan signed an agreement abolishing visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official or special passports. Dar called it a step that will “facilitate high-level engagement and institutional exchanges” between the two countries, building on a run of recent economic and defence cooperation agreements.
3. Oman Opens Entries For Its First AI Film Festival
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Muscat has launched the Muscat AI Film Festival (MAIFF), a new inaugural platform exploring the crossover between artificial intelligence and film-making. Submissions opened on 5 September 2026, with creative labs and workshops running in October, public screenings of the top five films at VOX Cinemas in November, and a closing ceremony set for January 2027. The festival aims to train Omani film-makers and creatives while positioning Muscat as a regional hub for AI-assisted storytelling.
4. Abu Dhabi Astronomers Capture A Nebula 4,700 Light-Years Away
Astronomers working from the Abu Dhabi desert have captured a striking new deep-space image of a nebula roughly 4,700 light-years from Earth, the light in the photo having begun its journey long before recorded history. It’s the latest in a growing run of celestial captures from the UAE’s desert observatories, which have increasingly put the country on the map for astrophotography despite its urban light pollution.
Also Read: From Sharjah’s Smart Traffic To UAE’s Year Of Award, 5 GCC Updates For You
5. Souq Waqif Keeps Doha’s Market Lanes In Traditional Form
A feature on Doha’s Souq Waqif is a reminder of why the centuries-old market remains one of Qatar’s most iconic destinations. Rebuilt in traditional Qatari architectural style after a 2003 fire, its winding lanes still combine spice and perfume traders, handicraft stalls and shisha cafés, a slice of old Doha that continues to draw both locals and visitors even as the city’s skyline modernises around it.
Cover Image Courtesy: AstronomyCenter/X
FAQs
What is Oman's new AI Film Festival?
The Muscat AI Film Festival (MAIFF) is Oman's first festival exploring AI in film-making, with its inaugural edition running from September 2026 through January 2027.
Where was the new deep-space image captured from?
From an observatory in the Abu Dhabi desert, showing a nebula approximately 4,700 light-years away.
