The Week in RAK: 19 to 25 October 2026
The news from Ras Al Khaimah, 1 hour from Dubai, that matters if you are thinking of buying or living here.
The lead story
A fourth highway between Dubai and RAK moves to design
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is hiring a consultant to design the E-911, a fourth federal highway from the Dubai-Sharjah border to Al Shuhada Road in Ras Al Khaimah. Bids were due on 23 October.
The road is planned at 12 to 16 lanes over about 68km, with an 8km link to Emirates Road in Umm Al Quwain. The tender says the emirates on the route have approved it and the concept design is complete.
Earlier official figures put the cost at about AED 6 billion and the capacity at around 360,000 trips a day. No construction date has been given.
Number of the week
Agreements RAK signed during HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi's tour of South China, 17 to 23 October, according to the Government of Ras Al Khaimah.
Economy and business
RAK ends its China tour with 11 agreements
HH Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, ended a week in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Fuzhou on 23 October. The tour closed with the signing of a friendship agreement with Fujian Province. The government says 11 agreements were signed on the tour, including infrastructure cooperation between Marjan and China Road and Bridge Corporation, and a framework with Bank of China. No values were given.
RAK opens its first business office in China
HH Sheikh Saud opened the emirate's first business consultancy in China, in Guangzhou, the RAK Media Office said on 21 October. It will be RAK's base for dealing with Chinese companies.
400 Chinese companies already in RAK
At the Ras Al Khaimah-China Business Summit in Shenzhen on 19 October, HH Sheikh Saud said more than 400 Chinese companies already operate in RAK. About 300 business leaders and officials attended.
RAKBANK profit up 21%
RAKBANK reported a profit after tax of AED 2.5 billion for the first nine months of 2026, up 21.3% on a year earlier. The figure includes a one-off gain of AED 473 million from selling its merchant payments business. Deposits rose 21% to AED 79.6 billion.
Humanoid robots to be tested in RAK
The Government of Ras Al Khaimah signed an agreement with UBTECH Robotics on 19 October to research and test humanoid robots in industry, public services, elder care and cultural spaces. RAK will give the company a sandbox: a space to trial them under lighter rules.
623 entrepreneurs at RAK's business forum
The RAK Department of Economic Development held its fourth Entrepreneurs Forum this week, with 623 entrepreneurs, 18 companies and 20 workshops.
Property and building
AED 2.2bn building contract for Nasim Al Bahr
Abu Dhabi National Hotels has awarded the main building contract for Nasim Al Bahr on Al Marjan Island → to Al Hamad Building Contracting, worth about AED 2.2 billion. The scheme pairs a Luxury Collection resort of 495 keys, which are hotel rooms, with 447 branded homes for sale. Piling is finished and completion is due by the end of 2028.
Wyndham-branded residences for Al Marjan Island
Sugee Group and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced an agreement to build Vienna House Residences by Wyndham on Al Marjan Island →, the brand's first residences in the Middle East. The homes will be sold fully furnished, and the developer says owners will be allowed to let them short term. Units, prices and dates have not been given.
Living and visiting
RAK closes its public beaches until further notice
RAK Public Services Department and RAK Police closed all public beaches in the emirate on 24 October, until further notice, and asked people to stay away from the coast. The day before, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment confirmed a tanker oil spill that reached Umm Al Quwain's beaches. A reopening will be announced later.
RAK signs for driverless transport trials
RAK Transport Authority signed an agreement with the Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center on pilot projects for self-driving vehicles, AI transport apps and drones. The Shenzhen centre will visit RAK and write a report on its transport network.
Winter camping permits open
RAK Municipality has opened applications for temporary winter camping permits, for the season from October to May. Permits are for UAE citizens only and for private use; renting out a camp is not allowed. A fee and a deposit are paid on application.
140 jobs at a graduate open day
The RAK Human Resources Department and the Higher Colleges of Technology held Jahiz, an open jobs day where about nine government and private employers offered more than 140 jobs to graduates.
RAK ranked 12th in the world for sunsets
Ras Al Khaimah came 12th of 165 destinations in a Kuoni study, made with British Weather Services, of the best places in the world for the hour before sunset. RAK scored 86.96 out of 100 and was the only UAE destination in the top 20. Kuoni published the study on 30 September; it was reported in the UAE from 15 October.
INNA to play New Year's Eve at Rixos Al Mairid
Rixos Al Mairid announced on 19 October that the Romanian singer INNA will headline its New Year's Eve gala on 31 December, with a gala dinner, midnight fireworks and a children's party. Prices have not been published.
Rain and hail in the RAK mountains
Shawka had 12.3mm of rain on 20 October, the most in the UAE that day, with small hail at Wadi Al Ajili and Jebel Mebrah, according to the National Center of Meteorology.
Our view
Giles Dean
A fourth federal highway to Ras Al Khaimah is good news for anyone who owns, is buying or rents here.
The E-911 is far more than a shorter drive from Dubai. A road of up to 16 lanes, built for around 360,000 trips a day, ties RAK more closely to the rest of the UAE. Easier connections bring more people and more trade, and faster supply routes for the port, free zones and factories that already make RAK a place to do business. More people and more business mean more demand for homes, and that supports property values.
For owners, that demand supports values and rents. For buyers, it is a reason to look at RAK now, while the road is still being designed. For tenants, it means an easier commute and more jobs within reach.
The China tour points the same way. Eleven agreements and RAK's first business office in China should bring more companies, and companies bring staff who need homes. And Vienna House adds another international brand to Al Marjan Island.
Our view, not advice. Past rises may not repeat.
The news tells you what changed this week. Our website goes much further. It covers everything you need before you buy or rent in Ras Al Khaimah, in detail: how buying off-plan works and what every step costs, what homes rent for area by area, the schools, visas and moving here, even how to bring your pet. All written by us, from Al Hamra.
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