Early on Oct. 1, a UAE civilian ship came under fire from Houthi militia members as it sailed through the Bab al-Mandem Strait. The attack was condemned by the UAE, Yemen and U.S. governments, with the internationally recognized Yemeni government calling it a “terrorist attack that violates international laws.” Although the Houthi group claimed the ship was a military vessel and thus a legitimate target, the UAE Foreign Ministry announced that the ship was in fact carrying humanitarian aid and wounded Yemenis.

“We never expected that someone would hit a humanitarian vessel … This attack will not stop our work there,” said Khalid Al Ameri, a spokesman for the National Marine Dredging Company that owned the ship. Of the 24 crew members on board during the attack, three were injured. Two have since been released from the hospital.

At the Dubai Press Club on Oct. 6, leaders of the UAE media gathered to discuss national security and journalism. The conference, attended by editors-in-chief and chief executives of prominent media companies, aimed to help professionals better evaluate the challenges of covering relevant issues and understand global developments.

"At this momentous time in the region, it is high time to raise the level of awareness on the issues of security and information,” said Dr. Albadr Alshateri, professor of politics at the National Defence College. The program also hopes to cover the key elements of national sovereignty and strategic thinking in developing media messages.

In an initiative to promote street art in the UAE, New York stencil artist Logan Hicks will begin work on a mural planned for early 2017. He expects to take months photographing the urban cityscape in an attempt to capture the city’s unique essence and architecture. Hicks is one of 16 artists invited to display their work at City Walk, a new urban outdoor space in Dubai. A renowned graffitist, Hicks was one of two artists selected by Banksy to represent America at a street art festival in London.

At the World Green Economy Summit on Oct. 6, the announcement of the Third Dubai Declaration affirmed the city’s aim to become a global green capital.

"The Dubai declaration represents our commitment to create an even smarter, greener, happier Dubai, and make it the green capital of the world," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and the chairman of the summit. Funds of 27 billion USD were allocated to the cause, being distributed among projects such as Dubai Green Free Zone — a hub for clean-energy startups — and the Shams Dubai Initiative to install solar panels on commercial and industrial buildings.