Afghanistan Women’s Entrepreneurship: In western Afghanistan, women like Ruqia Rezai are keeping small workshops alive despite Taliban-era restrictions, using soap-making and family-run production to employ local workers and stabilize household income. UAE Corporate Tax Relief: The UAE is extending small-business corporate tax relief, giving SMEs breathing room as war-linked supply shocks and higher operating costs squeeze margins. UAE SME Resilience in Wartime: A Dubai emergency-kit maker says the Iran war boosted demand but also disrupted logistics and raised costs, highlighting how SMEs are adapting to volatile supply chains. Iraq Delivery Sector Squeezed: Iraqi delivery firms warn that overlapping regulations and rising licensing fees are pushing more than 25 companies to close daily, threatening a key link between small businesses and customers. Turkey Tech Push: Türkiye is staging GITEX Ai Türkiye in Istanbul as it scales AI and data-center investment, aiming to train thousands of AI specialists and grow its startup ecosystem. Fintech Leadership: Mastercard appoints Yasemin Bedir to lead its EEMEA region from Dubai, signaling continued focus on payments and fintech partnerships across the Middle East. SME Enablement via AI/IT: UAE-based Synergy Gravitas completes its acquisition of Perpetual Technologies, expanding enterprise and SME IT services and AI workflow capabilities. Local Business Impact from Oil Spill: East Los Angeles businesses report slow reimbursement after an oil spill disrupted deliveries and appointments, with many still waiting on promised payments.