UAE ship attack, Israel’s new parliament and the next US ambassador to the UAE

A concise round-up of the region’s top news stories this morning

The National

November 11, 2026

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, an Emirati ship was attacked and damaged in UAE waters on Tuesday. This is the latest in a string of attacks on commercial shipping.

Israel’s new parliament was sworn in on Tuesday, with opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having struck an early deal on four key Knesset posts.

A vital border crossing between Lebanon and Syria has reopened after two years. The Abboudieh-Dabbousieh crossing was previously shut in November 2024 after Israel bombed it during its war with Hezbollah.

US President Donald Trump has nominated former Kansas governor Jeffrey Colyer to be the next American ambassador to the UAE.

Meanwhile, non-Muslim places of worship in the UAE can now be fined up to 750,000 dirhams and have their licences suspended under regulations that list 24 breaches. The harshest penalties are against places of worship that maintain links abroad or fund raise without authorisation.

Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

Updated:

November 11, 2026, 5:41 AM

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