Category: Latest Updates

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Emirates has fitted 65 aircraft with Starlink satellite internet and plans installations on another 10 to 12 jets each month, alongside new aircraft deliveries and cabin refurbishment work. Adnan Kazim, the Dubai airline’s deputy president and chief commercial officer, disclosed the installation figures while outlining its fleet plans. The programme is proceeding as Emirates prepares to receive Boeing aircraft from summer 2027 and maintains a steady flow of Airbus deliveries. The latest figure marks an increase from the

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia has opened a two-month window for eligible Yemeni workers without valid residency status to regularise their employment and transfer to new employers through government digital platforms. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said the programme, launched on 11 October, covers Yemeni nationals whose residence permits have expired and those recorded as absent from work. Applicants must hold valid travel documents and satisfy the applicable regulatory requirements. Professional workers can complete employer transfers through Qiwa,

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank reported a 6 per cent rise in nine-month profit before tax to Dh6.4 billion, supported by expanding customer financing, higher income and improving credit quality. Net profit after tax reached Dh5.6 billion in the nine months ended 30 September 2026, also increasing 6 per cent from a year earlier. Revenue rose 6 per cent to Dh9.7 billion, while the bank reported a return on equity of 28 per cent. Gross customer financing climbed 25

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand educational cooperation, covering student exchanges, teacher development, academic research and educational technology, following talks between their education ministers in Ankara. Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan and Turkish Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin signed the agreement on October 26 during Al-Benyan’s official two-day visit to Türkiye, which concluded on October 27. The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between educational institutions, including reciprocal

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai-based ENOC Group has extended its aviation technical services agreement with Indonesia’s PT Pertamina Patra Niaga for another three years, maintaining cooperation on aircraft refuelling safety, fuel quality and operational standards at Indonesian aviation facilities. The renewed agreement, announced on Tuesday, covers annual inspections, technical guidance, operational assistance and specialised training. It builds on a three-year arrangement established in 2023 and a commercial relationship between the two energy companies dating back to 2009. ENOC will continue inspecting aviation

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar has raised $600 million through its first blue bond, an AA-rated transaction described as the highest-rated publicly issued corporate blue bond worldwide. The five-year securities, rated AA- by S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, were issued under Masdar’s $6 billion global medium-term note programme. Proceeds will finance or refinance eligible marine renewable energy projects under the company’s updated Green Finance Framework. Investor orders reached $1.4 billion, more than twice the offering size,

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Apollo Global Management has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Capital, with the US investment group and other strategic investors expected to commit a combined $5 billion to its investment strategies. The agreement, announced on Monday, October 26, brings Apollo into the ownership structure of Mubadala Capital, the alternative asset management subsidiary of sovereign investor Mubadala Investment Company. The investment commitments are expected at the transaction’s initial closing, rather than representing the purchase

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai-based DIP Holding Plc attracted sufficient investor orders to cover its initial public offering within minutes of opening on Tuesday, as the company sought to raise up to $543 million despite continuing regional uncertainty surrounding the Iran war. The offering, the United Arab Emirates' first IPO of 2026, marks a significant test of investor confidence in Dubai's equity market after geopolitical tensions disrupted financial activity across the Gulf. The rapid initial subscription indicates demand for established property

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Bahrain-based alternative investment manager Investcorp is joining Saudi investors in a consortium seeking a stake in a fire safety and equipment company, signalling continued private equity interest in the kingdom despite escalating Houthi attacks on strategic infrastructure. The proposed investment comes as Saudi Arabia faces mounting security pressures following attacks targeting energy facilities, airports and other installations. The transaction would provide an indication of investor willingness to pursue domestic acquisitions while the conflict creates additional operational and

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi-based M42 research subsidiary IROS and 10XREVIV have announced a clinical study to test whether personalised nutrition can improve health outcomes for patients taking GLP-1 medicines for weight management. The planned research will compare 10XREVIV’s precision nutrition system combined with standard medical care against standard care alone, examining whether additional nutritional support makes a measurable difference during treatment. Insights Research Organisation and Solutions (IROS), a contract research organisation within M42, will contribute clinical study design, implementation and

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have closed beaches across three northern emirates following an offshore tanker oil spill, as emergency teams intensify containment operations and assess pollution affecting coastal waters. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment confirmed that its technical monitoring and environmental assessment system detected oil contamination reaching beaches in Umm Al Quwain. All beaches and coastal areas in the emirate have been temporarily closed, while neighbouring Sharjah has restricted access to Al Hamriyah

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Alpha Dhabi Holding has agreed to commit $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) to Alpha Wave III, extending the Abu Dhabi-listed investment group's exposure to artificial intelligence and high-growth technology businesses worldwide. The agreement, announced on Monday, covers a global investment fund managed by Alpha Wave Global and remains subject to applicable approvals. Alpha Dhabi said the commitment would support diversification of its investment portfolio, with capital invested progressively rather than transferred in a single payment. The group plans to

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Singapore and Saudi Arabia have agreed to pursue underground crude oil storage on Jurong Island from the second half of 2027, strengthening supply safeguards amid disruptions caused by the war involving Iran. The two governments announced the proposed arrangement on Monday as Saudi Aramco exchanged a memorandum of understanding with Singapore’s Energy Market Authority and industrial infrastructure agency JTC Corporation during Singapore International Energy Week. The crude would be held at Jurong Rock Caverns, an underground storage complex

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabian property technology company Ghanem has secured an additional $1.5 million in pre-seed financing, lifting the size of its early-stage funding round to $8.6 million as it expands a digital platform for fractional ownership of income-generating real estate. The extension attracted property companies and strategic angel investors, the Riyadh-based business said, without identifying all participants in the new financing. Its previous $7.1 million financing included participation from Al Rumaih Group, while Waad Investment has also invested

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Emaar Hospitality Group has confirmed the opening of Emaar South Golf Club in Dubai South, adding an 18-hole championship course to its leisure portfolio and expanding golfing facilities near Al Maktoum International Airport. The club welcomed its first players on 5 October and becomes the group's fourth golf club. Designed by European Golf Design, the course measures 7,278 yards from the black tees, with practice facilities and a clubhouse intended to serve golfers, residents and visitors. The opening

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The United Arab Emirates and Greece announced 18 agreements and commercial partnerships worth €12.75 billion ($14.3 billion) on Thursday, alongside plans for another €15 billion of UAE investment in Greece. The announcements came at the UAE-Greece Strategic Forum in Athens, attended by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The package covers digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, energy, logistics, healthcare and food security. Abu Dhabi said the proposed

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Central banks are increasing gold reserves and shifting bullion between international vaults, with new industry data showing a sharp rise in purchases and growing interest in reducing dependence on individual storage centres. The World Gold Council says official institutions bought an average of approximately 1,000 tonnes annually over the four years preceding its 2026 survey, compared with roughly 500 tonnes a year during the previous decade. That represents a doubling, rather than the fourfold increase suggested in

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai BlackRock has launched a robotics-focused exchange-traded fund, widening its artificial intelligence investment range as investors become more selective about exposure to the technology. The iShares Future Robotics and Related Technologies Active ETF began trading on NYSE Arca on Wednesday, 21 October, under the ticker RBTX. The fund seeks investments across businesses developing, supplying and deploying intelligent machines that automate physical tasks, including operations in manufacturing and transportation. BlackRock said robotics represented an important stage in the commercial adoption

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A unit of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has secured shares in Paras Healthcare's Rs 14.5 billion initial public offering, placing the emirate's sovereign wealth capital among the hospital operator's institutional backers. The Gurugram-based company opened its public subscription on Wednesday, October 21, with bidding scheduled to close on Friday. Its anchor placement, completed on October 19, raised Rs 6.525 billion from domestic and overseas institutions ahead of the public offer. Exchange disclosures show that Paras Healthcare allocated 9,415,584

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Formula One's season-ending Grands Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will proceed as scheduled, with motorsport authorities reaffirming plans for both races despite security concerns arising from conflict across the Middle East. The confirmation keeps Qatar's event at Lusail International Circuit on November 27–29 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit on December 4–6. The UAE race will conclude the 2026 championship, while organisers are continuing preparations for a four-day programme beginning on December

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi-based Burjeel Holdings has highlighted its mission-ready healthcare operations across national and international projects, reporting more than 1.17 million outpatient and inpatient visits as it showcases an integrated model for delivering medical services. The healthcare group is placing emergency preparedness, frontline medical response, deployable hospital infrastructure and specialised treatment at the centre of its participation in the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, being held from October 20 to 22 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. Burjeel is

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi footballer Bayan Sadagah has become a prominent figure at Jeddah club Al-Ittihad as the kingdom’s professional women’s competition enters another season, reflecting opportunities that were unavailable to female players only a few years ago. The 31-year-old midfielder represents a generation whose ambitions developed before Saudi Arabia had an established national league for women. Her journey from informal family matches to professional football illustrates the changes accompanying the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s expansion of competitions, coaching and

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Emirates NBD has agreed to deploy OpenAI’s GPT models through computing infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, becoming the first Middle East and North Africa bank to adopt the arrangement, according to the two companies. The enterprise collaboration, announced on Monday, will allow the Dubai-based lender to use advanced artificial intelligence for customer services, compliance, risk monitoring and internal operations while processing model requests within the UAE. The companies presented the local infrastructure as a means of

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Etihad Airways has extended cancellations on its Abu Dhabi services to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah until October 24, citing continuing regional disruption and warning passengers that further timetable changes remain possible. The airline confirmed that every flight between Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport and both Riyadh and Dammam will remain cancelled through Saturday. Its suspension of Jeddah services covers four specified flights rather than an explicitly announced cancellation of every service on that route. The affected Jeddah flights

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Azizi Developments has begun preliminary work on workforce accommodation projects in Dubai and Sharjah designed to house more than 31,000 people, with phased completion scheduled through late 2027. The developer's largest planned community, at Al Sajaa in Sharjah, will accommodate more than 20,000 residents across 36 residential buildings. Site preparation is expected to start later this month, while enabling and shoring works are already under way at accommodation sites in Dubai's Jebel Ali Industrial 1 district. The programme

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Kuwaiti-founded Tap Payments has climbed to 13th place in the 2026 Forbes Middle East Fintech 50, gaining 11 positions over two years and securing a third consecutive appearance on the regional ranking. The payments technology company rose from 18th position in 2025 and 24th in 2024, reflecting a sustained improvement in its standing among financial technology businesses operating across the Middle East and North Africa. The latest list, released on 8 October, places Tap immediately behind Saudi

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Municipality has introduced comprehensive advertising content guidelines aimed at improving the quality of outdoor advertisements, protecting the emirate’s visual identity and ensuring promotional displays complement its evolving urban landscape. The Advertising Content Regulation Guidelines for the Emirate of Dubai establish unified standards governing advertising messages, creative designs and visual presentation. The framework seeks to bring greater consistency to outdoor advertising while allowing businesses and designers to adopt innovative approaches. Announced on Saturday, the initiative forms part of

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai EFG Hermes UAE has launched market-making and liquidity provision services on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), extending its brokerage operations to support trading activity and improve liquidity in selected listed securities. The company, regulated by the UAE's Capital Market Authority, announced the expansion on Friday, saying it would place buying and selling orders under exchange rules and regulatory requirements. The initiative is intended to improve price availability, facilitate transactions and provide additional trading support for companies

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Team Abu Dhabi will field 15 sailors at the 15th Mussanah Race Week in Oman, joining more than 100 competitors from seven countries as racing begins on Sunday. The squad, drawn from the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club Academy’s modern sailing programme, will compete in Optimist and ILCA dinghy classes at Barceló Mussanah Resort. The event’s competitive programme runs from 18 to 21 October, following registration, equipment checks and a scheduled practice race on Saturday. Organisers have confirmed

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai's Government Media Office has opened discussions with Shenzhen News Group on expanding media cooperation, strengthening institutional links and increasing coverage of the emirate across Chinese news platforms. The meeting took place in Shenzhen during the Dubai Business Forum – China, organised by Dubai Chambers, bringing together representatives of both organisations to examine opportunities for content development, professional exchanges and collaboration in digital journalism. Officials discussed ways to improve the flow of information between media institutions in Dubai

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia's next Media Forum will take place in Riyadh from February 1 to 3, 2027, under the patronage of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, organisers have confirmed. Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Harthi, president of the Saudi Media Forum, reiterated the dates during a reception on the sidelines of MIPCOM, the international television and entertainment industry market in Cannes, France. The gathering brought together representatives of international companies, producers and senior media executives, providing a platform to

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments (IMI) has rejected a British regulatory assessment of its abandoned Telegraph takeover bid, accusing Ofcom of flawed reasoning and disregarding evidence about its editorial independence. The company challenged the media regulator's methodology on Friday after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy published previously withheld findings examining the proposed acquisition of Telegraph Media Group by RedBird IMI, a joint venture involving IMI and US investment firm RedBird Capital Partners. Ofcom concluded that the proposed transaction could

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi developer Aldar Properties has agreed to acquire nine residential buildings in Sharjah from Arada for AED1.1 billion ($300 million), marking its first property investment in the emirate. The forward purchase agreement, announced on Thursday, covers more than 1,100 homes across three residential blocks at Aljada, Arada’s mixed-use development. Arada is scheduled to deliver the buildings in the fourth quarter of 2029, after which the properties will join Aldar’s portfolio. Aldar said the transaction would increase its

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Governments and state-backed borrowers are increasingly exploring bonds denominated in currencies other than the US dollar as competition for capital drives up financing costs, a senior Citigroup banker said on Thursday. Stephanie von Friedeburg, Citi’s global head of the public sector group, said demand for financing from governments and private companies was placing pressure on available investment capital, with artificial intelligence infrastructure attracting substantial private funding. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank