Category: Latest Updates

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiProperty Finder has raised $170 million in fresh capital from Mubadala Investment Company alongside other UAE sovereign-backed investors, a funding round that underscores sustained confidence in the region’s digital property platforms amid shifting real estate cycles.The Dubai-headquartered company said the investment will be used to simplify the home-search experience, improve productivity tools for brokers and developers, and reinforce data accuracy, trust and transparency across listings. The round values Property Finder as one of the Middle East’s

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiDubai has approved the launch of three new projects under the Dubai 10X Initiative, reinforcing the emirate’s push to place government performance and public services a decade ahead of global benchmarks. The approval was granted by H. H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, signalling renewed momentum for a programme designed to

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Global advertising revenue is projected to climb to about $1.22 trillion in 2026, marking year-on-year growth of roughly 7.1% as digital channels tighten their grip on marketing budgets and traditional linear television continues to lose ground. Digital formats are expected to command close to 83% of total spend, underscoring a structural shift that has been gathering pace for more than a decade but is now accelerating through advances in data, automation and commerce-linked media.Industry estimates indicate that

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiDubai has unveiled a landmark expansion of its international financial hub, launching a $27 billion development designed to scale the city’s role in global finance as demand from overseas firms pushes existing capacity to its limits. The project, known as the DIFC Zabeel District, will extend the Dubai International Financial Centre across a substantial new area and is slated to reshape the emirate’s economic landscape over the coming decade.Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSaudi Arabia is broadening its hunt for funding by engaging some of the kingdom’s wealthiest families, a move aimed at easing pressure on public finances while underwriting an ambitious pipeline of economic transformation projects. The approach marks a shift from a strategy that has leaned heavily on state balance sheets and foreign investors, signalling a desire to mobilise domestic private wealth alongside sovereign resources.Officials and advisers involved in the discussions say the government is encouraging leading

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiAbu Dhabi–based energy investor XRG is deepening its engagement in one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas export facilities, moving to acquire an additional equity interest in the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, industry participants confirmed. The move extends XRG’s ownership beyond its earlier holding and marks a significant step in executing its global gas strategy, signalling confidence in long-term demand for LNG.XRG said it will acquire a further 7.6 per cent stake

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiPureLab and LODD have launched a pilot programme in Abu Dhabi to transport blood samples using drones, marking a step towards integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into routine medical logistics and emergency healthcare supply chains. The initiative is designed to cut transit times for critical diagnostic samples, reduce reliance on road transport, and strengthen the resilience of laboratory networks during peak demand or traffic disruption.The pilot focuses on the movement of blood samples between collection points and

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiCasagrand has begun construction of Casagrand Hermina at Dubai Islands, signalling the Chennai-headquartered developer’s formal entry into the emirate’s premium waterfront housing market and marking a strategic expansion beyond South Asia. The ground-breaking ceremony, held at the project site, brings Casagrand’s development playbook to one of Dubai’s most closely watched island clusters, where large-scale regeneration plans are reshaping the northern coastline.Casagrand Hermina is positioned as a mid-rise residential community overlooking the Arabian Gulf, with the developer

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiThe United Arab Emirates is set to make its first appearance at the Winter Olympic Games, marking a significant expansion of the country’s sporting footprint beyond its traditional strengths in summer and indoor disciplines. The UAE has qualified to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 2026 in Italy, becoming the first Gulf nation to debut at the Winter Games through athlete qualification rather than invitation.The country will be represented by two

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai GivTrade has rolled out a major regional brand campaign in collaboration with Spain’s top professional league, LaLiga, designed to amplify its visibility across the Middle East and North Africa during key league fixtures featuring marquee clubs such as Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. The marketing drive places GivTrade prominently on broadcast screens and digital channels during match coverage, giving the trading platform widespread exposure among millions of football followers across the region.The

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiRas Abu Fontas Power, the company behind one of Qatar’s key power and water infrastructure projects, has secured a financing agreement worth about $990 million with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, strengthening the long-term funding base for the Facility E power and desalination project south of Doha. The JBIC funding represents part of a larger co-financing package totalling approximately $2.97 billion, assembled with support from a mix of private banks and export credit agencies, underscoring robust

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiThe United Arab Emirates’ hospitality sector has posted a substantial rise in hotel revenues in 2025, with total takings reaching around AED 44.4 billion for the period from January to November, marking an 8.8 per cent uplift compared with the same span a year earlier, driven by stronger average daily rates and robust demand across key markets. This performance underscores the UAE’s ongoing success in leveraging tourism as a core economic driver and reflects broader

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiFirst Abu Dhabi Bank has been named the Official Banking Partner for the first-ever Open Masters Games to be staged in the Middle East, a move that aligns a leading regional lender with an international sporting event built around lifelong participation, health and social connection.The partnership brings First Abu Dhabi Bank into the inaugural Middle East edition of the Open Masters Games, which is designed for athletes aged 30 and above and welcomes competitors of varying

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiDubai has approved a Dh12.8bn expansion of Dubai Silicon Oasis, signalling a renewed push to scale the emirate’s knowledge economy and deepen its appeal to global technology, research and advanced manufacturing firms. The programme was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and positions the zone for a new phase of growth tied to innovation, talent attraction and high-value investment.The expansion, to be

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai NMK Electronics has unveiled NMK Beyond, a 21,500 sq ft immersive technology hub positioned in Dubai’s urban core, marking a significant expansion of the company’s footprint in professional audio-visual and integrated solutions. The facility is designed to function as a live, hands-on environment where enterprise clients, systems integrators, consultants, educators and content creators can experience end-to-end technology workflows rather than static product displays.NMK Electronics said the centre consolidates audio, video, lighting, control, infrastructure and collaboration technologies

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi lenders are expected to extend between $65 billion and $75 billion in new corporate loans in 2026, underpinned by sustained investment flows into real estate and utilities and a broad pipeline of state-backed projects, according to an assessment by S&P Global. The projection points to another year of robust balance-sheet expansion as banks continue to finance the kingdom’s economic transformation agenda.The forecast follows a strong lending cycle through 2025, when corporate loans reached about $70 billion

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSaudi Arabia has moved to formalise real-world asset tokenisation with the launch of the Kingdom’s first dedicated Centre of Excellence, as Open World announced an in-Kingdom operating entity designed to support compliant digital-asset innovation aligned with Vision 2030 goals.The initiative positions Saudi Arabia to accelerate the tokenisation of physical and financial assets such as real estate, commodities, infrastructure receivables and private credit under domestic regulatory frameworks. Open World said the centre will work with sovereign bodies

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSource of Fate, a luxury real estate developer operating under the Wheel of Fate Group, has begun construction on Miraggio, a $707 million waterfront development on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, marking one of the largest private luxury residential investments announced on the northern emirate’s coastline.The ground-breaking ceremony on the reclaimed island signals the company’s formal entry into the upper tier of the UAE’s branded-luxury and resort-style residential market. Miraggio is planned as a

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiUnited Arab Emirates has accepted an invitation from the United States to join the Board of Peace, a new diplomatic initiative advanced by President Donald Trump that aims to promote stability, restore dependable governance and help secure peace in conflict-affected regions, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The acceptance places Abu Dhabi among the first governments to publicly align with the proposal, signalling support for a framework that Washington says will emphasise burden-sharing, political settlements

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai EDGE, a specialised business unit operating under Trust’s industrial solutions portfolio, has signed a dealership agreement with Allison Transmission, marking a strategic step that broadens its footprint in high-performance propulsion systems and aftersales support across key regional markets.The agreement positions EDGE as an authorised dealer for Allison Transmission’s fully automatic transmissions, covering sales, service, genuine parts and technical support. The partnership aligns with Trust’s wider push to strengthen capabilities in heavy-duty mobility and industrial applications at a

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSaudi Arabia recorded a landmark year for tourism in 2025, welcoming more than 122 million domestic and international visitors and generating close to $80 billion in total spending, according to official estimates and sector-wide assessments. The figures underline the scale and pace of change in a country long associated with pilgrimage travel but now positioning itself as a diversified global tourism destination.Data released by authorities show that domestic tourism continued to form the backbone of visitor

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiRas Abu Fontas Power, a project company linked to one of Qatar’s largest power and water complexes, has signed a financing agreement of about $990 million with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, marking one of the most substantial bilateral development-backed commitments to the Gulf’s utilities sector this year. The agreement underpins the long-term funding structure of the Ras Abu Fontas facility, a cornerstone asset supporting electricity and desalinated water supply to the Qatari grid.The JBIC-backed

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Meraki Developers has launched Nirvana Residence 1, a 22-storey residential tower positioned in Me’aisem within Dubai Production City, marking the company’s latest entry into a competitive mid-market segment that blends lifestyle design with wellness-led planning. The project is being pitched as a calm, community-oriented development in an area that has emerged as a residential alternative for professionals working across Dubai’s southern business corridors.The development, officially announced in Dubai, is planned as a mixed-use residential building featuring

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiAbu Dhabi is set to host the 30th Gulf Cooperation Council Swimming Championship from January 22 to 25, bringing together around 200 male and female swimmers from six Gulf countries in what organisers describe as the largest and most competitive edition to date. The four-day event will be staged at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Sports Center and will feature age categories ranging from 10 years to senior level, underlining the depth of talent emerging across the

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiTwo students from Georgetown University in Qatar have secured places in the highly selective Schwartzman Scholars programme, marking a notable academic milestone for the Doha-based campus and underscoring the growing links between Middle East institutions and leading centres of study in China.Kingwell Ma and Zarrish Ahmed have been awarded fully funded, one-year master’s degrees in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where the Schwarzman Scholars programme is hosted. The award covers tuition, accommodation, travel, and

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSharjah’s cultural publishing push is being highlighted at one of the Arab world’s most prominent literary gatherings, with more than 1,000 publications showcased by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage at the 57th edition of the Cairo International Book Fair, opening on January 21 and running until February 3, 2026.Sharjah Institute for Heritage is presenting a wide-ranging catalogue that reflects decades of research into Emirati and Arab intangible heritage, spanning oral traditions, folk arts, social customs, maritime

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Municipality has invited bids from prequalified developers and consortiums for a key phase of the Dubai Strategic Sewerage Tunnels programme, signalling momentum on one of the emirate’s largest long-term infrastructure undertakings aimed at overhauling wastewater collection and transfer.The authority said requests for proposal have been issued for the Phase II Links Package of the project, which is designed to connect outlying catchments to the main deep tunnel system through a network of secondary tunnels and

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiA high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, is set to take part in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, underlining Riyadh’s effort to shape global economic and political debates at a time of shifting trade patterns, energy transitions and geopolitical uncertainty.Officials familiar with the plans said the delegation would include senior figures from economic, investment and energy portfolios, reflecting the breadth of issues Saudi

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiAbu Dhabi-based clean energy company Masdar has reached financial close on the Ibri III Solar Independent Power Project in Oman, marking a milestone for the sultanate’s power sector as it brings together utility-scale solar generation with battery energy storage for the first time. The project is being developed by a consortium comprising Masdar, Al Khadra Partners, Korea Midland Power Co. and OQ Alternative Energy.The consortium said project finance has been secured from Natixis Corporate &

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiEmirates NBD Bank, the UAE’s second largest lender by assets, has taken a step towards expanding the domestic capital markets by mandating its debut dirham-denominated Regulation S three-year fixed-rate digitally native notes, marking a move that blends traditional funding with blockchain-enabled issuance infrastructure. The planned transaction signals growing confidence among regional issuers in digital settlement frameworks while maintaining alignment with established international clearing systems.The issuance is expected to be launched under Emirates NBD’s $20 billion Euro

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSaudi Basic Industries Corporation has agreed to divest its European petrochemicals arm and its engineering thermoplastics operations across the Americas and Europe, marking a significant portfolio shift by the chemical producer as it sharpens its focus on core businesses.The company said it has signed a definitive agreement with Germany’s AEQUITA SE & Co. KGaA to sell 100 per cent of its shares in SABIC Europe BV for an enterprise value of 1.88 billion Saudi riyals, equivalent

Arabian Post Staff -DubaiSaudi Arabia has moved to open its real estate market to foreign ownership, marking one of the most consequential shifts in the Kingdom’s investment policy as it seeks to diversify its economy and deepen capital inflows beyond hydrocarbons. The reform allows non-Saudis to buy a broad range of properties, including residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial assets, with the option to purchase land for construction also permitted.The change forms part of a wider set of economic measures

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai is positioning itself as a magnet for global content creators, with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy setting out the emirate’s pitch as a base where talent, technology and market access converge. The chamber says Dubai’s ability to attract specialised creative professionals, alongside its digital infrastructure and business-friendly regulation, has become a decisive advantage for creators who depend on high-end production teams and cross-border audiences.Senior officials at the chamber have underlined that content creation has

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Airlines operating from the Gulf sharply curtailed services to Iran on Friday as unrest inside the country prompted rapid operational reviews, disrupting travel links between Dubai, Doha and several Iranian cities while carriers weighed safety and regulatory considerations.Schedules published by Dubai’s airport operator showed multiple cancellations on routes linking Dubai with Tehran, Shiraz and Mashhad. A spokesperson for flydubai said all services to Iran planned for Friday had been withdrawn, adding that the carrier would keep