Category: Latest Updates

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport’s first expansion phase remains scheduled to begin operations in 2032 as Dubai accelerates construction, runway development and the award of major infrastructure contracts. The project has moved into large-scale construction, with contracts valued at more than AED13 billion under execution and packages worth over AED55 billion expected to be awarded during the next stage. Work completed during the past 15 months has exceeded 10 million labour hours, indicating a sharp increase in activity

Houthi forces launched missiles and drones at Saudi oil facilities on the Red Sea coast as the United States halted its bombing of Iran after 13 consecutive nights, opening a narrow diplomatic pause while the regional conflict spread towards a second vital shipping corridor. The Yemen-based group said Saturday’s coordinated operation targeted Saudi Aramco installations in Jizan, close to the Yemeni border, and Yanbu, the kingdom’s principal Red Sea oil-export centre. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said ballistic and cruise

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first X post after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union education minister celebrated Sarnath’s entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List, leaving the biggest political concession of his third term unaddressed. The message appeared about two hours after Pradhan announced his exit, and Modi had made no public comment on the resignation by at least 6.15 pm on Saturday. Modi called the inscription “a proud moment for every Indian” and said Sarnath’s association

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai ADGM has updated its Commercial Permits framework with new regulations and detailed guidance governing sales and promotional activities, aiming to simplify approvals while strengthening consumer protection across Abu Dhabi’s international financial centre. The revised framework establishes clearer requirements for businesses, professionals and other eligible entities seeking to conduct promotions within ADGM’s jurisdiction, which covers Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island. It applies across commercial sectors and is intended to create a consistent regulatory route for activities

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai US President Donald Trump has made Saudi Arabia’s normalisation of relations with Israel a condition for advancing a newly signed civil nuclear cooperation agreement, adding a major diplomatic hurdle to a deal already facing scrutiny over uranium enrichment and safeguards. Trump said on Thursday that the agreement was “totally subject” to Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords, the US-backed framework that established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states during his first term. He also said Saudi

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A California court has invalidated parts of the state’s Diwali holiday law, creating uncertainty over how schools and public employers must accommodate those observing the Festival of Lights. The ruling leaves the formal recognition of Diwali as a state holiday intact but limits provisions governing its implementation, the Hindu American Foundation said. The organisation described the judgment as a setback for a measure intended to allow families to celebrate without students missing classes or public employees sacrificing

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s off-plan property boom is pushing developers to offer more distinctive architecture, stronger lifestyle concepts and higher construction standards as buyers become increasingly selective in the emirate’s crowded luxury housing market. The real estate sector recorded about 87,800 transactions valued at AED291.7 billion during the first half of 2026. Off-plan properties represented 71 per cent of all deals, underlining the central role of projects sold before completion in sustaining market activity. MERED said the figures showed that demand

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank has become the first bank worldwide to deploy Visa’s Threat Intelligence Platform, integrating cyber and payments intelligence into its fraud-prevention operations. The early adoption gives ADIB’s cybersecurity, fraud and risk teams real-time information on threats that could lead to stolen credentials, compromised accounts and fraudulent transactions. The bank is also working with Visa to design the platform’s first use cases and operational framework. The deployment moves fraud detection further upstream. Instead of examining suspicious

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program has signed an agreement with premium leisure airline beOnd to explore direct flights between Red Sea International Airport and six major European cities. The proposed all-premium services would connect the Red Sea tourism destination with London, Paris, Moscow, Milan, Munich and Zurich. The memorandum of understanding was signed during Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, held near London from July 20 to 24. The partnership is intended to widen access

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone has partnered with Fazaa to give eligible employees of registered companies access to membership benefits, discounts and services across the UAE. The agreement allows qualifying workers to subscribe through RAKEZ to Fazaa’s Silver, Gold and Platinum membership tiers. Benefits are available across healthcare, restaurants, retail, automotive services, beauty and wellness, furniture, property services and car rentals. RAKEZ will facilitate the registration and issuance of memberships, creating a direct route for companies within the

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s largest lender Emirates NBD reported a second-quarter net profit of AED6.4 billion, beating market expectations as strong lending, resilient margins and its expanded international business offset disruption from the regional conflict. Profit was broadly unchanged from the first quarter, while earnings for the first six months of 2026 rose 3 per cent from a year earlier to AED12.9 billion. The performance underlined the bank’s ability to maintain income and customer activity despite weaker conditions in parts

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Flynas has confirmed an order for 25 additional Airbus aircraft, strengthening its plans to expand domestic, regional and international services as Saudi Arabia accelerates investment in aviation and tourism. The agreement covers five A330-900 widebody aircraft and 20 A321neo single-aisle jets. It raises the Riyadh-based low-cost carrier’s firm commitments with Airbus to 235 aircraft, including 20 A330neos and 56 A321neos. The order gives Flynas a larger mix of high-capacity and longer-range aircraft, allowing it to serve busy

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has introduced Tabby as an instalment payment option for service fees and administrative fines, allowing eligible customers to spread obligations of up to AED20,000 over four to 12 months. The new facility is available through the ministry’s digital channels and can be used by individuals and businesses completing eligible transactions. It provides an alternative to making a full payment at once, reducing the immediate financial pressure associated with large government

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Airlines should adopt a globally consistent method for calculating and displaying flight emissions as travellers and corporate customers demand clearer carbon information, the International Air Transport Association has said. The industry body is pressing carriers, booking platforms, travel agencies and regulators to use comparable operational data rather than competing calculation models that can produce sharply different estimates for the same journey. The absence of a common framework can leave passengers uncertain about which flight carries the lower

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports fell for a third consecutive month in May, reaching the lowest level recorded in more than two decades as conflict-driven shipping disruption across the Gulf constrained the kingdom’s ability to move supplies to overseas buyers. Exports dropped to 3.434 million barrels per day from 3.986 million bpd in April, data submitted to the Joint Organisations Data Initiative showed. The monthly decline of almost 14 per cent extended a steep contraction that began

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE has outlined the eligibility and application requirements for its five-year multiple-entry tourist visa, offering frequent travellers a longer-term alternative to standard short-stay permits. The visa is open to applicants of all nationalities who meet the financial, documentation and travel conditions. It does not require sponsorship by a UAE resident, company, hotel or tourism agency, allowing travellers to apply directly through official immigration channels. Designed mainly for tourists, frequent visitors, family visitors and business travellers, the permit

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has begun operating a centralised waterway monitoring and control centre designed to strengthen maritime safety, improve emergency coordination and support public marine services across the emirate. The facility, managed by the Integrated Transport Centre, known as Abu Dhabi Mobility, brings surveillance, vessel movement data, regulatory enforcement and service management into a single digital platform. Abu Dhabi Maritime, part of AD Ports Group, operates the centre in coordination with the National Guard. The centre covers navigational channels

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A Dubai-based digital marketplace is expanding direct hiring of models, actors, influencers and entertainers, giving businesses a faster route to creative professionals for advertising campaigns, productions and events. GulfGotTalents allows brands, advertising agencies, production houses, casting directors and event organisers to search verified profiles using criteria including location, profession, language, age and experience. Employers can post assignments, receive applications and communicate directly with candidates, reducing dependence on intermediaries during the early stages of casting. The platform covers television

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Sharjah Taxi has completed one million trips booked through the Yango app, marking a significant expansion of digital taxi use in the emirate since the service was launched in February 2025. The milestone reflects rising passenger demand for app-based access to regulated city taxis, combining digital booking, journey tracking and electronic payment options with Sharjah’s established public transport network. The platform allows customers to request nearby vehicles, view trip details and follow the taxi’s arrival through a

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Jeddah Islamic Port has introduced temporary storage-fee concessions for transit cargo, seeking to lower logistics costs and attract more shipping lines to Saudi Arabia’s largest Red Sea gateway. The incentive package took effect on July 19 and will remain available for 60 days. It extends the storage-fee exemption for transit containers to 15 days, while general transit cargo will receive five exemption days. Roll-on/roll-off cargo and vehicles will also qualify for a five-day exemption. The measures give

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Police has launched a Young Journalist course to equip school students with journalism skills, media awareness and a stronger understanding of responsible communication. The course forms part of the Dubai Police Summer Student Programme 2026, which is bringing together about 1,400 pupils from 130 public and private schools. Participants represent 31 nationalities, reflecting the broad social mix of Dubai’s student population. The initiative introduces students to the foundations of news reporting, including gathering information, identifying reliable material,

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Future District Fund has expanded its portfolio to 30 investments, confirming that the future is now sufficiently diversified to survive several pitch decks, two market corrections and at least one founder describing an ordinary payment service as “transformational infrastructure”. The fund made eight new investment commitments during 2025, including five venture capital funds and three high-growth companies. Its portfolio now consists of 11 funds and 19 start-ups, a mathematical arrangement designed to ensure that nobody can

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai DUBAI — The World Economic Forum has recognised UAE PASS as a global model for integrated digital government infrastructure, confirming that civilisation can function without citizens carrying a folder containing six photocopies, three passport photographs and a letter proving that the letter exists. The recognition places the UAE’s national digital identity system among leading examples of how governments can connect public and private services through one secure platform. It also places fresh international pressure on administrations where

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s skyline is packed with buildings designed to command attention, but The Pad in Business Bay stands apart by leaning deliberately towards the Dubai Water Canal, echoing the shape of an Apple iPod resting in its charging dock. Developed by Omniyat and designed by Hong Kong-based architect James Law, the residential tower is inclined at an angle of 6.5 degrees. Its unconventional profile has made it one of the most recognisable structures in the district, where high-rise

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi is emerging as a leading long-term residential investment market as economic diversification, controlled development and stronger international capital flows reshape demand across the emirate. BlackBrick, a UAE real estate advisory firm, said the capital offered investors a combination of government-backed planning, limited prime supply and expanding employment sectors. Its assessment reflects growing interest in Abu Dhabi among overseas buyers seeking stability, rental income and exposure to large waterfront communities. Property investment from overseas buyers reached about

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Britain will require social media platforms to place 16- and 17-year-olds under a default overnight curfew, extending its child online safety campaign beyond a planned ban covering younger users. The proposed rules will block access to social media accounts between midnight and 6am unless teenagers actively change their settings. Platforms will also have to disable autoplay, infinite scrolling and other features designed to keep users continuously engaged. The measures are intended to prevent a sharp reduction in protections

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai is assessing the feasibility of converting organic waste into sustainable aviation fuel, extending the emirate’s clean-energy ambitions to one of the world’s most difficult sectors to decarbonise. The proposal was examined at the 95th meeting of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Council members reviewed how locally available waste could provide feedstock for lower-carbon jet fuel while supporting Dubai’s circular economy and reducing the volume of material sent

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Fynd has launched its artificial intelligence-powered fashion development platform, Fynd Create, across the Gulf Cooperation Council, targeting brands seeking to shorten design cycles, improve sourcing visibility and move collections into production faster. The platform brings trend forecasting, product design, range planning, technical specifications, supplier selection, manufacturing oversight, catalogue creation and logistics into one connected system. Fynd said early deployments with fashion businesses across several markets had delivered improvements of up to 60 per cent in design productivity. The

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai DMCC and the Botswana Stock Exchange Group have signed an agreement to connect Botswana’s commodity producers with Dubai’s trade, finance and logistics network, creating a new commercial corridor between Gaborone and the emirate. The memorandum of understanding will establish what the organisations describe as Africa’s first multi-commodity sister-hub trading corridor. It is intended to widen international market access for Botswana’s diamonds, copper, coal, soda ash, critical minerals, beef and agricultural products. The agreement links the Botswana Mercantile Exchange,

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dealing. com has secured a Guinness World Records title after making 24,343 tokenised stocks available for trading on a single investment platform, placing the Dubai-linked service at the centre of efforts to widen access to global securities through blockchain infrastructure. The title for the “Most Tokenised Stocks Available for Trading on a Single Platform” was presented to Tajinder Virk, co-founder and chief executive of Finvasia Group and Dealing, by Guinness World Records adjudicator Mbali Nkosi. The ceremony

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Gemcorp Capital has completed a $20 million Shariah-compliant structured financing in Saudi Arabia, marking the emerging-markets asset manager’s first direct lending transaction in the kingdom. The financing has been extended to SILQ, a Saudi financial technology platform that provides procurement, payment and funding services to small and medium-sized enterprises. The transaction gives Gemcorp an initial foothold in a market where growing companies often struggle to secure flexible credit through conventional banking channels. Structured to comply with Islamic finance

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Sharjah has secured exclusive rights to develop and operate BookXcess bookstores across the Middle East and Africa, extending the emirate’s publishing ambitions into large-scale international book retail. The agreement places Big Bad Wolf Sharjah, a subsidiary of the Sharjah Book Authority, in charge of developing, managing and marketing the Malaysian bookstore chain throughout both regions. The arrangement also gives the Sharjah entity responsibility for identifying new markets, overseeing delivery and building partnerships needed to support expansion. The memorandum

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai ADI Chain has secured a $50 million strategic investment to accelerate the international deployment of blockchain infrastructure designed for governments, enterprises and regulated digital-asset markets. The funding will support network expansion, institutional integrations and the development of applications that connect public blockchain technology with national payment systems, financial institutions and large corporate users. The company did not disclose detailed commercial terms of the transaction or identify the investor in the initial announcement. The investment strengthens ADI Chain’s effort

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi recorded a 21 per cent annual increase in new economic licences during the first quarter of 2026, signalling sustained investor demand and stronger business formation across commercial, professional and industrial activities. The number of active licences across the emirate rose 12 per cent between January and March compared with the same period last year. The expansion covered all three regions, with new licences increasing 58 per cent in Al Ain, 28 per cent in Al