Category: Latest Updates

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai DMCC has launched a dedicated cybersecurity vertical as part of a wider restructuring of its technology ecosystem, bringing more than 4,000 technology companies under the newly formalised DMCC Tech platform.The new unit, DMCC Cyber, is designed to support businesses working across cyber resilience, digital trust, data protection, identity management, and governance, risk and compliance. It will sit alongside the DMCC AI Centre, DMCC Crypto Centre and DMCC Gaming Centre, with DMCC Quantum expected to follow as

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai BARQ Systems has formed a regional partnership with ServiceNow to speed up digital transformation and enterprise automation across the Middle East and North Africa, targeting organisations that are moving from isolated technology upgrades to AI-enabled operating models.The collaboration is designed to help enterprises use the ServiceNow AI Platform to convert complex workflows into automated, data-led processes across IT, customer service, human resources and wider business operations. The companies are positioning the alliance around demand for intelligent

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE has emerged as the GCC’s busiest confirmed construction market, with 700 execution-ready projects valued at $138 billion, underscoring the country’s shift from post-boom recovery to a broader phase of active development across real estate, energy, infrastructure and specialised industrial assets.Saudi Arabia ranks close behind by project count, with 628 confirmed schemes, though its pipeline is larger in value terms at $168 billion. Oman forms a smaller second tier with 85 projects worth $19 billion,

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Mastercard has joined a consortium of more than 140 companies backing Open USD, a new dollar-pegged stablecoin designed to lower the cost of business payments and widen corporate use of blockchain-based settlement.The initiative, run by Open Standard, brings together payment networks, banks, technology companies, crypto platforms and asset managers in an attempt to create a shared stablecoin infrastructure rather than a token controlled by a single issuer. Open USD, expected to go live later this year

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s e& Carrier & Wholesale Services has signed a strategic partnership with Lenovo Connect to deliver global connectivity for electric vehicles, connected cars and industrial IoT systems, strengthening its push into cross-border digital infrastructure as mobility platforms demand faster, safer and more compliant data services.The agreement brings together e&’s international network reach, 5G capabilities and regulatory experience with Lenovo Connect’s IoT service platform and connected-device expertise. The companies aim to support automotive manufacturers, mobility providers

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has launched a maritime investment guide aimed at drawing global companies, entrepreneurs and specialist service providers into the emirate’s expanding ports, logistics and shipping ecosystem.The guide, titled Abu Dhabi’s Compass for Maritime Businesses: Your Gateway to Global Opportunity, has been introduced by Maritime Hub Abu Dhabi, the sector collaboration platform operated by Abu Dhabi Maritime and led by the Integrated Transport Centre, known as Abu Dhabi Mobility. The initiative is designed to help international

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai SolitAir has launched its first flight to Sofia, Bulgaria, opening the Dubai-based cargo carrier’s first operational route into Europe and extending its network beyond the Global South as it seeks a larger role in time-sensitive regional freight.The service marks a new phase for the airport-to-airport cargo airline, which is based at Dubai World Central and has built its early network around underserved trade lanes across the Middle East, Africa, the GCC, the CIS region, China and

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s property boom is giving way to a more measured investment cycle as buyers shift attention from quick capital gains to developer strength, delivery quality and long-term asset performance.A new investor confidence survey points to a market that remains broadly optimistic about Dubai’s prospects but less willing to chase rapid price appreciation after a long rally. The findings suggest that investors are no longer treating the emirate as a one-way momentum trade. Instead, they are weighing

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has opened the prequalification stage for contractors and consortiums seeking to build the Dubai Metro Gold Line, moving the Dh34 billion project from planning into the procurement phase.The authority has issued requests for qualification for the fully underground line, with interested contractors required to submit qualification documents by 17 August. The process follows an expression-of-interest stage launched in May and forms part of a wider expansion of the emirate’s rail network

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s XRG and Italy’s Eni have agreed to buy minority stakes in three upstream blocks operated by YPF in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta basin, adding upstream weight to a liquefied natural gas project designed to turn the country’s shale gas reserves into large-scale export revenue.The agreements give XRG and Eni 32 per cent each in the Meseta Buena Esperanza, Aguada Villanueva and Las Tacanas blocks, while YPF will retain 36 per cent. Completion remains subject to

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has begun work on Dar al Funoon Abu Dhabi, a major performing arts centre on Saadiyat Island that is scheduled to open in 2030 and add more than 6,000 seats to the emirate’s cultural infrastructure.The project, whose name means House of the Arts, was launched near the Saadiyat Cultural District during a site visit by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi

Fourteen Saudi nationals were killed when a helicopter belonging to Aramco crashed on Sunday morning at Ras Tanura, a key energy hub on Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast, authorities said, opening an investigation into the cause of the accident.The aircraft went down at about 6am local time in the Ras Tanura area, west of the Strait of Hormuz, with all those on board reported dead. The cause was not immediately known, and the relevant authorities have begun a full inquiry.

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE has moved to deepen technology cooperation with the United States and allied economies through the second Pax Silica Summit in Washington, DC, placing secure artificial intelligence supply chains, advanced infrastructure and trusted cross-border deployment at the centre of its expanding AI diplomacy.The delegation, led by Saeed Al Hajeri, Minister of State, joined officials from dozens of partner economies and senior figures from global technology companies at a summit designed to reduce vulnerabilities in the

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Nasdaq Dubai has listed a USD 500 million sukuk from The Arab Energy Fund, strengthening the exchange’s Islamic debt platform at a time when regional issuers are continuing to tap international capital for longer-term funding and diversified investor access.The senior unsecured sukuk, issued through APICORP Sukuk Limited under The Arab Energy Fund’s Trust Certificate Issuance Programme, comprises trust certificates due in 2031. It carries a profit rate of 4.686 per cent and was priced at 70

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai ADNOC Drilling has delivered AD-300, its first AI-enabled automated walking island rig, nearly three months ahead of schedule, advancing Abu Dhabi’s push to use robotics, data systems and lower-emission power options in offshore oilfield development.The rig is the first of six next-generation island units covered by a $1.54 billion drilling services programme awarded by ADNOC Offshore across 2024 and 2025. Its early acceptance allows revenue generation to begin sooner than planned and accelerates the roll-out of

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s banking regulator has imposed an AED20 million penalty on the UAE branch of an unnamed foreign bank after examinations found significant and repeated failures in its anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and sanctions compliance framework.The Central Bank of the UAE said the action was taken under the federal law governing the regulator and licensed financial institutions. It also imposed a separate AED300,000 penalty on the bank’s Head of Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer for

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The Central Bank of the UAE has imposed a Dh20 million financial penalty on a branch of a foreign bank after supervisory examinations found significant and repeated failures in its anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and sanctions compliance framework.The action, announced in Abu Dhabi, was taken under the federal law governing the Central Bank and the organisation of financial institutions and activities. The regulator said the findings pointed to weaknesses serious enough to warrant a major financial

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai AD Ports Group has lifted its ownership of Global Feeder Shipping to 81 percent after buying an additional 30 percent stake for $300 million, deepening Abu Dhabi’s position in regional container shipping at a time of persistent disruption across key maritime corridors.The transaction, valued at AED1.1 billion, gives the group stronger strategic and operational control over one of its most important maritime assets. It follows the acquisition of a 51 percent stake in Dubai-based GFS in

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Ruggieri has formed a project-based collaboration with Dubai-based Novara Events Management to develop large-scale pyrotechnic and multimedia experiences for the Gulf events market, bringing together one of Europe’s oldest fireworks houses and a regional organiser targeting high-impact live productions.The agreement positions the 300-year-old French pyrotechnics specialist to deepen its presence in a market where festivals, national celebrations, destination launches, private events and corporate spectacles increasingly rely on synchronised firework design, drones, lasers, video mapping and immersive

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Hafeet Rail has begun laying tracks on the planned UAE-Oman railway, moving the Gulf’s first cross-border rail link from heavy civil construction into a more visible phase of delivery as the two countries seek to deepen trade, tourism and logistics ties.The 238-kilometre railway, being developed by Hafeet Rail, will connect Sohar Port with Abu Dhabi through Al Ain and Al Buraimi, linking Oman’s port and industrial base with the UAE national rail network. The project is

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oman is weighing a ban on social media access for children under 16 as its telecoms regulator seeks public feedback on draft rules designed to tighten online safety, curb harmful exposure and define the duties of digital platforms.The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has opened a consultation on the proposed framework, inviting parents, experts, educators, technology companies and the wider public to submit views before July 16. The exercise follows a regulatory study into children’s use of social

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi-listed Burjeel Holdings has launched a $1.5 billion senior unsecured sukuk programme on the London Stock Exchange’s International Securities Market, giving the healthcare group a new funding platform as it pushes into specialised care, research, digital transformation and AI-enabled medical services.The programme, established through Burjeel Sukuk Limited, marks one of the group’s most significant capital-market steps since its Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange listing and comes alongside first-time corporate credit ratings from S&P Global Ratings and

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Botim Money has launched IBAN-enabled wallets in the UAE, allowing eligible users to receive salaries, direct deposits and domestic bank transfers directly inside the Botim app.The service gives qualifying customers a Virtual IBAN in their own name, extending regulated account access to segments of the population that have often relied on cash wages, exchange houses or limited-purpose wallets. The rollout has been introduced under the Central Bank of the UAE’s Universal Accounts Framework, placing the product

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Qatar’s Barzan gas facility was hit by an explosion and fire during start-up operations on Sunday, injuring 54 people and leaving 18 missing at Ras Laffan Industrial City, the country’s strategic energy hub north of Doha.Emergency teams brought the blaze under control after the blast, while search and rescue operations continued around the affected section of the plant. Authorities described the incident as a technical accident and said there was no immediate threat to public safety

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai International Financial Centre has opened a 30-day public consultation on proposed amendments to its data protection regulations, seeking tighter safeguards for organisations using artificial intelligence and data-driven systems to process personal information.The proposed changes are aimed at strengthening governance, accountability and privacy protections across the financial free zone as banks, asset managers, insurers, fintech firms and professional services companies expand the use of automated tools. The consultation, announced on June 18, forms part of DIFC’s

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Riyadh’s Institute of Public Administration has completed a Future-Proofed Leadership track with Harvard Business Impact, bringing senior officials from government and semi-government bodies into a programme designed to sharpen decision-making, institutional transformation and readiness for rapid policy and economic change.The track, concluded on 17 June through the IPA Business Center, forms part of a wider push to strengthen leadership capacity across public institutions as Saudi Vision 2030 moves from strategy-setting into delivery, performance measurement and long-term

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Amanat Holdings has completed its takeover of Cambridge Health Group after buying the remaining 10.03 per cent stake for AED105 million, giving the Dubai-listed healthcare and education investor full control of one of the Gulf’s largest post-acute and rehabilitation care platforms.The transaction closes a phased acquisition process that accelerated this month, when Amanat first raised its holding in Cambridge Health Group from about 87 per cent to 90 per cent through the purchase of an additional

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE Cabinet has approved new rules barring children under 15 from using social media accounts, marking one of the region’s most direct interventions yet in the regulation of children’s digital lives.The resolution was issued by the Cabinet chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and applies to social media platforms whose services are available in the country or directed at users in the

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Investcorp has acquired a strategic stake in Metra, the UAE-headquartered IT distributor, in a deal that strengthens the Bahrain-based alternative investment manager’s exposure to the Gulf’s expanding digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity markets.The value of the transaction and the size of the shareholding were not disclosed. The investment gives Metra its first institutional shareholder and is intended to support the company’s expansion across the GCC and wider Middle East and North Africa, including potential acquisitions

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Doha’s 12th Islamic Finance Conference opened on Tuesday with artificial intelligence moving from a technology sidebar to the centre of debate over Shariah-compliant banking, waqf, zakat and digital markets.The one-day gathering at Al Majlis Hall in the Sheraton Grand Doha was held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and carried the theme “Islamic Finance in the Age of Agentic Systems.” The event was inaugurated

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubizzle Group has taken a strategic stake in Tern, a UAE rental rewards platform, in a move aimed at extending its property business beyond search listings into rent payments, loyalty benefits and landlord-facing digital services.The investment, made through Dubizzle Group Ventures, will place Tern inside Bayut and dubizzle on an exclusive basis, allowing tenants to pay rent by credit card while earning rewards that can be redeemed across retail, travel and lifestyle partners. The companies are

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Riyadh Air has secured US permission to operate flights to and from the United States, clearing a key regulatory hurdle for the PIF-owned carrier as it accelerates its challenge to established Gulf aviation rivals.The US Department of Transportation approved the airline’s authority after Riyadh Air applied last month for a foreign air carrier permit and exemption authority covering scheduled and charter services for passengers, property and mail. The decision gives the start-up carrier the legal basis

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Chambers has used a London business dialogue to press Dubai’s case as a global base for British companies seeking expansion across the Gulf, Africa and Asia, as trade and investment links between the emirate and the United Kingdom gather pace.The session, organised with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, brought together British investors and business leaders for discussions on market entry, sector opportunities and the support available to companies setting up or scaling operations

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Red Sea Global has opened Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA at Triple Bay, bringing the developer’s second flagship destination into operation and adding a major luxury wellness asset to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea tourism corridor.The arrival of the first guests at the northwestern coastal property marks the operational start of AMAALA, a planned high-end wellness and lifestyle destination built around Triple Bay. The opening comes as Red Sea Global expands from The Red Sea, which