Man Group Plc has moved to secure a regulatory licence to establish an Abu Dhabi office next year, signalling a deeper shift among global asset managers toward the Gulf as the region accelerates its ambitions to become a leading centre for alternative investments. The London-listed hedge fund confirmed the application, underscoring its intention to broaden its footprint in a market that has drawn some of the world’s […]
Qatar Airways has installed Hamad Ali Al-Khater as its new Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 7 December 2025, replacing Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. The handover was confirmed in a brief statement by the airline today.
Al-Khater comes to the top position from his previous role as Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport. His prior career also includes senior positions at QatarEnergy, where he led major deals and strategic initiatives, signalling a strong background in both aviation operations and energy-sector business development.
The announcement by Qatar Airways Group’s Board, chaired by Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, expressed gratitude for Al-Meer’s service and emphasised the intention to build on the airline’s existing global network, experience, and commitment to innovation under the new leadership.
Al-Meer had assumed leadership of the carrier in November 2023, succeeding long-time CEO Akbar Al Baker, who stepped down after 27 years. Under Al-Meer’s tenure, Qatar Airways pursued expansion in fleet connectivity and network reach, including increased flights to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other growth initiatives.
Observers note the move reflects a pattern of high-level leadership transitions at the airline — with two CEO changes within a span of around two years — underscoring possible strategic shifts at the top of the state-owned carrier.
Al-Khater’s operational experience at HIA, where he led efforts to ensure safety, reliability, infrastructure expansion and enhancement of passenger experience, suggests a potential focus on reinforcing operational efficiency and leveraging synergies between the airport and airline operations. His deep connections with QatarEnergy add a dimension of financial and strategic oversight which could influence future fleet and investment decisions.
While no public explanation was offered for Al-Meer’s exit, industry insiders describe the change as swift and unexpectedly quiet. Some analysts speculate the reshuffle may reflect evolving priorities for Qatar Airways as it navigates changing global aviation dynamics, competitive pressures, and ambition for expansion.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Asia Pacific borrowers have significantly increased euro-denominated bond issuance this year, signalling a notable shift away from reliance on the US dollar as a financing standard. According to data compiled this year, euro-denominated issuance accounted for a record 23 per cent of all hard-currency bonds from Asia Pacific borrowers — up six percentage points compared with 2024. The total volume of euro-note sales […]
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital and Aldar have moved to establish a dedicated real estate investment platform that will pursue large-scale opportunities across the UAE and the wider GCC, marking a significant expansion of institutional-grade assets available to global investors. The new entity, Aldar Capital, is being positioned as a vehicle that will attract long-term institutional capital at a time when demand for diversified real asset exposure has […]
Greenlogue/AP Backed by British International Investment, Egypt’s first utility-scale hybrid solar and battery development has taken a decisive step forward as the country works to accelerate its transition towards a more resilient renewable power system. The 1.1-gigawatt Obelisk project, led by Norway’s Scatec, is positioned to become one of the largest integrated solar and battery energy storage schemes in Africa, strengthening prospects for grid stability and long-term […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A substantial move by Investcorp Capital to strengthen its presence in the US industrial real estate market has taken shape through the acquisition of a diversified portfolio valued at $400 million. The Abu Dhabi-listed alternative investment firm confirmed the purchase of a 35-building portfolio covering 2.6 million square feet across key coastal markets, reflecting an accelerated shift toward logistics-led strategies and income-generating assets […]
Urban development in the UAE is undergoing a noticeable shift toward environments that support long-term physical and mental wellbeing. As cities across the Emirates continue to grow, architecture and planning agencies increasingly treat wellness not as an amenity but as a structural principle shaping buildings, public spaces, and residential communities. Recent projects, including PASSO by Beyond, reflect this new direction in which design is guided by light, airflow, […]
A new specialised laboratory for testing and certifying sustainable aviation fuel is being set up in Fujairah, marking a significant expansion of the UAE’s ambitions to become a leading hub for low-carbon aviation fuels across the Middle East and North Africa. The project, developed by MENA Biofuels in partnership with Saybolt, is positioned as the first facility of its kind in the country dedicated to sustainable aviation fuel testing and is expected to strengthen the supply chain for carriers adopting cleaner fuel blends.
The laboratory will be located within the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, one of the region’s key energy storage and logistics centres. According to the developers, the facility will operate under internationally recognised standards and provide independent verification and certification services for SAF produced in the UAE and the wider region. This will allow aviation fuel suppliers to meet the stringent quality and sustainability benchmarks required by global regulators and airlines, many of which are targeting large-scale SAF adoption over the coming decade.
MENA Biofuels and Saybolt have indicated that the lab is being designed to serve both domestic producers and international clients moving fuel through Fujairah’s terminals. Industry analysts note that Fujairah’s strategic location on the global maritime route linking the Gulf to Asia and Europe gives the new testing operation considerable potential to influence regional fuel flows. The developers said the initiative reflects growing demand among airlines for certified SAF, which is viewed as one of the most immediate pathways to reducing aviation emissions.
The UAE has been expanding investments in biofuels as part of its broader decarbonisation strategy, with several aviation stakeholders stepping up procurement of SAF blends for commercial flights. Etihad Airways and Emirates have both trialled SAF operations, while Abu Dhabi and Dubai authorities have emphasised the need for stronger regional production capacity. Industry data indicates that SAF supply remains constrained worldwide, making certification infrastructure a critical component for scaling up output. The new Fujairah lab aims to close a gap in regional capabilities by offering end-to-end testing that aligns with international requirements established by organisations such as ASTM International, which governs SAF specifications.
Saybolt, an inspection and testing group with long-standing operations in global energy markets, is expected to lead the technical management of the laboratory. Its role will involve implementing fuel-testing protocols, quality assurance systems and sustainability verification frameworks. Executives familiar with the arrangement said the partnership combines Saybolt’s technical expertise with MENA Biofuels’ regional network and logistics access. Market observers believe this gives the venture a strong foundation to support both emerging SAF producers and established energy companies evaluating diversification into aviation biofuels.
The decision to anchor the lab within the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone aligns with local authorities’ push to broaden the zone’s portfolio beyond crude and refined products. The zone already hosts significant tank storage, bunkering and refining infrastructure, and expanding into sustainable fuels aligns with the UAE’s national energy transition commitments. Investors and analysts have pointed to Fujairah’s ability to handle large volumes of fuel as an advantage for SAF certification, particularly for producers that require rapid turnaround on testing to meet airline delivery schedules.
Aviation industry figures have highlighted that the move addresses a structural bottleneck in the SAF market. Certification processes are often conducted in Europe or the United States, adding cost and delay for producers operating in the Gulf. By offering testing capacity locally, the Fujairah lab is expected to reduce lead times and encourage investment in regional SAF manufacturing. Some analysts say the initiative may draw interest from energy companies in neighbouring Gulf states exploring SAF pathways as part of their decarbonisation agendas.
Airline industry targets have accelerated demand for SAF, with global carriers collectively aiming for significant emissions reductions by 2030. Several Gulf-based airlines, including those operating through Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, have pledged to expand their use of sustainable fuel blends once supply becomes more stable. SAF production in the region remains at an early stage, but energy firms have been evaluating waste-to-fuel pathways, renewable feedstocks and partnerships with technology providers to scale output. The establishment of credible certification capacity is viewed as an essential precursor to commercial production.
Sui’s token structure is drawing heightened attention as analysts warn that the network’s locked supply and insider concentration could influence market behaviour during the next phase of token distribution. A new assessment suggests that questions around the durability of Sui’s rally persist despite the project’s growing activity in decentralised applications and its positioning as an alternative to high-throughput chains. The concerns have surfaced as market participants look for signals on whether Sui could mirror the type of extended rally seen in Solana during its strong periods of expansion.
Sui’s token model includes a large quantity of locked tokens that are programmed to enter circulation according to a long-term schedule. Data compiled by blockchain monitoring platforms indicates that more than half of the total supply, around 50.57 per cent, remains locked. The release of these tokens is staggered, but analysts note that the size of the locked tranche means the market will continue to grapple with questions about absorption capacity and price impact. A cohort of early backers and core contributors holds about 15.3 per cent of the supply, a figure that has prompted market watchers to examine whether insider allocations could add to selling pressure once vesting windows open.
Developers behind the network emphasise that the emissions framework was designed to support long-term decentralisation and sustainable staking rewards. They argue that the programme aligns incentives for validators, node operators and builders working on the Layer-1 blockchain. However, the scale of the locked supply and the pace at which it is due to unlock have remained central to external evaluations, especially against the backdrop of aggressive capital rotation across digital asset markets.
Sui has promoted itself as a platform capable of handling high transaction throughput through its parallel execution model, distinguishing itself from chains that rely heavily on sequential processing. The project has advocated for its ability to support complex applications, with gaming, asset tokenisation and digital commerce cited as core areas of growth. Activity on the network has picked up over multiple trading cycles, with decentralised exchanges and gaming protocols playing a visible role in boosting usage. Even so, market analysts caution that network adoption alone cannot insulate the token from structural risks tied to large unlocks.
The comparison with Solana has intensified as traders search for the next high-growth ecosystem. Solana’s expansion was driven by rising developer activity, strong venture backing and an improving macro climate for risk assets, elements that contributed to a prolonged appreciation in its token price. Some traders argue that Sui possesses a similar mix of technical ambition and ecosystem investment. Others counter that Solana’s earlier supply dynamics were markedly different, with less pronounced unlocking over short intervals. These observers state that expectations of a parallel trajectory should be tempered until Sui demonstrates a firmer balance between token issuance and organic demand.
Several research desks have highlighted that tokenomics alone do not determine the long-term trajectory of a blockchain project but can exert considerable influence during early growth phases. Analysts tracking the project have pointed to previous unlock waves that resulted in more volatile trading sessions. They note that liquidity conditions matter significantly when large quantities of tokens transition from locked to tradable status, particularly during market downturns. Market participants monitoring derivatives markets also report that funding rates and open interest data reflect cautious positioning around major unlock dates.
The project’s foundation continues to emphasise builder incentives, community grants and ecosystem expansion. Grants directed towards game studios, consumer applications and infrastructure tools have created steady interest among developers seeking alternatives to more congested chains. Daily active accounts and transaction counts have shown periodic spikes, although interpreters of blockchain data stress that differentiating genuine usage from opportunistic activity remains essential when evaluating the long-term strength of an ecosystem.
California’s effort to advance autonomous freight transport moved a step forward as the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled a proposal to lift the long-standing prohibition on testing heavy self-driving trucks on public highways. The move sets the stage for a significant shift in how freight could be moved across the state, opening a path for commercial deployment as early as 2027 if safety benchmarks are met […]
Cushman & Wakefield Experts Share Market Insights at MIPIM Asia Summit HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 December 2025 – China’s Real Estate Investment Trust (C-REIT) market is entering a transformative phase, marked by rapid expansion in issuance size, diversification into emerging asset classes, and rising institutional investor confidence. Since its inception, the market has grown to reach a total issuance scale of RMB207 […]
Millions of Americans are heading into 2026 facing sharply higher health-insurance costs. Employer-based insurance premiums are projected to rise by nearly 9 percent, marking the steepest increase in fifteen years. For families paying for their own coverage through public marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act, the shock will likely be greater. Premiums on those plans are expected to jump by roughly 26 percent, and enhanced subsidies […]
Yacht Club Games faces a critical juncture as the forthcoming release of Mina the Hollower could determine whether the studio remains solvent. Co-founder Sean Velasco described the stakes plainly: “It’s make-or-break for sure.” The firm needs strong sales — preferably 500,000 copies, with 200,000 viewed as a minimum threshold — in order to guarantee future projects and preserve its independence. Development of Mina the Hollower has been […]
The grip of Chromium on the global browser ecosystem has grown so wide that many users now assume every modern browser is built on Google’s open-source architecture. That perception has taken root partly because major names such as Microsoft Edge, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi and Arc all rely on Chromium’s Blink rendering engine, creating a sense that browsing itself has become synonymous with Google-aligned foundations. The dominance is […]
Targets 11–15% underlying profit CAGR from 2025-28[1], 7–10% online sales mix, and a new dividend policy based on 70% payout, leveraging scale and digital investments to drive shareholder value HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 December 2025 – At its 2025 investor day, DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited (‘DFI’ or the ‘Group’) outlined strategic initiatives for driving sustained profitable growth and enhanced shareholder returns. […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia approved its 2026 state budget, confirming total government expenditure at 1.31 trillion riyals and setting revenues at approximately 1.15 trillion riyals, signalling a planned deficit of 165 billion riyals—equivalent to 3.3 percent of gross domestic product. The projected spending level is only marginally lower than the 2025 outlay, reflecting a continued commitment to funding national priorities and long-term economic diversification. Forecasts […]
Nigeria must generate 27.3 million new formal jobs from 2025 to 2030 if it is to maintain an unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent, according to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group. That works out to roughly 4.55 million net new jobs each year, a target seen as essential to absorb a growing labour force and to gradually formalise a workforce long dominated by informal, low-productivity work. The […]
The Arab Investment & Export Credit Guarantee Corporation reported that the collective gross domestic product of Arab countries rose by 1.7 percent to about US$3.8 trillion in 2025, even as the region grappled with significant geopolitical tensions. The bulk of the growth remained concentrated in a handful of large economies — Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria and Iraq — which together account for nearly 73 […]
Tesla is advancing a bold push toward delivering unsupervised Full Self-Driving to customers before the end of 2025, riding on technological progress, regulatory shifts and a faster rollout of robotaxi services. CEO Elon Musk recently reiterated the company’s commitment to achieving true autonomy, underpinning Tesla’s ambition to transform mobility globally. The company’s roadmap has gained momentum as its robotaxi programme — launched in June 2025 in Austin, […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Member states of the OPEC+ alliance approved a new framework to assess each country’s maximum sustainable oil production capacity, with the outcome to determine output baselines from 2027. The decision was announced by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, who described the methodology as fair and transparent. The evaluation process covering most members will run from January to September 2026, laying the […]
Ghana’s central bank is preparing to implement a formal framework for non-interest banking, signalling the country’s first comprehensive move toward Islamic banking, capital markets and takaful insurance. Under the plan, conventional lenders will receive training in Sharia-compliant financial services to equip them to offer non-interest products. The shift reflects growing interest from banks and regulators in providing ethical, risk-sharing alternatives to conventional interest-based banking. The process is […]
A planned fiscal overhaul in Zimbabwe would raise the royalty on gold miners from 5 % to 10 % whenever the metal sells above US$2,500 per ounce, a move that Caledonia Mining Corporation says will sharply dent profits at its flagship operation, Blanket Mine, and imperil the viability of its new expansion project. The firm, listed on London’s AIM and other exchanges, said that if applied to […]
JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 1 December 2025 – V-Green, a global developer of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Telkom Property, a key subsidiary of the multinational digital telecommunications company Telkom Indonesia. This collaboration represents a pivotal strategic milestone in advancing a fully integrated VinFast electric vehicle ecosystem in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia. Mr. Mai Trường Giang, CEO […]
Dubai Duty Free registered its highest-ever monthly sales with AED 876.56 million in November, marking a major breakthrough in the retailer’s 42-year history. By mid-November the operation had already surpassed the US$2 billion threshold for the year, underscoring a powerful run of commercial momentum across its global travel-retail network.
Sales surged by 16.8 per cent compared with the same month last year, pushing average daily revenue to ~AED 29.21 million, compared with AED 26.51 million in December 2024. High-value purchases — defined as transactions above AED 500 — have accelerated, growing 15.2 per cent in count and 20.5 per cent in value over prior-year levels, forming roughly three-quarters of total spend.
Luxury and lifestyle categories remain the backbone of this growth. Perfumes again led the charts with AED 160.6 million in sales, followed by liquor at AED 103.6 million. Gold sales rose sharply to AED 87.7 million, reflecting strong demand for jewellery and precious metals among departing travellers. Confectionery recorded a striking 42.9 per cent increase, with the retailer’s “Dubai Chocolate” brand alone contributing AED 35.7 million — equivalent to over 80 tonnes of product across multiple luxury brands.
Electronics posted robust gains as well, with AED 67.2 million in sales, fuelled by a standout performance for new smartphone launches. The luxury fashion segment saw its strongest month of the year: brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Gucci and Cartier — along with the pre-owned luxury concept store REKLAIM — witnessed a 40 per cent plus rise in sales. Notable transactions included a high-end watch priced over AED 200,000 and multiple Hermès handbags.
The growth was broad-based across concourses and markets. Concourse A led with a 38 per cent jump in sales, while arrivals stores rose 14 per cent despite intensified competition from other retail outlets. Regional spending grew across the board, with Europe up 23.6 per cent, Russia 27.6 per cent, and Africa 16.5 per cent. The Indian subcontinent contributed modestly with a 6.3 per cent uptick.
Tracking year-to-date performance, Dubai Duty Free’s cumulative sales reached AED 7.75 billion, up nearly 9.6 per cent compared with the same period last year. Management credits this growth to strategic expansion of luxury offerings, optimized retail footprint at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, and enhanced engagement with travellers from emerging and traditional markets.
