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 […]
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 […]
By Nantoo Banerjee The prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, lately due to the ego tussle between the United States and Iran, have inflicted severe financial, operational, and human costs on India’s merchant marine industry and broader import-export trade. But, thanks to an excellent supply chain management effort, it failed to impact the country’s […]
Saudi Arabia is seeking stronger regional military cooperation as escalating Houthi attacks expose security vulnerabilities and threaten Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic transformation programme. Egypt signalled its readiness on Sunday to provide military assistance against the Iran-backed Yemeni movement, following a series of missile and drone strikes that have killed civilians, disrupted international aviation and threatened vital Saudi infrastructure. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for parliamentary […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi-led forces intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushayt and three drones over other parts of Saudi Arabia early on Sunday, the coalition said, as Houthi attacks continued. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the missiles had been launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement towards the southern city, which lies near the King Khalid Air Base. Air defences also destroyed two drones […]
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 […]
A former OpenAI software engineer accused of secretly installing a recording device inside the company’s San Francisco offices has sought release from federal custody, rejecting prosecutors’ contention that he intended to flee the United States. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, told a federal court in a filing submitted late Friday that his planned journey to Saudi Arabia had been arranged before he became aware of the criminal investigation. His […]
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 […]
Britain has advised against all but essential travel throughout Saudi Arabia after escalating missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement heightened threats to airports, major cities and energy installations. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office expanded its warning on Friday to cover the entire kingdom, including Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. It retained a stricter instruction against all travel within 10 kilometres of the border with Yemen. […]
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 […]
BMC Helix will bring enterprise technology executives, customers and industry partners together in Dubai on October 22 to examine how artificial intelligence and automation can improve IT operations and service management. The company’s annual roadshow, scheduled at the Museum of the Future, will focus on practical applications of AI-powered ServiceOps, including incident management, workflow automation and the integration of intelligent systems into existing enterprise technology environments. Senior […]
By Bhasha Singh The clouds of unrest are once again gathering over the Gulf region. This time, the epicentre is Yemen’s internal power struggle, which has spilled over into Saudi Arabia, claiming several lives, including that of an Indian national. The Houthi rebels’ attacks on Saudi airports have prompted retaliatory strikes by the Saudi-led coalition […]
An Arab expatriate was injured when debris from an intercepted Houthi ballistic missile struck a residential property and vehicle in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said. The General Directorate of Civil Defence confirmed that Saudi air defence systems intercepted and destroyed the missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia on October 14. Fragments subsequently fell in a residential area, causing limited material damage to a house […]
Companies generating at least $1 billion annually are more than twice as likely as smaller businesses to knowingly leave serious software vulnerabilities unpatched, a global cybersecurity survey released on Wednesday found. Research commissioned by software security company Chainguard showed that 66% of security leaders at businesses with revenue of $1 billion or more acknowledged leaving high or critical vulnerabilities unresolved at least sometimes. The corresponding figure was […]
Following a dramatic confinement trial with Joe Wicks MBE, psychiatrist warns that trying to forcibly suppress stress may fuel physical burnout
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 October 2026 – For millions of busy Hong Kong professionals, daily stress and anxiety are often internalised as personal weaknesses or frustrating obstacles to career performance. Following World Mental Health Day, Bupa Group’s new global health experiment video series, Health or Hype, challenges this perspective by exploring a counter-intuitive question: What if anxiety is not our enemy, but a biological signal meant to protect us?
Following a dramatic confinement trial with Joe Wicks MBE, psychiatrist warns that trying to forcibly suppress stress may fuel physical burnout
The video series features British fitness coach and best-selling author Joe Wicks MBE taking part in a confinement challenge designed to trigger feelings of stress and anxiety. To demonstrate some of the ways acute anxiety can affect human physiology in real-time, Wicks took part in a monitored challenge inside a purpose-built, pitch-black wooden box. As the door was fastened shut, Wick experienced an immediate physical respond—his heart rate surged, his breathing turned rapid and shallow, and he described a knot and cramping sensation in his stomach.
Psychotherapist Owen O’Kane, who supported Wicks during the challenge, explained that these involuntary physical reactions are primal survival mechanisms. In modern high-pressure environments, however, individuals routinely fall into the trap of trying to suppress, numb, or mentally fight these uncomfortable sensations. O’Kane highlights that attempting to eradicate anxiety may paradoxically reinforce the brain’s perception of threat; instead, learning to acknowledge anxiety without judgment allows the mind to regain emotional equilibrium. In the episode, breathwork specialist Liza Al Sady guides Wicks and international rugby legend Ruby Tui through targeted nasal diaphragmatic breathing, demonstrating how extending exhalations directly stimulates the vagus nerve to calm the nervous system.
To help Hong Kong’s busy professionals find a realistic balance and navigate intense corporate pressure, Dr. Oliver Chan, Specialist in Psychiatry, shares his medical perspective on the brain’s stress response, “Many professionals in Hong Kong view anxiety as a personal failing, trying to force themselves to ‘stop worrying’ through sheer willpower. But from a brain-science perspective, during intense panic or acute anxiety, the brain’s threat-response system can temporarily overpower logical reasoning. Think of anxiety as your body’s internal smoke alarm. When you face enormous stress or overwhelming workloads, this alarm goes off, flooding your body with stress hormones that could impair the functioning of brain regions involved in attention, planning and rational decision-making. Your heart races, your breathing gets shallow, and your body enters survival mode.
The biggest mistake people make is trying to argue with the alarm. If you try to fight, ignore, or feel ashamed of the anxiety, your brain assumes the danger is escalating, making the alarm ring even louder and eventually leading to prolonged psychological distress and fatigue. Instead, we must learn to shut off the alarm physically before we can calm down mentally. Simple breathing techniques, specifically making your out-breath significantly longer than your in-breath, act as a physical brake pedal. It may help shift the body towards a calmer physiological state and reduce the intensity of the stress response. Treating anxiety not as an enemy, but as an internal alert system we can actively manage, is essential for long-term health in a high-pressure city like Hong Kong.”
Your 60-Second Desktop Reset: Calming the Nervous System Instead of trying to fight or suppress the physical feelings of stress, try this simple, clinically backed reset to soothe your nervous system during your workday:
Unclench and Ground: Place both feet flat on the floor, drop your shoulders away from your ears, and consciously unclamp your jaw.
Nasal Diaphragmatic Breath: Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 3, allowing your abdomen to expand rather than your chest.
Extended Exhale: Slowly exhale through your nose for a count of 5 or 6. Making the exhale visibly longer than the inhale increases parasympathetic activity and may naturally modulate your heart rate
Caring for mental wellbeing is not about eliminating stress entirely. By recognising anxiety as a natural signal and learning simple tools to reset our nervous system, every Hong Kong professional can cultivate sustainable resilience.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Bupa – A health insurance specialist
Established in 1947, Bupa’s purpose is helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We are an international healthcare company serving over 68 million customers worldwide. With no shareholders, we reinvest profits into providing more and better healthcare for the benefit of current and future customers. Bupa has businesses around the world, principally in Australia, the UK, Spain, Poland, Chile, Hong Kong SAR, India, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico and New Zealand. We also have associate businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Bupa has been a health insurance specialist in Hong Kong since 1976, offering one-stop solutions across domestic and international health insurance, and healthcare services. Our comprehensive medical insurance schemes are tailored to meet individual needs, and we provide health solutions for companies of all sizes. We also have a team of registered nurses, health management professionals, and doctors who provide various expert healthcare support.
Our healthcare provision arm, Quality HealthCare Medical Services (QHMS), became part of Bupa in October 2013. QHMS offers Western Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Diagnostics & Imaging, Physiotherapy, Mental Health and Wellness services via a network of over 1,650 provider service points in Hong Kong.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Aramco’s headquarters complex in Dhahran was targeted during a Houthi missile attack on Tuesday evening, triggering a fire in an administrative building, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed on Wednesday. The ministry said the incident caused a limited fire but no deaths or injuries. Emergency teams responded immediately and took measures to secure the affected premises, according to an official statement. The attack […]
A former OpenAI engineer has appeared in a San Francisco federal court accused of secretly installing a recording device in a conference room used for confidential executive meetings. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was arrested on 9 October and made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, 13 October, the US Department of Justice said. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for 19 […]
COFE Tech has announced an investment from KSH Investments, the international investment platform of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan’s Private Department, strengthening the Gulf enterprise technology company’s investor base ahead of a planned public listing. The Abu Dhabi-based investment firm acquired its stake through an arrangement involving Phoenix Venture Partners Innovation Fund CEIC Limited, the company said on Tuesday. The transaction was completed earlier this year, […]
British travellers visiting Jeddah, Dammam or most Saudi airports could jeopardise their travel insurance after the UK government expanded its warnings amid missile and drone attacks on the kingdom. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) now advises against all but essential travel to both cities and every airport in Saudi Arabia except Medina International Airport. The updated guidance, issued on 11 October, remained current on Tuesday. […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have increased pressure on President Donald Trump to expand American military assistance to Riyadh, as Washington weighs direct action against the Iran-backed group in Yemen. Missile strikes on King Khalid International Airport over the weekend killed civilians, including a United States citizen, and injured hundreds. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed 12 deaths and 309 injuries from […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE has urged Gulf governments to strengthen collective security arrangements, warning that attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten every country in the region. Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said on Monday that Gulf states could no longer afford shortcomings in security and defence cooperation as missile and drone attacks heightened concerns over regional stability. […]
Highlights: Arabic edition now live at znaki.fm/ar Politics, economy, sport, culture, celebrities and lifestyle, written in Arabic for the region Persons, Events, Places, Companies and Lifestyle sections add the background behind the headlines One of more than 40 local ZNAKI FM editions, each built for its market DUBAI, – ZNAKI FM today announced the expansion of its Arabic edition at znaki.fm/ar. The multilingual platform offers Arab […]
Saudi Arabia faces an escalating confrontation with Yemen’s Houthi movement after successive attacks on Riyadh’s main airport killed 13 people and injured 320, prompting threats of retaliation and raising the possibility of American military involvement. A projectile struck King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, killing a Pakistani resident and injuring 11 people, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. The attack followed Saturday’s devastating strike, which […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Hundreds of flights were cancelled across Saudi Arabia on Monday as attacks on major airports continued to disrupt passenger services and international connections. Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 listed 436 cancellations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport at approximately 5.30am Saudi time, representing 64 per cent of scheduled services. The capital remained the centre of the disruption after authorities suspended operations following a deadly weekend […]