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As EV adoption develops across the Middle East, VinFast is working with local partners across distribution, charging and aftersales to strengthen the ownership experience.

DUBAI, UAE – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2026 – The global EV market is entering a stage where selling the vehicle is only part of the challenge. As more electric vehicles reach new markets, automakers with international reach also need to build the infrastructure, service capabilities and customer support systems that can sustain ownership long after the initial sale.

This is particularly relevant in the Middle East, where EV adoption is gaining momentum and international brands are expanding their presence. For newer EV manufacturers, establishing a reliable ownership ecosystem requires more than simply importing vehicles. It also means working with local partners that understand the market, regulations and customer expectations.

Vietnam-based VinFast is among the companies taking this approach. As it enters the Middle East, the company is making substantial commitments to customers, including a 10-year/200,000-km vehicle warranty, a 10-year unlimited-kilometer battery warranty and five years or 100,000 km of free service for the all-electric mid-size VF 8. Supporting such commitments requires an aftersales infrastructure capable of serving customers throughout the ownership journey, which is why VinFast is taking a partnership-led approach to its expansion in the UAE, combining its EV business with established local expertise across distribution, service and charging.

VinFast signed an exclusive dealership agreement with Al Tayer Motors in 2024 for the distribution of VinFast EVs in the UAE. Established in 1982, Al Tayer Motors is one of the UAE’s leading automotive groups and represents major European and American automotive brands. It has a network of sales, service and parts centers, supported by 2,700 employees and digital platforms including e-commerce and a dedicated app. Al Tayer Motors also planned to establish a network of VinFast facilities across the UAE, extending the brand’s local service infrastructure.

VinFast has continued to strengthen that infrastructure through additional partnerships. In February 2026, VinFast Middle East signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PlusX Electric, a DEWA-approved EV charging and electric mobility solutions provider in the UAE.

The partnership focuses on charging accessibility and customer support, with the two companies exploring Portable EV Charging Pods, on-demand mobile charging and emergency charging as part of EV roadside assistance. They will also explore scalable charging and mobile-support solutions for commercial and fleet customers, as well as digital integration to streamline charging bookings and service updates.

The same partnership model extends to VinFast’s wider global aftersales strategy. At its 2026 Global Business Conference, the company signed MOUs with 29 aftersales partners across its international markets, including the Middle East. The partners are expected to establish EV service workshops that meet VinFast’s global standards, while VinFast aims to expand to more than 1,100 service workshops globally in 2026. The network will be supported by standardized technician training and certification, consistent operating procedures and quality controls, while its parts network targets delivery of common spare parts within 24 hours in key markets.

For EV brands entering the Middle East, the strength of the local support network can therefore become a competitive advantage. As VinFast’s UAE strategy shows, bringing an EV to market increasingly means building the capabilities around it that can make ownership dependable over the long term.

Hashtag: #VinFast

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With 1.93 million tertiary-educated workers in roles below their qualification level, employment alone may no longer be an adequate measure of career progress.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2026 – Malaysia’s labour market has remained resilient, with overall unemployment falling to 2.9% in the first quarter of 2026. However, the figures may conceal a deeper challenge faced by qualified workers who may be employed without meaningfully progressing in their careers. During the same period, 1.93 million tertiary-educated workers, or 35.2%, were employed in semi-skilled or low-skilled roles.

This points to a gap between employment and career progression, particularly whether the workers’ qualifications and experience are helping them move into more skilled, complex and higher-values roles.

“We need to shift the conversation from employability to career mobility. Being employed is not the same as progressing,” said Lim Bee Ing, Centre Director of The University of Manchester South East Asia Centre. “For experienced professionals in Malaysia, progression increasingly requires the ability to lead across functions, make strategic decisions and navigate change. Purposeful postgraduate education can help build those capabilities.”

Evidence across Manchester’s MBA programmes also points to rising cross-field mobility rather than individual employment factors like qualification alone. Its latest MBA employment report found that 59% of the 2024 class changed sector, while 27% changed country, industry and job function.

Experience alone does not guarantee progress

For working professionals, career mobility depends on more than time spent in a role. Both workplace experience and postgraduate education can support progression when they help build broader capabilities, prepare professionals for more complex work and lead to greater responsibility.

Experience builds capability when professionals encounter new problems, assume higher responsibilities and make increasingly complex decisions. Years spent performing largely the same scope of work, however, may not translate into equivalent professional growth.

Similarly, a Master’s can support progression when it is linked to a clear career transition, such as moving from a specialist to a managerial role, changing functions or industries, taking on regional responsibilities, or leading digital and organisational transformation. It is less likely to deliver meaningful results when pursued as a standalone credential or with the expectation of an automatic promotion or salary increase.

“For experienced professionals, the value of an MBA is not simply in acquiring more knowledge, but in seeing their experience through a broader business lens,” said Xavier Duran, Global MBA Programme Director at Alliance Manchester Business School. “That broader perspective can help prepare them for the next stage of their career, whether that means moving into leadership, changing function or industry, or even taking on greater international responsibility.”

Preparing professionals for changing employer needs

Employer expectations are also evolving. Communication, problem-solving and strategic thinking remain important, while organisations increasingly require professionals who can interpret data, understand technology and navigate the impact of artificial intelligence.

As these demands reshape the workplace, an individual can remain technically qualified and continuously employed while becoming less prepared for their next role.

Studying while working can help bridge this gap by allowing professionals to apply new concepts directly to live organisational challenges. It also enables them to examine their experience critically and connect their existing expertise with wider areas such as strategy, finance, people and technology.

The Manchester Global Part-time MBA follows this model through flexible learning, interactive workshops and practical business projects for experienced professionals. Their applicants enter with an average of 12 years of professional experience, including six years in management, underscoring that the programme is designed to build on established careers rather than replace workplace experience.

Postgraduate education is not for salary increase alone

Career progression should be looked at beyond just salary benchmarking. More meaningful indicators include movement into higher-skilled work, broader decision-making responsibility, access to regional or international opportunities and the ability to lead more complex projects.

Malaysia has made progress in helping graduates enter and remain in the workforce. The next priority should be to turn employment into sustained progression, ensuring that talent continues to develop and move into work that makes fuller use of its capabilities.

More information on the MA in Educational Leadership in Practice (ELiP) is available at www.manchester.com.my/ma-educational-leadership-in-practice/.

Hashtag: #UniversityofManchester

http://www.manchester.com.my/ma-educational-leadership-in-practice/

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About The University of Manchester & Alliance Manchester Business School

The University of Manchester is ranked 35th in the world by QS World University Rankings 2026, 5th in the UK research powerhouse in REF 2021 and 2nd in THE Impact ranking 2025. With as many as 26 Nobel Prize winners, the University’s academic pedigree is among the best globally.

Alliance Manchester Business School, part of the University of Manchester, is one of the UK’s leading business schools and holds triple accreditation from AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS. The university has a global alumni network and more than 60,000 graduates across 176 countries.

By Ashok Nilakantan Ayers For much of independent India’s history, the security response to communal violence and terrorism was essentially reactive: an attack occurred, intelligence agencies investigated it, police made arrests, and security forces moved in after violence had already begun. Over the past five years, however, India’s counter-terrorism architecture has been moving towards a […]

The article From reaction to prevention: India’s five-year turn against radicalisation appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Trump instructed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to scale down the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises just hours before the drills were due to begin on Monday. The 11-day exercise, involving about 18,000 South Korean troops, nevertheless started as scheduled as military planners awaited details of how Washington intended to implement the presidential directive.

The decision marks a significant change in the handling of one of Washington’s most important security alliances in Asia. Trump described the exercises as costly and said they sent an unnecessarily hostile signal to North Korea, while stressing that he maintained a “very good relationship” with Kim.

Trump also connected the decision to wider tensions with Seoul over Iran. He said he had asked South Korea to join US efforts aimed at the “denuclearisation” of Iran but had received a negative response. His comments indicate that cooperation on security commitments in one region is increasingly being assessed alongside Washington’s expectations of allies in unrelated theatres.

Ulchi Freedom Shield is one of the two principal annual exercises conducted by US and South Korean forces. The drills combine computer simulations, command-post exercises and field training intended to test the allies’ ability to respond to threats from North Korea. Planned activities include precision targeting, manoeuvres, equipment deployment and exercises involving forces from several military services.

About 28,500 US military personnel are stationed in South Korea, where the American presence remains central to the deterrence strategy established after the 1950-53 Korean War. The conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has simultaneously been pursuing a reduction in tensions with Pyongyang. A day before Trump announced the exercise cutback, Lee called for renewed dialogue with North Korea and proposed efforts to replace the armistice with a permanent peace arrangement. His government has sought engagement while maintaining the alliance with Washington and strengthening South Korea’s military capabilities.

The exercise opened against an increasingly complex regional security environment. North Korea resumed ballistic missile testing days before the drills, while its expanding military partnership with Russia has raised concern among US and South Korean defence officials. North Korean troops deployed in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine have gained combat experience involving drones, electronic warfare and modern battlefield tactics that could strengthen Pyongyang’s forces.

North Korea has long condemned large US-South Korean exercises as rehearsals for invasion. Washington and Seoul reject that characterisation and describe the training as defensive. The exercises have nevertheless repeatedly become a bargaining tool during periods of diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Trump followed a similar approach during his first presidency. After meeting Kim in Singapore in 2018, he unexpectedly announced the suspension of major military exercises, calling them expensive and provocative. Several large drills were later replaced with smaller or modified exercises as Washington sought to keep nuclear negotiations alive.

Those talks ultimately failed to produce an agreement. Trump and Kim met three times between 2018 and 2019, but negotiations stalled over differences concerning sanctions relief and the scope of North Korea’s nuclear disarmament. Trump has continued to express interest in renewing personal diplomacy since returning to the White House.

Kim has also left open a narrow possibility of renewed talks, while rejecting Washington’s longstanding demand for North Korea’s denuclearisation. Pyongyang has accelerated development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and strengthened its strategic relationship with Moscow.

The reduction order has revived debate in Washington over military readiness. Critics argue that reducing combined exercises could weaken interoperability between US and South Korean forces at a time when North Korea’s military capabilities are becoming more sophisticated. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat and former US Navy pilot, described hollowing out the exercises as a mistake and warned against weakening preparedness.

Under the MOU, VinFast and Gowa Motor Group will establish a joint venture to develop VinFast’s dealership network across Indonesia, with a target of opening at least 30 showrooms and service centers.

The partnership reflects the two companies’ shared commitment to building a long-term strategic relationship in Indonesia’s growing electric vehicle market. By partnering with VinFast, Gowa Motor Group demonstrates its confidence in VinFast’s vision, capabilities, and the long-term potential of its electric mobility ecosystem.

The new network will serve as a key pillar of VinFast’s long-term growth strategy in Indonesia, offering VinFast’s electric vehicles alongside aftersales services, maintenance, and customer care that meet the company’s global standards. The partnership will contribute to VinFast’s broader plan to expand its dealership network in Indonesia. The company currently operates more than 40 showrooms nationwide and aims to add over 150 new showrooms in the coming years.

The agreement with Gowa Motor Group reinforces VinFast’s strategy of partnering with leading local companies to expand its distribution network, improve customer access to high-quality products and services, and support Indonesia’s transition toward greener transportation.

Gowa Motor Group is an established automotive group in Indonesia with extensive experience across multiple automotive brands and vehicle segments. Its operation spans automotive distribution, dealership operations, passenger vehicles, and commercial vehicles, supported by a broad network and strong understanding of the local market. With its automotive expertise, operational capabilities, and market knowledge, Gowa Motor Group is expected to become a strategic partner for VinFast in expanding its distribution network, enhancing the customer ownership experience, and accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in Indonesia.

Mr. Antonio Zara, Chief Executive Officer of VinFast Southeast Asia, said: “Gowa Motor Group is an established automotive group in Indonesia with extensive experience across multiple automotive brands. We believe the combination of VinFast’s product development capabilities, advanced technologies, and comprehensive EV ecosystem with Gowa Motor Group’s local market expertise, automotive network, and operational experience will provide a strong foundation for expanding VinFast’s presence in Indonesia. More importantly, this partnership will enable us to deliver an increasingly convenient, comprehensive, and high-quality EV ownership experience for Indonesian customers.“

Mr. Sadikin Aksa, Commissioner of Gowa Motor, said: “We see tremendous potential in Indonesia’s electric vehicle market and strongly believe in VinFast’s long-term vision. Our partnership not only creates new business opportunities for both companies but also reflects our shared commitment to accelerating Indonesia’s green transition. Leveraging our experience across multiple automotive brands and our established network in Indonesia, Gowa Motor Group looks forward to working alongside VinFast to bring sustainable mobility solutions and high-quality services closer to consumers across the country.“

Indonesia is one of the key pillars of VinFast’s global growth strategy. Since entering the market, VinFast has rapidly expanded its product portfolio, commenced operations at its manufacturing facility in Subang, and built a comprehensive EV ecosystem through a growing network of strategic partners, including charging infrastructure developer V-Green, all-electric ride-hailing service GSM, financial institutions, banking partners, authorized service workshop partners, and dealerships nationwide. By combining manufacturing capabilities, a comprehensive EV ecosystem, and an expanding partner network, VinFast is steadily advancing toward its goal of becoming one of the leading electric vehicle brands in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia.

Hashtag: #VinFast

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About VinFast

VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS), a subsidiary of Vingroup JSC, one of Vietnam’s largest conglomerates, is a pure-play electric vehicle manufacturer with the mission of making EVs accessible to everyone. VinFast’s product lineup today includes a wide range of electric SUVs, e-scooters, e-bikes, and electric buses.

In Indonesia, VinFast is expanding its electric mobility ecosystem through a growing dealership and after-sales network, local partnerships, and its manufacturing facility in Subang, West Java, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the market.

Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.id

About Gowa Motor Group

Gowa Motor Group is an established automotive group in Indonesia with extensive experience in the automotive sector. The Group represents and operates across multiple automotive brands and vehicle segments, including passenger and commercial vehicles, supported by dealership, distribution, and customer service capabilities. With a broad network across Indonesia and a strong understanding of the local automotive market, Gowa Motor Group continues to build long-term partnerships and expand access to quality mobility products and services.

Arjavi Indraneesh China’s carefully constructed Gulf strategy is facing one of its toughest tests as Iran’s confrontation with the United States disrupts energy flows, threatens Arab partners and exposes the limits of Beijing’s influence over Tehran. The immediate pressure point is the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic remains sharply below normal levels after months […]

The article Iran escalation puts China’s Gulf strategy under serious strain appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

During the event, Dato’ Liew Bin, President of the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), visited the NINGJI booth. The two parties exchanged views on NINGJI’s brand development, product offerings and expansion plans in the Malaysian market.

Backed by a proven store model and a comprehensive overseas support system, NINGJI attracted strong interest from high-quality investors throughout the event. Over the three-day exhibition, the brand successfully signed agreements for 20 new stores, bringing its total number of contracted stores in Malaysia to 82. Potential partners across multiple regions also expressed interest in establishing strategic partnerships with the brand, demonstrating NINGJI’s growing appeal in international markets.

Through product tastings and immersive interactive experiences, NINGJI also strengthened its connection with local consumers. The event generated several thousand new member registrations, building a valuable base of first-party customer data for future localized marketing initiatives.

As one of China’s leading new-style tea brands, NINGJI began its global expansion at the end of 2024. To date, the brand has signed agreements for more than 150 overseas stores across Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and other markets.

In Malaysia, NINGJI currently operates nine stores, with more than ten additional locations in development. Its network is steadily expanding across key commercial districts, while the brand continues to strengthen its influence throughout Southeast Asia.

Five Localization Strategies for Malaysia, Ningji’s Anchor Overseas Market

With its young and diverse population, well-established food and beverage sector, and year-round tropical climate, Malaysia provides highly favourable conditions for refreshing fresh fruit and lemon tea beverages.

Against this backdrop, NINGJI has identified Malaysia as one of its core overseas markets and is systematically advancing its localization strategy across five key areas: store network development, supply chain infrastructure, product portfolio, organizational capabilities and brand marketing.

Expanding Across Key Commercial Districts and Empowering Every Store Through Digital Intelligence

NINGJI will use Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru as two strategic hubs, drawing on its proven store operating experience to establish a more refined system for site evaluation, store development and project management.

The brand has built strong digital capabilities, including an end-to-end digital system covering site selection and daily operations, as well as four AI-powered agents that provide franchise partners with integrated, data-driven support.

While steadily expanding its store network and market coverage, NINGJI remains equally focused on store-level operating quality and long-term profitability. The brand aims to build a high-quality retail network that reaches a diverse range of commercial districts and serves a broad customer base.

Strengthening the Local Supply Chain with a Forward Warehouse in Malaysia

Supply chain capability is the lifeline of any new-style tea brand. In China, NINGJI operates seven warehousing centres, manages more than 2,000 mu of lemon orchards. These capabilities have laid a solid foundation for the brand’s continued expansion.

NINGJI believes that genuine localization means combining the capabilities of its headquarters with local market resources. The brand plans to establish a forward warehouse in Malaysia by the end of the year.

Once operational, the facility will enable efficient “T+1” delivery across Malaysia’s key regions, helping stores reduce the risk of stock shortages while significantly lowering the amount of capital franchise partners need to commit to inventory. It will also provide strong logistical support for the continued expansion of NINGJI’s store network.

Balancing Classics and Innovation to Create Products for Local Tastes

NINGJI’s menu centres on fresh fruit lemon beverages paired with whole-leaf tea. Its use of fresh ingredients and made-to-order hand-shaken preparation gives the brand strong cross-cultural appeal and makes its products naturally suited to international markets.

In Malaysia, NINGJI has chosen not to simply replicate its existing menu. Instead, the brand has adopted a “signature products for customer acquisition plus localized innovation” strategy.

On the one hand, proven bestsellers led by Superior Taste Award-winning YaShiXiang Lemon Tea have launched in Malaysian, on the other hand, NINGJI continues to refine its ingredient transportation and storage solutions while developing products tailored to local flavour preferences and market conditions.

In addition to its consistently popular core products, NINGJI has already launched its new pineapple series in Malaysia. The well-received Lemon Milk Series is scheduled to make its official debut in October.

Moving forward, the brand will maintain a quarterly product launch cycle and continue using localized flavours and product innovation to energize the market.

Establishing a Regional Headquarters and Building a Professional Local Team

Local talent is essential for any brand seeking to establish deep and lasting roots in an overseas market.

NINGJI has already assembled a professional team in Malaysia covering local site selection, store development and operational management, and the team continues to grow. This will further enhance the brand’s responsiveness throughout the entire store development journey, from preliminary site selection and opening preparations to daily operations.

NINGJI also plans to establish a regional headquarters in Malaysia and further strengthen its partner support system across staff training, marketing and operational management.

By working alongside local franchise partners who share its commitment to long-term growth, NINGJI aims to expand the market and create greater opportunities together.

Communicating Across Cultures Through Localized Design and Marketing

NINGJI aims to become part of the everyday lives of Malaysian consumers.

In terms of visual presentation, the brand retains its signature yellow and green colour palette while incorporating local aesthetic preferences. Through its “one store, one design” approach, NINGJI creates open and comfortable social spaces tailored to different locations and communities.

From a marketing perspective, the brand will continue to engage with local festivals and cultural trends while collaborating with Malaysian KOLs and KOCs. By connecting social media content with offline experiences, NINGJI seeks to build an emotional relationship with consumers that goes beyond the products themselves and genuinely become part of the local lifestyle.

During its Kuala Lumpur market launch, for example, NINGJI invited Elyn Leong, a Malaysian member of the girl group Gen1es, to serve as “Store Manager for a Day.” Supported by extensive social media promotion, the “Lemon Tea for the Whole City” campaign generated more than one million views and tens of thousands of user-generated interactions across Xiaohongshu, Instagram and Facebook.

Committed to Long-Term Growth, NINGJI Creates Multidimensional Cultural Dialogue Through Localization

NINGJI believes that true globalization is not about simply replicating an existing model. It is a process of deep integration, continuous learning and ongoing refinement.

The brand continues to adapt its products, operations and communications to the consumer characteristics of each market, moving beyond simply “going global” towards becoming genuinely embedded in local communities.

A representative of NINGJI’s overseas business division said:

“Malaysia has a young, diverse and dynamic consumer market and is an important part of NINGJI’s international growth strategy. In the second half of 2026, while steadily expanding our store network, we will further advance the localization of our products, operations and brand communications. We will also continue strengthening our local team and supply chain infrastructure while building long-term relationships with more partners who understand the Malaysian market.”

Looking ahead, NINGJI will continue to build on its product strength and in-store experience while exploring diverse forms of collaboration with local business organizations, content creators and industry partners.

Starting with a cup of fresh fruit lemon tea, NINGJI aims not only to become part of Malaysian consumers’ everyday lives, but also to work alongside local partners to unlock new growth opportunities in the freshly prepared beverage market.

Hashtag: #NINGJI

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About NINGJI

NINGJI, a leading new-style tea brand featuring fresh-fruit lemon and original-leaf tea, dedicated to multi-category beverage R&D, digitalized management and operations.

NINGJI opened its first store in Changsha, China, on 8 February 2021. July 2021, the company completed a Series A financing round worth tens of millions of RMB, with investment from ByteDance and Shunwei Capital.

January 2022, NINGJI completed a Series A+ financing round worth hundreds of millions of RMB, led by Tencent, with existing investors also oversubscribing.

Through its distinctive contemporary design and refreshing tea beverages, NINGJI communicates a youthful, flavourful and playful brand philosophy, as well as a more creative and trend-driven approach to everyday life. This positioning has earned recognition and support from consumers across different age groups.

NINGJI began its global expansion at the end of 2024. To date, the brand has signed agreements for more than 150 overseas stores across Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and other markets.