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The AI Compute Continuum: from intelligent endpoints to advanced AI workloads

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 April 2026 – Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) today outlined how enterprise AI adoption across Asia Pacific (APAC) is moving from experimentation to implementation, with 48% of organisations with more than 500 employees in the region already deploying AI PCs and 95% expecting workstations to play a critical or important role in AI initiatives over the next two years. Together, these trends point to a more distributed AI environment – one that brings intelligence closer to users while supporting increasingly complex and compute-intensive workloads.

Two IDC InfoBriefs, commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel reinforce this shift – Future-Ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption and Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You. The research highlights growing enterprise momentum behind both intelligent endpoints and higher-performance systems as organisations shape the next phase of AI adoption.

For Dell, this shift reflects a broader industry trend toward aligning the right compute resources with specific workload requirements, as organisations balance intelligent endpoints for everyday productivity with high-performance systems designed for advanced AI and professional use cases. Enterprise AI deployments are increasingly spanning client devices, edge environments and the data centre, reflecting a more distributed approach across the IT environment.

AI PCs: Bringing intelligence closer to everyday work

AI PCs are becoming a core component of the modern workplace, enabling AI workloads to run directly on the device to deliver faster, more responsive user experiences while reducing reliance on continuous cloud connectivity. This approach also supports enhanced data privacy and security, provides IT teams with greater control over deployment and management across device fleets, and enables more consistent scaling of AI capabilities across the workforce.

The IDC research commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel underscores this momentum. As AI becomes embedded in day-to-day work, device strategy is shifting accordingly. 89% of APAC organisations now consider AI capabilities a very important factor in future PC purchasing decisions.

In Singapore, 54% of organisations have already deployed AI PCs – 12% higher than the regional average – highlighting strong early adoption momentum. Southeast Asia’s AI PC adoption is outpacing the regional average by 6%, driven by the ability to adopt new technologies without legacy constraints, strong infrastructure in markets like Singapore, favourable market conditions and supportive government initiatives.

APAC Organisations with over 50% AI PCs in their fleet report saving 2.17 hours per employee per day, a 30% productivity increase compared to using AI on traditional PCs. AI PCs are enabling a new class of enterprise use cases – from real-time collaboration and report generation to natural language search and content creation – delivering tangible productivity gains.

In practical terms, this can translate into faster proposal turnaround for sales teams, quicker analysis cycles for finance and operations, streamlined drafting for HR, faster document review for engineering teams, and more responsive support for customer-facing employees. As organisations prepare for more autonomous and agentic AI in hybrid work environments, AI PCs are increasingly becoming the governed way to scale intelligent experiences across the workforce – safely, consistently, and with clearer business impact.

Four out of five APAC organisations expect AI PCs to drive adoption of agentic AI, with the same proportion agreeing they enhance control and security for these applications. The broader momentum is clear: within APAC, 84% of organisations expect AI PCs to increase employee productivity, while 78% cite security benefits and 77% highlight cost advantages of running AI locally.

This shift is leading to a tangible investment. Across APAC, 65% of organisations are willing to pay a premium of 10% or more for AI PCs, reflecting their role as core infrastructure for enterprise AI.

Workstations: Powering advanced AI and specialised workloads

While AI PCs distribute intelligence across the workforce, workstations continue to serve as the performance backbone for more demanding workloads – particularly as organisations shift more AI development on-premise. Developers, engineers, designers, and data teams rely on workstation-class systems for AI model development, simulation, rendering, data preparation, and other compute-intensive activities that require reliability, low latency, and sustained performance.

The IDC research on workstations reflects this reality. 95% of organisations across APAC expect workstations to play a critical or important role in AI initiatives over the next two years, while 50% would choose a workstation as their preferred device for AI development, and 97% of organisations agree workstations are high-performance devices that fuel innovation for the organisation by empowering teams to explore cutting-edge technology like AI and Machine Learning models.

Across Southeast Asia, 92% of organisations surveyed reported higher productivity among workstation users, while 52% expect the share of workstations in their fleet to grow over the next five years. Organisations in this part of the region also reported workstation use for data preparation (66%), model fine-tuning (62%), and foundational model training (55%), underscoring the role of high-performance systems in advanced AI and professional workloads.

Use cases vary by sector – from engineering and architecture workflows in manufacturing, to content rendering in media, software development in technology, and risk modelling in financial services. AI has become the top technical computing use case for workstations, supporting the full lifecycle from data preparation (62%) and model training (60%) to fine-tuning (59%), deployment (44%) and inference (29%).

This also shifts the conversation from upfront device price to total cost of ownership – including lifecycle longevity, scalability, performance consistency, and risk reduction. As AI initiatives move closer to production, workstations are increasingly seen as long-term platforms that can scale with evolving workloads, rather than short-term tools for experimentation.

Toward an AI compute continuum that supports the next phase of enterprise AI

Together, AI PCs and workstations form an AI compute continuum, supporting everything from everyday productivity to advanced AI development and professional workloads across the enterprise.

For organisations across Asia Pacific, the next phase of AI will not be defined by a single environment or device category, but by the ability to place the right workload on the right compute. AI PCs are extending AI into everyday workflows, while workstations are helping organisations industrialise more advanced, compute-intensive, and specialised AI use cases. Combined, they give leaders a more practical foundation for scaling AI with greater speed, control, and long-term value.

Perspectives:

“AI is changing where work happens and where intelligence needs to live,” said Jacinta Quah, vice president, client solutions group, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China (APJC), Dell Technologies. “AI PCs and workstations are not simply device categories in a refresh cycle – they are foundational platforms built for the next phase of enterprise AI era. AI PCs bring intelligence to everyday workflows, at the fingertips of employees where data is generated. Meanwhile, workstations provide the performance and control needed for more specialised, compute-intensive workloads. Together, they enable organisations to scale AI more effectively, strengthen security and privacy, and drive meaningful business outcomes.”

“AI is placing new demands on compute, requiring both local intelligence and high-performance processing to work seamlessly together,” said Jack Huang, regional sales director, PC client commercial and channel, Asia Pacific and Japan, Intel. “As AI workloads become more diverse, organisations need silicon innovations and platforms that can support both efficient on-device experiences and more demanding workstation use cases. Together with Dell, we are helping to enable the next phase of enterprise AI with technologies built for responsiveness, efficiency and scale.”

“The speed at which AI models are being compressed to run on-device has been remarkably fast,” said Bryan Ma, vice president, client devices, IDC. “In the next year or two, very robust models will run on PCs that far exceed today’s capabilities. At the same time, organisations continue to depend on high-performance workstations for advanced AI development and specialised workloads, reinforcing a more distributed AI environment across the enterprise.”

Research Methodology:
The findings are based on two IDC InfoBriefs:

• IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel, Future-ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption, Doc. #AP242547IB, January 2026
• IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel, Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You, Doc. #AP242550IB, February 2026

Future-ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption is based on a survey of 720 IT and business decision-makers across Asia Pacific organisations with more than 500 employees. Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You surveyed 960 IT and business decision-makers in the region to assess workstation adoption, usage, and their role in enterprise AI strategies.
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About Dell Technologies

Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) helps organisations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the AI era.

By T N Ashok India’s electoral map is not a monolith; it is a collection of distinct, often defiant political idioms. As Tamil Nadu enters its final hours of campaigning and West Bengal readies for a high-stakes, multi-phase marathon, the subtext is singular and urgent: the traditional regional bastions that have long acted as the […]

The article India’s Regional Titans Facing Seize From The Rulers Of The North appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Joining Forces to Build a New Regional Value Chain and Drive Industrial Upgrading across ASEAN

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 April 2026 – Hong Kong has long maintained a robust bilateral relationship with Malaysia. As ASEAN’s third-largest economy, Malaysia possesses strong manufacturing and service sectors and stands as Hong Kong’s eighth-largest trading partner. Amidst the global restructuring of supply chains, Hong Kong leverages its unique position as an international innovation and technology centre anchored by its regional connectivity while remaining integrated with the world. It serves as a vital springboard and strategic hub for Malaysian enterprises expanding into regional markets and for emerging firms seeking to go global. The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking the establishment of a deep strategic partnership. By integrating the resource advantages of both regions, the collaboration will provide technological innovation and market expansion support for enterprises in Hong Kong and Malaysia, optimising global supply chain layouts and helping Hong Kong better implement the “Bringing in and Going Global” strategy to seize regional development opportunities within ASEAN.

The signing ceremony of the MoU took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on April 20, 2026. Witnessed by Mr Jacob Lee Chor Kok, President of FMM; Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr) Soh Thian Lai, President Emeritus of FMM; Mr Owin Fung Ho Yin, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur; and Hon Sunny Tan, Chairman of HKPC, the MoU was signed by Datuk Dr Yeoh Oon Tean, CEO of FMM, and Mr Mohamed D. BUTT, Executive Director of HKPC. This collaboration will facilitate the development of a new value chain connecting Hong Kong, Malaysia and ASEAN, driving new industrialisation in both regions while accelerating industrial upgrading and technological application.

Hon Sunny Tan, Chairman of HKPC, said, “Under the national 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong has become a vital platform for enterprises to go global. Malaysia maintains robust ties with the Asian region, as well as the global industrial and trade markets. The signing of this MoU between HKPC and FMM marks a key milestone in the collaboration on industrial modernisation. We are committed to technological innovation, with a focus on enhancing expertise in automation, Industry 4.0, AI, and robotics, and actively building business matching platforms to facilitate business opportunities and expand our scope of cooperation. This not only deepens the partnership between the two organisations, but also establishes a strategic hub connecting Hong Kong with the ASEAN market. Hong Kong will fully leverage its ‘Bringing in and Going Global’, helping Malaysian enterprises precisely connect with the vast regional and global market while supporting Hong Kong companies in rooting themselves in ASEAN, co-creating a resilient and innovative cross-border value chain.”

Mr Jacob Lee Chor Kok, President of FMM, stated, “This MoU is just the beginning with our roadmap including joint technical training, workshops, technology visits and pilot projects to provide our members with first-hand exposure to the latest manufacturing innovations. We envision a future where Malaysian and Hong Kong companies collaborate on research and development (R&D), pilot new technologies and co-create solutions for emerging challenges”

Six Key Areas to Empower New Regional Industrial Upgrading
HKPC and FMM will launch comprehensive cooperation to help enterprises transform technological empowerment into competitive advantage in today’s dynamic market. The two parties will focus on Smart Manufacturing & Industry 4.0, AI & Robotics Innovation, Digital Transformation & Cybersecurity, Cross-border Business Ecosystems and Talent Development.

This collaboration integrates FMM’s extensive supply chain network of over 4,000 member enterprises with HKPC’s profound R&D capabilities in product innovation and technology transfer. Through organising delegations, professional training, business matching, and technical seminars, we will assist enterprises in precisely mastering cutting-edge technologies and market trends. Furthermore, by promoting reciprocal visits between enterprises in both regions, we aim to foster mutual economic and trade empowerment. This synergy not only strengthens corporate resilience against supply chain risks but also ensures that enterprises from both regions secure a proactive position in global supply chain competition, co-creating a distinct competitive advantage.

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The move is more than a straightforward route launch. It signals how Dubai’s low-cost carrier is sharpening its focus on high-demand leisure and business corridors in Asia while using its partnership model to compete more effectively against full-service rivals. Bangkok has long been a major draw for Gulf-based travellers, migrant communities, short-break tourists and business passengers, and the use of Don Mueang rather than Suvarnabhumi suggests flydubai is aiming for a cost-efficient operating base while still tapping into the Thai capital’s large catchment area.

According to the published schedule, outbound flight FZ1333 will leave Dubai at 01:35 and arrive in Bangkok at 11:25, while return flight FZ1334 will depart Don Mueang at 23:50 and land in Dubai at 03:25 the next day, all in local times. Introductory return fares start at AED 11,100 in Business Class and AED 3,000 in Economy Class Lite from Dubai, with corresponding starting fares from Bangkok at THB 83,900 and THB 22,100. Those fare levels position the route as a hybrid offering rather than an ultra-budget play, reflecting flydubai’s steady shift towards a broader market that includes premium leisure and corporate demand.

The airline’s management has framed the Bangkok launch as a response to strong summer demand and as part of a wider effort to deploy capacity where yields and passenger volumes justify expansion. The commercial logic is supported by flydubai’s broader performance. In 2025, the carrier reported revenue of AED 13.6 billion, pre-tax profit of AED 2.2 billion, passenger traffic of 15.7 million and a network spanning 140 destinations, underlining both scale and financial resilience at a time when many airlines continue to wrestle with fleet bottlenecks, maintenance costs and geopolitical disruptions.

That backdrop matters because airline route announcements do not happen in isolation. Carriers are adding capacity cautiously, especially where aircraft supply remains constrained. flydubai ended 2025 with a fleet of 97 aircraft and has been pursuing long-term growth with major Airbus A321neo and Boeing 737 MAX orders, broadening a fleet strategy that was once almost entirely centred on Boeing narrow-bodies. That gives the airline more room to grow deeper into medium-haul markets where price-sensitive demand overlaps with demand for better connectivity and upgraded cabin products.

Thailand fits that strategy well. Demand between the Gulf and Thailand has been supported by tourism, retail travel, medical trips, visiting friends and relatives, and small-business movement. Bangkok also works as a distribution point for wider travel into Thailand and neighbouring markets. By choosing Don Mueang, flydubai enters a major airport with a strong low-cost profile and dense domestic and regional links. For passengers, the appeal is likely to rest on timing, one-stop connectivity through Dubai, and the convenience of booking through the Emirates partnership on a single ticket with baggage checked through.

The Bangkok service also reflects a wider pattern in Gulf aviation. Airlines based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have spent years turning geographic advantage into network depth, linking Europe, Asia and Africa through hub operations that can absorb both premium and value-focused traffic. flydubai’s role in that system has evolved significantly. It no longer operates purely as a low-cost feeder or point-to-point budget airline. Its commercial model now leans on network breadth, underserved routes, codeshare traffic and selective premium demand, a shift reinforced by a 19 per cent rise in Business Class uptake last year.

Thailand has wrapped up the second Thailand Kickboxing World Cup in Bangkok and used the event to unveil KATPRO, a new professional league aimed at turning the country into a more prominent force in global kickboxing. The tournament was staged at the Bangkok Youth Center, also known as the Thai-Japanese Youth Center, with WAKO listing the event in Bangkok from 7 to 12 April 2026, while organisers said the main World Cup competition ran from 9 to 11 April and the professional launch followed on 11 April.

Organisers said the World Cup drew athletes and officials from 32 countries, underlining the scale of the event and the growing international pull of combat sports in Thailand beyond its traditional Muay Thai base. One published account put attendance at more than 1,500 athletes and officials, while another report ahead of the competition cited more than 720 athletes and over 1,200 supporters and officials. The difference appears to reflect varying methods of counting participants and delegations, but both sets of figures point to a sizeable international turnout.

Bangkok crowns a bigger kickboxing ambition became the broader message around the event, as sport officials and tourism planners tied the competition to a larger push to position the country as a year-round destination for international sports events. The Kickboxing Association of Thailand organised the tournament with WAKO and in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Bangkok authorities, giving the competition both sporting and promotional value.

For Thailand, the timing is significant. Combat sport is already central to the country’s international sporting identity, but kickboxing has long occupied a secondary place to Muay Thai in public visibility and commercial development. By hosting another WAKO-recognised World Cup and pairing it with a new professional platform, Thai organisers are signalling that they want to build a parallel ecosystem: one that can develop amateur athletes, attract overseas fighters and sponsors, and create a clearer route into paid competition.

That strategy also reflects the changing shape of global striking sports. Kickboxing has grown through international federations, regional circuits and commercial promotions that reward standardised rules, television-friendly formats and cross-border matchmaking. Thailand already has the infrastructure, coaching depth and fight culture to compete in that space. What it has lacked is a more structured domestic platform designed specifically for kickboxing rather than adapted from Muay Thai. KATPRO appears intended to fill that gap. Organisers described it as the country’s first structured professional kickboxing league, launched at the same venue as the World Cup. The opening gala featured seven bouts with fighters from more than 10 countries and followed professional procedures including weigh-ins and face-offs.

The official messaging around the World Cup and league launch stressed athlete development as much as spectacle. That matters because Thailand’s long-term credibility in kickboxing will depend not only on hosting events, but on producing fighters who can succeed regularly under international kickboxing rules. WAKO’s event listing confirms that the Bangkok competition sat within a wider calendar of World Cups and championships across multiple countries, placing Thailand within an established global circuit rather than a standalone showcase.

There is also an economic calculation behind the push. Sports tourism has become a more deliberate policy tool across Asia, with governments and city administrations using tournaments to drive hotel occupancy, transport demand, media attention and repeat visits. Holding a multinational combat sports event in Bangkok during April gives organisers a chance to blend competition with destination marketing, and tourism officials made clear they view such events as part of a wider international branding effort.

Still, the bigger test lies ahead. Hosting a successful World Cup is one thing; building a durable professional league is another. Professional combat sports require dependable matchmaking, medical oversight, sponsorship, broadcast distribution, fighter pay structures and fan interest strong enough to support repeated cards. Thailand has advantages in venue culture, gym networks and audience familiarity with striking sports, but kickboxing still has to define its identity in a market where Muay Thai remains the dominant brand.

By Nantoo Banerjee Pakistan may be right that peace in Lebanon is essential for talks between the US and Iran. But, the key question is: will Iran’s theological regime ever ask its terror sponsor, Hezbollah, to go soft on Israel which lately launched massive waves of airstrikes across southern Lebanon, hitting over 200 Hezbollah targets, […]

The article Pakistan’s Back-Channel US-Iran Peace Negotiation May Not Work appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

This year’s ESG Achievement Awards are centred around the theme “Shaping a Resilient Future Through People and ESG,” placing a strong emphasis on ESG education and human capital development. In today’s fast-evolving landscape, organisations are increasingly recognising that sustainable success depends not only on strategy, but on equipping people with the right skills, capabilities, and mindset. This year, entrants are invited to showcase how they embed ESG into their culture, invest in talent development, and foster accountability and employee engagement in ESG across all levels of the organisation.

In addition to continuing to recognise holistic ESG excellence across environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance, the Awards introduce new award that reflect evolving market priorities. And the newly launched Outstanding Women Empowerment Awards will celebrate organisations that drive measurable progress in gender equality, workplace inclusion, and leadership representation.

Mr Paul Pong, Co-Founder of IESGB, highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, stating, “As ESG continues to mature, we are seeing that resilience is built not only through strategy, but through people who understand how to turn ESG principles into action. This year’s Awards are designed to recognise organisations that are investing in human capital, reinforcing ESG ownership, and embedding sustainability into the way they work every day.”

Mr Vincent Pang, Chairman of the Jury Panel, shared his perspective, saying,”What truly distinguishes the strongest entries is not just ambition, but tangible evidence — measurable progress, genuine execution, and long-term impact. Under this year’s theme ‘Shaping a Resilient Future Through People and ESG,’ we are especially looking for organisations that embed ESG into their culture, invest in human capital development and ESG education, and drive meaningful inclusion and women’s empowerment.”

The Awards will continue to honour excellence across a comprehensive range of categories, covering corporate ESG performance, innovative projects, sustainable vision, talent development, and individual leadership. With a distinguished and diverse jury panel comprising experts from academia, finance, corporate governance, and sustainability, submissions will be evaluated based on impact, innovation, transparency, and alignment with ESG principles. Winners of the ESG Achievement Awards 2025/2026 will be celebrated at the prestigious Awards Ceremony Luncheon, scheduled for September 2026. The Awards continue to serve as a leading platform for knowledge exchange, peer learning, and recognition of best practices that contribute to a more sustainable and resilient economy.

Award Categories

Key Dates (Subject to change)

Jury Panel (in alphabetical order of last name)

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IESGB

The Institute of ESG & Benchmark (IESGB) is a non-profit organization founded in 2020, dedicated to advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices in Hong Kong and beyond. Through professional training, certification, and industry collaboration, IESGB promotes ESG education and fosters the development of a robust and sustainable ecosystem that drives long-term value and positive impact.

The deal did not arrive in isolation. It came only weeks after KKR invested $95 million, taking the wider financing linked to that phase of fundraising to about $315 million. Lenskart said the fresh capital would support expansion of its online business and physical store network, reinforcing its strategy of building an omni-channel model rather than relying solely on digital sales. That approach helped distinguish it from many internet-first companies that were still testing how to translate app traffic into durable consumer brands.

Founded in 2010, Lenskart entered physical retail in 2013 and built its business around prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses and sunglasses, using technology tools such as virtual try-on features and a tightly managed supply chain to bring down delivery times and widen consumer choice. The 2021 fundraising gave investors another signal that eye care and vision products could support a scaled consumer business in a market where organised retail had long remained fragmented. It also underlined growing confidence that health-linked discretionary categories could attract repeat spending even outside the big metropolitan centres.

At the time, the broader market backdrop was unusually supportive. India’s start-up sector went through a record funding cycle in 2021, with Reuters later reporting that start-ups in the country raised about $35 billion that year before the market turned more difficult in 2022. Lenskart’s round therefore became part of a larger story: global investors were competing for exposure to domestic consumption, digital adoption and a new generation of companies that blended software, logistics and offline distribution. That enthusiasm also produced a wave of unicorns, richer private valuations and a heavier pipeline for later public listings.

What makes the Lenskart story more durable than a single boom-year headline is what followed. The company continued to attract capital after the 2021 round, raising another $200 million in 2024 from Temasek and Fidelity in a deal that valued it at about $5 billion, according to reports. That step-up suggested investors still saw room for growth despite the post-2021 funding reset that hit many privately held technology firms. It also showed that consumer-facing businesses with large store networks, repeat demand and clearer revenue visibility were being treated differently from cash-burning platforms built around discount-led expansion.

By 2025, Lenskart had moved into the next phase of that journey, filing for an initial public offering and seeking a valuation of nearly $8 billion at the top end of its price band. Reuters reported that the company had 2,067 stores across the country and another 656 overseas, reflecting a business that had grown well beyond its original online-only identity. That proposed public market debut placed Lenskart among a wider group of venture-backed companies testing whether private-market optimism could translate into sustained investor demand on the stock exchange.

Operationally, the business has also shown signs of maturing. Reuters reported in November 2025 that Lenskart had turned profitable in financial year 2025 and posted a 23% rise in revenue to 66.53 billion rupees. Another Reuters report in February 2026 said about 80% of its revenue came from prescription eyeglasses, while international revenue from Southeast Asia, Japan and the Middle East was rising strongly. Those figures matter because they suggest the company’s scale is now being supported not only by funding rounds and valuation jumps, but by a more established earnings and expansion profile.

At the centre of the Manila discussions was Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and Chief Executive of Dubai Chambers, who met Ferdinand A. Ferrer, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Donald Lim, president of the Management Association of the Philippines. According to Dubai Chambers, the conversations focused on trade facilitation, investment promotion and business partnerships, with particular attention to artificial intelligence, digital transformation and smart cities. Separate talks were also held with leading Filipino companies, where Dubai’s advantages were presented in areas including the digital economy, real estate investment and retail.

The Manila visit was not an isolated diplomatic stop. It followed the formal launch of Dubai International Chamber’s office in Manila on April 14, part of Dubai’s wider effort to build a larger global commercial footprint. Dubai Chambers says the office will serve both sides of the relationship: helping Filipino companies study opportunities in Dubai and use the emirate as a platform for expansion, while also supporting Dubai-based companies looking to enter the Philippine market through local intelligence, commercial introductions and help with market entry.

The commercial backdrop helps explain the urgency. Non-oil trade between Dubai and the Philippines reached AED3.58 billion in 2025, a 17 per cent increase from 2024, according to Dubai Chambers. By the end of December 2025, 2,592 Filipino companies were registered as active members of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, up 23.3 per cent year on year, while 856 new Filipino companies joined during 2025. Those figures point to a relationship that is moving beyond labour and remittance links into a more formalised business corridor involving services, trade intermediation, investment and corporate expansion.

That momentum has been building for some time. In May 2025, Dubai Chamber of Commerce organised a trade mission to the Philippines involving representatives from 17 Dubai-based private-sector companies. The mission produced 180 bilateral business meetings and included a Manila forum, “Doing Business with the Philippines”, attended by 314 participants. During that forum, Dubai Chambers signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry to strengthen cooperation and explore new avenues for trade and investment. January 2026 brought another symbolic marker when First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos visited Dubai Chambers headquarters, adding political visibility to what has become a more structured economic relationship.

For Dubai, the Manila initiative fits a larger policy design. The chamber says the office forms part of the “Dubai Global” initiative, which aims to establish 50 representative offices worldwide by 2030 and support expansion into 30 priority markets. That strategy is designed to attract foreign direct investment into Dubai while helping companies based there expand overseas. The Philippines, with its large consumer market, growing digital economy and active private-sector institutions, offers Dubai an opening not only into Southeast Asia but also into sectors where urban development, technology adoption and service-led growth are accelerating.

For the Philippines, the significance lies in access. Dubai positions itself as a gateway market linking Asia, the Gulf, Africa and Europe, and Filipino businesses looking for a wider regional or global footprint may see value in that proposition. The chamber has framed Manila’s new office as a bridge that can lower information barriers, connect firms with partners and convert general goodwill into bankable deals. Sectors identified during the talks suggest where both sides believe there is room to move fastest: AI and digital transformation for future-oriented growth, smart cities for infrastructure and urban services, and real estate and retail for more immediate commercial activity.