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Initiative combines housing support with fire insurance protection to provide greater financial security for Orang Asli families

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 October 2026 – MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd (“MSIG Malaysia”), the country’s third largest fire insurer, has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to strengthening community resilience through its continued collaboration with EPIC Homes. The initiative reflects the joint effort of MSIG Malaysia and EPIC Homes to support Orang Asli families through housing initiatives and fire insurance protection.

As part of this long-standing collaboration, MSIG Malaysia continues to provide fire insurance protection for homes built by EPIC Homes for the Orang Asli families. This insurance coverage helps families manage the financial impact of unforeseen incidents while reinforcing the long-term resilience of the Orang Asli community, reflecting the company’s continued efforts to protecting communities beyond traditional insurance solutions.

This year, MSIG Malaysia supported Orang Asli families in Simpang Pulai with the completion of two new homes. In July, 31 employees, including Chief Executive Officer Ms. Ang Yien Chia, worked alongside EPIC Homes volunteers over three days to complete the first home. In September, another 25 employees came together for the second build. Through these efforts, MSIG Malaysia helped provide beneficiary families with improved living conditions and a stronger sense of stability.

Chief Executive Officer of MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd, Ms. Ang Yien Chia, said:

“We aim to give Orang Asli homeowners greater confidence that they have financial support, should unforeseen events occur. The value of this protection has already been demonstrated, such as in 2025, a home covered under the programme was damaged during a storm, and the insurance claim helped fund the necessary repairs.”

“This reinforces the important role insurance can play in helping families recover more quickly and protecting the homes they have worked so hard to build. Through our continued collaboration with EPIC Homes, we remain committed to strengthening the resilience of underserved communities.”

As of August 2026, MSIG Malaysia has contributed towards the protection of over 300 homessince partnering with EPIC Homes in 2018. The collaboration supports Orang Asli families by pairing sustainable housing initiatives with fire insurance protection, reinforcing the long-term resilience of these communities.

Mr. John-Son Oei, Founder and CEO of EPIC Homes, said:

“We are grateful to continue our partnership with MSIG Malaysia, whose unwavering commitment has helped transform the lives of families through safe and dignified housing. Building a home is about much more than constructing walls and a roof—it creates the foundation for families to live with security, stability and hope for the future.

What makes this collaboration especially meaningful is MSIG Malaysia’s commitment to extending insurance protection beyond the build itself through its fire insurance coverage. This thoughtful addition provides beneficiary families with greater financial security while highlighting the importance of long-term resilience and financial preparedness. Together, we are creating sustainable impact that will benefit not only individual families but the wider community.”

The continued collaboration with EPIC Homes translates MSIG Malaysia’s commitment to championing inclusive and community-empowering initiatives into meaningful action through funding, employee volunteerism and insurance protection for the Orang Asli communities.

Hashtag: #MSIG

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About MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd

MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd (“MSIG Malaysia”) is one of the leading general insurers in Malaysia, providing a comprehensive range of insurance protection for both personal and business needs. With over 100 years of general insurance experience and a nationwide network of 20 branches, MSIG Malaysia offers strong capabilities across key classes including Fire, Engineering, and Motor, and is the No.1* in Marine Cargo.

The company continues to strengthen its market presence through ongoing investment in digital innovation, customer focused service enhancements, and the development of insurance solutions that meet the evolving needs of Malaysians. It has also developed exclusive B2B business tools for its business partners to support more efficient collaboration and service delivery. As part of its ongoing sustainability journey, MSIG Malaysia remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen community resilience.

MSIG Malaysia is a subsidiary of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited and a member of the MS&AD Insurance Group, Inc. (MS&AD), an insurance group with operations across Asia and various international markets. The Group manages a diverse portfolio of insurance companies worldwide and is recognised for its longstanding presence in the industry.

For more information on MSIG Malaysia, visit www.msig.com.my or facebook.com/MSIGmy.

*As of Dec 2025

About EPIC Homes

EPIC (Extraordinary People Impacting Communities) is a multiple award-winning social enterprise. Its flagship movement, EPIC Homes, builds relationships across the urban-rural divide through the act of building homes for underprivileged communities, with a current focus on the indigenous Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia.

Since 2010, EPIC Homes has mobilised 9,000+ individuals and 200+ organisations to provide safe homes for over 350 families in need. EPIC Homes team building programmes foster empathy, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration – enabling companies and organisations to forge stronger teams while contributing to long-term community development.

PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited secured 12 awards across international, industry and consumer sectors in 2026, reflecting broad recognition of its vision to link business growth with opportunity, quality of life and a sustainable future for all stakeholders.

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 October 2026 – PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR), the retail and lifestyle arm of Thailand’s PTT Group, has received 12 awards in 2026 spanning three sectors of recognition: international capital markets, domestic industry and consumers. These include six awards from the 16th Asian Excellence Awards organised by Hong Kong-based financial magazine Corporate Governance Asia, the Thailand Top CEO of the Year 2026 by BUSINESS+ magazine and the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University, and five brand awards from Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2026, each affirming a different dimension of the company’s vision: “Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth.”

At the heart of OR’s vision is a commitment to ensure that business growth creates tangible value beyond financial returns, expanding opportunity, raising quality of life and building a sustainable future for investors, communities, partners and consumers alike. This vision is executed through four core missions: Seamless Mobility, All Lifestyles, Global Market and OR Innovation, each underpinned by three sustainability pillars: Economic Prosperity, Living Community and Healthy Environment. Also, OR’s Sustainability concept “OR Term Okad Dee Dee Dee” empowering opportunity for three Good Dimension, Good Community, Good Environment and Good Growth.

Under the leadership of M.L. Peekthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer, OR has expanded its operations across 10 countries, delivered 2025 EBITDA of 20,357 million baht (approximately USD 623 million), up 15.2% year-on-year, with net profit rising 47.8% to 11,304 million baht (approximately USD 346 million), and grown blueplus+, its lifestyle and membership application, to 9.3 million registered members. These results underpinned both the Thailand Top CEO of the Year 2026 in the retail and wholesale category and Asia’s Best CEO at the Asian Excellence Awards.

The remaining five Asian Excellence Awards reflect the financial and social dimensions of OR’s vision. Asia’s Best CFO, Best Investor Relations Company and Best Investor Relations Professional recognise OR’s structured stakeholder communication, including quarterly analyst meetings, non-deal roadshows and bilingual disclosure for domestic and international investors. The Sustainable Asia Award and Asia’s Best CSR reflect OR’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than one third against a 2022 baseline by 2030, progressing towards Net Zero by 2050, alongside programmes such as Thaidet, which supports over 500 local entrepreneurs through OR’s retail network, and Café Amazon for Chance, which creates employment for people with disabilities, senior workers including underprivileged people. OR is also a constituent of the Dow Jones Sustainability Best in Class Indices in the Emerging Markets category for 2026.

At the consumer level, five brands — PTT Station, EV Station PluZ, Café Amazon, PTT LPG and PTT Lubricants — claimed top positions at the Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2026, affirming the All Lifestyles mission through a network serving 3.9 million users daily, EV charging infrastructure covering all 77 provinces, and a Café Amazon footprint of 4,830 domestic outlets and 256 international locations.

“These awards reflect recognition from the people and institutions that matter most to OR — our investors, our industry peers and our customers,” said M.L. Peekthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer of PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited. “Each one affirms that our vision of building an integrated ecosystem, one that creates opportunity, improves quality of life and drives sustainable growth, is delivering results across every dimension of our business.”

Across all 12 awards, each recognition maps to OR’s four missions in action: Seamless Mobility and Global Market through network expansion and digital platform growth; All Lifestyles through consumer brand leadership across energy, food and beverage, and services; and OR Innovation through the digital infrastructure connecting it all. Together, they confirm that OR’s “Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth” vision is producing measurable, multi-dimensional results across every stakeholder group the company serves.

Hashtag: #OR

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The Singapore state-owned investment company said on Wednesday that the two offices, subject to statutory approvals, would operate as strategic hubs for Temasek and its portfolio companies. Some portfolio companies are expected to co-locate at the new sites, giving them a base from which to develop business and partnerships in Gulf markets.

Temasek said it sees broad opportunities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. It intends to increase engagement with institutions in Qatar and other Middle Eastern markets while using the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi bases to improve access to investment opportunities across Central Asia and Africa.

“The Middle East is an important part of Temasek’s global network,” chief executive Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara said. He cited the pace of economic transformation across the region and said its long-term fundamentals remained attractive, with strong alignment between regional priorities and Temasek’s investment focus.

Pillay said Temasek had built relationships in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar over several years through partnerships, co-investments and the activities of its portfolio companies. The planned offices represent a shift from managing those relationships remotely towards maintaining permanent teams in two of the Gulf’s principal financial and investment centres.

The expansion comes as Gulf governments continue programmes intended to diversify their economies, develop infrastructure and attract international capital. Temasek said its investment experience, global networks and partnership-led approach, together with the sector expertise of companies in its portfolio, could support opportunities created by that transformation.

Temasek said the new hubs would also give portfolio companies closer access to local partners and markets, allowing them to collaborate alongside the investor while pursuing opportunities generated by economic diversification and infrastructure spending.

Chia Song Hwee, chief executive of Temasek Global Investments, was appointed chairman for the Middle East and Africa with effect from September 1. Temasek said he would provide senior leadership and oversight for its engagement and long-term growth in the two regions.

Chia said having teams on the ground would strengthen engagement with partners and improve access to investment opportunities for Temasek and its portfolio companies. He added that the offices would allow the group to bring expertise from across its wider ecosystem into regional markets.

Ankit Khemka will remain managing director for the region and continue to lead Temasek’s strategy and expansion. The leadership arrangements put the Middle East and Africa under dedicated senior oversight as the investor increases its institutional presence beyond its established Asian, European and American locations.

The two offices will increase Temasek’s global network to 15 offices across 11 countries in 2027, from 13 offices in nine countries. Its existing locations include Singapore, Beijing, Hanoi, Mumbai, Shanghai and Shenzhen in Asia, alongside Brussels, London, Mexico City, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Washington.

Temasek’s net portfolio value reached S$518 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2026, up from S$469 billion a year earlier. Its one-year total shareholder return was 10.5 per cent, while its 10-year and 20-year returns were 7.1 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively.

The investor’s portfolio remains anchored in Singapore while spanning major global markets. Singapore-based portfolio companies accounted for 43 per cent of the portfolio at the end of the financial year, while direct investments in companies globally represented 38 per cent. The remaining 19 per cent was held through partnerships, funds and asset-management businesses.

Temasek has also been increasing investment activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Earlier this week, it acquired a 9 per cent minority stake in the management company of Milan-based private equity group FSI and committed capital to future FSI investment vehicles targeting growing Italian companies.

Century-old Sauce Brand Continues Drive Toward Sustainable Packaging

HONG KONG, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 September 2026 – Lee Kum Kee Sauce (“Lee Kum Kee”), the century-old sauce brand, has been honoured with the Gold Award in the inaugural Packaging Reduction Charter by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Recognised for outstanding performance in driving packaging reduction and sustainable development, Lee Kum Kee was among the first signatories to the Charter and is one of the first cohort of food manufacturers to receive the award. The honour reflects its role as a responsible corporate citizen committed to advancing sustainable packaging.

Launched by the EPD on 31 March 2025, the Packaging Reduction Charter encourages businesses to reassess and reduce packaging usage, foster a waste-reduction culture in the commercial sector, and support Hong Kong’s long-term goal of carbon neutrality. To date, over 140 companies across sectors including retail, logistics, electronics, and food & beverage have joined, with Lee Kum Kee being one of the first. Participating companies undergo an annual professional assessment for packaging reduction, recyclability, reuse/recycling, sustainability, and promotion of packaging reduction. Lee Kum Kee demonstrated multiple packaging optimisation achievements during the assessment process, ultimately earning the Gold Award.

Dodie Hung, Executive Vice President – Corporate Affairs at Lee Kum Kee Sauce, said, “This award is a significant recognition of Lee Kum Kee’s long-standing commitment to sustainable packaging transformation. Guided by our value of ‘Si Li Ji Ren’ (Considering Others’ Interests), we are committed to integrating sustainable development into every aspect of our business operations. Through innovative thinking, we continuously optimise packaging design for greater efficiency and recyclability, delivering high quality, delicious and environmentally responsible products to consumers. Moving forward, we remain dedicated to collaborating with the industry to support Hong Kong’s vision of achieving carbon neutrality.”

Lee Kum Kee continuously refines its packaging with reference to the Practical Guides on Packaging Reduction and Management published by EPD and the Golden Design Rules developed by the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), driving packaging weight reduction while enhancing recyclability and circular value. Since 2002, Lee Kum Kee has consistently reduced the weight of its glass bottles; for example, in 2025, it cut the weight of its 32-ounce oyster sauce bottles from 410 to 390 grams, saving 10 tonnes of glass throughout the year. Additionally, the company has saved more than 200 tonnes of carton material annually through improved carton designs. Over 95% of packaging materials, by weight, are recyclable.

Lee Kum Kee’s sustainable packaging was featured in the 2026 Golden Design Rules Case Study Booklet during the CGF China Day in early September, confirming that its initiatives align with both local policy directions and international best practices.

For details on Lee Kum Kee and sustainability, please refer to the Lee Kum Kee Global Sustainability Highlights 2025: https://corporate.lkk.com/en/csr
Hashtag: #LeeKumKee #LKK

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About Lee Kum Kee Sauce

Lee Kum Kee Sauce is the global gateway to Asian culinary culture, dedicated to promoting Chinese culinary culture worldwide. Since 1888, it has brought people together over joyful reunions, shared traditions and memorable meals. Beloved by consumers and chefs alike, Lee Kum Kee Sauce’s range of more than 300 sauces and condiments sparks creativity in kitchens everywhere, inspiring professional and home chefs to experiment, create, and delight. Headquartered in Hong Kong, China and serving over 100 countries and regions, Lee Kum Kee Sauce’s rich heritage, unwavering commitment to quality, sustainable practices and “Constant Entrepreneurship” combine to enable superior experiences through Asian cuisine for people worldwide. For more information, please visit www.LKK.com.

The Packaging Reduction Charter was launched by the Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2025. The Charter aims to bring together enterprises and organisations to advance sustainable packaging solutions through collaborations, reduce packaging waste, and contribute to Hong Kong’s long-term goal of carbon neutrality. The Charter assesses signatories against five key areas, packaging reduction, packaging recyclability, packaging reuse, sustainable packaging, and promotion of packaging reduction, to recognise companies with outstanding performance. For more information, please visit: www.lesspackaging.hk

Spotlighting the AI Wave and Exploring Paths Forward for Private Enterprises

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 September 2026 – The second “Jun’s Circle” Fireside Chat, initiated by Ge Jun, an Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences and Chairman and CEO of TOJOY Shared Smart Enterprise Services Co., Ltd. (“TOJOY”), was recently held on the shores of Dianchi Lake in Kunming. The event was livestreamed simultaneously on Xinhuanet, TOJOY Boss Cloud and other platforms, drawing more than 3.1 million cumulative views online. Online and in-person audiences together took part in an in-depth exchange of ideas, creating an experience in which they were “surrounded by ideas.”

In 2025, the inaugural “Jun’s Circle” Fireside Chat debuted in Hangzhou. Its core proposition — “With vision, break the impasse and build a new landscape” — resonated widely across China’s private sector. On 22 September, the 2026 event came to Kunming, a frontier hub for China’s opening-up to South and Southeast Asia. It directly addressed the central concerns of private enterprises amid AI-driven technological change, the reconfiguration of the overseas expansion landscape and economic-cycle adjustments, helping entrepreneurs clarify their direction and strengthen confidence.

Blueprint for Private-Enterprise Transformation under AI Technological Disruption

Addressing business development amid the AI wave, Ge Jun systematically presented the “Five-Layer Tree Theory” for enterprise AI transformation. Covering the accumulation of data assets, upgrades in entrepreneurs’ cognitive capabilities, workforce-wide capability building, forward-looking strategic planning and symbiosis across industry ecosystems, it provides private enterprises with a comprehensive implementation framework for AI transformation.

Drawing on Kunming’s geographic advantages, the dialogue explored a long-term approach to expansion into ASEAN markets. Ge Jun proposed an “In ASEAN, With ASEAN, For ASEAN” development philosophy, stressing that sustainable overseas growth can only be achieved by establishing deeply rooted local operations, building symbiotic partnerships with local industries and creating social value for local communities. Manuel C. Menendez III, founder and CEO of MCM Group Holdings Ltd. and an expert on international economic and trade issues, drew on frontline experience to stress that managing compliance risk is a fundamental prerequisite for survival for companies expanding overseas. He noted that resource-constrained small and medium-sized private enterprises can leverage professional platforms to pool resources when expanding overseas, advance localization step by step and avoid the risks of going it alone.

The Critical Role of Entrepreneurship and Long-Termism

Turning to the question of how to navigate economic cycles, the dialogue returned to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, exploring the underlying forces that enable businesses to weather volatility. Xue Jingxia, Chairwoman of the Henan-based investment and construction group, KONITA GROUP, and a deputy to the National People’s Congress for four consecutive terms, said, drawing on four decades of hands-on business experience, that there are no shortcuts to navigating cycles: it takes the creativity to build something from nothing and the resolve to hold firmly to one’s principles. Ge Jun added that entrepreneurs in the AI era need to strengthen their learning capabilities across four dimensions—questioning, command, staying power and transmission—to respond to a rapidly changing market environment, remain committed to doing what is difficult but right, and navigate cyclical ups and downs with a long-term mindset.

As one of the flagship programs in Ge Jun’s four-part thought-leadership series for empowering private enterprises, this year’s “Jun’s Circle” Fireside Chat used a systematic framework of ideas to address the widespread concerns of today’s private entrepreneurs.

Hashtag: #天九企服 #TOJOY

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Guided by the themes of innovation, intelligence, sustainability and high-end development, and committed to “building a new platform for upgrading the entire liquid food industry chain while writing a new chapter of high-quality development,” CBB 2026 will bring together leading enterprises from every segment: baijiu (Chinese spirits), beer, beverages, dairy, condiments and packaging equipment. More than 900 exhibitors from China and abroad will make a joint appearance, and over 60,000 professional visitors from around the world are expected to attend for business discussions, across an exhibition area exceeding 100,000 square meters.

After more than three decades of development, CBB has long been more than a trade fair. It continuously connects the entire chain — from raw materials, brewing and filling to packaging and digital smart manufacturing — creating an integrated industry platform for business matching, technical exchange and innovation. Step into CBB and you will see an exhibition; look closer and you will read the present and the future of an entire industry chain.

01 Leading Enterprises from Every Segment — One Show for the Entire Industry Chain

This year’s exhibitor lineup can truly be described as a full mobilization of the industry chain.

From upstream raw and auxiliary materials, brewing and processing, to midstream filling, packaging equipment and production line integration, and on to downstream labeling and coding, smart warehousing and digital solutions — leading enterprises from every segment, including baijiu, beer, beverages, dairy and condiments, will take the stage together, forming a complete map of the industry.

Whether you are sourcing turnkey production lines or comparing individual machines, whether you focus on a single process or evaluate complete smart-manufacturing solutions, you will find your answer at this show.

02 Four Highlights: Unlocking the 2026 Trends of the Liquid Food Industry

Closely aligned with industry development trends, this edition focuses on four main themes — internationalization, localization, intelligentization and green development — bringing together cutting-edge technologies and innovations from around the world to present a clear picture of where the industry is heading.

Highlight 1 | Global Giants Gather as Frontier Technologies Take the Stage

The international zone boasts a stellar lineup: world-renowned brands including BarthHaas, Fermentis, Krones, HEUFT, CIMC Enric, SACMI, ifm, Endress+Hauser, SEW-Eurodrive, Alfa Laval and Grundfos will all be present, covering core supporting technologies that range from hops, raw and auxiliary materials and pre-treatment processes to filling and packaging equipment and integration, end-of-line packaging and conveying, smart factory solutions and water treatment — spanning the entire liquid food production and packaging chain. A number of brand-new machines and solutions will make their on-site debuts, showcasing the latest achievements in smart manufacturing and green sustainability for the liquid food industry.

Highlight 2 | Chinese Smart Manufacturing Breaks Through as Homegrown Equipment Goes Global

Leading Chinese liquid food equipment manufacturers — Tech-Long, Newamstar, Lehui, Zhongya, Zhongchen, SUNRISE, Hermann and Talos — will exhibit in force, showcasing independently developed core equipment and technologies such as high-speed filling, aseptic packaging, intelligent inspection and integrated smart production, covering the entire production process from raw material pre-treatment, brewing and processing to filling and sealing, labeling and coding, and smart warehousing. These achievements not only help small and medium-sized food producers cut costs, boost efficiency and optimize their production systems, but will also accelerate the expansion of Chinese high-end equipment into global markets.

Highlight 3 | Smart Upgrading Across All Scenarios: Building a New Ecosystem of Digital Production

Digital transformation is one of the defining features of this edition, addressing smart-upgrading needs across the entire liquid food industry chain. From automated and intelligent production scheduling, predictive maintenance and big-data quality control throughout the process, to complete digital-twin factory solutions, every scenario is covered. Core intelligent equipment — including smart sensors, automated control systems and unmanned sorting machines — will be on display, helping the industry move from traditional manual control toward fully digital, intelligent and unmanned production.

Highlight 4 | Green and Low-Carbon Empowerment: Sustainable Production Solutions That Deliver

Aligned with global dual-carbon strategies and the industry’s low-carbon transition, exhibitors will launch a range of low-carbon technologies and equipment, including energy-efficient filling machines, circulating water treatment technologies, equipment for biodegradable packaging, and waste heat recovery systems. While optimizing production costs and efficiency, these solutions comprehensively support energy conservation and emission reduction, offering practical, full-coverage green production solutions for producers of alcoholic drinks, beverages, water, dairy products, condiments and other liquid foods — and helping the industry build a sustainable future.

03 More Than Ten High-Level Forums: Decoding the Trends Shaping the Industry

More than ten high-quality concurrent events will be held during the show, bringing together authoritative industry experts, chief engineers of leading enterprises and industry leaders for in-depth discussions on segment trends, technological innovation and industrial transformation.

04 Why Attend? Three Audiences, Three Answers

• If you are a business owner or procurement decision-maker: compare leading solutions from across the industry chain in one place, connect with quality suppliers, and identify practical paths to lower costs, higher efficiency and transformation.
• If you are an engineer or part of a production technology team: experience live demonstrations of cutting-edge equipment, meet manufacturers’ technical experts face to face, and be among the first to grasp the trends in smart manufacturing and green, low-carbon technologies.
• If you are an industry observer or investor: read the next three to five years of the liquid food industry through the exhibitor lineup, technology directions and forum topics.

05 See You in Shanghai This October

A biennial rendezvous — and a shared point on the calendar for the entire industry.

From October 12 to 15, 2026, CBB 2026 looks forward to welcoming you at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. For more information, please visit www.chinabrew-beverage.com.

Hashtag: #CBB2026

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DIFC confirmed on Monday that the publicly listed securities firm had received a licence from the DIFC Authority and authorisation from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the independent regulator overseeing financial services conducted in or from the centre.

The office extends China Securities’ international footprint and is intended to support its engagement with regional institutions while improving links between Chinese, UAE and international capital markets. The firm has operations spanning equity and debt capital markets, investment banking, asset management and institutional services.

The move places China Securities among a substantial group of China-based financial institutions operating from Dubai’s financial free zone. DIFC said the group includes Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, Bank of Communications, China Construction Bank, China International Capital Corporation, China Merchants Bank International and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, alongside other securities and financial services businesses.

China’s five largest banks together account for more than 30 per cent of total assets in DIFC’s Banking and Capital Markets sector, underscoring the scale of their existing presence within the centre. China Securities is the latest investment bank from the country to join that cluster.

DIFC said the opening followed sustained engagement with China Securities, during which the financial centre worked with the firm to explain opportunities available through Dubai, develop its understanding of the regional market and support its longer-term international expansion plans.

The Dubai base also gives the investment bank a presence within a financial centre that has been expanding rapidly. DIFC had 10,018 active registered companies at the end of the first half of 2026, crossing the 10,000 threshold for the first time. The total was 30 per cent higher year on year, after 2,318 new active registered companies were added over the preceding 12 months.

The number of regulated financial services firms in DIFC reached 1,134 during the same period, up 16 per cent from a year earlier. Banking and capital markets firms numbered 327, while the centre had 592 wealth and asset management companies and 165 insurance and reinsurance entities.

China Securities’ arrival comes as financial institutions seek to capture increasing business flows between Asia and Gulf markets. For the firm, the DIFC office provides a platform for direct interaction with Middle East clients and investors rather than relying solely on operations elsewhere in its international network.

The regulatory approvals are central to that expansion. A DIFC Authority licence establishes the company’s corporate presence in the financial centre, while DFSA authorisation covers regulated financial services carried out within or from the jurisdiction. The precise category and detailed scope of China Securities’ DFSA permissions were not specified in DIFC’s announcement.

The firm’s regional expansion also adds another securities house to a Chinese financial network in Dubai that already covers commercial banking, investment banking and capital-markets services. China International Capital Corporation and several of China’s largest commercial lenders are among the institutions with an established DIFC presence.

DIFC operates a separate legal and regulatory framework for financial businesses based in the centre, with the DFSA responsible for regulating financial services. That structure has helped attract international banks, investment managers, insurers and other financial institutions seeking a regional operating base.

The centre’s first-half figures show that growth has extended beyond banking. Wealth and asset management companies increased 35 per cent year on year to 592, while insurance and reinsurance entities rose 22 per cent to 165. Banking and capital markets businesses grew 13 per cent over the same period.

For China Securities, the immediate focus of the Dubai operation is engagement with clients, investors and financial institutions across the Middle East. DIFC said the office would also support connections between capital markets in China and the UAE and wider international markets.

Founded in 2022, Skyro has already established a strong presence in the Philippines, where it uses an AI-powered credit-scoring model designed to serve customers who may be underserved by traditional banks. Since its founding, the company has disbursed more than USD 600 million in loans, expanded its user base to more than 7 million and reached operating break-even in the first half of 2026.

Skyro plans to adapt the business model that has proven successful in the Philippines to the Malaysian market. The company enters Malaysia as the country’s consumer credit sector is undergoing significant regulatory reform, following the introduction of the Consumer Credit Act 2025 and the establishment of the Consumer Credit Commission.

Arsen Liametov, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Skyro, said:

“We use advanced AI-based scoring tools to provide convenient and intuitive credit products to people underserved by traditional banks. Our success in the Philippines gives us confidence in this approach, which we plan to adapt for other markets across Southeast Asia and beyond.”

With a population of around 35 million, Malaysia represents an important market for the expansion of digital financial services. While most of the population has access to bank accounts, consumers with limited credit histories or without verified income may find it difficult to obtain traditional bank loans. In the Philippines, Skyro uses AI and alternative data to assess creditworthiness, and it intends to apply a similar approach in Malaysia that has been adapted to local conditions and regulatory requirements.

Nasim Aliev, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Skyro, said:

“Ambitions shouldn’t have to wait. Across Southeast Asia, we see the same pattern: hardworking people are held back not by a lack of effort but by a temporary cash gap standing between them and a real opportunity. In Malaysia, we plan to develop credit products that give people a solution to this challenge while ensuring full control and transparency over their spending.”

Skyro plans to enter the Malaysian market with cash loans and intends to introduce further credit products in Malaysia over time. Skyro has also announced plans to expand into other markets, including Saudi Arabia, and to build an ecosystem of financial products.

Hashtag: #Skyro

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About Skyro

Skyro is a high-growth, digital-first fintech group delivering scalable, responsible financial access across high-potential emerging markets. Powered by proprietary data science, AI-driven credit decisioning, and alternative-data scoring, the company combines a mobile-native experience with modular fintech architecture to serve underserved client segments at scale.

As of 2026, Skyro has a registered user base of more than 7 million and a credit portfolio exceeding USD 200 million. The company’s ambition is to become a leading full-spectrum financial services group across high-potential markets by combining capability proven at scale with a commitment to building each business around the needs of the market it serves.

https://www.skyro.io/skyro-story