Amsterdam is set to host one of Europe’s most closely watched digital asset gatherings as Dutch Blockchain Week 2026 returns from 22 to 28 June, with organisers signalling a broader international footprint and stronger corporate backing than previous editions. Event coordinators say leading exchanges, fintech firms, venture capital funds and regulatory specialists have confirmed participation, underscoring the Netherlands’ growing role as a gateway for blockchain innovation within […]
Dubai has confirmed plans for the first four stations of its underground Dubai Loop transport system, linking Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Mall in an initial phase designed to transform short-distance urban travel. Authorities say the network will ultimately expand to 19 stations, with a fleet of 100 specialised vehicles capable of moving up to 13,000 passengers a day. The project, valued at approximately AED 2.5 […]
Food queues are lengthening, blackouts are stretching into the night and petrol stations stand dry across Cuba as tighter US sanctions and a collapse in tourism compound a severe fuel shortage, pushing daily life on the island towards what many residents describe as a breaking point. Authorities in Havana have acknowledged acute constraints on diesel and petrol supplies, attributing the shortfall to tougher enforcement of US measures […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Aramco has begun selling oil produced from its Jafurah field, marking the first reported export linked to the kingdom’s $100 billion unconventional gas development and signalling a new phase in one of the world’s largest energy projects. The state-controlled energy giant confirmed that condensate and associated liquids from Jafurah have entered commercial channels, underscoring Riyadh’s push to monetise resources from a field […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s property market set a new benchmark on 26 January after recording Dh15.6 billion in real estate transactions in a single day, the highest daily value ever logged, according to figures released by the Dubai Land Department. The total was generated through 1,501 transactions, underscoring the scale and depth of activity across land plots, residential units and entire buildings. Sales alone accounted for […]
AACHEN, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 11 February 2026 – FEV has published new analysis results on the economic efficiency of electrified commercial vehicles as part of an internal research program. The evaluation of extensive techno-economic data shows: depending on the driving cycle, through trucks with range extender architecture (REEV/Hybrid BEV) the total cost of ownership (TCO) can be reduced by up to 33 percent compared to conventional diesel trucks – while also significantly reducing CO₂ emissions. Even in the most unfavorable long-haul scenario, the TCO declined by approximately 14 percent.
Depending on the driving cycle through range extender trucks TCO can be reduced by up to 33 percent. Source: FEV
Calculations are based on realistic European usage profiles with overnight charging at industrial electricity prices of around 19 cents per kilowatt hour. In regions with lower electricity costs, the advantage is correspondingly higher.
Cost-effectiveness without megawatt charging infrastructure
A key lever of the REEV architecture is the reduced battery size compared to purely battery-electric long-haul trucks. While typical BEV trucks require battery capacities of around 560 kWh, a REEV truck can manage with around 280 kWh. Even with slower AC charging at 22 kW, around 240 kWh can be recharged overnight – enough to power the vehicle almost entirely electrically for the next day. Thus, a megawatt charging infrastructure is not necessary for economical operation.
Significant TCO advantage in the cost-critical commercial vehicle market
The economic advantage of the range extender architecture results from several factors. The smaller battery of a REEV truck reduces vehicle costs and weight while increasing payload. Also, the high proportion of electric driving enables low energy costs, especially when charging at depots at night at industrial electricity prices.
Due to their low dependence on public high-performance charging infrastructure, REEV trucks can be seamlessly integrated into existing depot structures.
Hashtag: #FEV
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Laboratories, whether in universities, hospitals or industrial research centres, rarely command public attention. Yet the integrity of their work often depends as much on routine maintenance and appropriate equipment as on scientific expertise. In recent years, lab managers across the Middle East and beyond have been reassessing how safety infrastructure is selected, maintained and upgraded, particularly as research volumes increase and regulatory scrutiny tightens. At the […]
Amazon has outlined plans to channel up to $200 billion into artificial intelligence-focused data centres, networking and custom silicon through 2026, a scale of spending that would rank among the largest infrastructure pushes ever undertaken by a technology company. The investment, disclosed across earnings briefings and regulatory filings, is aimed at expanding Amazon Web Services capacity as customers accelerate the deployment of generative AI models and data-intensive […]
By Nantoo Banerjee The excitement over the finalization of the first tranche of the Indo-US trade deal during last weekend after months of negotiations and uncertainties may be irrational, if not too early, as it remains unclear about the US attitude towards India’s multi-alignment global trade and economic strategy combining countries such as Russia and […]
A growing chorus from France’s political, financial and academic establishment is warning that the country is approaching a decisive moment as the far right edges closer to power, unsettling markets and raising questions about the durability of the republic’s economic model and European commitments. The unease sharpened after confirmation that François Villeroy de Galhau, the long-serving governor of the Banque de France and a central figure in […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Rivian Automotive is quietly extending its software footprint beyond the dashboard, with work under way on an Apple Watch companion app that signals a broader push into connected vehicle experiences ahead of its next phase of growth. Code references found within Rivian’s iPhone application point to functionality designed for the Apple Watch, suggesting the electric vehicle maker is preparing to let drivers interact […]
HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 February 2026 – VinFast and Exposure SARL announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the potential supply of electric vehicles for green taxi services in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The agreement marks an important milestone in the Vietnamese EV maker’s international expansion strategy and a major step forward in promoting the transition to green transportation in the capital of the DRC.
Ms. Le Thi Thu Thuy – Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup and Chairwoman of VinFast, and Mr. Fely Samuna Lukwaka – CEO of Exposure SARL, together with representatives of both parties at the signing ceremony.
Under the MOU, the two parties will discuss and coordinate to develop a plan to supply the first batch of VinFast electric vehicles for Exposure to operate electric taxi services in Kinshasa. This batch is expected to include the commercial-oriented Limo Green and Herio Green models, regarded as an initial foundation for an all-electric taxi model, contributing to the formation of zero-emission transport habits in urban passenger transportation in Congo.
At the same time, Exposure has expressed its intention to become a distributor of VinFast vehicles in the Congolese market and will jointly study a business plan suited to local conditions. Both parties commit to continued cooperation in good faith, laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration in the future.
The MOU between VinFast and Exposure SARL initiates the implementation of the strategic cooperation framework established by Vingroup and the City of Kinshasa in 2025. At that time, the parties agreed to study and promote the procurement and deployment of VinFast’s electric mobility solutions, including electric buses, cars, and scooters, to serve the city’s and residents’ transportation needs.
Earlier, the Kinshasa municipal authorities and Vingroup also signed an MOU to study and develop a riverside mega urban project covering approximately 6,300 hectares. Featuring housing, villas, hospitals, schools, shopping centers, hotels, and entertainment facilities, the project is expected to become a new tourism destination and a symbol of Kinshasa’s future development.
The partnerships align with the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s long-term vision for sustainable urban development and green transition, particularly in rapidly urbanizing cities such as Kinshasa, where demand for clean, smart and efficient mobility is rising. Building on the country’s renewable energy potential and commitment to low-emission growth, the initiative supports Kinshasa’s ambition to develop an integrated green infrastructure and electric mobility ecosystem.
Ms. Duong Thi Thu Trang, Deputy CEO of Global Sales, VinFast, stated: “The cooperation with Exposure SARL reflects VinFast’s confidence in the potential for green transportation in Africa and reaffirms our commitment to delivering modern, accessible green mobility solutions tailored to each market. We believe that VinFast’s electric vehicle products, proven across multiple markets, combined with Exposure’s local expertise, will help accelerate the transition to green transportation in Congo.”
Mr. Fely Samuna Lukwaka, Chief Executive Officer of Exposure SARL, said: “We are very pleased to cooperate with VinFast toward a low emission mobility future for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in general and the capital Kinshasa in particular. With a population of more than 120 million and a strategic location bordering nine countries, forming a regional market of over 200 million people, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has strong potential to become a gateway for electric vehicle development in Central Africa. We have full confidence in VinFast’s technological capabilities and product ecosystem, and we expect this cooperation to establish a foundation for the next stages of development of the electric vehicle market not only in the DRC but across the wider region.”
VinFast is a pure-play electric vehicle automaker under Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, with a vision to drive the movement of the global smart electric vehicle revolution. Over the past years, the EV maker has expanded strongly into new and promising markets such as India, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Middle East, while continuing to strengthen its presence in key markets in Europe and North America. Strategic moves in 2025 are expected to provide strong momentum and a solid launchpad for further breakthroughs in 2026.
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 (“EV”) manufacturer with the mission of making EVs accessible to everyone. VinFast’s product lineup today includes a wide range of electric SUVs, e-scooters, and e-buses.
VinFast is currently embarking on its next growth phase through rapid expansion of its distribution and dealership network globally and increasing its manufacturing capacities with a focus on key markets across North America, Europe and Asia.
Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the Institute of Energy Economics Japan have convened the 2026 UAE–Japan Industry-Academia Collaboration Steering Board meeting in Abu Dhabi, bringing senior policymakers, researchers and industry executives together to accelerate joint work across energy systems, advanced materials and industrial decarbonisation.
The closed-door session, hosted by Khalifa University of Science and Technology with Institute of Energy Economics Japan, reviewed progress under a multi-year framework that links laboratory research to commercial deployment. Participants focused on aligning research priorities with national transition goals in the United Arab Emirates and Japan while ensuring that projects move beyond pilot stages into scaled industrial use.
University officials said the meeting sharpened governance around joint programmes that span hydrogen value chains, grid resilience, carbon management and next-generation manufacturing. The steering board assessed ongoing work on hydrogen carriers and utilisation pathways, including ammonia and synthetic fuels, alongside studies on carbon capture, utilisation and storage that integrate process design with life-cycle analysis. Industry representatives pressed for faster timelines and clearer pathways to demonstration, citing capital discipline and the need for predictable policy signals.
Energy systems dominated the agenda as both countries seek to balance security, affordability and emissions goals. Japan’s import-dependent energy mix and the UAE’s role as a major producer and exporter create complementary incentives for collaboration, delegates noted. Research teams presented updates on high-efficiency electrolysers, advanced catalysts and thermal management, with an emphasis on reducing costs and improving durability under desert and maritime operating conditions.
Another thread centred on digitalisation and artificial intelligence in energy operations. Joint projects are examining how data-driven optimisation can cut losses across generation, storage and transmission, and how digital twins can accelerate plant design and maintenance. Academic leaders argued that co-developed datasets and shared testbeds are essential to attract industrial partners and ensure interoperability across markets.
Advanced materials and manufacturing featured prominently, reflecting interest from automotive, aerospace and heavy-industry partners. Researchers outlined progress in lightweight alloys, composites and coatings designed to withstand extreme temperatures while lowering energy intensity. Industry participants flagged workforce readiness as a bottleneck, urging expanded exchange programmes and co-supervised doctoral tracks to build skills that translate quickly to factory floors.
The steering board also reviewed funding structures and intellectual property frameworks. Both sides reaffirmed commitments to balanced IP arrangements that protect proprietary know-how while enabling publication and talent development. Officials highlighted the importance of predictable co-funding cycles to keep multi-year research teams intact and to de-risk private investment in demonstration assets.
Abu Dhabi’s role as host underscored the emirate’s ambition to serve as a convening hub for applied research and industrial partnerships. Delegates toured university laboratories and pilot facilities to evaluate readiness for scale-up, with particular attention to safety standards and integration with industrial sites. Discussions touched on regulatory alignment and standards development, areas seen as critical to shortening time-to-market for cross-border technologies.
Japanese participants emphasised the value of long-term academic partnerships in sustaining innovation during market cycles. They pointed to the need for rigorous techno-economic assessments to guide policy and investment decisions, and for transparent metrics to track emissions impacts across supply chains. UAE counterparts highlighted the opportunity to test solutions at scale and under demanding conditions, offering feedback loops that can refine designs before global deployment.
Beyond energy, the meeting explored collaboration in water-energy nexus research, climate-resilient infrastructure and systems engineering for smart cities. Presentations examined desalination efficiency, waste-to-value pathways and the integration of distributed resources, reflecting broader industrial interests in sustainability and circularity.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi’s economy gathered pace in the third quarter of 2025 as real GDP reached 325.7 billion dirhams, equivalent to $88.68 billion, marking a year-on-year expansion of 7.7%, official data showed, underlining the emirate’s continued shift towards a broader growth base even as hydrocarbons remain a central pillar. Figures released by the Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre indicated that the non-oil economy expanded by […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Institutional investors across the Middle East are signalling a deeper commitment to private markets as portfolio diversification and income stability rise to the top of allocation priorities, according to industry data and market participants tracking capital flows in the region. A broad base of investors is already exposed to private assets, with close to nine in 10 holding positions in private markets. More […]
Papio, a global industrial analytics and AI company, has announced the establishment of its Qatari subsidiary and is now officially registered in Qatar under QFC. Steven Jansen, CEO and founder of Papio, shares insights on the company’s global expansion and long-term commitment to supporting industrial organisations with digital transformation initiatives, serving customers better across Qatar and the wider Gulf, while building its footprint in the region. “The Middle East […]
Bitcoin crossed the symbolic threshold of one US dollar 15 years ago, a modest valuation milestone that has since acquired outsized significance as the digital asset evolved from an obscure experiment into a global financial phenomenon influencing markets, regulation, and technology debates. The moment, marked in early February 2011 on a handful of online trading forums and exchanges, is now widely cited as the point at which […]
Aldar Properties and Dubai Holding have broadened their flagship joint venture, adding two strategic land plots in Dubai that will deliver close to 14,000 new homes with a combined gross development value exceeding AED38 billion, reinforcing the emirate’s position as one of the world’s most active residential development markets. The expansion builds on the partnership launched in 2023 and signals Aldar’s accelerating growth in Dubai following the […]
Abu Dhabi-based technology group G42 has signed a $1bn framework cooperation agreement with a Vietnamese consortium led by FPT Corporation and Viet Thai Group, marking one of the largest cross-border technology collaborations aimed at building sovereign artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure in Southeast Asia. The agreement sets out a multi-year plan to deploy large-scale cloud capacity across three data centre locations in Vietnam, alongside the development of […]
Samsung Electronics plans to begin mass production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, HBM4, next month, positioning the company to step up supplies to key artificial intelligence customers led by Nvidia as competition in advanced memory intensifies. The South Korean chipmaker has been racing to finalise yields and qualification for HBM4, a critical component for the latest generation of AI accelerators that demand faster data transfer and […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai PureHealth Holding delivered a solid set of full-year results for 2025, reporting net profit of AED2 billion and proposing a cash dividend of AED600 million, underscoring the scale and resilience of the Abu Dhabi-based healthcare group as it expands across services, geographies and clinical capabilities. The company said results for the year ended 31 December 2025 reflected steady demand across hospitals, clinics, diagnostics […]
Sovereign credit prospects across the Middle East are set to remain stable through 2026, underpinned by resilient economic fundamentals, disciplined fiscal management and sizeable financial buffers, even as the region navigates elevated geopolitical tensions and softer oil prices, according to an assessment by S&P Global Ratings. The ratings agency points to strong government balance sheets and a steady expansion of policy flexibility as key factors insulating most […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai ADNOC Gas plc reported a net income of $5.2 billion for the fiscal year ended 2025, marking a 3 per cent rise compared with the previous year and underscoring the company’s capacity to generate resilient returns amid volatile commodity markets. The Abu Dhabi-based integrated gas producer said the result was achieved despite an average Brent crude oil price of $69 per barrel for the […]
Larsen & Toubro is set to expand its data centre footprint to 32 megawatts by the end of March, commissioning 18 MW of new capacity as the engineering major sharpens its focus on digital infrastructure alongside emerging opportunities in green hydrogen and semiconductors.
The additional capacity will lift the group’s operational data centre load from the existing 14 MW, marking a decisive step in a segment that has become a core pillar of its technology-led growth strategy. The commissioning is scheduled to be completed before the close of the financial year, aligning with strong demand from cloud service providers, hyperscalers and large enterprises accelerating their migration to outsourced digital infrastructure.
Larsen & Toubro has steadily built its data centre business over the past few years, leveraging its engineering, procurement and construction capabilities to develop facilities that meet high standards for power efficiency, uptime and scalability. Executives have previously indicated that the group’s focus is on delivering carrier-neutral and hyperscale-ready campuses in key metros, where demand continues to outpace supply despite a wave of new announcements by domestic and global operators.
Industry estimates show that data consumption growth, artificial intelligence workloads and stricter data localisation norms are driving sustained investment in capacity across Asia. India remains one of the fastest-growing markets in this space, with several multinational cloud companies committing to expand their presence. Against this backdrop, L&T’s move to lift capacity by more than double underscores its intention to be a long-term player rather than a peripheral builder.
The data centre expansion is being pursued alongside the company’s ambitions in newer industrial segments. L&T has signalled that it is actively pursuing orders related to electrolysers, a critical component for producing green hydrogen, as governments and industrial groups accelerate decarbonisation plans. Electrolyser manufacturing and deployment are viewed as strategic areas where the company’s heavy engineering background can be translated into repeatable, export-oriented businesses.
Management has also reiterated interest in the semiconductor ecosystem, particularly in supplying equipment, engineering services and infrastructure for chip fabrication and assembly units. While L&T is not positioning itself as a chipmaker, it aims to capture value across the supply chain as multiple semiconductor projects move from proposal to execution stages. The company has indicated that it is evaluating opportunities linked to cleanroom construction, precision engineering and advanced manufacturing systems required by chip plants.
Analysts tracking the capital goods sector note that diversification into data centres and clean energy-linked manufacturing provides a hedge against cyclicality in traditional infrastructure spending. Order inflows from transport, hydrocarbons and power transmission remain important for L&T, but newer verticals are expected to deliver higher margins and longer visibility once scale is achieved.
The data centre business, in particular, benefits from predictable long-term contracts and rising demand for energy-efficient facilities. Power availability and cooling efficiency have become critical differentiators as operators seek to control operating costs and meet sustainability targets. L&T has highlighted its emphasis on optimised designs, modular construction and integration of renewable energy where feasible, in response to customer requirements.
From a financial perspective, the 18 MW commissioning is not expected to materially strain the balance sheet, given the group’s strong cash flows and diversified revenue base. The company has historically funded growth through a mix of internal accruals and selective partnerships, and similar structures are being explored for digital infrastructure projects to manage risk and accelerate execution.
Market participants also point to the broader ecosystem benefits of large data centre builds, including demand for electrical equipment, cooling systems, specialised construction and long-term maintenance services. This creates opportunities for L&T to cross-leverage capabilities across its subsidiaries and verticals, reinforcing the strategic rationale behind the expansion.
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