Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Kuwait Finance House-Bahrain has joined Fintech Forward 2026 as a Diamond Sponsor, adding its backing to the fourth edition of Bahrain’s flagship financial services forum scheduled for October 7 and 8. The bank said it will also operate a pavilion in the exhibition area at Exhibition World Bahrain, where visitors will be able to learn about its digital banking services and technology-led offerings. […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The UAE has approved the rollout of an artificial intelligence curriculum across all public and private schools, pairing classroom instruction with large-scale teacher training and a new AI-assisted decision-making system for the federal Cabinet. The decision, announced after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, makes AI education […]
Tether chief executive Paolo Ardoino has attributed Bitcoin’s failure to match gold’s global reach to a generational divide among financial decision-makers, arguing that the cryptocurrency remains poorly understood by many of the people who control pools of capital. Ardoino said Bitcoin is still at an early stage of adoption compared with gold, whose role as a store of value and reserve asset has been embedded in financial […]
Shanmugam, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Home Affairs Minister, said the government maintains a strict principle of not directing individual investment decisions by Temasek portfolio companies. Singapore Airlines, rather than state investor Temasek, is the shareholder in Air India and must decide whether additional funding is commercially justified, he said.
Air India is seeking about $1.5 billion in fresh equity from its owners, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, after losses widened sharply in the financial year ended March 2026. Singapore Airlines owns 25.1 per cent of the carrier, while Tata Sons holds the remaining 74.9 per cent.
Singapore Airlines said last week that its board would “carefully consider” any request for additional capital, taking account of the group’s other funding requirements and Air India’s business strategy. The airline said it works with Tata Sons to support Air India’s transformation programme as a significant minority shareholder.
The funding question has prompted political scrutiny in Singapore because Temasek, which is owned by the Ministry of Finance, is the majority shareholder in Singapore Airlines. Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong has questioned whether Temasek funds should ultimately be used to support Air India and has filed a question for the September 8 sitting of Parliament.
Shanmugam said shareholders and the public were entitled to expect rigorous assessment, accountability and transparency from Singapore Airlines. Shareholders could question management and directors at the company’s annual general meeting, but political views should not replace the professional judgment of its board, he said.
“Neither his views nor those of any minister or any other MP should substitute for the commercial judgment of SIA’s management and board of directors,” Shanmugam said, referring to Tiong.
He said Temasek is accountable to the government for its overall portfolio and long-term performance, but not for individual investments made by its portfolio companies. The government’s role, he added, was to ensure professional management and give companies sufficient independence to make properly considered decisions without political pressure.
Shanmugam warned that directing specific investments could weaken commercial discipline by allowing political considerations to shape corporate decisions. He said companies must be able to accept that some investments will produce gains and others losses, with performance judged across portfolios and over appropriate time horizons.
The debate follows Air India’s continuing financial and operational pressures during its overhaul under Tata ownership. The airline group posted a record loss of more than $2 billion for the last financial year, while its transformation has required extensive investment in aircraft, systems, customer service, maintenance and staffing.
Singapore Airlines became an Air India shareholder after the merger of Vistara with Air India was completed in November 2024. It received a 25.1 per cent stake in the enlarged carrier, combining its former Vistara interest with a cash investment agreed as part of the transaction.
Singapore Airlines subsequently injected further capital into Air India. By the end of March 2025, the total cost of its investment in the carrier stood at about S$2.1 billion, according to its disclosures.
The airline has repeatedly described its exposure to Air India as a long-term strategic investment, giving it direct participation in India’s large domestic aviation market and international traffic flows beyond its Singapore hub. It has also acknowledged that the turnaround will take time and that Air India faces both company-specific and wider industry challenges.
Bitcoin ownership is estimated at about 5% of the world’s population, with India accounting for the largest number of holders, according to figures published by on-chain analyst Willy Woo. Woo’s country-level table, posted on September 1, places worldwide adoption in a range of 4.5% to 6%, equivalent to roughly 370 million to 500 million people. India is estimated to have about 68 million Bitcoin holders, representing 4.6% […]
Blockchain networks are moving from experimental infrastructure towards a broader role in digital finance as developers increasingly raise transaction capacity and institutions test tokenised settlement at scale. The shift is being driven by advances in layer-two networks, data-availability systems and higher-capacity base chains to overcome the congestion, cost and latency that have limited blockchain use beyond cryptocurrency trading. Ethereum is pursuing simultaneous expansion of its main network […]
The campus at Koregaon Park Annexe is being designed around artificial intelligence and Internet of Things systems that will monitor environmental conditions, occupancy and infrastructure and adjust building operations in real time. Bajaj Finserv describes the project as its first “sentient” corporate campus.
Fadnavis unveiled a commemorative plaque at the September 4 ceremony, which was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, Bajaj Finserv Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Bajaj and other officials.
The company said the project would consolidate its diversified financial services businesses at a common address for the first time, bringing together operations spanning lending, deposits, payments, insurance and investments. The complex is also planned to include what Bajaj Finserv says will be Pune’s tallest steel tower.
Fadnavis said Bajaj Finserv had built a significant position in the state’s fintech ecosystem by using technology to widen access to loans, insurance and other financial services. He said the new campus would strengthen Pune’s role as a financial-technology centre and described the project as a major addition to Maharashtra’s business infrastructure.
The development is intended to use AI and IoT systems across energy management, water consumption, air quality, crowd density, movement and safety. Sensors and analytics are expected to help the campus respond to changes in weather and occupancy, while predictive maintenance systems will monitor critical infrastructure. Automation and robotics are also planned for some campus operations.
Bajaj Finserv said sustainability, environmental design and employee wellbeing would be the three main design pillars. The buildings are being planned to global LEED and Indian Green Building Council standards, with renewable energy intended to power the campus.
The company has set a target of recycling 80 per cent of water used at the site, alongside rainwater harvesting and zero-waste measures. Those features form part of Bajaj Finserv’s stated goal of achieving carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by the 2031-32 financial year.
Sanjiv Bajaj said the project was intended to combine environmental responsibility with the group’s financial inclusion goals. He said the campus would use eco-efficient and biophilic design, AI-driven systems and renewable energy while placing employee health and wellbeing at the centre of the workplace plan.
Green zones are expected to include Ayurvedic gardens, Miyawaki forests and replanted native forests, with species from Maharashtra selected to support biodiversity. The design will seek to increase natural daylight and ventilation and reduce cooling requirements, according to the company.
Indoor environmental monitoring is planned at floor and cluster level, covering air quality and temperature. Employees are also expected to use an integrated Bajaj One application for services such as navigation, parking and facility bookings.
The project includes plans for a medical centre with telemedicine and emergency-response facilities as well as dedicated wellness support. Bajaj Finserv said these services would be integrated with the wider digital infrastructure of the campus.
The company also plans to incorporate art, craft and heritage traditions from across the country into the development, including lesser-known and lost art forms. Elements of Bajaj Finserv’s corporate social responsibility programmes and work produced by programme beneficiaries are expected to feature within the campus design.
Fadnavis used the ceremony to highlight the Bajaj group’s long association with Maharashtra and its role in the state’s industrial development. He also referred to the legacy of Jamnalal Bajaj, the industrialist and freedom movement figure associated with the group’s early history.
Bajaj Finserv already has several corporate and group offices in Pune. The new site is intended to serve as the company’s principal corporate office and create a single large workplace for businesses that are now spread across different locations.
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has set February 2027 as the starting point for a three-stage expansion of tokenised securities, with the programme ultimately intended to support on-chain settlement linked to stablecoins. The roadmap, announced after a public-private consultative meeting on September 4, covers conventional assets including stocks, bonds and funds as well as fractional investment products. It is tied to amendments to the Act on Electronic […]
Threat actors are exploiting leaked Amazon Web Services credentials to hijack costly generative AI models on Amazon Bedrock, turning compromised cloud identities into a route for unauthorised inference and potentially large charges against victim accounts. FortiGuard Labs disclosed on September 3 that it had analysed an AWS account compromise involving a long-lived Identity and Access Management access key carrying AdministratorAccess permissions. The stolen credential was used to […]
Cybercrime group Toy Ghouls has deployed two custom Windows backdoors that use HiveMQ and the Matrix-based Element messaging system for command-and-control, marking a shift towards purpose-built malware. Security researchers said the tools, identified as mqtt-bird-agent 0.1.0 and matrix-bird-agent 0.1.0, were first observed in early July. Toy Ghouls, also tracked as Bearlyfy, Laboo. boo and Feral Wolf, has targeted organisations in Russia and is assessed to be financially […]
The International Monetary Fund has confirmed that all bitcoin added to El Salvador’s official holdings since June 2025 came from private donations, with no public resources used to expand the country’s cryptocurrency position. The disclosure was contained in an IMF statement issued after staff reached agreement with Salvadoran authorities on the combined second and third reviews of the country’s $1.4 billion Extended Fund Facility. The Fund said […]
ByteDance has secured a $29.6 billion syndicated loan from nearly 30 banks, as the TikTok owner steps up spending on artificial intelligence and overseas computing infrastructure, three people with direct knowledge of the financing said on Friday. The dollar-denominated facility is one of Asia’s largest loans this year and was expanded from an initial target of $20 billion after strong demand from lenders, the people said. Chinese […]
Trading in stocks and commodities through cryptocurrency platforms surged to about $778 billion in August, underscoring the rapid expansion of traditional-market products on venues built originally for digital assets. The total reflects a sharp rise in activity across perpetual futures and other products linked to equities, precious metals and commodities, as major crypto exchanges broadened their offerings beyond Bitcoin, Ether and other tokens. August data showed stock […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 September 2026 – Ping An Digital Bank (International) Limited (“Ping An Digital Bank”) has launched Purchase Order Financing product that specifically designed for cross-border e-commerce businesses, becoming the first digital bank in Hong Kong to offer dedicated factoring financing solution to export cross-border e-commerce merchants. Requiring no traditional collateral, eligible businesses can obtain financing of up to 95% of their accounts receivable based on eligible invoices, meeting their operational needs and enabling SMEs to take an important step toward global expansion.
Mr. Thomas Tung, Chief Business OfficerofPing An Digital Bank, said, “As the Hong Kong’s first digital bank dedicated to SMEs, Ping An Digital Bank has always been committed to supporting businesses and driving transformation in the trade finance ecosystem through financial technology. By harnessing years of experience in exploring the potential of commercial data, and combining multidimensional data spanning trade and finance, we have redefined the credit assessment process to effectively resolve financing bottlenecks for businesses. The launch of Purchase Order Financing seamlessly integrates credit insurance with risk management, providing cross-border e-commerce merchants with more efficient and flexible liquidity support. Moving forward, we will continue to leverage our fintech prowess and synergistic financial services to help SMEs capture global cross-border trade opportunities, serving as a reliable backer for cross-border trading enterprises.”
Ping An Digital Bank’s Purchase Order Financing is designed specifically for cross-border e-commerce businesses operating on open-account payment term With just eligible invoices, businesses can apply for financing with a ratio of up to 95% of accounts receivable, up to USD 5 million and a repayment period of up to 120 days. To address the urgent cash flow needs of cross-border e-commerce businesses, the approval and drawdown process can be completed as fast as T+1 business day. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on financial statements and collateral, Ping An Digital Bank innovatively utilises real-time sales data from cross-border buyers to gain insights into clients’ actual operational performance, thereby breaking through the cumbersome constraints of traditional credit assessment. The product architecture directly aligns with supply chain liquidity needs, empowering clients to deploy capital with flexibility and mitigate cash flow pressures with ease.
Looking ahead, Ping An Digital Bank will continue to deepen the application of data analytics and financial technology, driving product innovation to empower trade businesses to achieve digital transformation and business upgrades. The Bank remains dedicated to refining its one-stop digital financial ecosystem, spanning business account opening, foreign exchange transactions, cross-border settlement, and flexible credit facilities—delivering holistic support for enterprise operational challenges, facilitating global expansion, and acting as a dedicated and trusted partner for SMEs growing on the international stage.
Hashtag: #平安數字銀行 #PingAnDB #採購貿易融資 #PurchaseOrderFinancing
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Ping An Digital Bank (International) Limited (“Ping An Digital Bank,” “PingAnDB”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufax Holding Ltd (“Lufax”) (SEHK: 6623; NYSE: LU) and a member of Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (“Ping An”) (SEHK: 2318; SSE: 601318). Ping An Digital Bank was granted a banking licence by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in May 2019 to offer retail banking and business banking services. Backed by Ping An’s advanced technology, Ping An Digital Bank is elevating banking experience, serving customer in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, establishing itself as Ping An Group’s comprehensive financial platform in Hong Kong.
Ruto announced the decision during a visit to Kajiado County on Thursday, arguing that Tata Chemicals’ long presence in the area had delivered insufficient industrial development for local communities. He said any replacement investors would be expected to establish manufacturing operations in the county rather than simply extract and export raw materials.
The president said one of the incoming companies should develop a major glass manufacturing plant, while another would produce chemicals in Kajiado. His comments signalled a shift towards requiring more domestic processing of minerals and greater value addition around Lake Magadi, one of Kenya’s best-known mineral production centres.
“That TATA company… had that contract for 100 years. They have not built anything in Kajiado, they have not built any factory in Kajiado,” Ruto said. He questioned why Kenya should continue exporting soda ash while importing products such as glass that can be manufactured using the mineral.
Tata Chemicals said it respected the authority of Kenya’s government and remained committed to resolving outstanding issues through the appropriate legal and regulatory channels. The company said its Kenya unit had submitted a comprehensive response to matters raised by the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, including information concerning compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
The latest order follows a government directive that halted mining operations at Tata Chemicals Magadi Limited on July 28. The company had also been required to suspend exports of soda ash from its Magadi operation while the ministry reviewed regulatory concerns.
Tata Chemicals said on August 17 that it had provided all information, reports and documentation requested by the ministry and was awaiting further direction. At that stage, the company said it believed it had demonstrated compliance and was seeking a clear pathway to resume operations.
The company has disputed any suggestion that its activities have brought no benefit to the area. It said last month that about 500 employees and their families, as well as contractors, suppliers, transporters and local businesses, depended directly or indirectly on its Magadi operations. It also said about 30,000 people in the surrounding community benefited from its programmes in water, healthcare, education, infrastructure and community development.
Tata Chemicals Magadi describes itself as Africa’s leading producer of natural soda ash and one of Kenya’s leading exporters. The company says it exports more than 350,000 tonnes annually to markets in Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East and elsewhere in Africa.
Its financial performance in Kenya has weakened amid pressure on global soda ash prices. Tata Chemicals reported that the Magadi unit generated revenue of ₹5.86 billion in the financial year ended March 2026, down from ₹6.12 billion a year earlier. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell to ₹1.01 billion from ₹1.42 billion, while net profit declined to ₹480 million from ₹1.18 billion.
The company nevertheless recorded higher sales volumes in Kenya during the year and commissioned new equipment, including a five-megawatt solar plant, a solar pond and a 50,000-tonne electric calciner soda ash facility. Those investments were disclosed before the July suspension.
Ruto’s government is now tying future access to the Lake Magadi resource to industrial projects inside Kajiado. Kenya’s state news agency said the president indicated that a new investor would be required to establish glass and chemical processing facilities before receiving a licence to operate.
The change places the Magadi operation’s ownership, workforce and supply relationships under fresh uncertainty. Tata Chemicals said its immediate priorities remained the welfare of employees, the Magadi community and other stakeholders while it continued engagement with government authorities.
No timetable has been announced for the two prospective replacement companies to begin operations, and the government has not publicly identified them. Details of how existing mining rights, licences, assets or contractual obligations would be transferred have also not been disclosed.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Nasdaq Dubai has listed $713 million of dual-currency green bonds issued by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited through its Dubai International Financial Centre branch, adding another sizeable sustainable debt transaction to the exchange. The offering was issued under ICBC’s $20 billion Global Medium Term Note Programme and comprises two three-year tranches carrying the theme China-Arab States Renewable Energy Cooperation. The first […]
ABUJA, Nigeria – EQS Newswire – 3 September 2026 – The Nigeria NOW! takes place on 19 and 20 November at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, under the patronage of the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake. Between 500 and 600 delegates are expected across energy, infrastructure and mining.
The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development is partnering with EnergyNet to deliver the first Nigeria NOW!, and has committed to remain involved through the preparatory period rather than at the event alone. The Ministry hosted the Abuja launch, secured the patronage of the Honourable Minister, and convened three further federal ministries as deliberate participants.
Speaking at the launch through Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Dr Alake set out why four ministries participate rather than one. Infrastructure, licensing, financing, technology, security and market access fall across several mandates, and no single ministry can answer an investor’s questions on all of them.
Why Nigeria
Nigeria now issues no mining licence without a plan for a local processing plant. The rule has been applied consistently and the investment following it includes a $1.3 billion partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation covering an alumina refinery, geological mapping and exploration support, a $600 million lithium processing plant near the Kaduna-Niger border, and a $200 million lithium refinery outside Abuja.
The first working demonstration is already running. A lithium plant at Endo in Nasarawa State, commissioned on 2 July, processes 6,000 tonnes of ore a day on around $250 million of investment. Sector revenue reached over 38 billion naira in 2024 against 6 billion the previous year. A memorandum signed with Türkiye in May covers exploration, technology transfer, digitalisation and training, and the Solid Minerals Development Fund began awarding exploration grants in July under its new EMERGE endowment.
Nigeria’s power sector is moving on the same principle of decentralised decision-making. Two years into the Electricity Act 2023, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight to sixteen subnational commissions, giving states authority over their own electricity markets for the first time. The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority has put domestic capital behind distributed renewable energy, and industrial self-supply has reached 200MW, with a steel plant among the projects breaking ground against it.
Dr Alake’s own formulation is that the days of exporting raw minerals from pit to port are over.
What the Expo covers
Nigeria NOW! brings government, investors, project developers, financial institutions and development partners together around three sectors, energy, infrastructure and mining, with a focus on projects, capital and partnerships rather than announcements alone. The programme runs across two days at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
“This is the first Nigeria NOW! held in Nigeria, and the Ministry’s commitment to stay involved through the preparatory period is what makes it different from a conference that arrives and leaves,” said Abdoulaye Sylla, Portfolio Manager and Head of Corporate Development at EnergyNet. “We expect between 500 and 600 delegates, and the Ministry has asked that the Expo be judged on what is delivered after it closes.”
Partners
Nextier joins the Expo as Official Advisory Partner, providing strategic advisory and media support across the programme.
The Nigerian Indigenous Women in Mining and Natural Resources Organisation (NIWIMNRO) joins as Women in Mining Partner. The network was recognised at the Abuja launch with EnergyNet’s Leadership Award and a $25,000 grant, following a year in which it took its work with women artisanal miners from three states to all six of Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, adding protective equipment, mobile medical visits and cooperative registration to the training programme it began with.
Women in Mining joins as Women in Mining in Nigeria Partner; The Lagos State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources joins as Lagos State Sponsor; The Electricity Hub joins as Official Podcast Partner.
YES! Nigeria
The Youth Energy Summit runs alongside Nigeria NOW! on 20 November at the same venue, bringing young professionals and entrepreneurs into the same building as the investors and ministries. The Youth Sustainable Development Network joins as a partner for the Nigerian edition, alongside the University of Abuja’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Students as YES! Supporting Partner.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of EnergyNet Ltd.
Download Image (1): https://apo-opa.co/4gIB9gr (Four Nigerian ministries convene global investors in Abuja for the maiden Nigeria NOW! Launch (1))
Download Image (2): https://apo-opa.co/4x1g0o5 (Four Nigerian ministries convene global investors in Abuja for the maiden Nigeria NOW! Launch (2))
Download Image (3): https://apo-opa.co/4gV7u42 (Four Nigerian ministries convene global investors in Abuja for the maiden Nigeria NOW! launch (3))
Media and partnership enquiries:
Poliana Sperandio
Director
Marketing Strategy & Performance
EnergyNet
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 384 8191
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
EnergyNet produces investment forums and digital dialogues across energy, mining and infrastructure in Africa, bringing governments, investors, developers and utilities together around investment, policy dialogue and project delivery. Best known for the Africa Energy Forum, EnergyNet has worked in Nigeria for fifteen years. EnergyNet owns and operates the Energy News Network, its independent editorial platform, and is part of Clarion Events.
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