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As part of this strategy, the company unveiled Masar Gardens, a new mixed-use urban destination in Makkah with an initial infrastructure and land investment of approximately SAR 6 billion. The project spans 1.2 million square meters and is expected to be developed over a five-year period.

The new strategy targets expanding Umm Al Qura’s development portfolio beyond its flagship Masar Destination, with future projects planned across Makkah, Jeddah, and Madinah. The company aims to create a diversified portfolio of urban destinations valued at exceeding SAR 50 billion while attracting new investment opportunities and strategic partnerships.

Yasser Abuateek, Chief Executive Officer of Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction, said the company is leveraging its proven development expertise and institutional capabilities to deliver long-term value for investors, communities, and the wider economy.

Masar Gardens will feature residential, commercial, hospitality, and public-use components supported by extensive infrastructure, green spaces, pedestrian pathways, and modern mobility solutions. The project is designed to contribute to Makkah’s long-term urban development objectives while enhancing quality of life and strengthening the city’s attractiveness as an investment destination.

The announcement reflects the company’s broader vision of developing scalable urban destinations that support Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification ambitions and create sustainable growth opportunities for local and international investors.

Hashtag: #Development #SaudiArabia

https://www.ummalqura.com.sa/en

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The competition drew over 40 global submissions to decarbonise beef and dairy supply chains, with winning solution set to scale across one of Asia’s leading retail networks

HONG KONG SAR- Media OutReach Newswire – 9 June 2026 – DFI Retail Group (DFI or the Group), a leading Asian retailer, and The Mills Fabrica, a global collaborative hub propelling sustainability-focused innovations in the techstyle and agrifood sectors, named Number 8 Bio as the winner of the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge 2026. This announcement follows the Final Pitching event, which was held on 5 June, World Environment Day. The Australia-based innovator was recognised for BetterFeed™, a range of proprietary feed additives that cut enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep while improving the productivity of every animal that uses it. The team takes home a HK$120,000 grant and the opportunity to partner with DFI to scale its solution across the Group’s regional beef and dairy supply chains.

Scott Price, Group Chief Executive, DFI Retail Group said: “Tackling Scope 3 emissions requires collaboration across the value chain, and we are pleased that the Challenge has created opportunities for innovators to test and scale practical solutions within real operating environments. We look forward to seeing how they support our progress towards more sustainable and resilient food systems.”

Number 8 Bio has built a feed additive that does two jobs at once. BetterFeed™, a family of proprietary organic small molecules, free of bromoform, reduces enteric methane from grazing cattle and sheep, which is responsible for both the majority of livestock emissions and a 12% loss of nutritional energy from every pasture. By stopping that methane from forming, BetterFeed™ redirects the recovered energy straight back into animal growth and production, a genuine win for farmers’ bottom lines as much as for the climate. Winning the DFI Sustainability Innovation Challenge opens a pilot pathway across DFI’s beef and dairy supply chains, including with Mengniu Dairy and Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF).

Hashtag: #DFIretailGroup #TheMillsFabrica #Sustainability

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DFI Retail Group

DFI Retail Group is a leading Asian retailer driven by its purpose to “Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments”. At 31 December 2025, the Group and Maxim’s operated 7,580 outlets and employed more than 79,000 people across 12 markets. The Group is committed to delivering quality, value and service to consumers across the region through trusted brands, strong local market positions, and a broad retail ecosystem supported by extensive store networks, digital capabilities and efficient supply chains. The Group operates a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants under Maxim’s.

By Asad Mirza Marking exactly 100 days since a catastrophic conflict reordered the Middle East, a fragile, US-brokered truce violently collapsed as Israeli jets struck deep inside Iranian territory. By directly defying President Donald Trump’s explicit warnings to exercise restraint, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed the region into uncharted waters, leaving a heavily […]

The article Israel’s Defiance Of Trump Shatters The Truce In The US-Iran War appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Wing Kai New Energy X QIJI Energy X C&D Hi-Tech

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 June 2026 – The 19th (2026) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Exhibition & Conference (SNEC 2026) was grandly held from June 3 to 5, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Attracting over 3,000 exhibitors from 95 countries worldwide, the event stands as the largest and most influential professional grand gathering for the photovoltaic and energy storage sectors across Asia and globally.

During the exhibition, Mr. Yiu Wang Lee, Chairman of the Board of Wing Lee Development Construction Holdings Limited (“Wing Lee” or the “Group”, stock code: 9639.HK); Mr. Cai Huihui, General Manager of Wing Kai New Energy Technology Co., Limited (“Wing Kai New Energy”); Mr. Wang Yi, Key Account Manager of QIJI Energy; Mr. Xu Jun, Overseas Energy Storage Commercial Director of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL); and Mr. You Yuxian, ASEAN Regional Energy Storage Sales Director of CATL, jointly visited the exhibition booth of C&D Hi-Tech. The delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with the team led by General Manager Mr. Zhan Shengli, focusing on battery swapping station projects in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. By integrating multi-party resources, the teams successfully finalized and signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement.

Through this signing, the three parties will join forces to address and resolve the industry pain points of overseas markets regarding regulatory compliance, engineering infrastructure, and supply chain coordination. The collaboration represents a deep integration of QIJI Energy’s cutting-edge battery swapping solutions, Wing Kai New Energy’s localized infrastructure and operational capabilities across Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and C&D Hi-Tech’s robust global resource allocation strengths. Moving from single-project development to an ecosystem of mutual win-win, this partnership will significantly enhance the delivery efficiency of green energy across Hong Kong, Macau, and the Southeast Asian region, setting a brand-new benchmark for regional zero-carbon smart transportation.

As a subsidiary of Wing Lee, Wing Kai New Energy has been rooted in Hong Kong since its inception while radiating its presence globally, deeply cultivating sustainable clean energy solutions. Addressing the acute pain points in the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asian markets, where rapid fluctuations in energy prices have led to surging cost pressures for logistics distribution enterprises, Wing Kai New Energy will focus on urban distribution logistics battery swapping businesses in the future. The company plans to integrate site resources, infrastructure, and operations to fill the gap in regional infrastructure. We firmly believe that this cooperation will effectively bridge the cross-border green energy eco-link, accelerate the construction of a green energy service network, and contribute solidly to the realization of the “dual carbon” goals. Meanwhile, we sincerely invite more partners to join the Zero-Carbon Smart Alliance to jointly advance sustainable development.

Hashtag: #WingLee

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About Wing Lee Development Construction Holdings Limited

Deeply rooted in Hong Kong, Wing Lee is an established contractor engaged in civil engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, and new energy businesses, and has participated in various large-scale landmark projects in Hong Kong. The Group’s civil engineering business specialized in site formation waterworks as well as road and drainage works, while its electrical and mechanical engineering business specializes in power system-related projects and emergency maintenance works. In recent years, the Group has actively expanded into the new energy sector, undertaking solar photovoltaic projects, distributing various electric commercial vehicles and electric construction machinery, and engaging in the construction and subsequent maintenance of charging piles, battery swapping, recycling, and energy storage businesses. In 2025, Wing Lee Construction, together with SANY Group Co., Ltd. and CATL, among other industry giants, founded the “Zero-Carbon Smart Alliance” to develop full-industry-chain solutions for photovoltaics, energy storage, charging and battery swapping, and smart applications in green transportation.

Comprising over 70 business and professional representatives from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, the delegation has already yielded significant results at its first stop in Kazakhstan.

Speaking at a business luncheon in Astana yesterday (June 2), Mr Lee highlighted that 43 memoranda of understanding (MOU) and agreements have been concluded by the visiting delegation with companies and organisations from Kazakhstan, with more agreements to come.

“They span aviation, finance and trade, innovation and technology, the digital economy, green development, and more,” Mr Lee said, adding that a Hong Kong airline plans to launch direct flights to Almaty in the first quarter of 2027.

“I believe that Kazakhstan can serve as a hub for Hong Kong to connect with the Central Asian market. In turn, Hong Kong can be Central Asia’s hub in the east and southeast Asian region,” Mr Lee said.

“By strengthening co-operation between our two hubs, we can construct a hub-to-hub co-operation model.”

On his first day of visit in Astana (June 1), Mr Lee met with top government officials including the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.

Mr Lee noted that Kazakhstan has been actively promoting reforms on various fronts to bring about rapid economic growth.

“As one of the world’s three major financial centres, and the world’s largest cross-boundary wealth management centre and offshore Renminbi business hub, Hong Kong can provide diversified and flexible support including capital and asset allocation for Kazakhstan’s economic reforms and infrastructure development,” Mr Lee said.

The Chief Executive also encouraged companies in Kazakhstan to leverage Hong Kong’s advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle.

“Under this unique principle, Hong Kong has its own economic, social, legal, legislative and judicial systems. We are the only common law jurisdiction in China. We have our own currency, with no capital or foreign exchange controls. We are, as well, a separate customs territory,” Mr Lee said.

“The ‘one country, two systems’ principle ensures Hong Kong’s unparalleled access to the markets of the Chinese Mainland. Capitalising on our global connectivity and world-class professional services, Hong Kong is your ideal, two-way springboard for business expansion.”

Mr Lee also visited the Astana International Financial Centre and the Astana Hub, a local technology and innovation park, to respectively learn about Kazakhstan’s experience in promoting the development of the non-bank financial sector and the latest developments of the country in the field of AI.

Before leaving Kazakhstan today (June 3), Mr Lee visited Nazarbayev University, underscoring the historic significance of the trip.

“It was here, at Astana’s Nazarbayev University in 2013, that President Xi Jinping first raised the visionary initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt – today’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” Mr Lee said.

Last year, at the 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong, the university signed a MOU with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing higher education co-operation under the BRI. It further reached MOUs with Hong Kong’s Education University and Polytechnic University today.

“These agreements will deepen academic and research collaboration.

“Hong Kong is the only city in the world with five of the top 100 universities. This talent environment is reinforced by our global standing: last year, Hong Kong ranked first in Asia, and fourth globally, in the World Talent Ranking,” he added.

Mr Lee will continue to lead the delegation to Uzbekistan for the second leg of the mission to Central Asia.

Hashtag: #hongkong #brandhongkong #asiasworldcity #opportunitieswithCentralAsia

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Advancing Research Commercialization and Building a Vibrant I&T Ecosystem

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 June 2026 – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today successfully hosted its annual “Unicorn Day,” one of Hong Kong’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship events. The event brought together over 1,800 participants, including students, faculty, and alumni, as well as international and local government representatives, industry partners, investors, innovation and technology entrepreneurs, and researchers. Participants exchanged insights on strategies to strengthen collaboration across the innovation ecosystem, foster cross-disciplinary partnerships, and accelerate the translation of research outcomes into real-world impact.

The event was officiated by Prof. SUN Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, alongside consuls-generals and senior officials from countries including Australia, Chile, France, Hungary, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates. They were joined by Prof. Nancy IP, HKUST President; Prof. Lionel NI, HKUST (Guangzhou) President; and Prof. Tim CHENG, HKUST Vice-President for Research and Development; in touring over 100 HKUST-nurtured startups, showcasing innovations and applications spanning areas such as healthcare, electronics, and artificial intelligence systems, as well as new materials, green energy, and sustainability.

Prof. Sun Dong remarked, “Innovation and technology (I&T) has always been at the top of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s agenda. We fully recognise the crucial role of local universities — not only as key partners, but as the bedrock of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem. In just three and a half decades, HKUST has risen to become a global powerhouse in deep tech, entrepreneurship, and innovation as demonstrated by its ability to nurture unicorns and deep-tech ventures. Hong Kong is entering a golden era of I&T development. We are building new engines to drive Hong Kong’s high-quality development, focusing on research and development in key fields and leading industry applications. I am confident that Hong Kong will rise as a leading international I&T center and contribute meaningfully to our nation’s high-quality development, and that HKUST will continue to be a driving force in this amazing journey.”

President Ip said, “As we mark the 35th anniversary of HKUST this year, we also celebrate the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that has long been embedded in our DNA. Both the Technology Transfer Center and the Entrepreneurship Center were established in the University’s early years to support faculty and students in realizing their entrepreneurial aspirations and to promote the translation of research outcomes into practical solutions. Over the past 35 years, the University has forged ahead with determination, sowing the seeds of innovation and yielding remarkable achievements across multiple frontier fields. Today, HKUST continues to broaden its horizons, strategically positioning itself in key domains. One example is medical education. The establishment of the HKUST Medical School will integrate the life sciences with cutting-edge technologies to nurture a new generation of interdisciplinary medical professionals.

Concurrently, HKUST has been actively involved in national initiatives such as the Chang’E 8 lunar exploration mission and research projects for the Tiangong Space Station, and the launch of the first commercially viable aerospace project under the RAISe+ Scheme. These achievements exemplify HKUST’s enduring ‘can do’ spirit over the past decades and echo the theme of today’s event—’From Ideas to Miracles—35 Years of Impact and Beyond’. Looking ahead, HKUST will continue to nurture bold ideas and action, working hand in hand with partners across different sectors to cultivate a vibrant innovation ecosystem, ensuring that research achievements benefit society and create lasting global impact.”

To support startups in expanding into global markets and to promote cross-border collaboration, HKUST introduced an “International Pavilion,” featuring startups and innovation organizations from various countries and regions. Participants from Thailand, Singapore and Korea were among those represented, strengthening connections between Hong Kong, and countries and regions along the Belt and Road in technology application and industry development.

The event also saw the signing of multiple partnership agreements, including six strategic collaborations with:

• GPTX Investment Management Limited
• China Everbright Water Limited
• Jiangsu Daotop Environmental Technology
• Samsung R&D Institute China – Guangzhou
• CalmCar Physical AI Innovation Center
• InnoAngel

to advance talent development and industry–academia integration, and foster innovation-driven research and real-world technology translation.

HKUST’s I&T Strength Driving Economic Growth

In addition, HKUST also released the report Driving Socioeconomic Impact Through Research and Innovation: Insights from HKUST, commissioned by the University and prepared by the international research information analytics organization Elsevier. The report highlights HKUST’s outstanding performance in innovation and entrepreneurship. Over the past five years, research output has recorded an average growth of 10%, approximately 9% higher than that of other local institutions. More than 65% of the research is concentrated in engineering and computer science, while 6.2% involves academia-industry collaboration, significantly higher than the global average of 2.7%. These collaborations have translated into impactful intellectual property, with approximately 1,670 patent applications and 700 grants over the same period, and a high IP utilization rate of above 30%.

Prof. Tim Cheng noted that the findings demonstrate HKUST’s steadily strengthening capabilities in research translation and academia-industry collaboration. HKUST’s publications achieved a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 4.40, indicating that their citation impact is 4.4 times the global average. This underscores HKUST’s significant contributions to advancing Hong Kong’s socioeconomic development and enhancing its competitiveness in innovation and technology.

In addition, a “Marketplace” was also featured, showcasing products already launched by startups, including AI analytics tools, healthcare technologies, and smart city solutions, demonstrating the progress of translating research into practical applications.

Hashtag: #unicorn #unicornday #HKUST #partnership #innovation #startup #tech #AI #space #robotics #materialscience

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

Alongside the credit facility, the two parties also implemented digital account management and payment systems for Green GSM’s driver network. Through PNB’s corporate banking platform and digitized onboarding processes, account opening and activation times are significantly reduced, helping Green GSM strengthen operational management as it expands driver network.

As cities continue to seek lower-emission transport solutions, financial systems, digital payments, driver management and operating standards are becoming increasingly important to supporting mobility platforms at scale.

In the Philippines, Green GSM is building mobility model through the integration of technology, an all-electric fleet, and standardized operating systems. Following its strategic partnership with Xentro Group in 2025 and the launch of the Green Xentro fleet in Rizal earlier this year, the company continues to expand its presence through long-term collaborations with local partners and domestic financial institutions.

“We appreciate Green GSM’s long-term development direction in the Philippines, not only in advancing low-emission mobility, but also in the way the company is building an operating model with scalability and clear governance foundations,” said Mr. Edwin R. Bautista, President and Chief Executive Officer of PNB. “The transition toward sustainable transport will require ecosystems capable of supporting stable long-term growth, together with the financial and operational foundations needed to enable that expansion.”

Ms. Le Thi Thu Trang, Chief Executive Officer of Green GSM Philippines, said: “For Green GSM, developing an all-electric mobility model is not only about expanding the fleet, but also about building an operating system that is stable, standardized, and capable of sustainable long-term growth. Our partnership with PNB will help strengthen the financial and operational foundations needed to enhance service quality and support Green GSM’s continued expansion in the Philippines.”

Green GSM develops its all-electric mobility model through the combination of technology, standardized operating systems, and professionally trained drivers. The platform is supported by real-time monitoring and operational systems designed to maintain service consistency across major urban areas.

The partnership with PNB further reinforces Green GSM’s long-term direction in the Philippines, where the company continues to strengthen its operating foundations, service standards, and driver support systems in order to maintain service quality as operations scale further.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

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About GSM & Green SM

GSM (Green Smart Mobility) is a pioneering multi-platform company operating all-electric ride-hailing services. With a focus on sustainable transport development, GSM operates a mobility model powered entirely by VinFast electric vehicles, combining technology, service standards, and operational ecosystems to support the future of low-emission urban mobility.

Green GSM is GSM’s official brand in the Philippines and is part of the broader Green SM global ecosystem, alongside Xanh SM in Vietnam and Laos, and Green SM in Indonesia. Across all markets, the brand focuses on delivering modern mobility experiences through VinFast electric vehicles, professional drivers, and operating systems built around safety, consistency, and service quality.

About Philippine National Bank (PNB)

Philippine National Bank (PNB) is one of the Philippines’ largest private commercial banks in terms of assets and deposits. The bank provides a full range of financial and banking services to individual customers, businesses, institutions, and overseas Filipino communities. With a history spanning more than a century, PNB continues to focus on growth strategies driven by digital transformation, operational efficiency, and sustainable development in the financial sector.