Abu Dhabi is preparing to export increased volumes of its flagship Murban crude for April delivery as part of a broader effort by Gulf producers to strengthen supply ahead of a pivotal OPEC+ gathering and amidst mounting geopolitical uncertainties. The state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has offered additional barrels to its partners in the onshore concession that produces the light, low-sulphur grade, traders said. It remains […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai President Donald Trump announced early on Saturday that the United States military had launched “major combat operations” in Iran, marking a dramatic escalation in long-running tensions between Washington and Tehran. Trump said the strikes were intended to target what he described as imminent threats posed by the Iranian regime, and declared that American forces were acting to protect the United States, its military […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi has achieved firm pricing on a dual-tranche dollar bond sale, drawing robust global demand that allowed spreads to tighten sharply from initial guidance and underscored sustained investor appetite for high-grade Gulf sovereign debt. The emirate priced a five-year tranche at a 3.75 per cent coupon with a reoffer price of 99.824 per cent, equating to a spread of 20 basis points […]
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed that the company has reached a strategic agreement with the U. S. Department of War to deploy its artificial intelligence models on the ministry’s classified network, signalling a major shift in the technology sector’s engagement with national security infrastructure and government contracts. The contract embeds safety principles that bar mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapon-control, reflecting a delicate balance between […]
Kenya’s government has moved to repurchase about $415 million of its outstanding Eurobonds due in 2028 and 2032, a strategic manoeuvre designed to ease looming repayment pressures and recalibrate the nation’s external debt profile. The tender offer, which attracted substantial investor interest, comes amid broader efforts to manage refinancing risk and sustain fiscal stability as the East African economy navigates tight debt dynamics. Officials confirmed that all […]
Matein Khalid Mr. Market is a metaphorical schizophrenic pendulum who swings between extremes of fear and greed, thus giving us a chance to make money at inflection points on both ends of the spectrum. So here we are in a surreal world of extreme fear on Nasdaq where the PEG ratios for Procter & Gamble is 5.4, for Coca Cola is 3.64, Johnny-Johnny is 2.4, Pepsi is […]
Bitcoin weakened sharply amid a broader shift in investor sentiment after the release of United States inflation figures that showed producer prices rising more than expected, prompting traders to dial back risk exposure and temper expectations of near-term interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The world’s largest cryptocurrency slipped back toward the key $65,000 level, erasing much of the mid-week rally that had pushed prices toward […]
Anthropic has declined to proceed with a revised artificial intelligence contract offered by the US Department of Defense, citing concerns that changes to the agreement would weaken safeguards tied to its core safety commitments and restrictions on military applications. The San Francisco-based company, founded by former OpenAI executives including Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei, confirmed it would not accept amendments to a previously negotiated arrangement that it […]
Despite the complex and ever-changing external environment, Mr Chan noted that Hong Kong’s financial market had performed strongly and the city’s financial system remains robust.
In 2025, Hong Kong ranked first globally for funds raised through initial public offerings.
“We will continue to consolidate our existing strengths, tap into emerging fields, strengthen market systems and risk control and deepen financial co-operation in the Greater Bay Area,” Mr Chan said. “By doing so, we will enhance Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre on all fronts and contribute to the national strategic goal of ‘accelerating China’s development as a financial powerhouse’ “.
With Hong Kong being the world’s largest hub for offshore Renminbi (RMB) business, the Financial Secretary said the city would leverage its unique strengths and proactively align with national development strategies.
For advancing the internationalisation of the RMB, Mr Chan said Hong Kong would facilitate the wider use of RMB in activities such as trade and cross-boundary business; reduce transaction costs; enrich product offerings in the offshore RMB market; improve price discovery in the short-to-medium-term-interest-rate market; and attract high-quality issuers to increase RMB bond issuance in Hong Kong.
In 2025, the stock market delivered a stellar performance. The Hang Seng Index rose by 28 per cent over the year. The daily turnover surged by 90 per cent to a historic high of close to $250 billion (US$32 billion).
Mr Chan said the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) would continue enhancing the securities market, attracting issuers and boosting market efficiency.
“We will also introduce the next stage of reforms, including enhancing the regulatory regime for listed companies, providing specific guidelines for overseas companies seeking secondary listing in Hong Kong, offering more overseas markets as recognised exchanges, and continuing to explore with the market the provision of an over-the-counter trading platform for delisted stocks or those requiring special handling.
“The electronic bond-trading platform will also be launched in the second half of this year, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a global fixed income and currency hub,” he said.
To attract more family offices and funds to set up in Hong Kong, Mr Chan said Hong Kong would enhance the tax regime, including expanding the scope of “fund” to cover specific funds-of-one, as well as classifying digital assets, precious metals, and specified commodities, etc. as qualifying investments eligible for tax concessions.
Regarding the development of digital assets, the Government published the second policy statement for developing Hong Kong into a global hub for digital asset innovation through the establishment of a comprehensive regulatory framework.
A bill will be introduced this year to establish licensing regimes for, among others, digital asset dealing and custodian service providers.
“We will also explore the adoption of electronic signature for bond issuance documents and the digitalisation of bearer bonds,” Mr Chan said.
To promote the application of fintech and enhance the efficiency of the asset management market, the CMU OmniClear, a market infrastructure operator established by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, will establish a digital asset platform this year. It will support the issuance and settlement of digital bonds. The platform will also be gradually extended to other digital assets and linked with other tokenisation platforms in the region, consolidating Hong Kong’s leading role in the realm of digital assets.
In order to build an international gold trading market in Hong Kong, Mr Chan said the Government would explore offering tax incentives for eligible institutions conducting gold trading and settlement in Hong Kong; assist the industry in setting up an industry-led trade association to consolidate resources, step up promotion, and foster ties with industry stakeholders from around the world; and help the industry keep abreast of the latest gold market developments, acquire relevant skills and develop a training framework.
Hashtag: #HongKong #BrandHongKong #Budget #International #Financial #Hub
https://www.brandhk.gov.hk/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-hong-kong/
https://x.com/Brand_HK/
https://www.facebook.com/brandhk.isd
https://www.instagram.com/brandhongkong
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A labour court in Abu Dhabi has ordered a public relations manager to repay Dh290,383 to his former employer after judges found that funds entrusted to him for official purposes were misused and retained unlawfully. The ruling underscores the judiciary’s strict stance on financial misconduct and breach of trust within companies, holding employees accountable when entrusted authority is abused. The court found that […]
Google has upgraded its Wear OS platform to allow smartwatches to receive earthquake alerts independently of a paired smartphone, expanding a safety feature that until now relied largely on a connected handset. The update, delivered through Google Play Services, enables compatible Wear OS devices to display earthquake warnings even when they are out of Bluetooth range of a phone or temporarily disconnected. The change means users wearing […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Motorists who fail to stop for pedestrians at designated crossings in Sharjah face a Dh500 fine and black traffic points, as authorities intensify efforts to curb road fatalities and reinforce a culture of shared responsibility on the emirate’s streets. Sharjah Police have renewed warnings that drivers must yield at zebra crossings and other marked pedestrian areas, stressing that the penalty is not merely […]
Abu Dhabi has begun on-road trials of Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance system, marking the first time the company’s “Full Self-Driving ” technology is being tested in the emirate under an official regulatory framework. The programme has been launched by the Integrated Transport Centre, an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, which said the trials will assess the system’s performance in live traffic conditions while maintaining direct […]
Paramount Skydance has emerged as the probable victor in a high-stakes contest to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, as streaming giant Netflix declined to increase its offer, effectively withdrawing from the pursuit and handing momentum to its rival. Paramount’s revised proposal of $31 per share in cash and commitment to cover substantial termination and regulatory fees was judged superior by the Warner Bros Discovery board, setting the stage […]
Super Micro Computer Inc. and Abu Dhabi-based EHC Investment have unveiled plans to develop sovereign artificial intelligence data centres in the United Arab Emirates, positioning the Gulf state to expand domestic control over high-performance computing infrastructure amid accelerating demand for AI workloads. The partnership seeks to deliver modular, rapidly deployable data centre facilities designed to support advanced AI training and inference while ensuring data residency within the […]
Moscow’s Federal Security Service has opened a criminal investigation into Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov, accusing him of aiding and abetting terrorist activities linked to widespread content on the messaging platform and alleging refusal to cooperate with law enforcement. State-affiliated media in Moscow published material this week stating that the investigation falls under Russia’s criminal code provisions on assistance to terrorism, a charge that carries […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai Lynx is expanding its academies programme as its partnership with Publicis Groupe Middle East enters a fourth year, signalling a sustained push to cultivate creative talent across the region’s communications industry. Organisers of the annual Dubai Lynx Festival, widely regarded as the Middle East and North Africa’s leading platform for creative excellence, confirmed that Publicis Groupe Middle East will continue as the […]
Google has unveiled a major advancement in its Gemini artificial intelligence assistant that allows the software to autonomously handle multi-step operations on Android devices, enabling users to command the AI to book rides, order food and manage other everyday tasks without manual execution. The new capability positions Gemini not just as a conversational helper but as an active agent capable of executing instructions across multiple apps in […]
Gold prices firmed in early trade on Thursday as a softer dollar and renewed demand for defensive assets lent support, with investors assessing signals from Washington on tariffs and monitoring diplomatic exchanges between the United States and Iran. Spot gold rose 0.4 per cent to $5,192.28 per ounce by 0500 GMT, extending gains after touching a more than three-week high earlier in the week. US gold futures […]
Artificial intelligence is triggering frustration across the video game industry as developers deploy automated tools to reduce budgets, only to face backlash from players who say quality and creativity are suffering. Studios under financial strain are increasingly turning to generative AI to assist with coding, artwork, dialogue and quality assurance. While executives argue the technology speeds up production and lowers costs, gamers have highlighted glitches, awkward scripts […]
Bill Gates apologised to employees of the Gates Foundation for his past meetings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, telling staff he “took responsibility for his actions” while maintaining he saw nothing illicit during their interactions. A spokesperson for the philanthropic organisation confirmed that Gates addressed the issue during a town hall meeting, acknowledging that his association with Epstein had caused harm to the foundation’s reputation and […]
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 February 2026 – XTransfer, the World’s Leading B2B Cross-Border Trade Payment Platform, is pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) for key payment licences, including issuing electronic money, as well as a Money Services Business Licence (Class A) covering remittance and currency exchange.
Upon completing the pre-issuance conditions and being permitted to launch, XTransfer plans to introduce digital payment services in Malaysia designed to support businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engaged in international trade. These services are intended to include streamlined onboarding, convenient funding options, efficient foreign exchange, and secure remittance and settlement experiences, with a focus on compliance, security, and operational reliability, helping Malaysian SMEs reduce friction in legitimate trade as they scale into regional and emerging-market corridors.
“Receiving conditional approval from Bank Negara Malaysia is an important milestone for XTransfer in the ASEAN region,” said Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer. “We appreciate BNM’s guidance and oversight. We look forward to bringing Malaysian businesses compliant and efficient payment solutions that help trade move faster and more predictably, especially as intra-Asia and broader South–South trade routes continue to expand.
Malaysia is also central to XTransfer’s regional strategy, with a plan to establish Malaysia as its regional operational hub, serving as a strategic control centre within Southeast Asia, coordinating compliance, risk management, customer support, and global operations to ensure alignment with both local and Group-wide standards. “Malaysia gives us the talent, governance environment, and regional proximity to scaleacross the region,” Bill added.
Founded in 2017, XTransfer is dedicated to using technology to bridge large financial institutions and SMEs worldwide, providing secure, compliant, fast, convenient and low-cost cross-border trade payment and fund collection solutions. With more than 800,000 enterprise clients, XTransfer has become a global industry leader and continues to expand internationally to support trading companies worldwide.
Hashtag: #XTransfer #PaymentLicense #Malaysia #BankNegaraMalaysia #Crossborder #SMEs
https://www.xtransfer.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cnhttps://x.com/xtransferglobalhttps://www.facebook.com/XTransferGlobal/https://www.instagram.com/xtransfer.global
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Treasury manager FG Nexus has intensified its reduction of ether holdings, selling 7,550 ETH valued at about $14 million as part of a strategic unwind that has now crystallised more than $80 million in losses on its corporate crypto portfolio. The firm’s move marks a continuation of a reversal from its earlier accumulation strategy, leaving observers scrutinising the viability of concentrated digital-asset reserves on corporate balance sheets. […]
Hong Kong will begin issuing its first licences for fiat-backed stablecoin issuers in March, advancing its ambition to position the city as a regulated global hub for digital assets and virtual finance. Financial authorities have confirmed that the new regime will allow approved companies to issue stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies under a structured supervisory framework. The move follows months of consultation led by the Hong Kong […]
