United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (Adnoc) plans to sell as much as a fifth of its distribution unit via an initial public offering on the local stock exchange. The state-owned crude producer will offer 1.25 billion to 2.5 billion shares of its fuel-station business on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, …

Individuals and establishments can now set up their own waqf (endowment or trust fund) under the new Endowment Law, officials said on Sunday. The law was approved last month by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. On …

A report published in Abu Dhabi recently has found that the most popular month for Emirati weddings is in March and ironically, the most popular month for divorces was also in March. The Abu Dhabi Statistics Centre (ADSC) reported that a total of 5,892 marriage contracts were registered in Abu …

Number plate 2 of category 1 grabbed all the attention at the Abu Dhabi Police’s open vehicle number plates auction, held on Saturday, after bagging a whopping Dh10.1 million. The popular auction generated revenues of more than Dh55 million at the Emirates Palace. Abu Dhabi Police, in cooperation with Emirates …

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi on Saturday welcomed the launch of airBaltic’s programme to operate direct flights between Riga, Latvia, and Abu Dhabi. As part of the initiative, four-weekly flights between the two cities will operate for five months until 24 March 2018. Inaugural flights …

“The UAE celebrates tolerance every day of the year because tolerance distinguishes the DNA of our country,” a top official said here on Friday evening. “Tolerance is a necessary element in our vision for the present and for the future. That vision is a global vision because our country is …

A brand new European style walkway was opened in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, giving both residents and tourists the chance to experience a new experience of shopping and dining outdoors in the capital. Inaugurated by Mohammad Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi, The Walk …

This year’s Dubai Air Show saw aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing booking $113.8 billion in orders, brining the week to a colourful end. The figure is nearly three times the $37.2 billion in orders signed in 2015. The total tally included mega deals from Emirates and flydubai, which …

Embracing the changes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and preparing for challenges ahead, is the purpose behind this year’s Knowledge Summit, the head of the organising committee told Gulf News in an exclusive interview. The fourth edition of the summit, whose theme is ‘Knowledge and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,’ …

Aden’s Security Department yesterday inaugurated ‘Section 1’ and correctional centre at the Mansoura Central Prison. Many human rights and civil society organisations attended the event. Brigadier General Shalal Shaya, Aden’s Security Director thanked the UAE for its support, which was involved in the rebuilding and maintenance of the prison. Aden …

Addiction to violent video games led to a 14-year-old girl being taken to the hospital for psychological assessment and treatment, said Dubai Police. The Arab teenage girl would play violent games on Play Station, and with time her parents began to see a change in her behaviour as she started …

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Tuesday met with Ebrahim Boubacar Keita, President of Mali. Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, was present. During the …

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) on Tuesday announced plans to increase production capacity of two important oilfields including Upper Zakum as well as Bab oilfields to meet the growing demand from its customers. Latest technology will be used to upgrade its oilfields and increase efficiency. At Bab, production will …

When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September, it left catastrophic devastation in its wake. Phone lines went down and most Puerto Ricans outside the island couldn’t reach their loved ones to verify their safety. Jennifer Lopez — born to Puerto Rican parents in New York and raised in the …

The Dubai Airshow 2017 opened its doors at Dubai World Central (DWC) on Sunday this week, amid concerns over regional tensions. In this year’s edition a record number of exhibitors, aircraft on display, and visitors are expected. Not to mention the launch of the first-ever Space Pavilion, and the many …

The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) opened its doors on Monday morning, amid a slightly recovering oil prices, providing attendees with some cause for optimism. The four-day event was opened by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, who toured the …

Traffic between the two emirates of Sharjah and Dubai is a headache for commuters as the sheer volume of cars seems to be getting worse by the day. But authorities have assured that the traffic situation is being addressed, and that by August 2018, a nine-lane bridge will be open …

Dubai Miracle Garden that reopened last week has a number of exciting attractions including live shows, hammocks and floating beds to offer in its new season. Dubbed the world’s largest natural flower garden, it has almost 50 million plants in 120 flower varieties. The number of flowers this year has …

Super-luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce knows how to play the waiting game. By about this time next year, the UK marque expects to have landed telling blows with its latest two model launches. In the process, it aims to reclaim some of the numbers lost from this region this year. And there …

The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) concluded on a record-breaking note on Saturday, with book sales exceeding Dh206 million. The 36th edition of the world’s third-largest book fair also attracted 2.38 million visitors over its 11-day run at Expo Centre Sharjah. The figure is higher than the 2.31 million visitors …

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, on Saturday condemned the terrorist explosion of an oil pipeline in Bahrain. ”The UAE condemns this coward terrorist act, which seeks to undermine the security of the Kingdom of Bahrain,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement on Saturday, affirming …

The international photography festival, Xposure 2017, on Saturday announced that registration is now open for 35 training workshops presented by award-winning photographers. Xposure, organised by Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), will be held from November 22 to 25 at Expo Centre Sharjah. The training is designed to help develop the …

Last week the Dubai Financial Market General Index (DFMGI) fell by 172.43 or 4.76 per cent to close at 3,449.81, that’s the largest one-week decline since May 2016 and the lowest close in 18 weeks. Most issues fell as there were 34 declining and only eight that advanced, while volume …

The Dubai Air Show has had notoriously bad luck with weather in the past. This year, the cloud of slower global growth is likely to turn eyes away from building capacity towards improving productivity and efficiency. And analysts expect those to be among the main trends affecting the show this …

Alternative and complementary medicine practitioners from foreign countries will soon be able to write exams to get the UAE licence to practise in their home countries, Gulf News has learnt. A proposal in this regard has been in the consideration of the national committee regulating the policy, procedures and scope …

Preeti Shenoy and Maha Khan Phillips, acclaimed authors from India and Pakistan, respectively, shared the stage for a packed student session at Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) on Thursday. The question-and-answer session was attended by hundreds of children from across schools in the UAE, and it gave an insight into …

See for yourself the interconnectedness of humanity, rich cultural and historical offerings and the dialogue of civilisations through art — right here in the UAE. The iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi museum on Saadiyat Island opens its doors to the public today, November 11, 2017 — with 1,000 extra tickets released …

The region’s largest science festival of its kind for children began in the capital on Thursday. The Abu Dhabi Science Festival, now in its seventh edition, brings the world of science within easy grasp of young minds with its array of fun scientific activities that offer them first-hand experience of …

The UAE and France have reiterated their commitment to strengthening and enhancing bilateral cooperation and partnership across all fields in the coming years. This came in a joint statement which was released on Thursday, on the occasion of the visit of the President of France to the UAE. Below is …

The UAE is set to become the hub for promoting traditional, complementary and alternative medicines in the region with the country joining hands with India in principle on several plans. Top officials of both countries held elaborate discussions on taking forward major proposals to support the wider acceptance of these …

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has ordered a crackdown on corruption, the latest in a wave of frenetic changes in the kingdom over the past 2-1/2 years. Prince Mohammed says he is determined to remodel his conservative country into a modern state no longer dependent on oil. As …

A four-year general federal budget of Dh201 billion was approved on Tuesday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The budget, which covers from 2018 until 2021, was approved at the extraordinary Cabinet meeting held at the …

A woman and her daughter have been accused of forging passports to fly in young girls to Dubai and force them into prostitution, a court heard on Tuesday. A 16-year-old Iraqi girl was said to have absconded from a villa, where she was reportedly being forced to have sex with …

The upcoming visit of French President Emmanuel Macron for the grand opening of Louvre Abu Dhabi on November 11 demonstrates the advanced level reached by the UAE-France strategic relations in cultural and educational fields, said Jean-Michel Blanquer, the French Minister of National Education. ”The distinct bilateral ties, close co-ordination in …

Turkish novelist Burhan Sonmez was left for dead by his attackers in 1996, but he survived and after more than a decade recuperating in the United Kingdom, he returned to his motherland as a successful writer, channeling his experience and anger into creativity. What he couldn’t achieve as a human …

Firefighters in Abu Dhabi rescued nine people from a fire that broke out on the 14th floor of a hotel. According to Abu Dhabi Police, the operations room received a distressed call at 11am on Monday from the hotel. A team of police, civil defence and ambulances were immediately dispatched, …

When the Abu Dhabi Global Market adopted its rules for foundations in August, they built on the platform they had established in 2016 for registering and administering trusts within their jurisdiction on Al Maryah island. What this means in practice is that ADGM is now able to offer exactly the …

Etihad Aviation Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba Group and Ant Financial Services Group to expand their partnership and deliver products and services to Chinese customers. Under the agreement, Alibaba and Etihad Guest, which is Etihad’s loyalty programme, will explore enhanced programme benefits and opportunities for exchange of …

Media was given access of the Midfield Terminal Building project at Abu Dhabi International Airport for the first time on Monday, currently scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2019. Construction of the new terminal, which is estimated at more than Dh10 billion, is aimed at expanding Abu Dhabi’s …

A brand new unit will soon provide comprehensive oncological care when the Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, one of the capital’s largest tertiary hospitals, launches its cancer centre by the end of 2019. Cancer care is a key health care priority in the UAE as the population begins to age, especially …

Online tickets for Louvre Abu Dhabi’s highly-anticipated Saturday opening have officially sold out. But tickets can also be bought on the day, according to the museum’s helpline. Tickets purchased online and on site will cost the same – Dh60 but priority will be given to those who purchased tickets online. …

Teen school students had a vibrant, brain stimulating treat listening to legendary quiz master Derek O’Brien at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF). O’Brien known widely for hosting India’s longest running quiz show, ‘The Bournvita Quiz contest’ enthralled the audience with his witty repartee and sound words of wisdom. O’Brien …

Cosco Shipping Ports Limited on Sunday broke ground for the construction a new terminal at Khalifa Port and also signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports Company for a container freight station, which is expected to be the largest in the region. The construction and development of the terminal is …

A new law approved by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will further promote rule of law, fast-track civil trials and keep pace with advanced technologies, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Badi, Minister of Justice, said on Thursday. Al Badi said changes in the Civil Procedures Code will …