Tag Archives: UAE

A new policy promising free limited visas to transit passengers could potentially allow visitors to stay in the UAE for nearly a week, and it’s not just good for the tourism sector but for the local economy as a whole. The UAE cabinet approved last week a decision to exempt …

Dubai Cares, part of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has launched a new programme in Zimbabwe titled ‘WASH UP! Girl Talk’, in partnership with Sesame Workshop. The Dh3.4-million ($952,000) programme aims to empower primary school-aged children to practise and promote healthy water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) behaviour, …

A new bachelor’s degree (BBA) in sports management has been launched by Canadian University Dubai (CUD), focused on the business and management aspects of the sporting industry. It is aimed at providing students with knowledge and skills centred on accounting, finance, economics, management, operations, supply chain management, marketing and the …

The UAE is one of the most advanced digital economies in the world, landing in the top 20 globally and first in the Arab world, according to the latest report. The new edition of IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2018 released on Tuesday, showed the UAE moving up in the …

The past four months have seen a steady trickle of news that has broken in to a full flood of revelations in recent weeks, concerning Abraaj Group’s funds, and allegations of poor corporate governance. Last Thursday, the former golden child of the regional private equity scene filed for provisional liquidation …

Ahead of the 174th (Ordinary) Opec meeting on Friday, Suhail Mohammad Faraj Al Mazroui, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, released the following statement We are fast approaching the midway point of an important year for Opec and its partners. And with it, comes not only our June meeting — …

Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, member of the Board of Trustees of Dubai Future Foundation and deputy managing director and Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, executive president of Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation and empower …

In a major decision, the UAE on Monday announced a one-year residency visa and exemption from accumulated fines to citizens of countries affected by wars and natural calamities. The decision was cleared in a Cabinet meeting chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister …

Jumeirah will eventually add one more hotel brand to its stable, chief executive Jose Silva declared in an interview with Gulf News, speaking to the press for the first time since taking over the top position in January. As the company enters its next phase of expansion, targeting global markets whilst …

Last week’s announcement that private firms would no longer have to provide a Dh3,000 bank guarantee to recruit each new employee is just the latest of a series of measures aimed at transforming the UAE’s economy. The packages announced this year are an indication that the objectives announced in a …

Following the success of its first branch in the Burjuman shopping mall, Filipino fast food restaurant Pancake House says it now plans to open in Dubai Mall sometime in June. “It’ll be our first brand in Dubai Mall, showcasing what Pancake House is all about, to all nationalities, doesn’t have …

The tourism industry is expected to receive a boost from the latest in a long line of government measures intended to bolster the economy, experts and industry officials say. On Wednesday evening, the UAE Cabinet approved a decision to exempt transit passengers from all entry fees for the first 48 …

Following are the major changes adopted by UAE Cabinet during a meeting on Wednesday night chaired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai: AT A GLANCE: Major changes adopted by UAE Cabinet • UAE Cabinet announces …

The Executive Committee of Abu Dhabi Executive Council has approved the reduction of tourism fees from 6 per cent to 3.5 per cent and municipality fees from 4 per cent to 2 per cent. The committee also endorsed the reduction of municipality fees for hotel rooms from Dh15 to Dh10 …

Some money changers in UAE are appealing a recent decision by the Central Bank to prohibit them from doing remittance transactions. UAE resident have been advised that they can no longer transfer money or receive salaries through at least seven exchange houses. The UAE Central Bank confirmed on Monday that …

The UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) is investigating whether any local investors are affected due to the current financial problems being faced by the private equity firm Abraaj, according to a top executive. Dubai-based Abraaj is currently facing allegations that investment funds were misused, specially that it commingled about …

The UAE’s financial markets are solid and will take off again in terms of liquidity and volume of trading due to positive indications from the government and an improvement in the economy, the chief executive of the Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA) said. “I am optimistic because of the incentives …

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday arrived in Jeddah. He is heading a UAE delegation to the quartet meeting called for by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to support …

A time to buy? Or a time to stay well away? There are no easy answers for investors keeping a wary eye on Turkey’s real estate market. Sure, the Turkish lira’s been taking a pounding (along with some of the other emerging market currencies), but the country’s property market had …

Merger & acquisition deals across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region declined sharply year-on-year, falling 21.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, according to EY’s first-quarter 2018 M&A report. Mena M&A activity saw 93 announced deals in the first quarter of 2018, compared to 119 deals …

In 2016, the UAE approved the final design of the Hope Probe – the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission to Mars. Fast forward to 2018, and the final designs of the Hope Probe have been unveiled, as well as details of the Mars 2117 plan that aims to create the …

Gulf Capital plans to invest over $500 million (Dh1.8 billion) over the next two years in some key markets as part of its investment strategy, its chief executive officer told Gulf News in an interview. The Abu Dhabi based firm plans to invest $350 million in private equity and $150 …

The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) events accounted for a record Dh12.7 billion in retained value towards Dubai’s economy, equivalent to 3.3 percent of the emirate’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2017, according to the latest Economic Impact Assessment report released by DWTC. The study estimates the total economic output …

The UAE-Saudi Strategy of Resolve announced on Wednesday by leaders of the two countries will tilt the regional balance of power in favour of the two countries, analysts said Thursday. “The UAE-Saudi Arabia alliance with its economic, military, political and strategic power will tilt the regional balance of power towards …

Will rent-to-own be the next big thing for Dubai’s property market and its developers? With more buyers starting to look at ready properties rather than just stick to off-plan, this could well be the time for developers to make a strong case for rent-to-own. More so, as stretching post-handover payment …

Global and domestic aid spending by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) increased from Dh1.5 billion in 2016 to Dh1.8 billion in 2017, a new report has revealed. In the foundation’s annual report released on Thursday night, MBRGI stated that Dh961 million was spent on programmes and …

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of Saudi Arabia and President of Saudi Council of Economic and …

The issuance of dual licences for companies in Abu Dhabi free zones to allow them to work outside the free zones and participate in government tenders will help the economy to grow, according to an economic expert. Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the capital’s international financial centre, follows a similar …

The new economic stimulus package will accelerate the local economy, further promote economic diversification and build a long-term future for its people, heads of Abu Dhabi’s top industrial firms said. “At the heart of this announcement are initiatives that will attract more innovative talent and across all economic sectors, including …

While it’s not an official WWDC release, people in the UAE will be seeing a new Apple device in stores soon. Apple to let users create their own emojis The Apple Watch Series 3 with a cellular data connection will arrive in the UAE on June 15, with pre-order starting …

An economic package of Dh50 billion has been launched to accelerate the pace of Abu Dhabi’s development and economic growth over the next three years. The package was launched on Tuesday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of …

Saud Salem Al Mazrouei, director of the Hamriya Free Zone Authority and the Sharjah International Airport Free Zone Authority, signed an investment agreement with Ramesh Parekh, chairman of Gandhar Oil Refinery India, to establish an integrated project to produce white oil, liquid paraffin, hydraulic liquid, transformer oil, rubber processing oil, …

Tourism in Abu Dhabi and Dubai grew by 3.6 per cent during the first three months of 2018, compared to the same period from last year. Hotel occupancy increased by 1.2 per cent and room occupancy rose by 5.7 per cent, according to recent statistics issued by the tourism departments …

BeIN Sports, the Qatari-owned broadcaster, reportedly went dark in the UAE overnight, with viewers discovering on Saturday morning that they were no longer able to access the channels via Du or Etisalat. This is not the first time the network has been unavailable: Last summer, due to the Qatar crisis, …

We’d be lying if we said travelling to cover technology wasn’t part of the fun. Over the years Gulf News reporters have traveled to North America, Europe, Asia and Africa to cover technology trends or the latest gadget launch. But it’s rare for a tech company to actually hold a …

The UAE and Russia signed on Friday a Declaration of Strategic Partnership to cooperate in various sectors such as politics, security, economy and culture, along with cooperation in the humanitarian, scientific, technological and tourist domains. The declaration was signed by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi …

More than 2,000 women workers living in labour accommodation clusters in Dubai will be given care boxes in a campaign titled ‘Unboxing Kindness’. Al Manal Humanitarian Initiative will launch the campaign at Dubai Ladies Club on Saturday. In collaboration with Emirates Red Crescent, the campaign will support female security guards, …

Two major projects in Dubai, the Museum of the Future and Mohammad Bin Rashid Library, are progressing fast, with their distinctive shapes now becoming obvious. The Museum of the Future, coming up in front of Emirates Towers on Shaikh Zayed Road, is oval-shaped with an oval open space in its …

Construction of the world’s next tallest tower in Dubai has reached a new milestone and is running ahead of schedule. The 450 skilled workers commissioned for the $1 billion (Dh3.6 billion) project have just completed the concrete placement for the pile cap of the super-tall masterpiece, it was announced on …

Dana Gas on Monday announced it has received $40 million (Dh146.8 million) in payments from the Egyptian government taking the total receipts to $88.8 million (Dh325.9 million) this year. The company said it will use the cash to proceed with growth initiatives such as drilling Balsam-8 in its development lease …

Tristar Group has opened new transport and warehouse facilities in Abu Dhabi and Oman aimed at enhancing its integrated logistics services to the downstream oil industry in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). The two new facilities are located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi and Rusayl Industrial Estate in …

The UAE’s gold jewellery retailers are shedding their obsession with the 22 karat. They are working to create a new generation of shoppers — the younger ones, preferably — and the way they are doing this is through the 18k route. Their strategy is quite straightforward — 18k allows jewellers to …

The UAE witnessed solid increase in project awards in the first quarter of 2018 denoting improving investment momentum driven by higher public spending. According to data from Meed Projects and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) on project award in the GCC for the first quarter of 2018, the value of …

UAE residents are keeping better track of their money than they were four years ago, with more people being careful about budgeting and fewer living beyond their means. According to the latest Moneysmart Index launched by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), more residents are also keeping “very close track” of …