UAE

Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has launched a robo-advisory investment application, as demand for online trading grows. The bank worked with Belgium-based wealthtech company InvestSuite to develop “CBD Investr,” a mobile application that uses smart algorithms to actively manage investment portfolios. “CBD Investr offers customers convenient access to globally diversified …

Delek Drilling DEDRp.TA said on Monday it had signed a non-binding deal to sell its stake in the east Mediterranean natural gas field Tamar to Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Petroleum for $1.1 billion. The deal, if finalised, would be one of the most significant developments since Israel and the United Arab …

A collection of rare finds is set to go under the hammer for the UAE’s 100 Million Meals initiative in Dubai on Saturday. A live art auction is set to be held at Dubai’s Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah in a bid to raise funds for Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global …

Dubai’s port company DP World is exploring quantum computing technology to optimize its operations, the company said in a statement. It said it was working with D-Wave Systems, a Canadian quantum computing company, to look at how the advanced technology can be applied to DP World’s logistics and trade business. …

Two senior Democratic senators will introduce legislation on Friday that would reassert Congress’ oversight of international weapons deals, after President Joe Biden’s administration decided to go ahead with a $23 billion sale to the United Arab Emirates that had worried lawmakers, congressional aides said. The bill, seen by Reuters, will …

The United Arab Emirates’ envoy to Washington confirmed the Gulf state is mediating between India and Pakistan to help the nuclear-armed rivals reach a “healthy and functional” relationship. Top intelligence officers from India and Pakistan held secret talks in Dubai in January in a new effort to calm military tension …

Lunar exploration company ispace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the company said on Wednesday, as the UAE pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy. The UAE is using its space programme to develop its scientific and technological …

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has told Congress it is proceeding with more than $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including advanced F-35 aircraft, armed drones and other equipment, congressional aides said on Tuesday. A State Department spokesperson said the administration would move forward with the …

A commercial vessel owned by an Israeli firm was attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in Gulf waters, pro-Iran media and an Israeli television channel said on Tuesday. Israel’s top-rated Channel 12 quoted unnamed Israeli officials as blaming arch-foe Iran for the assault, which it described as …

The United Arab Emirates has selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut, as the Gulf country rapidly expands into the space sector to diversify its economy. Emirati national Nora al-Matrooshi, a 27-year-old mechanical engineering graduate currently working at Abu Dhabi’s National Petroleum Construction Company, will join NASA’s …

The UAE and Japan have signed an initial agreement to explore opportunities in developing hydrogen. The Emirates’ energy and infrastructure minister, Suhail Al-Mazrouei, signed the deal with Japan’s economy minister, Ejima Kiyoshi at a virtual event on Friday. “This agreement pursues the cooperation to exchange information related to hydrogen production, …

Following a photoshoot that breached UAE law, Dubai will deport a group of people involved, reported The National. The footage, which was shared on Twitter, showed a large group of nude women posing on the balcony of an apartment in Dubai Marina. Several neighbors captured videos and images of the photoshoot, …

The United States and the United Arab Emirates will work together on coordinating finance to decarbonise the economy, focusing on areas including hydrogen, renewable energy and low carbon urban design, a joint statement said on Monday. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, who is leading efforts to get countries to step …

The UAE has called on the UN Security Council to condemn the obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian aid by armed groups and demand that they fully respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, state news agency WAM reported. The UAE submitted the written statement to the UN Security Council …

A planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday was canceled, Israel’s public radio Kan said, citing a source involved in the planning. Neither Israel nor the UAE have formally confirmed that such a visit — the first by the prime minister to …

UAE Foreign Minster Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said Tuesday the sanctions imposed by the US Caesar’s Act complicate Syria’s return to the Arab fold. The return of Syria to the Arab League is in the interest of Syria and other countries of the region, he said. The minister made the remarks …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran on Monday for an explosion aboard an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman last week, an accusation rejected by Tehran. The vehicle-carrier MV Helios Ray was hit between Thursday night and Friday morning by a blast above the water line that a …

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took the stage at the world’s largest energy conference in 2019 to declare an age of U.S. dominance after a decade of rapid shale development made the United States the world’s top oil and gas producer. Two years later, the oil industry is …

A haven for humans craving furry feline company, a cat cafe in Dubai also doubles as an adoption centre for some of the United Arab Emirates’ many strays. The Ailuromania Cat Cafe, which was the Middle East’s first cat cafe when it opened in 2015, hopes the relaxing properties of …

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority, Shurooq, announced the addition of Moon Retreat to their eco-luxury tourism destinations, state news agency SPA reported. The retreat will open to guests during the first quarter of 2021 in the archaeological area of Mleiha. Moon Retreat will offer visitors stargazing activities as there is …

Abu Dhabi ruler Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan affirmed the UAE’s support for the Lebanese people during a meeting with Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Al-Hariri. The Abu Dhabi ruler said that the UAE supported the ambitions of the Lebanese people for “unity, stability and development,” state news agency WAM reported. During …

he United Arab Emirates said on Friday that Sheikha Latifa, one of the ruler of Dubai’s daughters, was being cared for at home as the U.N. human rights watchdog asked the UAE for proof that she is alive amid growing international concern about her fate. The BBC’s investigative news programme …

Saudi Arabian companies are preparing to participate in the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX 2021) in Abu Dhabi next week. The investment ministry, along with other Saudi bodies and firms will be taking part under the slogan “Invest in Saudi Arabia”. The Kingdom will participate in the event, which starts on …

Israel has cancelled plans to participate in a major defence expo in the United Arab Emirates next week due to COVID-19 curbs on air travel, Israeli officials said on Monday. Dozens of Israeli defence firms had been due to take part in the IDEX conference in Abu Dhabi from Feb. …

The UAE made history on Tuesday evening when it joined an elite club of five nations that have sent a spacecraft to the Red Planet. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and …

The United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister affirmed his country’s commitment to working closely with the Biden administration to reduce regional tensions during a phone call with the United States’ special envoy for Iran, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported on Saturday. In the phone call with special envoy Rob Malley, Sheikh …

Iraq’s prime minister and the GCC secretary general held talks  on Monday to boost trade and supply electricity from the Gulf. Iraqi leader Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and Nayef Al-Hajraf also discussed rebuilding Iraq after the war with Daesh. Iraq has been blighted by a woeful power supply in recent years which feeds …

The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to Washington said he was confident the sale of F-35 jets to his country would go through after a review by President Joe Biden’s administration of some pending arms sales to U.S. allies. The UAE had during Donald Trump’s last day in office signed agreements …

The United Arab Emirates has adopted amendments that would allow the Gulf state to grant citizenship to investors and other professionals including scientists, doctors and their families, the government said on Saturday. “The UAE cabinet, local Emiri courts and executive councils will nominate those eligible for the citizenship under clear …

Italy has halted the sale of thousands of missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday, citing Rome’s commitment to restoring peace in war-ravaged Yemen and protecting human rights. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of an Arab coalition that …

Israeli leaders played down on Thursday a possible Biden administration review of U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates that girded the Gulf power’s rapprochement with Israel. Washington said on Wednesday it had temporarily paused some pending arms sales to U.S. allies. The Trump administration, having brokered formal Israel-UAE …

Indonesia said its coast guard seized the Iranian-flagged MT Horse and the Panamanian-flagged MT Freya vessels over suspected illegal oil transfer in the country’s waters on Sunday. Coast guard spokesman Wisnu Pramandita said the tankers, seized in waters off Kalimantan province, have been escorted to Batam island in Riau Island …

They say that history repeats itself. The political turmoil in Lebanon and the ongoing civil war in Syria have led to an alarming exodus of thousands of young, educated Arabs seeking safety and better opportunities abroad. It’s a familiar pattern; a similar mass migration from the Levant took place a …

The United Arab Emirates has signed an agreement with the United States to purchase 50 F-35 jets and up to 18 armed drones, people familiar with the situation told Reuters on Wednesday. Although the UAE and the United States were working to ink a deal before President Joseph Biden took …

Egypt and Qatar have agreed to resume diplomatic relations, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The move follows an agreement between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt earlier this month to end their boycott of Qatar – which began in 2017 over allegations it supported terrorism, …

Iranian army commandos and paratroopers started exercises near the mouth of the Gulf on Tuesday, the last full day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. State television showed paratroopers landing behind mock enemy lines near the port of Jask on the Gulf of Oman and preparing attacks with missile launchers. …

The US called Bahrain and the UAE “major security partners” early on Saturday, a previously unheard of designation for the two countries home to major American military operations. A White House statement tied the designation to Bahrain and the UAE normalizing ties to Israel, saying it “reflects their extraordinary courage, …

Global pop group Now United has filmed its music video for “Lean on Me” at Abu Dhabi’s five-star Emirates Palace hotel. The video starts with a sweeping view of the hotel, before showing band members performing choreographed dance moves in its plush corridors and outside terrace. The band, made up …

The US Defense Department announced Friday that it would include close ally Israel in the area covered by its Middle East-focused Central Command. In another sign of the rapprochement brokered by President Donald Trump between Israel and Arab countries, the Pentagon said US military dealings with Israel would no longer …

The UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash has told Arab News that the GCC is “collectively in agreement with any threat towards its security” from Iran. In a virtual press conference on Thursday, the minister addressed the 41st GCC summit held in AlUla where an agreement was signed …

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards unveiled an underground missile base at an undisclosed Gulf location on Friday, Iranian state media reported, at a time of heightened tension between Tehran and the United States. “The base is one of several bases housing the Guards’ Navy’s strategic missiles,” the state media quoted the …

Iran dialed up tensions in the Gulf this week when its troops stormed a South Korean-flagged tanker as it transited through the strategic Strait of Hormuz — a choke point through which a fifth of world oil output passes. The incident is only the latest in a long line of …

Saudi Arabia reopened its airspace and land and sea borders with Qatar on Monday, in a breakthrough agreement aimed at ending the three-year diplomatic dispute with Doha. The full deal is expected to be signed on Tuesday at the annual summit of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in the northwestern …

South Korea’s foreign ministry is reviewing whether a senior diplomat would be visiting Tehran on Sunday as planned, an official said, after Iranian forces seized a South Korean-flagged chemical tanker in Gulf waters and detained its crew. The incident comes amid tensions between Tehran and Seoul over Iranian funds frozen …