In a landmark moment for the region’s gold and jewellery sector, Ithra Dubai has officially launched Dubai Gold District, a purpose-built destination designed to reinforce Dubai’s status as the world’s leading hub for gold and jewellery trade.

The launch signals a new phase in Dubai’s evolution as a global centre for retail, commerce, and investment. Dubai Gold District brings together the entire gold and jewellery value chain in one unified location, encompassing retail, bullion, wholesale trade, and investment services. By consolidating these activities, the district aims to strengthen Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s most trusted destinations for gold commerce.

Read more-Gold blasts past $5,000: Is the $6,000 milestone next?

The district was unveiled in the presence of senior officials, including Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shaibani, MD of the Investment Corporation of Dubai; Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers; Dr Juma Al Matrooshi, assistant to the secretary general of the Dubai Free Zones Council; and Issam Galadari, CEO of Ithra Dubai. Long-term traders from across the district also joined the ceremony.

The launch represents a key milestone for the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and reinforces the district’s role in shaping the future of the global gold and jewellery trade.

The unveiling also underscores the UAE’s continuing leadership in global gold and precious metals trade. In 2024–25, the country exported approximately $53.41bn worth of gold, with key trading partners including Switzerland, the UK, India, Hong Kong, and Turkiye.

These figures position the UAE as the world’s second-largest physical gold trading destination.

Retail and tourism synergy

The district comprises over 1,000 retailers across gold, jewellery, perfumery, cosmetics, and lifestyle categories. Notable flagship brands include Jawhara Jewellery, Malabar Gold and Diamonds, Al Romaizan, and Tanishq Jewellery, with Joyalukkas planning a 24,000-square-foot flagship, its largest in the Middle East.

Dubai Gold District also integrates seamlessly into the city’s wider retail and tourism ecosystem. The destination is supported by more than 1,000 guest rooms across six hotels, ensuring easy access for international visitors, buyers, and trade partners.

In 2025, the introduction of Big Bus routes to the district enhanced accessibility, attracting tourists and strengthening Dubai Gold District’s position as a premier gold and jewellery shopping destination.

Dubai Gold District represents a bold step in Dubai’s journey to consolidate its global leadership in gold trade. By bringing together heritage, innovation, and commercial scale, the district is poised to redefine the city’s gold and jewellery landscape while attracting investment, international visitors, and global brands.

A global gateway for trade and investment

Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers, emphasised that the launch of Dubai Gold District represents a pivotal development for international trade and commerce. “This initiative offers investors and market participants unparalleled access to one of the world’s most active and trusted gold trading hubs,” he said, highlighting the district’s role as a gateway to the global gold and jewellery ecosystem.

Issam Galadari, CEO of Ithra Dubai, added: “With the launch of Dubai Gold District, we are opening a significant new chapter in the city’s gold and jewellery landscape. By uniting heritage, scale, and opportunity, the District brings together a diverse ecosystem of traders, investors, retailers, and global brands, serving shoppers and visitors across international markets and key trade corridors.”

Elevating Dubai’s commercial and cultural standing

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), described the District as “a defining moment in our city’s evolution as a global destination for commerce, culture, and tourism.”

He noted that the development aligns with D33, Dubai’s Economic Agenda, and represents a transformative step in consolidating the city’s status as a global business hub. “Gold is deeply woven into the cultural and commercial fabric of Dubai, symbolising our heritage, prosperity, and enduring spirit of enterprise,” Al Khaja said.

The launch reflects the strength of collaboration between Dubai’s public and private sectors and underscores the collective ambition of stakeholders to position the city at the forefront of global innovation. Al Khaja added that Dubai Gold District will play a pivotal role in attracting international visitors, driving investment, and enhancing the city’s reputation as a leading global destination for business, leisure, and retail.

A one-stop destination for gold and jewellery

Dubai Gold District, branded as the city’s “Home of Gold,” unites the full spectrum of gold and jewellery activity under one destination. The District hosts a wide range of established regional and global brands, offering exceptional variety, quality, and value for buyers, traders, and investors alike.

What sets the district apart is the unmatched diversity of its audience. In 2025 alone, it welcomed shoppers from more than 147 nationalities, cementing Dubai’s status as a truly global marketplace for gold and jewellery.

A standout feature is the world’s first Gold Street, constructed using gold itself, designed as a signature attraction for tourists and visitors. Additional details about the street will be revealed in phases.

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The Walt Disney Company’s highly anticipated Disneyland Abu Dhabi, the first Disney theme park in the Middle East, is starting to take shape on the iconic leisure destination of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, with fresh visual evidence of the project’s future location shared publicly for the first time.

Disney CEO Robert “Bob” Iger posted photos on social media this week showing himself walking the undeveloped coastal terrain of the planned site, confirming the resort’s waterfront positioning and offering industry observers a clearer sense of where the project will rise. “Walking the site of what will one day be Disneyland Abu Dhabi! Lots of work ahead, but all very exciting!” Iger wrote, underscoring both the magnitude of the build and Disney’s commitment to the region.

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While Disney has not disclosed precise geospatial coordinates, coverage from local outlets suggests the northern sector of Yas Island — adjacent to prime beachfront — is the likely development area, placing the new park alongside some of the emirate’s most successful entertainment assets.

A landmark global first for Disney

The development forms part of a landmark agreement announced in May 2025 between Disney and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences. Under the partnership, Miral will fully develop and build the resort, while Disney and its Imagineering team will lead creative design and provide operational oversight. Miral will also operate the resort once completed.

The project will be Disney’s seventh theme park resort globally and its first in the Middle East. According to the original announcement, the waterfront resort will blend Disney’s globally recognised characters, attractions and storytelling with Abu Dhabi’s cultural identity, contemporary architecture and coastal setting. The destination is positioned to serve visitors from across the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia and Europe, leveraging the UAE’s role as a global aviation and tourism hub.

“This is a thrilling moment for our company as we announce plans to build an exciting Disney theme park resort in Abu Dhabi, whose culture is rich with an appreciation of the arts and creativity,” Iger had said earlier May 2025. “As our seventh theme park destination, it will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways. Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati – an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world that will bring to life our timeless characters and stories in many new ways and will become a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come.”

Yas Island has already established itself as a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi’s leisure strategy, hosting internationally branded attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld. The addition of Disneyland Abu Dhabi is expected to significantly scale up the island’s profile, reinforcing its status as an integrated entertainment cluster with global reach.

From a development perspective, the project reflects Abu Dhabi’s broader long-term tourism and diversification ambitions. The UAE sits within a four-hour flight of roughly one-third of the world’s population and is home to one of the largest airline hub networks globally, with more than 120 million passengers transiting through Abu Dhabi and Dubai annually. Industry observers expect the new Disney resort to act as a catalyst for further investment across hospitality, retail, transport and supporting infrastructure.

While no opening date has been confirmed, large-scale Disney parks typically follow extended design and construction timelines. With site identification now clearer, attention is likely to turn to formal groundworks, phased development plans and future announcements around attractions, themed hotels and guest experiences.

Once completed, Disneyland Abu Dhabi is expected to feature signature Disney entertainment, themed accommodation, dining and retail concepts, and immersive storytelling designed to be, as per Iger, “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati”, adding another globally recognised anchor to Abu Dhabi’s evolving visitor economy.

Read: Yas Island sees 38 million visits, Saadiyat Island grows 10% in 2024: Miral

As AI moves from pilots into systems that shape daily life, the real challenge is no longer model performance but trust, ownership, and accountability. Here, Sergej Loiter, CEO of Search, AI, and AdTech at Yango Group, explains why AI only scales at national and city level when people, data, and responsibility are designed in from day one.

What has actually changed in how AI scales in business and daily life?

What has changed isn’t the models, it’s that AI has moved from experimentation into production.

For years, AI supported decision-making. We searched, clicked, and chose. Today, AI systems increasingly act: adjusting campaigns, routing deliveries, optimising operations, and influencing real users in real time. In advertising technology, for example, AI now optimises campaigns live, continuously adjusting creatives, targeting, and spend based on performance signals, rather than analysing results after the fact. Once AI enters production, scaling becomes unavoidable, and so does responsibility.

This is where many initiatives break. Not because the technology fails, but because ownership is unclear. Pilots may succeed technically, but when systems go live without a named internal owner, a trained team, and accountability for outcomes, they quietly decay. AI projects don’t fail at scale because they are weak. They fail because no one truly owns them.

The shift, then, is not intelligence alone, it is agency with accountability. AI becomes transformative not because it thinks better than humans, but because it acts faster within boundaries that humans define and remain responsible for.

What determines whether people adopt AI in everyday use?

As AI becomes more personal, trust stops being optional.

At scale, especially in cities, trust functions like infrastructure. If it is unreliable, everything built on top of it fails, even when the underlying technology is strong. People feel trust immediately when systems behave unpredictably, opaquely, or without recourse.

Trust is not created through slogans or policy documents. It is designed into systems through predictable behaviour, transparency, and clear responsibility when something goes wrong. This is particularly visible with everyday AI assistants: when systems understand local language, cultural norms, and user expectations, adoption happens naturally; when they feel foreign or inconsistent, people disengage quickly. Yasmina, the human-like bilingual AI assistant, is a prime example. Its LLM is trained extensively on Khaleeji content and refined through input from Arabic-speaking experts and even local comedians to ensure the humour, references, and style resonate authentically.

Once AI influences movement, access, or decision-making, people need to know that a human and an institution stand behind it. This is why responsible deployment matters more than speed. It is better to scale slightly slower with trust than faster with abandonment.

How should leaders think about AI moving into city-scale systems?

AI already operates inside cities, shaping logistics, commerce, mobility, and services. The question is no longer how powerful AI becomes, but how responsibly and locally it is designed.

At city scale, AI systems live inside language, culture, institutional workflows, and public expectations. When these factors are ignored, even technically strong systems struggle to gain acceptance and often feel foreign or intrusive.

This is visible in areas like urban logistics and last-mile delivery. Autonomous delivery systems can perform extremely well in controlled environments, but long-term success depends on clear operational ownership: defined safety thresholds, human oversight, and teams empowered to intervene and adapt behaviour over time. Without that, performance degrades regardless of model quality.

As systems begin influencing millions of people, agency inevitably becomes responsibility. Effective public-sector approaches focus on design, dialogue, and accountability — not blanket restriction. Cities that succeed treat AI as a long-term capability, investing in people, data quality, and ownership, knowing models will change but responsibility will not.

Why do so many AI initiatives stall after promising pilots?

The problem is not too many pilots. It is pilots without owners. Many technically successful pilots fail because there is no internal team trained to take responsibility once external partners step away. Without a qualified internal “receiver”, the system has no future. Infrastructure and tools can be outsourced. Ownership of the product cannot.

Ownership means running, maintaining, and improving systems over time and standing behind outcomes long after launch. This is why many AI deployments quietly stop being used 12–24 months later.

Generative AI lowered the barrier to experimentation, but it did not remove the need for deep expertise in production. Chatting with a model is not the same as running a product. Organisations that recognise this early scale successfully. Those that do not often mistake activity for progress.

Looking ahead, what principle should AI leaders keep in mind?

Treat AI as a capability, not a project. Leaders who succeed will stop treating AI as a technology experiment and start treating it as an owned, staffed, data-driven system. Looking back in five years, organisations will be most grateful for the decisions they made around ownership and internal capability — and most regret delaying them.

The capability worth over-investing in now is internal AI literacy and product ownership, so systems can be operated, governed, and adapted over time. The most under-priced risk today is assuming AI runs itself after deployment.

Models will change. Infrastructure will evolve. What lasts is data maturity, human capability, and clear ownership.

In the end, the real difference will not be who had the best models but who built the capability to run AI responsibly at scale.

As the crescent moon signals the arrival of Ramadan, the UAE gears up for a month-long period of fasting, reflection, and community engagement. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is regarded as the holiest month for Muslims, commemorating the revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on Laylat Al Qadar, one of the last ten nights of the month.

Marked by piety, charity, and spiritual reflection, Ramadan is also a time when the UAE’s commercial and public sectors adjust operations to accommodate fasting hours, religious observances, and heightened social activity. For businesses, residents, and visitors, understanding the cultural norms, working hours, shopping schedules, and legal requirements is crucial to navigating this important month.

Read more-Ramadan fasting hours to be shorter in the UAE this year

Ramadan traditions in the UAE begin even before the month officially starts, with celebrations during mid-Shaaban, the month preceding Ramadan. On Hagg Al Layla, Emirati children dress in traditional attire, visiting neighbors to recite songs and poems. They are greeted with sweets and nuts, collected in special cloth bags, a practice that blends cultural heritage with communal spirit.

Fasting is central to Ramadan. Capable Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset, engaging in spiritual reflection, charitable acts, and self-discipline. The fasting day begins with Suhoor, a pre-dawn meal, and ends with Iftar, the evening meal that traditionally begins with dates and laban (buttermilk). Families often gather for the first Iftar of Ramadan at the home of the family patriarch, while traditional Emirati dishes such as Harees, Threed, and Alqurs (a sweet date-and-cardamom bread) are widely enjoyed.

Observing Ramadan in the UAE: Traditions and daily life

The Midfa Al Iftar, or Iftar cannon, is a centuries-old tradition in the UAE, signaling the precise moment when the fast may be broken. This cannon can be heard across distances of 8–10kms and is especially exciting for children, combining ritual, history, and community engagement.

Those exempt from fasting include individuals with certain medical conditions, pregnant or nursing women, travelers, and young children, although children are encouraged to gradually practice fasting. Beyond abstaining from food and drink, Muslims are also expected to avoid sinful speech and behavior, underscoring the spiritual essence of the month.

Daily prayers increase during Ramadan, with Tarawih prayers performed after the Isha evening prayers. During the last ten days of the month, many devout Muslims spend extended periods in mosques, reciting the Quran in anticipation of Laylat Al Qadar, the night of the first Quranic revelation. Ramadan fosters a sense of community, empathy for the less fortunate, and charitable giving.

Changes in business operations and public life

Businesses and public services in the UAE adjust schedules to accommodate fasting hours and the cultural rhythm of Ramadan.

Grocery stores and shopping malls

Supermarkets remain operational as usual, while shopping malls extend their hours to cater to residents and visitors post-Iftar. The majority remain open until 1:00am, with restaurants and cafés operating late into the night. Key entities include:

• Arabian Centre: 10:00am–midnight; restaurants 10:00am–1:00am
• Bluewaters: weekdays 10:00am–11:00pm, weekends 10:00am–midnight; restaurants weekdays 10:00am–midnight, weekends 10:00am–1:00am
• City Centre Mirdif: 10:00am–1:00am; restaurants 10:00am–2:00am
• City Walk: 10:00am–midnight; restaurants 10:00am–1:00am
• Dubai Festival City Mall: 10:00am–midnight; restaurants 10:00am–1:00am

This adjustment allows shoppers, families, and tourists to enjoy retail and dining experiences while respecting fasting practices.

Dining options during the day

Non-Muslims, children, and the elderly may dine during daylight hours at select food courts, cafés, and restaurants within malls such as Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates. Many restaurants also provide special Iftar menus at competitive prices, along with à la carte options, creating opportunities for residents and tourists to explore global cuisines while engaging with Ramadan traditions.

Working hours

UAE labor law mandates a two-hour reduction in daily working hours during Ramadan for all employees, regardless of religion, without deductions in wages. This adjustment facilitates employee participation in fasting, prayer, and family activities.

Transportation and parking

Paid parking hours are modified during Ramadan, and information is displayed on meters or via government transport portals. Visitors and residents should also anticipate limited taxi availability in the evenings, as many drivers observe the fast and Iftar meals. Booking taxis in advance is recommended.

Consumer protection and market regulations

Ramadan often sees heightened demand for food, household items, and festive products. While many co-operative stores and hypermarkets offer discounts of up to 70 per cent on essential commodities, the UAE government enforces regulations to prevent price exploitation and shortages.

The Ministry of Economy & Tourism caps prices on essential goods, monitors stock availability, and inspects retailers to ensure compliance, protecting consumers from fraud and unfair practices during this peak shopping period.

Rules, fines, and etiquette during Ramadan

Visitors and residents should be mindful of public conduct and legal requirements. Key rules include:

• Public eating/drinking/smoking: Forbidden during fasting hours (sunrise to sunset); violators may face fines up to Dhs2,000 or imprisonment for one month.
• Unauthorised iftar sistribution: Distributing meals without official permits can incur fines up to Dhs500,000.
• Illegal fundraising: Collecting donations without a license is punishable with fines ranging from Dhs150,000 to Dhs500,000.
• Begging: Illegal, with fines starting at Dhs5,000 and up to three months imprisonment.
• Disrespectful behavior: Loud music, dancing, or aggressive conduct in public is subject to penalties.
• Modest dress code: Residents and tourists should cover shoulders and knees in public spaces.
• Parking Violations: Improper parking, especially near mosques during Taraweeh prayers, can result in fines of Dhs500.

By adhering to these rules, residents, tourists, and businesses ensure a respectful and safe Ramadan experience.

Experiencing Ramadan spirit as a visitor

Non-muslims are not required to fast but can enjoy the unique atmosphere of Ramadan in the UAE. Cities transform after sunset, with lively streets, vibrant shopping centers, and abundant Iftar and Suhoor experiences. Cultural and tourist attractions remain open during the day, making it possible for visitors to enjoy recreational activities, amusement parks, and heritage sites alongside the local community.

Restaurants in malls and hotels often curate special Iftar menus, offering international cuisines that reflect the UAE’s cosmopolitan identity. From casual dining in food courts to luxury hotel banquets, Ramadan provides a platform for residents and tourists to experience hospitality, generosity, and the communal spirit of the holy month.

Ramadan in the UAE is more than a religious observance; it is a period that harmonizes spirituality, social life, and business operations. From extended mall hours and reduced working hours to fines and regulations that maintain public decorum, the UAE ensures a safe, inclusive, and culturally rich Ramadan experience.

Understanding traditions, observing local etiquette, and planning ahead for shopping, dining, and transportation allows residents, tourists, and businesses to fully embrace the month’s spiritual and commercial significance. Whether participating in fasting, savoring Emirati culinary delights, or enjoying late-night shopping, Ramadan in the UAE provides a unique convergence of faith, community, and commerce.

Three people were killed and two others sustained minor injuries after a boat carrying 25 French tourists capsized in the waters off the Wilayat of Muttrah in Oman’s Muscat Governorate, authorities said on Tuesday.

Rescue teams from the Civil Defence and Ambulance Unit in Muscat responded to an emergency call after the vessel overturned in coastal waters, according to a statement from the local emergency services.

The two people suffered minor injuries and were treated on site by ambulance crews.

According to a report published by the Oman Observer, the vessel was en route from Bandar al Rowdha in the Muttrah area toward the Damaniyat Islands when it overturned at around 9am.

Capsized boat was carrying 25 French tourists

Preliminary accounts from officials said the boat was carrying mostly French nationals when it overturned. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.

The Royal Oman Police, which oversees maritime safety through its Coast Guard division, has launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Maritime authorities are assisting police in piecing together the sequence of events that led to the overturning of the vessel.

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