Dubai Reef, a pioneering purpose-built reef development and one of the world’s largest, is showing measurable progress in restoring marine ecosystems across Dubai’s coastal waters. New underwater footage from the initiative’s proof-of-concept site reveals a vibrant marine habitat, where fish populations and biodiversity are steadily increasing around the deployed reef modules.

Site surveys have identified a significant rise in fish populations across 15 native species, including snappers, groupers, and barracuda. Early data points to a 10 per cent boost in marine biodiversity, coupled with an eightfold increase in fish biomass—key indicators of the initiative’s impact on local ecosystems.

Habitat restoration

The initiative’s first pillar, Marine Habitat Restoration, targets the deployment of 20,000 reef modules across 600 square kilometres of Dubai’s waters by 2027. These efforts aim to create optimal conditions for marine life to thrive. Since the project’s launch in 2024, 39 per cent of the total modules have been fabricated, with 3,660 units already deployed.

Beyond habitat restoration, Dubai Reef incorporates two additional pillars—Marine Life Rehabilitation and Marine Conservation Research. Together, these components support a long-term vision of marine conservation aligned with Dubai’s sustainability agenda.

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Launched as a sustainability initiative under Dubai Can, Dubai Reef was established under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

The initiative is driven by a multi-stakeholder collaboration across key public and private sector partners, including the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Dubai Environment and Climate Change Authority (DECCA); DP World; Dubai Chambers; Nakheel, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate; Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC); and Emirates. Collectively, these entities are advancing the city’s sustainability goals while supporting key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The Qiwa platform in Saudi Arabia has rolled out new updates to its employment contract system, introducing significant changes to how employers can report workers as “absent from work.”

Under the updated rules, employers can only submit an absence report if the worker’s residency permit (Iqama) is valid for at least 60 days and the worker has no active employment contract at the time of submission, a Saudi Gazette report said.

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Once a worker’s status changes to “disconnected from work,” they are given a 60-day grace period to take one of three actions: transfer to another employer, leave Saudi Arabia, or re-sign with the same employer. If no action is taken within this period, the worker will automatically be marked as “absent from work” and removed from the company’s records.

Terminations and notifications to authorities

The system also clarifies that if a work contract ends—whether by the employer’s or the worker’s decision—it will be recorded as “terminated” after the notice period concludes. Should the worker fail to act within the allowed grace period, an automatic notification will be sent to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) and the Ministry of Interior.

These updates aim to streamline the labor exit and transfer process, ensuring transparency and accountability in employer-employee relationships.

Digital certificates now available for workers

Qiwa has also introduced digital services that allow workers to obtain free employment-related certificates through their “Qiwa Individuals” account. Currently employed users can generate salary certificates with up-to-date job details. Former employees may request a service certificate summarizing their previous work history.

To access the service, users must log into their Qiwa Individuals account, navigate to “Employment Certificates,” and follow the instructions.

The platform says these tools are designed to boost job competitiveness through verified documentation of experience.

BRABUS Island, the first-ever branded residential project by German high-performance brand BRABUS, made a dramatic entry into the Middle East with a high-octane launch event at Emirates Palace. The unveiling, developed by Cosmo Developments – powered by Reportage Group – was brought to life by creative agency Innovation Crew, tasked with executing a fully immersive brand experience within tight venue limitations and an even tighter deadline.

The brief was ambitious: convert one of the most opulent venues in the world into a signature BRABUS experience. The challenge? No structural changes allowed. The transformation had to reflect BRABUS’ iconic black-on-black aesthetic, all within 48 hours.

“We had just a few days to finalise the creative, plan the journey, source materials, rehearse, and execute,” said Sony AbdelMohsen, general manager of Innovation Crew. “When they told us they wanted to dim the gold, I laughed. But they weren’t kidding – and neither were we, once the brief was in.”

At the time, Innovation Crew was already handling eight major campaigns across eight countries. To meet the deadline, the agency mobilised over 50 specialists across production, design, technology, and guest experience. Additional team members were flown in from Riyadh and Cairo to reinforce the Dubai-based core team. Leadership remained on-site to oversee every phase of execution.

To reflect the BRABUS brand DNA, the agency sourced bespoke materials from across the UAE – from carpets and cutlery to furniture and textiles – all designed to match the brand’s minimalist, high-impact palette. Emirates Palace staff coordinated closely with the production team to ensure installations adhered to strict preservation standards.

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“We couldn’t alter the structure, but we had to silence it,” added Sony. “Every shadow, spotlight, and surface was calculated. And if black plates and cutlery were missing across the UAE in April or May, you can probably blame us.”

The result was a striking, multi-sensory experience that captured the essence of the BRABUS brand while fully respecting the heritage of the venue. The event achieved strong digital momentum, with widespread organic impressions across social media platforms, and has since been recognised as one of the year’s most commercially successful real estate showcases.

Innovation Crew is no stranger to executing standout experiences. The agency’s portfolio includes some of the region’s most high-profile activations, such as the Pepsi Titan takeover at Ain Dubai, ADNOC’s Youth Centers closing ceremony with CAF, British Petroleum’s West Nile Delta launch, Philips’ Guinness World Record event at the Pyramids, and the opening of BSH’s first factory in Africa.

The UAE’s Fuel Price Committee has approved new retail fuel rates for the month of August, raising pump prices for petrol and diesel as global crude markets surged earlier this month, according to state news agency, WAM.

– Diesel: Dhs2.78 per litre up from Dhs2.63 per litre in July

– Super “98” : Dhs2.69 per litre reduced from Dhs2.70 per litre last month

– Special “95” : Dhs2.57 per litre reduced from Dhs2.58 per litre in the previous month

– E-Plus “91” : Dhs2.50 per litre reduced from Dhs2.51 per litre in July

Read- UAE: These are the fuel prices for July 2025

Oil prices ease amid mixed signals

Oil prices eased on Thursday as investors weighed the risk of supply shortages amid US President Donald Trump’s push for a swift resolution to the tensions in Ukraine through more tariffs, though a surprise build in US crude stocks weighed on prices.

Brent crude futures for September, set to expire on Thursday, fell 18 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $73.06 a barrel at 0650 GMT. The more active Brent October contract was down 26 cents, or 0.4 per cent, at $72.21.

US West Texas Intermediate crude for September dropped 17 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to $69.83 a barrel.

Both benchmarks settled 1 per cent higher on Wednesday.

“Oil contracts have been caught in a holding pattern today, oscillating within a tight range as neither buyers nor sellers muster the conviction to take prices decisively higher or lower, especially on the crux of the August 1 deadline” for new U.S. tariffs, said Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

Conflicting market forces

“On one hand, Trump’s hawkish rhetoric on Russian oil sanctions continues to underpin tight-market premiums; on the other, a firm dollar, tepid global growth indicators, and that surprise EIA build are capping gains,” Sachdeva added.

Trump said he would start imposing measures on Russia, including 100 per cent secondary tariffs on its trading partners, if it did not make progress on ending the war within 10–12 days, moving up an earlier 50-day deadline.

“Concerns that secondary tariffs on countries importing Russian crude will tighten supplies continue to drive buying interest,” said Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at Fujitomi Securities.

The US has also warned China, the largest buyer of Russian oil, that it could face huge tariffs if it kept buying.

Surprise crude build and gasoline draw

Meanwhile, US crude oil inventories rose by 7.7 million barrels in the week ending July 25 to 426.7 million barrels, driven by lower exports, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. Analysts had expected a 1.3 million-barrel draw.

Gasoline stocks fell by 2.7 million barrels to 228.4 million barrels, far exceeding forecasts for a 600,000-barrel draw.

“US inventory data showed a surprise build in crude stocks, but a bigger-than-expected gasoline draw supported the view of strong driving season demand, resulting in a neutral impact on oil market,” Fujitomi Securities’ Tazawa said.

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday maintained its benchmark federal funds rate target range at 4.25 to 4.5 per cent, citing signs of moderating economic activity in H1 2025 while noting that inflation remains “somewhat elevated”.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) reiterated its commitment to achieving maximum employment and 2 per cent inflation over the longer run. The committee acknowledged that “uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated” and stated it is “attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate”.

In its statement, the FOMC noted that while swings in net exports continue to affect data, recent indicators suggest a moderation in economic activity growth. The unemployment rate remains low, and labour market conditions are described as solid.

Fed to reduce its holdings of Treasury securities

Looking ahead, the committee stated it will “carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks” when considering the extent and timing of any future adjustments to the federal funds rate.

The Fed also confirmed it would continue reducing its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities as part of its quantitative tightening program.

The FOMC emphasised its strong commitment to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to its 2 per cent objective. It added that it “would be prepared to adjust the stance of monetary policy as appropriate if risks emerge that could impede the attainment of the committee’s goals,” taking into account a wide range of information, including labor market conditions, inflation pressures and expectations, and financial and international developments.

CBUAE maintains base rate at 4.40 per cent

In other news, the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has decided to maintain the base rate applicable to the overnight deposit facility (ODF) at 4.40 per cent.

The decision was taken following the US Federal Reserve’s announcement to keep the interest rate on reserve balances (IORB) unchanged.

The CBUAE has also decided to maintain the interest rate applicable to borrowing short-term liquidity from the CBUAE at 50 basis points above the base rate for all standing credit facilities.

The base rate, which is anchored to the US Federal Reserve’s IORB, signals the general stance of monetary policy and provides an effective floor for overnight money market interest rates in the UAE.