The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia has launched a new service through its Nusuk app, enabling citizens and residents to conveniently order 330 ml bottles of blessed zamzam water delivered directly to their homes anywhere in the kingdom.

With no restrictions on the quantity or frequency of orders, the service aims to facilitate easier access to this sacred water for all users.

Read more-Saudi’s new rule: All types of visas allow holders to perform Umrah

Orders can be placed through simple steps within the app, ensuring a seamless experience for residents across Saudi Arabia, a Saudi Press Agency report said.

Meanwhile, the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque reported a remarkable total of 13.5 million visitors within a single week of Rabi Al Akhir (18 to 24 Rabi Al Akhir, 1447 AH). The Grand Mosque alone welcomed over 4.6 million worshippers, including nearly 24,000 performing prayers at Hijr Ismail and close to 2.8 million performing Umrah. At the Prophet’s Mosque, attendance reached over 5.1 million, with more than 340,000 visiting Al Rawdah Al Sharifah and over 523,000 greeting the Prophet Muhammad and his two companions.

To manage these unprecedented crowds efficiently, authorities have implemented cutting-edge technology using reader sensors at main entrances to precisely monitor worshipper numbers. This innovation allows real-time crowd flow analysis and improves operational efficiency, enabling authorities to better manage the massive influx in partnership with relevant entities. The move reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance the pilgrim experience while ensuring safety and comfort during peak religious events.

Across the Middle East, 5G is entering a new phase of maturity — shifting from a connectivity enabler to a catalyst for enterprise transformation. Petra Schirren, president of Ericsson Gulf at Ericsson Europe, Middle East and Africa, believes the region is already leading globally in leveraging 5G and AI to transform industries such as logistics, oil and gas, and public safety.

“There’s a lot in public safety, a lot of interest from ports, logistics companies, airports, oil and gas; all these have been big industries for us,” Schirren said. “The benefits of AI and cloud combined can really both enable efficiency in the ways that industries run their operations, and provide security and safety for people working for them; then there is also new types of use cases for revenue generation.”

According to Schirren, industry adoption is progressing steadily as enterprises build trust and confidence in advanced network capabilities. “It takes a little bit of time to get industries and people to be comfortable with security, with trust as well…in changing the way that they do business, but it’s progressing every day,” she added.

Defining differentiated connectivity

As operators evolve their 5G offerings, differentiated connectivity is emerging as a key value driver — enabling businesses to prioritise performance parameters based on use cases. Schirren explained the concept using a relatable analogy:

“With differentiated connectivity and what capabilities that standalone brings, you can basically put differentiated performance depending on what you want to do with it,” she said. “One of the operators we work with describe it as simple as saying first, business and economy class.”

This distinction, she noted, allows operators and enterprises to optimise network experience according to demand. “It could be about latency, it could be about performance, it could be about speed,” Schirren said. “It’s a different user experience depending on what you’re using it for and what you’re willing to pay for.”

6G on the horizon

While 5G continues to transform industries, Ericsson is already investing heavily in 6G research and development. “Standardisation has just started,” Schirren said. “Then, of course, we have worked on R&D for a long time.”

She explained that 6G will go beyond connectivity, enabling networks with sensory and autonomous capabilities. “It’s a lot about sensing capability. It’s a lot about being able to do things in an autonomous way, being able to do things without human intervention,” she said.

Some of these capabilities are already being integrated into 5G networks. “We’re starting that already now with programmable networks for 5G as well,” Schirren added. “Some of those capabilities are already being introduced, but we started taking it one step further to make it kind of sensory determined.”

Driving sustainability through smarter networks

Ericsson’s sustainability goals are deeply intertwined with its technology roadmap. “We’re working on our own products to ensure that every generation that we release is more efficient than the previous one,” Schirren said.

The company aims to achieve Net Zero emissions across its value chain by 2040, with a milestone of reaching Net Zero in its operations and a 50 per cent reduction in supply chain and portfolio emissions by 2030. “We work with all of our customers here, both on optimising the energy efficiency of their networks, optimising the site performance, and we also have solutions like connected recycling as well, where we’re actually taking care of the waste that is generated from our industry,” she said.

“For us, it’s one of our biggest core values to work on sustainability because we believe we want to be able to do more with less,” Schirren added. “As we do connectivity and innovation, we also have to care about the planet and the sustainability of what we put out in the market.”

At GITEX Global 2025, Ericsson highlighted the power of partnerships in accelerating digital transformation. “Of course, we work with our CSP partners. They’re one of our prime customers today, but we also have collaborations with other parts of the ecosystem,” Schirren said.

She emphasised that achieving national visions such as UAE’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2031 requires collective effort. “It’s very important to realise that if we want to bring the digitisation of nations vision to life by 2031, no one can do it alone,” she said. “It goes all the way from governments to our customers to, for example, other providers that might have particular applications or devices to run on top of our networks.”

Schirren expects the convergence of 5G, cloud, and AI to transform every sector in the region over the next five years. “When that all comes together, I think you will have impacts for every single industry,” she said. “Some [industries] might find it easy to adopt and go faster, but I think over time, it will impact all the parts, whether that’s consumers, every single enterprise or governmental operations.”

She pointed to growing investment in innovation clusters. “We’ve spoken with some of our customers now that are opening AI parks to bring together the complete ecosystem,” Schirren said. “Change will happen. Either you decide to be a part of it, or you else will sit on the sidelines.”

AI-driven connectivity in action

Ericsson is already deploying AI-enabled, mission-critical connectivity solutions across the GCC. “We work a lot with our customers on AI driven autonomous networks on the journey there,” Schirren said.

The company’s technologies are enabling predictive maintenance, network optimisation, and operational resilience. “We introduce a way of optimising energy efficiency of the networks, optimising root cause analysis for being able to predict when something happens rather than react when it has happened,” she explained.

“These types of new algorithms are part of what we deliver, as products, solutions and services,” Schirren said. “And with these capabilities as well, our customers are able to bring new services to the market as well, which is happening on a continuous basis.”

Ericsson’s vision for the Gulf is clear: to help nations and enterprises transition from being adopters of technology to architects of intelligent, sustainable, and autonomous digital ecosystems. As Schirren noted, progress is already visible and the foundations being laid today with 5G and AI will define how the region leads in the 6G era.

Gucci owner Kering has agreed to sell its beauty business to L’Oreal for $4.66bn, in a major shift in strategy by new CEO Luca de Meo as he moves to tackle the luxury group’s high debt and refocus on its core fashion business.

Under the deal, French beauty giant L’Oreal will acquire Kering’s fragrance line Creed, which former CEO Francois-Henri Pinault acquired in 2023 for €3.5bn euros, as well as exclusive rights to develop fragrance and beauty products for 50 years under Kering’s fashion labels including Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga.

Read more-Dubai’s Emirates NBD to buy 60% stake in India’s RBL Bank for $3bn

L’Oreal will also get the Gucci licence, also for 50 years, once a deal with Coty, which analysts believe to last until 2028, expires.

“We believe selling Kering Beauté at around the same price paid for Creed two years ago is bitter but necessary medicine,” said analysts at Bernstein.

While the idea of selling the beauty business had been identified as an option before de Meo officially took charge in September, the Italian dramatically accelerated discussions with L’Oreal this month, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Kering beauty will be L’Oreal’s largest acquisition to date, bigger than its purchase of Australian brand Aesop for $2.5bn in 2023. The deal makes sense strategically, Bernstein analysts said, with Creed one of the most exciting brands in the growing luxury fragrances area.

Shares in Kering jumped 4.7 per cent while L’Oreal rose 1.4 per cent.

Significant step toward reducing debt

The sale is a significant step towards reducing Kering’s net debt, which stood at 9.5 billion euros at the end of June, on top of €6bn in long-term lease liabilities, sparking investor concern.

It is also a major shift in direction by De Meo less than two months after taking the helm, as he unwinds one of the biggest strategic pivots made by his predecessor Francois-Henri Pinault, whose family controls the group, in recent years.

Kering set up its beauty business in 2023 after acquiring perfume maker Creed to cut its reliance on star brand Gucci, which accounts for most of its profits.

But the French conglomerate has struggled to ramp up the beauty business. The division that comprises beauty operations reported a €60m operating loss for the first half of the year.

Kering is also battling declining growth at its largest brand Gucci as demand in the key Chinese market slowed. Gucci’s revenue plummeted 25 per cent year-on-year in the last reported quarter, increasing the pressure on Kering to deleverage to avoid further credit downgrades.

De Meo, who took over as CEO in September, had told shareholders he planned to take some difficult decisions to reduce debt at the group, including rationalising and reorganising where necessary.

The company has also postponed a plan to fully acquire Italian fashion brand Valentino, and is aiming to sell stakes in its real estate to raise cash.

‘Punchy’ price-tag justified for L’oreal

L’Oreal, the maker of Maybelline make-up and CeraVe skincare, already produces blockbuster perfumes under the Yves Saint Laurent label after acquiring rights to the brand from Kering for €1.15bn in 2008. The two companies also said they were setting up a joint venture to provide experiences and services for luxury clients.

Fragrances, which account for about 14 per cent of L’Oreal’s 2024 revenues, according to Bernstein, were growing in double-digit figures in the second quarter at L’Oreal, outperforming the segment.

“L’Oreal enjoys strong momentum in the Luxe division and they must be looking forward to getting hold of the perfume and beauty licences associated with Kering’s prestigious yet relatively underdeveloped brands,” said Bruno-Roland Bernard, a consultant and adjunct professor for corporate finance and luxury management at Paris-based Institut Francais de la Mode.

“It’s also possible they are taking advantage of a favourable bargaining position – with limited competition: who has the credentials and the firepower to deal with a Kering under time pressure?”

It is not clear where the deal leaves talks between Armani group and L’Oreal, which was named in the will of late designer Giorgio Armani as one of the preferred buyers for a minority stake in his fashion house.

Kering was advised by Evercore and Centerview, and L’Oreal by Bank of America and Rothschild. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.

Cyberattacks targeting the Gulf’s critical digital infrastructure are increasing in both scale and sophistication, with the UAE emerging as one of the most targeted countries in the world. According to NETSCOUT, the UAE recorded the longest average DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack duration — 27 minutes — a figure that highlights the region’s growing strategic importance and vulnerability to cyber disruption.

“This region is very central and strategic in terms of business and so this makes it a target for attackers,” said Dr Emad Fahmy, regional director, Middle East, NETSCOUT.

He explained that the Gulf’s growing reliance on digital ecosystems and AI-driven services makes it particularly appealing for cybercriminals seeking high-impact targets. “The UAE here is one of the leading countries in terms of AI and analytics, and all the businesses run online, which gives an opportunity for attackers to try to bring everything down,” he added.

High-value targets under pressure

The company’s research shows that there were 3,477 DDoS attacks launched in just six months. The financial and healthcare sectors remain among the most heavily impacted.

“If you see the financial sector, including the FinTech companies, it’s very critical — their business is done [online] in seconds and sometimes milliseconds,” said Dr Fahmy. “So bringing down their link or bandwidth is very crucial. Imagine that you are an investor trying to do an online transaction, and suddenly you find that the network is not working. All your efforts that you have been doing for months can be down in a few minutes.”

He warned that attacks on healthcare networks could have devastating consequences. “Imagine that the records of the patients are down, or the patients are trying to access online help, and then an attack comes and brings this connection down. This could be life-threatening, which is really serious,” he said.

The rise of multi-vector and AI-driven attacks

NETSCOUT has observed that cybercriminals are increasingly deploying multi-vector attacks, where multiple threat types are launched simultaneously to overwhelm security defences. “The multi-vector attacks are actually a series of attacks that are different in character and nature,” said Dr Fahmy.

“One of the attackers can target an application and bring it down, and in the same attack, launch another towards the firewalls to bring them down. These attacks together can be in one series of campaign, which is very dangerous because the teams have to deal with different types of attack traffic at the same time and have the intelligence to stop it.”

To counter this, NETSCOUT has introduced multi-layered defence architectures across enterprise, service provider, and cloud environments. “We are introducing the multi-layer attack detection and mitigation devices — one at the customer enterprise, the next layer at the service provider, and the third layer in the cloud,” he said. “We know how the attackers think, and we are ready for them.”

Fahmy noted that many of the large-scale “cyber sandstorms” observed in recent years are closely linked to global and regional geopolitical tensions. “Whenever you see political problems, you find attackers here and there trying to get hold of this political situation and claim that they have done it for some political reasons in order to get famous online,” he said.

“This is one of the triggers for such attacks, in addition to other triggers that are not related to the geopolitical situation,” he added.

NETSCOUT has been expanding its footprint across the Middle East, with operations in Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE now serving as strategic hubs.

“Egypt, with its geographic importance and huge infrastructure, and Kuwait, are both critical. We are also focusing on the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and we are seeing a huge number of attacks in terms of volume and frequency on these countries. For example, in Saudi Arabia we have seen 270,000 attacks in the first six months, with a peak size of half a terabit per second — 570 gigabits in particular — which is huge.”

AI-led defence: the next frontier

To address the evolving threat landscape, NETSCOUT has developed adaptive AI-based DDoS protection systems designed to detect and respond to attacks that shift tactics in real time.

“These attacks are changing their nature every few minutes, which makes them very hard for service providers and enterprises to stop,” Dr Fahmy said. “Attackers are using very advanced AI modules to do that. From our side, we have developed all our products with AI capability, which we call adaptive DDoS, in our products and in the cloud as well.”

He explained that this capability is powered by NETSCOUT’s ATLAS platform, a global network of over 500 service providers monitoring roughly 50 per cent of the world’s internet traffic. “This allows us to detect the newest attacks that are building around AI,” he added.

For Fahmy, the region’s digital leaders must now move from reactive to proactive cybersecurity strategies.

As Gulf economies continue to digitalise at an unprecedented pace, the challenge is clear: securing tomorrow’s connected economies will require more than vigilance — it will demand intelligence that learns and evolves as fast as the adversaries it faces.

With air travel rebounding and technology playing a more significant role in everyday life, passengers are flying with more battery-powered devices than ever. In response to this growing trend, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a global campaign titled ‘Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries’ to improve awareness and safety practices related to carrying lithium-powered devices onboard aircraft.

The campaign, now live on IATA’s website and social media channels, is also available as a white-label package for airlines, airports, and other travel industry stakeholders to customise and promote within their own passenger communications. Its primary goal is to reduce the risk of fire and other safety incidents caused by the improper handling of lithium batteries during air travel.

Read more-Emirates bans power bank use onboard: What passengers need to know

“Lithium-powered devices are safe when handled properly, but they can pose a risk if damaged or packed incorrectly,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior VP, Operations, Safety and Security. “As more travelers fly with these devices, our campaign will help airlines educate their passengers on the simple rules they must keep in mind when travelling with the electronic devices that have become an essential part of their daily lives.”

More devices, more risk: What the IATA survey reveals

IATA’s recent global passenger survey confirms the growing reliance on personal electronics during travel:

• 83 per cent of travelers bring mobile phones
• 60 per cent carry laptops
• 44 per cent pack power banks

While 93 per cent of travelers consider themselves knowledgeable about the rules for flying with lithium batteries, including 57 per cent who rate themselves as very familiar, a deeper look at the data reveals widespread misunderstandings:

• Half of passengers wrongly believe they can safely pack small lithium-powered devices in their checked luggage
• 45 per cent think it’s acceptable to place power banks in checked bags
• One in three (33 per cent) believe there are no power limits on spare batteries or power banks

These gaps in awareness represent serious safety concerns, particularly as more travelers carry multiple lithium-powered devices in both carry-on and checked luggage.

At the heart of IATA’s campaign is a set of seven safety rules designed to be easy to remember and follow. These guidelines are critical to ensure the safe transport of lithium batteries and devices by air:

1. Pack light: Bring only the devices and batteries you truly need for your trip.
2. Stay alert: If a device appears damaged, hot, or smoking, immediately notify cabin crew or airport staff.
3. Keep devices with you: Always carry phones, laptops, cameras, vapes (if allowed), and other lithium battery-powered items in your hand luggage, not checked bags.
4. Protect loose batteries: Use original packaging, or cover the battery terminals with tape to prevent short circuits.
5. Gate check reminder: If your hand baggage is taken at the gate and placed in the aircraft hold, you must remove all lithium batteries and devices before surrendering the bag.
6. Check battery size: For devices using larger batteries over 100 watt-hours (e.g. larger cameras, or power tools), airline approval may be required.
7. Check airline rules: As different airlines and countries have varied regulations, always check your airline’s policy before flying.

These rules aim to improve safety without disrupting travel convenience, helping passengers understand the line between acceptable and dangerous use of electronic devices and batteries during air travel.

Everyday electronics: What’s powering your carry-on?

Many passengers fail to realise the sheer number of everyday items that rely on lithium batteries. Beyond the obvious, smartphones and laptops, these batteries are embedded in:

• Tablets, e-readers, wireless headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and cameras
• Portable speakers, handheld gaming consoles, electronic styluses
• Personal care items such as electric toothbrushes, razors, and hair-straighteners
• E-cigarettes, handheld fans, torches
• Medical devices like hearing aids and glucose monitors
• Compact tools and gadgets including screwdrivers and laser pointers

This widespread use makes lithium battery safety not only a technical regulation, but a personal safety responsibility for each traveler.

Clarifying key terms: From PEDs to smart luggage

To support its campaign, IATA has also defined common lithium battery-related terms, simplifying the language around this highly technical subject for everyday travelers. The campaign breaks down these categories:

• Lithium battery: A family of batteries with various chemistries; includes lithium metal (non-rechargeable) and lithium ion (rechargeable) batteries.
• Spare battery: A battery carried separately, either as a backup or removed from a device.
• Portable Electronic Device (PED): A small, battery-powered device that stores or transmits data—phones, cameras, radios, audio devices, etc.
• Portable Medical Electronic Device (PMED): Lithium battery-powered healthcare tools used to monitor or manage medical conditions, such as oxygen concentrators or cardiac monitors.
• Power bank: A portable battery used to charge other consumer devices, classified as a spare battery.
• Small vehicle: Battery-powered personal transport devices, including rideable luggage.
• Smart luggage: Luggage with built-in lithium battery technology such as charging ports, GPS tracking, or wireless connectivity.

Understanding these classifications helps passengers interpret airline and airport signage, disclosures, and policies more accurately.

How to travel with lithium batteries: Regulatory overview

In conjunction with the campaign, the IATA Guidance Document for Passengers Travelling with Lithium Batteries – 2025 provides travelers with detailed instructions for compliance.

Travelers may need to seek approval from airlines in advance, particularly when traveling with larger-capacity batteries or non-standard devices. Airlines may ask passengers to provide:

• The watt-hour (Wh) rating of lithium-ion batteries or the lithium content (in grams) for lithium metal batteries
• The number of batteries carried
• Whether the battery is removable or non-removable

Without this information, airlines can legally deny the battery or device for carriage, especially if it does not comply with the Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).

Checked vs carry-on: What goes where?

Portable electronic and medical devices

While PEDs and PMEDs should be carried in carry-on baggage, exceptions may occur. If these devices must be placed in checked luggage, then:

• The device must be completely turned off (not in sleep or hibernation mode)
• Steps must be taken to prevent damage and unintentional activation

Spare lithium batteries and power banks

Spare batteries, including power banks, are strictly prohibited in checked baggage. They must be:

• Individually insulated
• Packed in original packaging, or
• Have terminals taped or sealed in separate plastic bags

These must always be stored in carry-on baggage only.

Smart luggage and rideable devices

Devices with integrated lithium batteries, including smart luggage, fall under PED regulations. Most importantly, if the lithium battery is non-removable, the smart bag may be prohibited from being checked in.

Similarly, small battery-powered vehicles, like rideable luggage, may have batteries that exceed 160 watt-hours, making them ineligible for transport on many commercial flights. These devices, while useful for personal mobility, are still considered PEDs under IATA guidelines and are subject to restrictions.

While passengers are the primary audience for the “Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries” campaign, IATA emphasises that airlines, airports, and travel partners have a shared responsibility to promote these safety standards.

By adopting the white-label campaign assets, industry players can create a consistent safety message across touchpoints, from booking to boarding.

“This campaign gives the travel ecosystem a simple, unified message to share with passengers,” said Careen. “We believe this shared responsibility can dramatically improve understanding and reduce risks.”

As personal technology becomes increasingly embedded in travel routines, IATA’s “Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries” campaign offers a timely reminder: battery safety is not optional. From e-readers and earbuds to portable medical monitors, the modern traveler is often carrying multiple lithium-powered items, each with potential risks if mishandled.

The campaign represents a proactive industry step toward aligning traveler behavior with safety regulations and reducing avoidable onboard incidents.

For more information or to access the campaign toolkit, visit IATA’s website.

The rise of personal electronics in air travel has introduced new safety challenges. IATA’s latest campaign arms both travelers and airlines with clear, actionable guidance to reduce risks and improve safety. As lithium-powered devices become the norm, understanding how to travel with them responsibly is more important than ever.