Digital transformation is increasingly defining the realities of today’s world. This includes migrating data to the cloud, leveraging digital communication tools, and automating key operations.

According to Statista, global spending on digital transformation is projected to reach $2.5tn in 2024. By 2027, this figure is expected to grow to $3.9tn.

Huawei’s research and development commitment to cybersecurity

Colm Murphy, from the European Cybersecurity Center at Huawei, emphasised the company’s sustained investment in research and development (R&D) as a cornerstone of its cybersecurity strategy.

Read-Huawei Cloud unveils AI-native solutions at MWC 2025

“In 2024, Huawei invested $24.6bn in research and development, representing 20.8 per cent of its annual revenue,” said Murphy.

“Over the past decade, Huawei’s research and development spend has totaled $171.1bn. Currently, more than 3,000 personnel are dedicated to cybersecurity research and development, with 5 per cent of total research and development investment focused solely on securing Huawei products.”

Murphy added, “Cybersecurity and user privacy are Huawei’s top priorities. With operations in over 170 countries, Huawei has implemented end-to-end security practices and has maintained a record free of major cybersecurity incidents.”

Addressing AI-era threats

Richard Wu, President of the Security Product Domain at Huawei, highlighted the rise of AI-driven threats. “AI technologies like ChatGPT and DeepSeek are revolutionizing industries, but they are also being exploited by hackers. In 2024, AI-driven network attacks rose by 50 per cent year-over-year.”

Wu cited alarming trends: “More than 100 million new viruses are created annually. Tools like WormGPT and FraudGPT enable the generation of 1,000 phishing emails in one minute—something that would take a human three days.”

Huawei has responded by integrating AI into its cybersecurity defenses. The company has established six global cybersecurity labs and was the first in the industry to adopt AI to bolster protection. “AI enables advanced threat detection, operational support, and real-time alert analysis. In one government deployment, our AI analyzed 10,000 alerts in six minutes—160 times faster than manual processing,” Wu said.

Huawei cloud’s AI-native strategy

Dr Zhu Shenggao, Vice President of AI at Huawei Cloud for the Middle East & Central Asia, noted that the cloud division is now fully aligned around an “AI-native” strategy.

“With our ‘one center, seven defenses’ security model, we offer end-to-end protection for AI systems, ensuring compliance, privacy, and control,” he said. “Security for large AI models is now essential, as they face specific threats and ethical concerns.”

Combating the rise of ransomware

Wu also addressed the growing threat of ransomware. “In 2024, ransomware caused global losses of $42bn, with an average of 21 days of business disruption per incident,” he said. “Only 4 per cent of enterprises can fully recover data even after paying ransoms.”

Huawei’s HiSec Endpoint product is designed to protect laptops, computers, and servers. It features AI-powered detection, multi-hop source tracing, and intelligent backup triggering. “Unlike traditional vendors, our system allows virus removal from all infected devices in one action,” said Wu.

Proactive defense across layers

Yongjian Li, President of Data Protection at Huawei, introduced the industry’s first multi-layer coordinated protection solution against ransomware.

Key capabilities include:

• 99.9 per cent ransomware detection via SAN/NAS scanning with decoy files,
• End-to-end encryption from data production to backup zones, and
• Automated backup drills enabling five times faster recovery validation.

“This represents a shift from reactive to proactive cybersecurity,” said Li.

As health systems across the Middle East and Africa confront the dual pressures of rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and persistent access gaps, AstraZeneca is placing health equity at the heart of its mission.

In this nterview, Iskra Reic, EVP – International at AstraZeneca, shares how the company is working to deliver healthcare that is inclusive, impactful and future-focused.

From AI-powered diagnostics in rural Africa to large-scale screening programme in the UAE, Reic discusses why closing the health gap is not only a moral imperative but a cornerstone for sustainable health systems in the region and beyond.

From your perspective what is health equity and what does it mean in practice?

We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life – regardless of where they live, their background, or their economic circumstances. This is what we mean by health equity, and it underpins everything we do.

We also know the world is facing growing challenges – from ageing populations to climate change – that are straining health systems and widening inequities in high-, middle- and low-income countries.

The Middle East and North Africa region is experiencing a demographic shift that will increase non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cancer and cardiorenal diseases over the next few decades. The elderly population there is expected to rise by 290 per cent from 2018 to 2050, leading to a projected doubling of cancers and cancer deaths by 2040 in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region. In Africa, 2.1 million new cancer cases and 1.4 million deaths are projected annually by 2040.

These diseases affect lives, livelihoods, and economic productivity, exacerbating health inequities by disproportionately impacting lower-income and rural populations with limited healthcare access.

To address this burden, governments need integrated policies focusing on prevention, early detection, and treatment of NCDs. Early action on the NCD crisis can improve equitable health outcomes, reduce health system costs, and mitigate healthcare’s environmental impact.

That’s why we are embedding health equity across our business – starting with our science, to the delivery of healthcare across our therapy areas, and community engagement. In science, for example, we are ensuring our genomics research and clinical trials are representative of the patients impacted by disease including those from understudied global communities.

In healthcare delivery, one area where we are focusing on is chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our collaboration with SEHA in Abu Dhabi advances early detection and integrated care for CKD. Since launching a new screening protocol, over 145,000 patients have been screened, with 30,000 diagnosed for earlier intervention.

I’m also inspired by our work on new technologies, such as our partnership with MedSol AI in South Africa that introduces Wi-Fi-enabled ultrasounds to rural clinics, increasing breast cancer screenings by over 40 per cenr and improving healthcare access.

How does AstraZeneca work with partners to improve health equity in the Middle East and Africa?

Achieving health equity requires cross-sector collaboration. AstraZeneca partners with Ministries of Health, local organisations, community leaders, and others to ensure comprehensive healthcare throughout the patient journey — from screening and early detection to diagnosis and treatment.

A prime example is Cancer Care Africa, where we collaborate with health authorities and local leaders on building capacity, screening and diagnostics, patient empowerment, and access to medicines. In 2024 alone, Cancer Care Africa screened 160,000 people and trained 13,000 healthcare workers.

By 2030, the aim is to screen 10 million people, improve diagnostics for 500,000 patients, and double patient access to innovative cancer medicines.

We also tackle root causes of health inequities by empowering young people to make informed health choices. The Young Health Programme (YHP) has reached nearly 20 million young people with health education and advocacy, empowering them to take charge of their well-being.

In Jordan, the ‘Be The Change – Be You’ project educates school children aged 10 to 16 about the risks of smoking and tobacco use. This is one of many YHP initiatives engaging young people both regionally and globally.

Ensuring equitable access to healthcare is not a small task, but I am so proud of the great progress we’re making to close these gaps.

Why are NCDs such a key focus of your conversations as the recent ADGHW?

The rise of NCDs – otherwise known as chronic diseases – is a major global health crisis, affecting over three billion people and accounting for more than 70 per cent of deaths worldwide.

A recent study estimates that major NCDs, including cancer, diabetes, lung, and heart diseases, claim at least 150,000 lives annually in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

During the recent Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, I joined a symposium with Gulf region experts, policymakers, and patients to explore transformative solutions for for illnesses such as cancer and rare diseases. We emphasised the vital role of public-private partnerships emphasising the crucial role of public-private partnerships, such as the Partnership for Health System Resilience and Sustainability (PHSSR) and Lung Ambition Alliance, in advancing sustainable global health.

Abu Dhabi Global Health Week is more than just a conference — it’s a catalyst for action. It unites governments, industry, academia, and innovators to confront some of the most significant health challenges we face today.

This platform enables health leaders and policymakers to focus on enhancing health equity, adopting digital technology, and ensuring sustainable health financing through early detection of NCDs.

Tell me more about your specific efforts to tackle NCDs in the UAE, the Middle East and Africa region and beyond.

In the UAE, we collaborate with the Department of Health and other institutions to enhance diagnostics and disease management for non-communicable and rare diseases.

We are working with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health to develop a digital lung health screening platform that identifies high-risk patients for lung cancer and respiratory diseases at an early stage. Additionally, AstraZeneca has established an Early Lung Cancer Detection partnership with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) to improve early detection programs nationwide, aligning with the World Health Organization’s goal to reduce cancer mortality by 30 per cent by 2030.

In the Middle East & Africa, AstraZeneca’s Healthy Heart Africa programme collaborates with ministries of health to enhance early detection of heart and kidney diseases, focusing on those most in need and promoting equitable care. Since 2014, our partnership has identified 12 million people with hypertension, trained 12,000 health workers, and conducted 67 million blood pressure screenings.

I am looking forward to the United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs this September, where global leaders will unite for concerted action. In this pivotal forum, it is critical for health sector leaders to play a central role in advocating for urgent action and long-term solutions.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has begun renewing road markings at 89 locations across the emirate.

The project includes highways, main roads, residential areas, and several key intersections. It is part of the 2025 Preventive Maintenance Plan for Line Marking and Road Signage, implemented under RTA’s broader annual preventive maintenance strategy.

Read-Dubai’s RTA adopts new technology for road assessment

This initiative reflects RTA’s commitment to upholding the highest safety standards by ensuring clear and effective guidance for motorists across Dubai’s extensive road network, according to a Dubai Media Office report.

Re-striping of 50 major roads

The scope includes re-striping 50 major roads, including Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, First Al Khail Road, 2nd December Street, Al Khawaneej Street, Amman Street, Zabeel Street, and Al Manama Street. It also covers road marking renewals in 39 residential areas, such as Al Awir, Umm Hurair, Oud Al Muteena, Al Twar, Al Barsha, Al Sufouh, and Al Qusais Industrial Area.

Repainting in speed reduction zones

The programme also involves repainting red surfacing in speed reduction zones along major corridors, as well as re-marking box junctions at key intersections, paid parking areas, and traffic-calming devices like speed humps.

“The renewal of road markings is a priority under RTA’s 2025 Preventive Maintenance Plan. Over 30,000 linear metres of road markings will be repainted to help maintain the highest levels of safety across Dubai’s road network. This initiative also contributes to the objectives of RTA’s Traffic Safety Strategy and supports our goal of positioning Dubai as a global leader in road safety and infrastructure quality,” said Abdulla Ali Lootah, Director of Roads and Facilities Maintenance Department at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

“RTA adopts the latest technologies for cleaning, removing, and renewing ageing road markings and uses top-grade materials to extend the operational lifespan of road signage. Simultaneously, RTA is committed to implementing comprehensive safety measures during the repainting process to ensure smooth and uninterrupted traffic flow at work sites,” Lootah added.

Emirates Group employees are in line for a windfall after the Dubai-based aviation giant announced a record-breaking financial performance for the 2024–2025 fiscal year, with staff set to receive a 22-week bonus payout.

The bumper bonus follows a year that saw the group achieve all-time highs in revenue, profit, EBITDA and cash reserves. Emirates Airline, the flagship carrier, was crowned the most profitable airline in the world during the reporting period, while the group, overall, says it has become the globe’s top-performing airline.

Read more: Emirates Group delivers record-breaking financial year 2024-25

According to the financial results released on Thursday, the Emirates Group recorded a pre-tax profit of Dhs22.7bn ($6.2bn), an 18 per cent increase over the previous year. After the UAE’s 9 per cent corporate income tax, net profit stood at Dhs20.5bn ($5.6bn).

Revenues climbed to Dhs145.4bn ($39.6bn), up 6 per cent year-on-year, while cash reserves surged 13 per cent to Dhs53.4bn ($14.6bn). EBITDA for the group rose to Dhs42.2bn ($11.5bn), also a record.

Emirates Airline itself generated a pre-tax profit of Dhs21.2bn ($5.8bn), a 20 per cent rise over the prior year, with revenues of Dhs127.9bn ($34.9bn). The airline’s cash balance also hit an all-time high of Dhs49.7bn ($13.5bn), up 16 per cent.

dnata, the group’s aviation services division, also reported its best-ever financial results. It posted a pre-tax profit of Dhs1.6bn ($430m) and revenue of Dhs21.1bn ($5.8bn), reflecting a 10 per cent annual increase.

The group also announced a dividend of Dhs6bn ($1.6bn) to its shareholder, the Investment Corporation of Dubai.

Salik Company, Dubai’s exclusive toll gate operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ENOC Group to develop integrated digital payment solutions at ENOC fuel stations.

The agreement will allow customers to make seamless payments for fuel and services at ENOC stations using Salik’s e-wallet, with transaction values automatically deducted through vehicle number plate recognition technology.

The MoU was signed by Ibrahim Sultan Al Haddad, CEO of Salik, and Zaid Alqufaidi, MD of ENOC Retail, at ENOC’s head office in Dubai.

The partnership leverages automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, already deployed by Salik at over 25 parking locations and soon expanding to 127 locations, to offer contactless payments at ENOC’s retail and service network.

It marks a significant step in both companies’ digital transformation strategies.

“This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering advanced technologies that simplify transactions, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen Salik’s position as a key enabler of sustainable and intelligent mobility solutions across the emirate of Dubai,” Al Haddad said.

Salik aims to grow its ancillary revenue streams

Salik said the agreement supports its goal to grow ancillary revenue streams and expand its role in Dubai’s smart mobility infrastructure. ENOC, meanwhile, said the collaboration reflects its commitment to enhancing customer experience and exploring new digital revenue channels.

“This agreement represents a significant step towards enhancing the customer journey at our service stations,” said Saif Humaid Al Falasi, group CEO of ENOC.

The MoU also includes plans for joint technical integration, a phased rollout of the payment system across ENOC locations, and future joint marketing campaigns to raise customer awareness.

Both companies are exploring a broader strategic partnership, the statement added.

The announcement comes amid Salik’s continued rollout of customer-centric mobility services, including the launch of its variable tolling system in January aimed at improving traffic flow and optimising transport infrastructure efficiency.