Arthur D. Little (ADL) has appointed Dr. Goetz Kuras as a partner in its Financial Services (FS) practice. Based in Riyadh, Dr. Kuras will focus on the insurance, pensions, and social security sectors, supporting clients across the Middle East and globally. He brings more than two decades of experience across senior executive roles, regulatory positions, and consulting assignments.

Dr. Kuras previously served as a senior advisor to the Governor of the General Organization of Social Insurance (GOSI) in Saudi Arabia. In this role, he supported the strategic and operational transformation of GOSI and worked with the board and CEO of the newly formed Insurance Authority in shaping the National Insurance Strategy.

His leadership background includes serving as CEO of Medgulf and holding a board director position at an InsurTech firm. On the consulting side, he worked at McKinsey and later at Oliver Wyman, where he led the Insurance practice in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and subsequently in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). His core focus lies in transformation, strategy, and innovation across the insurance, pensions, and social security ecosystem.

Martin Rauchenwald, managing partner at ADL, said: “Driven by digitalization, AI and innovation, the Middle Eastern insurance sector is evolving rapidly to become a more fluid, open ecosystem. In parallel, institutional reforms of the pensions and social security system are actively discussed amongst policy makers. Through his deep experience and understanding, Goetz is perfectly positioned to help clients harness transformation and seize opportunities in this changing environment.”

Dr. Goetz Kuras added: “The boundaries between insurance and other sectors are dissolving. What has been a value chain is becoming a value stack with new business models emerging that combine value chain components across industries, requiring new approaches from market players, new entrants and regulators alike. Working with ADL’s expanding financial services practice and my colleagues in other industries, where insurance is complementary and enhancing existing value propositions, I look forward to helping grow our client base and impact in these crucial sectors that are vital for prospering societies and economies.”

Dr. Kuras holds a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Cambridge (UK), as well as Master’s degrees from Florida State University (US) and the University of Graz (Austria).

The UAE experienced extreme temperature variations and unexpected rainfall in some areas this week, according to the National Center of Meteorology (NCM).

The lowest temperature recorded nationwide early this morning was 27.1°C in Jais Mountain, Ras Al Khaimah, at 12:45am, while the highest reached a scorching 49.6°C in Mezaira, located in the Al Dhafra region, at 3:00pm on Sunday, July 27.

Read-Unusual weather system to bring clouds and rain to UAE

Adding to the weather extremes, light rainfall was reported over Showkah and Wadi Isfay in Ras Al Khaimah on Sunday.

The NCM has issued a five-day weather forecast starting Sunday, July 27, warning of intense heat, dusty winds, and intermittent cloud cover expected to affect various parts of the country.

Weather system overview

Meteorologists attribute the current conditions to a surface low-pressure system extending from the East, combined with a weak upper-air disturbance. This system is expected to influence the UAE’s weather throughout the week.

Sunday forecast – July 27

The weather on Sunday is expected to be generally fair to partly cloudy, with a chance of convective cloud development in the eastern and southern regions. These clouds may bring scattered rainfall. Humidity is set to increase in coastal areas overnight and into Monday morning.

Winds will be light to moderate in most areas, but could become fresh to strong near cloud formations, raising dust and sand, which may reduce horizontal visibility.

Expected temperatures:

• Coastal and Island areas: Highs between 42°C and 47°C; lows from 29°C to 33°C. Humidity: 70–90 per cent (max), 25–45 per cent (min)

• Internal areas: Highs from 44°C to 49°C; lows from 27°C to 32°C. Humidity: 65–85 per cent (max), 20–35 per cent (min)

• Mountainous regions: Highs from 36°C to 41°C; lows between 26°C and 31°C. Humidity: 70–90 per cent (max), 20–35 per cent (min)

Winds: Southeasterly to northeasterly at speeds of 10–25 km/h, reaching 40–50 km/h in some internal and mountainous areas.

Weekly outlook

Monday, July 28: Fair to partly cloudy with a continued chance of convective clouds in the East and South. Winds will remain southeasterly to northeasterly, light to moderate, with gusts up to 40 km/h. Visibility may be reduced due to blowing dust. Seas will be slight in both the Arabian Gulf and Oman Sea.

Tuesday, July 29: Conditions remain similar, with cloud development in eastern and southern areas. Winds will shift to north-westerly, reaching up to 40 km/h. The Arabian Gulf may experience slight to moderate waves, while the Oman Sea stays calm.

Wednesday, July 30: Partly cloudy skies are forecast in the East. Winds will be light to moderate north-westerly, occasionally fresh, raising dust in open areas. Sea conditions remain stable.

Thursday, July 31: Fair to partly cloudy skies continue. Winds will shift from south-westerly to north-westerly, strengthening during the day. Blowing dust and sand may reduce visibility in western regions. Rough seas are expected in the western Arabian Gulf, while the Oman Sea will remain slight.

The NCM advises residents to stay updated and take necessary precautions during extreme weather conditions.

Dubai’s real estate brokerage sector reported a standout performance in the first half of 2025, underscoring the critical role brokers play in sustaining growth and energising property transactions across the emirate.

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Brokers facilitated 42,181 real estate transactions between January and June, generating commissions totalling more than Dhs3.23bn. This marks a 99 per cent increase compared to Dhs1.62 billion in commissions during the same period in 2024, according to data from the Dubai Land Department (DLD), a Dubai Media Office report said.

The surge in activity is tied to a growing base of professionals operating in the market. The number of registered real estate brokers reached 29,577, including 6,714 new entrants in H1 2025. This trend reflects increasing confidence in the profession and highlights brokers’ expanding role in guiding investors toward high-potential opportunities.

Women brokers gain prominence

Women are playing a larger role in shaping the real estate landscape. A total of 10,100 women are now active in Dubai’s brokerage field. In the first six months of 2025, they were involved in 13,424 transactions, generating nearly Dhs1.43bn in commissions.

This strong showing highlights the growing influence of women in the industry and their ability to forge relationships, close high-value deals, and contribute to the market’s vibrancy.

Sector extends beyond transactions

Real estate brokers continue to serve as crucial intermediaries between developers, buyers, and investors. Their role in enhancing transparency and supporting informed decision-making has become increasingly vital. In addition to brokerage services, property valuation firms have contributed to sustaining demand by offering integrated services.

As of H1 2025, there were 1,223 registered brokerage offices in Dubai and 78 property valuation offices employing 118 licensed valuers.

Meanwhile, Real Estate Registrations and Services Trustees Offices have also helped boost market efficiency. These 2,426 offices processed 114,848 transactions in the first half of the year, serving 86,398 customers, a 15 per cent rise in client volume compared to the same period in 2024.

Dubai’s thriving brokerage and valuation sector reflects the emirate’s strategy of fostering a real estate environment rooted in public-private collaboration. Through professional services, brokers are helping reinforce investor confidence and positioning Dubai as a premier global hub for real estate investment.

DHL Aviation, the air freight arm of DHL Express, today announced the launch of ‘Xcelerate’, a new premium airport-to-airport cargo service designed to provide priority shipping and enhanced customer experience.

The “must-fly” offering aims to meet the growing demand for expedited logistics solutions, providing the fastest available shipping options with guaranteed capacity and reduced transit times.

Key features of DHL’s Xcelerate

1. Immediate booking confirmation: Customers receive instant confirmation for guaranteed service, accommodating late bookings efficiently.
2. Last-minute acceptance: Cargo can be accepted close to flight departures with high loading priority, enabling urgent dispatches with guaranteed capacity.
3. Priority release at destination: Shipments arriving last will be the first to be recovered, enhancing efficiency.
4. Dedicated customer service: A specialised team will oversee shipments end-to-end, providing proactive email notifications.

Ingrid Raj, global head of Aviation Commercial at DHL Express, stated, “We are excited to now offer our cargo customers a premium option similar to the experience offered to passengers by certain airlines.”

She added that the service was developed based on customer feedback and cross-departmental collaboration.

Paul Ennis, VP of Global Operations at DHL Aviation, emphasised the company’s commitment to customer service, noting that Xcelerate “further living up to our customer promise of ‘Excellence, Simply Delivered’ by providing the highest levels of flexibility and attention for their cargo with a standardised, easy-to-access service”.

In line with DHL’s environmental commitments, Xcelerate includes a mandatory sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) surcharge.

This initiative supports DHL’s target of achieving over 30 per cent SAF blending by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

Read: DHL to invest over EUR500m in Middle East growth markets by 2030