Dubai Municipality has accredited several engineering consultancy offices to provide self-build permit services for Emirati villas, marking a major step toward streamlining licensing procedures for private residential construction.

Under the new framework, Emirati citizens can now obtain villa-building permits directly through accredited consultancy offices, without prior review by municipal engineers. The initiative is designed to simplify the homebuilding process, reduce wait times, and make it easier for citizens to design and construct their own homes.

The municipality said the new system would save time, cost, and effort for citizens while maintaining the highest engineering and regulatory standards.

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According to a report by the Dubai Media Office, all accredited engineering offices have demonstrated full compliance with Dubai Municipality’s stringent engineering and regulatory criteria. Each office is authorised to operate within approved frameworks for consultancy services, ensuring that all projects adhere to Dubai’s established building codes.

The list of accredited offices is expected to grow in upcoming phases, offering a wider selection of qualified service providers for citizens and developers. This expansion, officials said, reflects Dubai Municipality’s ongoing efforts to improve service quality, uphold regulatory excellence, and enhance customer experience in line with the emirate’s urban development strategy.

Enhancing the Emirati housing experience

The initiative forms part of Dubai Municipality’s broader mission to provide comprehensive housing solutions for Emirati families. By introducing self-build permits, the Municipality aims to make home construction more accessible and efficient, ensuring that citizens can build high-quality, well-designed homes suited to their needs.

Eng. Maryam Al Muhairi, CEO of the Building Regulation and Permits Agency at Dubai Municipality, said the initiative represents “an important step toward making the process of building Emirati homes and villas easier and more affordable through flexible, one-stop solutions.”

She added: “This reflects Dubai’s commitment to meeting citizens’ housing needs and creating a modern, sustainable residential environment. By accelerating licensing procedures and working closely with accredited consultancy offices, we ensure high-quality design and construction outcomes while reducing costs and effort for Emirati families.”

Simplified permit mechanism and clear regulations

Dubai Municipality has introduced a streamlined mechanism for citizens to obtain self-build villa permits. Applications are submitted through the accredited consultancy offices, which ensure compliance with the Dubai Building Code and relevant planning regulations before permits are issued via Dubai’s Building Platform.

Once a permit is granted, the consulting office appoints a contractor to begin construction.

Key regulations governing self-build villa permits include:

• Strict adherence to Dubai Building Code standards for structural and design requirements
• Ensuring economic efficiency by preventing excessive structural designs that inflate costs
• Compliance with planning regulations governing land use, setbacks, height, and parking

Through these measures, Dubai Municipality aims to balance engineering precision, regulatory efficiency, and citizen convenience, reinforcing its role as a key enabler of Dubai’s urban and social development vision.

Majid Al Futtaim’s Lifestyle business is accelerating its regional expansion with a clear focus on digital growth, omnichannel innovation, and building stronger brand partnerships. Its latest milestone, an expanded collaboration with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and the launch of dedicated e-commerce platforms for Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, signals a new phase in the company’s retail strategy — one that blends global excellence with local insight.

As consumer expectations evolve and markets like Saudi Arabia drive a new wave of fashion and lifestyle demand, Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle is leaning into data, technology, and cultural relevance to redefine what modern retail looks like in the Middle East.

In this conversation, we discuss with Fahed Ghanim, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle, how the company is navigating omnichannel transformation, and staying ahead of regional trends — from the rise of sustainability and personalisation to the growing appetite for culturally attuned, experience-led retail.

The expanded partnership with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and the launch of dedicated e-commerce platforms in Saudi Arabia and Qatar mark a significant milestone. How does this reflect Majid Al Futtaim’s long-term retail strategy in the region?

The expansion reflects Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to building lasting, strategic partnerships that create value for both brands and customers. Our partnership with Abercrombie & Fitch Co., now in its 16th year, is a model of sustainable growth, built on trust, shared vision, and the ability to evolve with consumer expectations.

Launching dedicated e-commerce platforms in Saudi Arabia and Qatar for both Abercombie & Fitch and Hollister is a natural progression in that journey. It allows us to meet customers where they are, offering a seamless omnichannel experience that combines physical retail with digital convenience. This approach is central to our long-term retail strategy, integrating global brand excellence with deep regional insight.

As a retail partner of choice, Majid Al Futtaim’s goal is to build an ecosystem where brands can grow, customers feel understood, and innovation drives measurable impact. This partnership with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a strong example of that vision in action.

Saudi Arabia has become a key market for lifestyle and fashion retail. How do local consumer preferences and digital adoption influence your approach to both e-commerce and physical stores?

At Majid Al Futtaim, we use advanced analytics across our network of stores and platforms to understand customer behaviour at both a market and individual store level. For example, purchasing decisions are adjusted to reflect the preferences of each community. If data shows that customers in Riyadh lean toward neutral tones, our buying team adapts assortments, accordingly, ensuring each store reflects the lifestyle and aesthetic of its customers.

This same data-led approach extends to how we design and localise brand experiences. Abercrombie & Fitch recently launched its first exclusive Middle East collection, featuring its iconic logo translated into Arabic, a first in the brand’s global history. It’s a powerful example of how we blend global brand heritage with cultural relevance, using insight and innovation to connect with our customers authentically.

At Majid Al Futtaim, innovation is central to how we anticipate and adapt to evolving consumer preferences. By leveraging data, technology, and insights, we stay ahead of shifting behaviours, from the rise of digital-first shopping to the growing demand for meaningful, localised experiences. It’s about transforming insights into action and creating retail that feels both personal and purposeful.

Omnichannel retail is increasingly critical. How is Majid Al Futtaim integrating online platforms with in-store experiences to deliver a seamless customer journey?

At Majid Al Futtaim, we don’t view online and offline as separate channels, we see one connected ecosystem designed entirely around the customer. Our goal is to meet people where they are, whether that’s on their phones, in-store, or through our SHARE loyalty programme.

Across our 100+ stores in six Middle Eastern markets, we’ve seen how each channel amplifies the other, promoting mutual growth and enhancing the overall customer experience. When we launched lululemon’s e-commerce platforms in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to complement our over 25 physical stores, we saw an uplift in revenue of over 10 per cent within the first year, a clear testament to the power of seamless integration.

Through our omnichannel infrastructure, customers can discover a product on Instagram, purchase it online, pick it up in-store, and earn SHARE points across the entire

Majid Al Futtaim ecosystem, from fashion to entertainment to food. This interconnected journey delivers consistency, convenience, and personalisation at every touchpoint.

Our store teams also play a crucial role in bringing this ecosystem to life. For example, lululemon educators use digital tools to access customer preferences, purchase history, and real-time inventory, ensuring personalised service. Similarly, Abercrombie & Fitch’s new e-commerce platforms in Saudi Arabia and Qatar mirror the same premium in-store experience, blending convenience, localisation, and storytelling.

For us, omnichannel isn’t just about technology, it’s about removing friction, deepening loyalty, and creating emotional connection. The future of retail belongs to brands that connect seamlessly, not separately.

Looking at the broader Middle East, Levant, and North Africa, what trends are shaping the retail and lifestyle sectors, particularly regarding sustainability, personalisation, and consumer behaviour?

We’re seeing a powerful evolution in how consumers engage with brands, one that’s driven by sustainability, personalisation, and a renewed sense of cultural identity. Consumers today are more values-driven; they care not only about what they buy, but also about the purpose and responsibility behind it.

Personalisation has become central to the customer experience. Through the scale of Majid Al Futtaim’s ecosystem, including our SHARE loyalty program and advanced analytics capabilities, we’re able to understand customer behaviour across multiple touchpoints and tailor experiences that are relevant, intuitive, and rewarding.

This ability to combine personalisation, purpose, and cultural relevance is what truly defines the next era of retail in our region, one that’s powered by innovation, insight, and human connection.

Managing multiple global brands requires balancing global identity with local relevance. How does Majid Al Futtaim ensure each brand resonates with regional consumers while maintaining its global positioning?

At Majid Al Futtaim, our goal is to ensure that every global brand we represent thrives in the region by staying true to its DNA while meaningfully connecting with local audiences. We achieve this balance through a deep understanding of regional nuances, powered by data-driven insights that allow us to tailor our approach at both the brand and market level. The GCC region is incredibly diverse, and while customers here value global quality and brand heritage, they also expect relevance to their culture, lifestyle, and preferences. That’s where our data-driven approach comes in.

Across our portfolio, from lululemon to Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, LEGO, and THAT Concept Store, we leverage advanced analytics to understand local consumer behaviours at both a macro and micro level. These insights help us adapt assortments, marketing, and experiences to reflect what resonates most with each community. For example, within our network of over 25 Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister stores, buying patterns vary significantly between Riyadh, Dubai, and Doha.

Equally, authenticity and respect for culture are critical to building trust. We work closely with our brand partners to ensure global values and quality standards remain consistent while embracing local relevance. We’ve seen this come to life through curated Ramadan collections, the introduction of more modest silhouettes, and Abercrombie & Fitch’s first-ever Arabic logo, a gesture that celebrates the brand’s heritage while connecting emotionally with customers in the region.

By blending data, cultural insight, and collaboration, we ensure that every brand under Majid Al Futtaim feels both globally consistent and locally meaningful.

Looking ahead, where do you see the biggest growth opportunities for Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle in terms of markets, digital expansion, and emerging consumer segments?

Looking ahead, we have an ambitious development pipeline focused on strengthening our core pillars across Fashion, Home, Beauty, Specialty Retail, and our multi-brand concept, THAT. Our priority is to deepen the performance of our existing brands, accelerate digital transformation, and expand into high-growth categories where we see strong consumer demand.

Saudi Arabia remains a key strategic market for us and will continue to be a major focus of our growth agenda. With the recent announcement of seven Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle brands entering Diriyah Square, including the first-ever Shiseido boutique in the kingdom, we are further cementing our presence in one of the region’s fastest-evolving retail landscapes.

We’re also introducing two new global brands to our portfolio to be announced very soon, each representing a distinctive lifestyle segment and reinforcing our strategy of curating leading international names that complement and enhance our existing ecosystem. These additions highlight our commitment to building a differentiated portfolio that brings the best of global retail to the region.

A key example of this strategy in action is our expanded partnership with Abercrombie & Fitch Co., which includes the launch of dedicated e-commerce platforms for Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and opens the door to expansion into Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. This marks an important milestone in our digital and geographic growth, connecting these iconic brands to new audiences through localised, omnichannel experiences.

Beyond expansion, our greatest opportunity lies in remaining relevant and deeply connected to our customers. As consumer expectations evolve, our focus is on staying agile, insight-led, and purpose-driven, ensuring we continue to grow not only in scale, but in how meaningfully we engage, inspire, and serve the communities across the region.

Like so much of the major tech-based movements around the world, crypto’s start can be traced back to the West. Equally, like so much acceleration in capability and regulation of technology, the exciting next chapter is unfurling here in the Middle East.

Over the years, the Gulf has consistently shown its ability to act responsibly with innovation, blending government regulation, real-world integration, with speed and scale.

While other markets wrestle with uncertainty, MENA’s approach is pragmatic: create the frameworks first, then invite innovation to flourish inside them. And what’s more, they remain open-armed, which bodes well for disruptive entrepreneurs and outliers driving and scaling technologies at the forefront of culture, society, and economies.

Bahrain was among the earliest movers in Crypto

Bahrain was among the earliest movers, with the Central Bank of Bahrain establishing one of the world’s most comprehensive digital-asset frameworks. Binance became the first exchange to secure a Category 4 license there, a pin-worthy compliance milestone for the rest of the world.

The UAE, meanwhile, has evolved into one of the world’s most dynamic Web3 ecosystems. Through the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi, the Emirates are not only attracting exchanges and fintechs, but also incubating the next generation of blockchain start-ups, tokenised-asset platforms, and AI-driven financial solutions.

For Binance, the UAE serves as both a regional base and a hub for education, institutional collaboration, and product innovation, from self-custody solutions like Trust Wallet – now serving over 280 million users – to Binance Institutional, which provides compliant trading and custody for global investors. It also serves as the home of this year’s Binance Blockchain Week for the second consecutive year – the brand’s flagship gathering taking place in December at the Coca-Cola Arena.

Saudi Arabia is investing in fintech sandboxes

Saudi is now signaling its own intent to join the digital-asset future. Under Vision 2030, the kingdom is investing in fintech sandboxes and pilot blockchain projects aimed at financial inclusion and efficiency.

For the initiated, the opportunity is obvious, for the curious, it’s vast and exciting. The tokenisation of real-world assets (RWA) — from real estate to corporate debt — already exceeds $20bn globally, with a projection of another $10tn to follow in the coming years.

There is no doubt that MENA’s strong regulatory infrastructure will make it a key gateway for this new capital market.

By pairing this ambition with accountability, MENA is building a bridge between traditional finance and the decentralised future. It’s unrivaled in terms of readiness, eagerness, governmental support, and global talent. You need only do a 360 turn almost anywhere in the Emirates to see it.

The Gulf is no longer a follower in the crypto story. It is a co-author, helping to define a more transparent, inclusive, and hybrid financial system for the world.

Read: Binance’s regional head on driving crypto growth and digital innovation in the Gulf

Tesla said on Thursday it is recalling 63,619 Cybertrucks over software that makes the front parking lights too bright, potentially impairing oncoming drivers’ vision.

It said an over-the-air software update has been released to the fix the issue at no charge for the Cybertrucks built between November 13, 2023 and October 11, 2025.

The Elon Musk-led automaker said it identified the problem during an internal review earlier this month after photometric tests confirmed the excessive brightness.

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Tesla said it has not received any reports of crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to the issue.

On Wednesday, the EV maker also recalled 12,963 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over a battery-pack component defect that could cause a loss of propulsion and increase crash risk.

Earlier this month, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was opening an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving system after more than 50 reports of traffic-safety violations and a series of crashes.

The company reported record third-quarter revenue that beat Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, driven by its highest quarterly EV sales as US buyers rushed to lock in a key tax credit before it expired last month.

But Tesla’s profit missed analysts’ expectations, in part due to tariff and research costs, as well as a decline in income from regulatory credits that are expected to continue fading with recent legislation passed by the Trump administration.

Shares of the company were down 3.3 per cent in premarket trading. The stock is up nearly 9 per cent so far this year.

The WE Convention (Women’s Empowerment Convention), the world’s largest women’s empowerment gathering, is set to take place on November 1–2, 2025, at Atlantis The Royal Dubai. Organised by the WE Council, a global community of women leaders promoting personal and professional development, the event will bring together over 2,000 attendees and more than 100 world-renowned speakers.

All tickets for the event were sold out three weeks in advance—an unprecedented milestone for a women’s empowerment event in the Middle East. The most affordable ticket category had already sold out in September 2025, underscoring the growing demand for platforms that drive women’s leadership, financial independence, and global collaboration.

This year’s theme, “All in: Career, Money, and Life,” will explore the vital relationship between financial independence and women’s empowerment, offering insights into how women can build sustainable careers and wealth in an evolving global economy.

“It is with great joy and gratitude that I announce that all tickets for WE Convention 2025 are completely sold out. This response is the best proof that our chosen theme was timely and necessary. Every year, we gather a truly unique community of women ready to invest in their development and change the rules of the game,” says WE Convention founder Mila Semeshkina.

The lineup of speakers includes some of the world’s most influential leaders across business, government, fashion, and sports. Confirmed speakers include H.E. Ohood Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future; H.E. Hala Badri, Director General of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority; Dame Anna Wintour, global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast; Candace Bushnell, international best-selling author; Dr. Maky Zanganeh, US self-made billionaire and co-CEO and president of Summit Therapeutics; and Joelle Mardinian, celebrity entrepreneur.

Other notable speakers include Amira Sajwani, managing director of sales and development at DAMAC Properties; Svetlana Kuznetsova, Grand Slam tennis champion and sports-fashion designer; Mary Gukasyan, managing director of Kraft Heinz Middle East & Africa; Mirna Arif, general manager for Middle East and Africa Growth Markets; Nawal El Moutawakel, Olympic champion and vice president of the International Olympic Committee; Alina Nazarova, director of premium and private banking at Alfa-Bank; Nisha Jagtiani, group director of Landmark Group; and Angela Orlov, co-founder and head of design at ORLOV Jewelry.

During the convention, Mila Semeshkina, founder of the WE Council and WE Convention, will also debut her third book — a practical, step-by-step guide designed to help women navigate career advancement and financial success in today’s male-dominated world. The book draws on her extensive experience working with multimillionaires, political figures, and global business leaders.

Complementing the main conference, a select group of speakers and VIP and Platinum guests will attend WE Night on November 1 at the Michelin-acclaimed estiatorio Milos at Atlantis The Royal. The exclusive evening will feature red-carpet arrivals, live fashion and musical performances, a gourmet dinner, and curated networking sessions.

With its sold-out status and global speaker lineup, WE Convention 2025 is poised to become a defining moment in the regional and international dialogue on women’s empowerment, financial independence, and leadership in the modern era.

The WE Convention 2025 is supported by partners: ORLOV Jewelry, Eywa by R.Evolution, the international educational platform Lectera.com, Kraft Heinz, Migems Dubai, Omorfia Group, META, LinkedIn, La Biosthétique, OKX, Shiseido, Philip Morris International, Aeon & Trisl, AM Wealth, LITT, LETOILE, Keto Kartel, Divinom, Milena Aesthetic Clinic, Privé7 Dubai, the female factor, and Women in AI.

Further details about the WE Convention can be found here: http://www.weconvention.com