The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has onboarded Thndr, a leading retail investment platform in the MENA region, as the first remote retail trading member on the UAE’s largest exchange, the second biggest in the MENA region, and among the top 20 globally.

Thndr, a Hub71 start-up, is one of the region’s first fully digital investment platforms.

Regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), the company is expanding into the UAE after building a strong track record in the region.

In 2024, Thndr recorded more than $13bn in trading value and executed 12 million trades.

The platform has over four million downloads, provides access to the UAE, Egypt, and US markets, and offers a range of asset classes including stocks, gold, mutual funds, and savings products.

Thndr users will soon be able to invest directly in leading UAE-listed companies and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) via its mobile app, in line with ADX’s strategy to connect Abu Dhabi to global capital. The announcement was made at an event at ADX’s Abu Dhabi headquarters.

“ADX onboarding Thndr is a transformative step in creating tangible trading bridges across the region’s capital market,” said Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, ADX group CEO. “As the first exchange in the GCC to welcome Thndr, we are demonstrating our commitment to financial inclusion and leadership in unlocking new investment opportunities in Abu Dhabi’s robust capital market.”

Remote Trading Members enable individuals, international brokers, and institutions to trade ADX-listed securities without being physically present in the UAE, broadening the investor base, attracting foreign investment, improving liquidity, and boosting trading activity.

Thndr was launched in 2020

Launched in Egypt in 2020, Thndr has sought to modernise investing in the region through technology, offering products designed to help users grow their wealth.

“We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with the CEO of ADX, driven by a shared belief that retail investors deserve access to a grade-A investment service,” said Ahmad Hammouda, co-founder and CEO of Thndr. “This partnership gives our users the chance to invest in one of the region’s strongest-performing markets over the past 5, 10, and 15 years, while also opening doors to exposure within MENA and beyond.”

“This launch is a major milestone for Thndr and a testament to an incredible partnership,” said Seif Amr, co-founder and board member of Thndr. “This collaboration truly showcases why the UAE, with ADGM at the forefront, is a beacon of progress for the region.”

The onboarding supports ADX’s strategic projects such as the Tabadul platform, the first digital exchange center in the region based on the mutual market access model, and complements partnerships with global exchanges.

With a market capitalization of Dhs3.1tn, ADX has been the best-performing market in the GCC, outperforming the MSCI Emerging Markets Index over the past decade and global indices over the past 20 years.

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing in Saudi Arabia has announced comprehensive health, safety, and technical regulations for group housing facilities across the country. The new standards address building dimensions, location, noise levels, parking availability, and essential services to ensure improved living conditions for large groups of residents.

Group housing has been categorised into three types: residential buildings, residential complexes, and mobile cabins, with capacities ranging from 500 to 10,000 residents, a Saudi Gazette report said.

Read-Major real estate reform: Will Saudi Arabia implement a rent cap?

Residential buildings are limited to a maximum of 500 residents. Each bedroom must provide at least four square meters per person, with no more than ten occupants per room. Facilities must also include two kitchens, restrooms and bathing areas for every eight people, as well as designated rest areas, laundry rooms, potable water, climate control, cleaning services, and pest control. A Saudi national must be assigned as a dedicated supervisor for operations.

Accommodation capacity

Residential complexes can accommodate up to 10,000 residents and must follow similar spacing and occupancy rules. Additional requirements include two kitchens per floor, laundry facilities, prayer rooms, emergency rooms for every 1,000 residents, and a medical clinic for every 5,000.

Mobile cabins, typically used for temporary housing on project sites, must meet the same occupancy criteria. They are required to feature a central kitchen, laundry services, prayer rooms, health isolation areas, climate control, emergency rooms, and clinics. Cabins must be designed for heavy operational loads and frequent transport, constructed with steel or aluminum frames, composite insulated walls, anti-slip flooring, and pitched roofs. Electrical, plumbing, insulation, and ventilation standards must be met.

Planning, safety, and accessibility requirements

The new regulations also impose strict licensing conditions, including approvals from relevant authorities, building permits, execution plans, and health and safety documentation. Fire alarms, first-aid kits, regular maintenance, and access for emergency services are mandatory. Facilities must also be accessible for people with disabilities.

Built-up areas cannot exceed 40 per cent of the land plot. Housing sites must provide EV charging points, fuel stations, repair centers, commercial and service areas, pedestrian and bike paths, shaded parking, recreational zones, and modern lighting.

Parking must be allocated at a ratio of one space per 100 residents, with bus parking for half the population and dedicated spaces for those with disabilities. Architectural features must comply with urban design codes, including safe stair railings, window sills, drainage systems, and waste disposal for high-rise buildings.

The regulations also prohibit certain design elements, including boundary walls on commercial streets, barriers above fences, and placing air conditioners or satellite dishes on balconies.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (SZGM) in Abu Dhabi has moved up two places (from its 2024 ranking) to rank 8th among 25 key global landmarks in TripAdvisor’s 2025 Top Attractions category in its global report.

The mosque also retained its position as the number one attraction in the Middle East in this category, topping a list of the region’s 10 most iconic sites.

The ranking, based on reviews of more than eight million landmarks worldwide, places the mosque in the top one per cent globally.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah also made the list, ranking among the top 10 per cent of sites globally after recently opening visitor services.

Dr Yousif Al Obaidli, director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, credited the achievement to the UAE’s “visionary leadership” and the centre’s strategic focus on service quality. “This success crowns a continuous series of outstanding initiatives and services offered throughout the year,” he said.

The mosque attracts global visitors

The Abu Dhabi mosque draws more than seven million visitors annually, about 82 per cent of them from overseas.

New initiatives include general cultural tours, ‘Unseen Glimpses’ guided rides to restricted areas, Sura evening tours for 24-hour access, and El-Delleel multimedia guides in 14 languages, including sign language.

The centre has also expanded its cultural facilities with the Dome of Peace, Al Jami Library, a cultural auditorium, and permanent and temporary exhibitions on Islamic history and art.

These include Al-Andalus: History and Civilisation, Coins of Islam: History Revealed, and The Hajj: Memories of a Journey.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque ranking: Numbers

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi ranked eighth globally in TripAdvisor’s 2025 Top Attractions list, up two spots from 2024

• Retains top spot as the Middle East’s leading attraction in the category

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah ranked among the top 10 per cent of landmarks worldwide

• Abu Dhabi mosque welcomes more than seven million visitors annually, with 82 per cent from overseas

• New visitor offerings include ‘Unseen Glimpses’ electric car tours, Sura evening tours, and El-Delleel multimedia guides in 14 languages

In today’s volatile, complex, and ambiguous world, traditional leadership models have been fundamentally reshaped by forces that few could have anticipated. The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence, shifts in workforce expectations, global economic uncertainty, and pressing environmental concerns have combined to create a demand for a new kind of leadership.

Organisations that want to scale efficiently can no longer rely on the comfort of consistency; success now depends on disruption and innovation, not only in products and services, but also in how an organisation is led.

Innovation as a leadership imperative

When we think about business innovation, it is usually in the context of start-ups or technological advancements. Still, in this age of disruption, it is innovation in leadership that will inspire, design, and drive purposeful change. Organisations must continuously adapt, and for leaders this means anticipating the future, managing ambiguity, empowering people, and delivering value in new ways.

Yet despite the dynamics of modern business, many industries remain entrenched in legacy systems that are resistant to change. In these slow-moving environments, innovative leadership is even more imperative. To transform mindsets and processes, leaders need to engage with stakeholders and align innovation with existing organisational values.

Cultivating the innovative-leader mindset

Becoming an innovation leader means combining foresight with practical tools to balance long-term vision with short-term realities. As educators, we recognise that building this mindset requires more than simply learning the theoretical concepts. It demands intentional development through reflection, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary exposure to create a decisive shift in how leaders view their role within an organisation.

Students are exposed to a systematic innovation process through problem framing, ideation, validation, implementation, and institutionalisation. They apply these steps to real-world challenges, often within their workplaces or in collaboration with local organisations. Innovation, in this context, isn’t abstract; it’s taught through design thinking, scenario planning, data-informed decision-making, and breakthrough problem-solving techniques.

Balancing disruption and stability

Innovation leaders need to develop the dual competencies of sustaining performance while steering transformation. On the one hand, organisations must explore new ways of working, while on the other, they need to preserve their core operations, protect stakeholder trust, and maintain strategic clarity. A theme we increasingly see in leadership education is not simply how to innovate, but how to do so without losing the organisational assets that already work.

Our approach is to train students to think in terms of both exploration and exploitation. Leaders must have the ability to exploit existing strengths while exploring new possibilities. This balance is critical in a region where organisations are modernising rapidly but often remain deeply rooted in local culture, regulatory environments, and societal expectations.

Innovating through resistance

Leading innovation in change-resistant sectors demands specialised, human-centric skills. Understanding organisational culture, stakeholder psychology, and group dynamics is crucial for implementing innovation in complex and challenging environments. Leaders need the ability to listen effectively, frame messaging strategically, and build alliances of support throughout their organisation.

The idea that leadership is as much about relationships as it is ideas is one of the guiding principles of our graduate programme. In developing this combination of skills – which is widely demanded but rarely taught – students learn how to manage resistance, reframe risk, and align innovation with strategic objectives. They simulate scenarios where innovation initiatives are pitched to sceptical boards or implemented in rigid environments; the kind of skills that could never be learned from a textbook.

Preparing innovation leaders of the future

In times of profound change, expectations are moving beyond the basic traditions of stewardship to demand leaders who can combine analytical thinking with emotional intelligence, and foresight with ethical responsibility.

This evolution has implications not only for how we lead, but also for how we learn to lead.

Graduate programmes in leadership and innovation should reflect this shift, moving beyond case studies and lectures to offer applied, interdisciplinary learning. Through faculty with hands-on, active research and consulting experience, and real-world global perspectives, students can learn the right blend of hard and soft skills, becoming better equipped to lead with purpose in fast-changing environments.

Dr Panagiotis Kokkalis is an associate professor of Business and Management and chair of the Business Department at Rochester Institute of Technology of Dubai.

PRYPCO Mortgage has facilitated one of the Middle East’s largest single-ticket retail mortgages, valued at Dhs94.5m, in a transaction ranking among the top three mortgage deals in Dubai’s real estate market over the past five years.

The transaction also lists among the top three mortgage deals in Dubai’s real estate market over the past five years, the company said in a statement.

Since its inception, PRYPCO Mortgage has arranged Dhs 9.67bn in mortgage deals up to June, positioning itself among the fastest-growing mortgage platforms in the region.

“This transaction reflects the trust investors are placing not only in our capabilities, but in the strength and resilience of the UAE’s real estate sector,” said Amira Sajwani, founder and CEO of PRYPCO. “As property financing continues to evolve, our focus remains on delivering seamless, accessible, and innovative mortgage solutions for all.”

The UAE has emerged as a regional leader in real estate financing, supported by a forward-thinking regulatory environment, robust investor demand, and a maturing property market.

Mortgage demand is growing from first-time buyers through to high-net-worth individuals seeking flexible and structured financing.

PRYPCO Mortgage is working with key banking partners

PRYPCO Mortgage, working with all major UAE banks, combines technology-driven services with advisory support, offering free consultations, fast-track pre-approvals, and tailored refinancing solutions.

The mega Dhs94.5m deal highlights the company’s capacity to handle complex, high-value transactions while maintaining efficiency and customer trust.

PRYPCO’s mortgage division continues to expand its portfolio in line with its mission to democratise real estate access and promote “real estate freedom for all”.

Read: Dubai launches tokenised real estate investment project via ‘Prypco Mint’