Soaring gold prices led Indian buyers to choose coins and bars over jewellery during the Dhanteras festival on Saturday, fuelled by hopes that the precious metal’s glittering rally would continue, industry officials told Reuters.

Dhanteras, which marks the start of the five-day Diwali festival of lights, is considered auspicious for buying gold and is one of the busiest gold-buying days in the world’s second-biggest consumer of the metal.

Overall gold sales during Dhanteras were 10–15 per cent lower in volume terms compared to last year, but total value rose sharply due to higher prices, said Rajesh Rokde, chairman of the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council.

Read more-This Diwali’s gold boom is breaking records: What it means for your wallet?

“Gold jewellery demand took a hit with record-high prices, dropping nearly 30 per cent from last year, but coins and bars were flying off the shelves,” Surendra Mehta, secretary at the India Bullion and Jewellers Association, said.

In India, buyers typically pay 10–20 per cent of the gold price as manufacturing charges for jewellery, making it even more expensive than buying gold coins.

Local gold prices closed at 127,008 rupees per 10 grams on Friday after hitting a record high of 132,294 rupees, marking an increase of more than 60 per cent since last year’s Dhanteras. India’s NSE Nifty 50 share index has risen about 5 per cent during the period.

Facing record price surges, the industry is offering healthy discounts on jewellery making to maintain strong gold-buying interest throughout the festive and upcoming wedding seasons, said Sachin Jain, CEO of the World Gold Council’s Indian operations.

Indian dealers were this week quoting a premium of up to $25 per ounce over official domestic prices, inclusive of 6 per cent import and 3 per cent sales levies, the highest in more than a decade.

Demand for silver coins, bars and jewellery meanwhile was strong this year, driven by the metal’s stellar price rally, said Saurabh Gadgil, chairman of PNG Jewellers. Investors believe silver could outperform gold, dealers said.

Higher returns from precious metals have been attracting strong inflows into physically backed gold and silver exchange-traded funds in recent months.

“With jewellery stores open till midnight and Dhanteras continuing into tomorrow afternoon, we expect buying momentum to carry forward,” said Rokde of GJC.

In a major push towards smarter mobility and enhanced public services, Dubai Police has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Parkin PJSC, the largest provider of public parking facilities in Dubai. The collaboration aims to digitally connect Dubai Police’s traffic management systems with Parkin’s advanced smart parking and payment platforms.

The MoU was signed during GITEX Global 2025, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, by Brigadier Issam Ibrahim Al Awar, Acting Director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police, and Mohamed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of Parkin. The signing ceremony was attended by senior officers and representatives from both organisations.

Read more-Smart parking in Dubai: How will it reinvent mobility in the city

According to a report by WAM, the agreement is aimed at achieving full digital integration between the two entities, ensuring seamless data exchange, and significantly improving the quality and efficiency of services offered to the public.

Brigadier Al Awar stated that the initiative reflects Dubai Police’s commitment, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, to enhance collaboration with both public and private sector entities. He added that such partnerships are crucial to supporting Dubai’s digital transformation agenda.

Real-time enforcement and smarter traffic planning

The integration will enable real-time information exchange, allowing both organisations to utilise advanced technologies to improve traffic and parking management. The system will facilitate instant, secure communication, enabling faster decision-making based on accurate data.

A key benefit of this integration is that it will allow Dubai Police to identify vehicles with outstanding fines or seizure orders the moment they enter Parkin-managed parking facilities. This capability will empower officers to take immediate legal action. The system will also aid in detecting vehicles involved in criminal or traffic-related cases, further strengthening law enforcement efforts on Dubai’s roads.

“This project is a big step forward for road safety in Dubai,” said Brigadier Al Awar. “It will improve monitoring, ensure compliance with traffic laws, and reduce cases of unpaid fines or unlicensed vehicles on the road, all of which contribute to a safer and happier city.”

Echoing the sentiment, Mohamed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of Parkin, emphasised the importance of the collaboration in enhancing urban mobility. “We’re proud to partner with Dubai Police on this important initiative. Together, we aim to make parking and traffic management smarter, safer, and more efficient for everyone,” he said.

Al Ali added that the partnership underscores Parkin’s commitment to innovation and aligns with Dubai’s vision to become one of the world’s smartest and most sustainable cities.

Middle Eastern bank Emirates NBD will buy a 60 per cent stake in Indian private lender RBL Bank for $3bn, in the largest cross-border acquisition in India’s financial sector.

Emirates NBD will invest INR268.5bn Indian rupees ($3.05bn) in the bank through a preferential issue of shares, RBL Bank said in a statement to exchanges.

Read more-CEO Jayesh Patel on Wio Bank’s rise in UAE’s digital banking space

The deal is among a series of cross-border deals in India this year, and comes months after Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s move to buy up to 25 per cent of Yes Bank.

UAE banks have also been considering cross-border expansions in the region and further afield. Both ENBD and Abu Dhabi’s FAB have been expanding their presence in markets like Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Tapping India’s fast-growing financial sector

“This investment reflects ENBD’s confidence in India’s fast-growing financial sector, reinforcing India’s strategic importance within the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor,” the banks said in a joint statement after the deal was announced.

The lender, which is entirely owned by retail shareholders and investment funds, said the deal is subject to regulatory approvals.

India allows 74 per cent foreign investment in private banks but limits shareholdings of any single foreign institution to 15 per cent unless regulator the Reserve Bank of India grants an exemption. The RBI has informally communicated its backing for the ENBD deal, Reuters has reported.

As part of the deal, Emirates NBD will also launch an open offer for additional shares from retail shareholders in line with India’s takeover regulations. They will be offered at INR280 per share, according to an investor presentation by RBL Bank.

As per these rules, an acquisition of more than 25 per cent shares in a company requires the acquirer to offer to buy another 26 per cent from retail shareholders.

Emirates NBD will ensure its shareholding does not go beyond the overall 74 per cent foreign investment limit, the exchange announcements from both banks said.

The Dubai-based lender will be designated the “promoter” of RBL Bank, a regulatory classification in India used for large shareholders with management control. It will also have the right to nominate directors to the RBL Bank board, subject to regulatory approvals.

Anand Dama, head of financial sector research at Mumbai-based brokerage Emkay Global Capital Financial Services, said the acquisition “will open up flood gates for more such investments into small- and mid-sized banks in the country”.

Pan-India presence

RBL Bank’s former CEO Vishwavir Ahuja resigned abruptly in 2021 after the Indian central bank appointed an additional director to its board, a step typically taken to increase scrutiny on a bank.

Since then, the bank has seen a management change and earnings have stabilised.

Its stock has soared 90 per cent so far in 2025 against an 8 per cent gain in India’s benchmark Nifty 50 index.

As of March 2025, RBL Bank had assets of INR1.46trn ($16.61bn), making it the 13th largest of 21 private banks in the country.

The lender has 15.17 million customers and a network of 562 branches across 28 Indian states and union territories.

“The infusion will significantly strengthen RBL Bank’s balance sheet, enhance its Tier-1 capital ratio, and provide long-term growth capital,” the banks said in the press release.

Investors will watch to see if a combined Emirates NBD-RBL Bank, with so much capital at its disposal, would look at more acquisitions in banking, Dama said.

Emirates NBD, which is majority-owned by Dubai’s government, had assets worth $297bn as of end-June. Together with other UAE banks, it has benefited in recent years from rising demand for credit and government-driven investment in non-oil sectors.

It has operations in countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, where it acquired DenizBank in 2019.

At GITEX Global 2025, Opensignal reaffirmed e&’s position as the UAE’s leading mobile network operator, awarding it top honours across multiple categories for 5G speed, reliability, and overall mobile experience. The recognition, based on real-world user data, reflects the UAE’s rise as one of the most connected digital economies globally.

“Opensignal awards represent the pinnacle of network excellence in the UAE,” said Shawn Heidel, president and COO of Network Experience at Opensignal. “They recognise e&’s continued leadership in delivering a superior mobile experience to its customers. The awards are entirely data driven, based on billions of measurements collected from users across the country. This means the recognition is a reflection of what customers actually experience every day.”

According to Heidel, e& delivered outstanding results across several key performance indicators, including gaming, video, and voice experience for both 4G and 5G. “It’s hard to choose a single area where e& stood out, because they performed so well across the board,” he noted. “They also performed impressively in consistency and availability, meaning customers enjoy reliable performance wherever they are—urban, suburban, or on the move.”

Data-driven insights that reflect real-world experiences

Opensignal’s measurement methodology sets it apart from traditional network testing. Rather than relying on controlled lab environments, Opensignal captures data directly from users’ mobile devices, creating an authentic picture of actual performance across time, location, and operator.

“Opensignal’s crowd-sourced approach captures billions of data points from actual users on their own devices, across all operators, locations, and times of day,” Heidel explained. “Critically, our tests are conducted to common Internet endpoints on content delivery networks, such as Google, Akamai, and Amazon. This is identical to the way consumers experience the Internet as they browse websites, stream content, and play games online.”

He added that Opensignal’s methodology ensures that any network optimization reflects genuine consumer benefit. “This contrasts with many legacy testing methods, which are often done in limited or controlled environments, such as drive testing,” Heidel said. “Our approach provides a holistic, unbiased picture of the actual network experience of consumers across the UAE. It reflects how consumers actually live, work, and connect, offering a transparent and representative view of mobile quality.”

UAE among global leaders in mobile connectivity

The latest Opensignal analysis places e&’s performance alongside some of the world’s top network operators in advanced digital markets. Heidel said this reinforces the UAE’s ambition to lead in digital transformation and smart innovation.

“e&’s performance now ranks alongside some of the world’s top operators in developed digital markets,” he said. “Its 5G experience in particular places the UAE firmly among global leaders in mobile connectivity. This reinforces the UAE’s national ambition to be at the forefront of digital transformation.”

He also credited national policy and infrastructure investment for the country’s strong performance. “It highlights how the UAE’s investment in advanced infrastructure and spectrum policy has created an environment for world-class mobile performance,” he added.

Middle East’s growing role in global connectivity

Beyond the UAE, Heidel pointed to the Middle East’s broader rise as a technology-driven region. “The Middle East has rapidly become a global hub for connectivity innovation,” he said. “Operators such as e& are pioneering large-scale 5G rollouts, private networks, and edge technologies. The region is moving from being a consumer of technology to being a creator of digital ecosystems linking telecom, AI, and cloud.”

Heidel believes this shift is redefining how global networks evolve. “Countries like the UAE and others in the region are setting benchmarks that many global markets now follow, and the pace of innovation continues to accelerate,” he said.

As the UAE consolidates its position as a leader in connectivity, the collaboration between Opensignal and e& illustrates how data-driven measurement and network excellence are shaping the digital future.

Gold surged past $4,300 an ounce on Friday, headed for its biggest weekly gain since December 2008, as geopolitical and economic uncertainty along with growing US rate cut bets drove investors to the safe-haven metal.

Spot gold rose 0.2 per cent to $4,332.17 per ounce, as of 1102 GMT, after scaling another record high of $4,378.69 earlier. US gold futures for December delivery jumped 1 per cent to $4,345.90.

Read more-This Diwali’s gold boom is breaking records: What it means for your wallet?

Gold is set for a gain of about 8 per cent so far this week. Earlier in the session, gold had temporarily been on track for its biggest gain since September 2008 when the collapse of Lehman Brothers fuelled the global financial crisis.

“With rate-cut expectations, geopolitical risks, and lingering banking concerns all in play, the environment remains highly supportive for gold,” said Alexander Zumpfe, a precious metals trader at Heraeus Metals Germany.

“Short-term consolidation is possible given the overbought conditions.”

On a technical basis, gold’s relative strength index stands at 88, indicating the metal is overbought.

Spot silver fell 0.4 per cent to $54 per ounce, after hitting a record high of $54.47, tracking the rally in gold and a short squeeze in the spot market. The metal is set for a 7.4 per cent weekly gain.

Tumbling bank shares pulled global stocks lower, as signs of credit stress at US regional lenders unnerved investors and drove them into safe-haven assets.

US Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller voiced support for another rate cut. Investors are expecting a 25-basis-point reduction at the Fed’s October 29-30 meeting and another reduction in December.

Gold, a traditional hedge against uncertainty and inflation that thrives in low-rate environments, has surged over 66 per cent this year, driven by geopolitical tensions, rate cut bets, central bank buying, de-dollarisation and robust exchange-traded-fund inflows.

“I believe resilient and huge ETF flows are pulling prices up,” said Michael Haigh, global head of commodities research at Societe Generale.

SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose to 1,034.62 tonnes on Thursday, its highest level since July 2022.

HSBC raised its 2025 average gold price forecast by $100 to $3,455 per ounce, and projected gold to reach $5,000 an ounce in 2026, supported by elevated risks.