Tesla has announced that it is temporarily offering free supercharging at its network of charging stations across the UAE and select GCC markets, in a move aimed at supporting electric vehicle (EV) users across the region.

The announcement was made via the company’s official Tesla Charging account on X, confirming that customers can access its Supercharger network at no cost for a limited period.

The initiative applies to multiple locations across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with the UAE accounting for the largest share of participating stations. These include key urban hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, as well as intercity and highway locations.

Ajman became the latest emirate to confirm Eid Al-Fitr holidays, announcing that government employees will observe a four-day break from Thursday, March 19, to Sunday, March 22, with work resuming on Monday, March 23, a WAM report said.

The move follows an announcement made on March 12 by the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, which confirmed the same holiday period for all government entities, with exceptions for shift-based roles.

Sharjah had issued its decision even earlier, on February 23, when the Sharjah Department of Human Resources confirmed identical Eid Al-Fitr holiday dates for government departments and institutions.

Unified celebrations across the UAE

Across Ajman, Dubai and Sharjah, authorities extended congratulations to the UAE leadership, citizens and residents, as well as to Arab and Islamic nations worldwide.

Officials expressed hopes that the occasion would return with “goodness, prosperity and blessings for all,” reflecting the spirit of unity that defines Eid celebrations in the country.

With all three emirates aligning their holiday schedules, UAE residents can look forward to a synchronised long weekend marking the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid festivities.

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani was killed by Israel, the Iranian government confirmed on Tuesday, the most senior figure targeted since the US-Israeli war’s first day.

Larijani was widely viewed as one of Iran’s most powerful figures and a confidant of slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his son and successor, Mojtaba.

His death was confirmed by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which Larijani led as secretary. Larijani‘s son and his deputy, Alireza Bayat, were also killed in Israel’s attack on Monday night, the council said.

The targeted killings came more than three weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has quickly become a regional conflict that shows no signs of de-escalation.

Israel also killed another top official, Gholamreza Soleimani, who led the volunteer Basij militia, which plays a major role in domestic security.

Mastercard said on Tuesday it would buy stablecoin payments infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8bn, as the card giant deepens its push into blockchain-based transfers.

Increasing regulatory clarity and broader usage of stablecoins have created opportunities for card networks to expand beyond traditional cards into faster, lower-cost digital payment systems. Mastercard and rival Visa are competing to establish an early lead in the fast-evolving segment.

Mastercard said the deal would enable its users to carry out cross-border remittances, business payments and payouts with stablecoin, which offers advantages in speed, cost and availability.

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“BVNK has spent the last seven years building not just the technology, but also obtaining licenses in multiple geographies,” said Mastercard’s chief product officer, Jorn Lambert, on a conference call.

Lambert added that building similar capability internally “would require quite a bit of time,” while an acquisition would allow Mastercard to “get to market much faster.”

The deal includes $300m in contingent payments and is expected to close before the end of 2026.

Analysts at William Blair said that BVNK’s stablecoin infrastructure “complements its (Mastercard’s) existing card solutions, in our view, offering greater payment and money movement choice across fiat and blockchain rails.”

BVNK, founded in 2021, specialises in infrastructure to bridge between fiat and stablecoins. The platform enables sending and receiving payments on all major blockchain networks across more than 130 countries.

“BVNK represents a major buy opportunity for MA given the former’s impressive existing geographic reach, difficult-to-acquire payments licenses, and strong relationships with key ecosystem participants,” said Citi analyst Bryan Keane.

The deal builds on Mastercard’s broader push into digital assets, including its Crypto Partner Programme, as it seeks to integrate blockchain-based payments into its global network and expand its addressable market.

Mastercard believes that stablecoin adoption is likely to broaden across the financial industry.

Boeing expects its commercial airplane division to turn a profit in 2027, not this year as previously expected due to higher-than-expected costs of its purchase of parts supplier Spirit AeroSystems, its chief financial officer said on Tuesday, in a new setback for the US plane maker.

Boeing’s commercial airplane division will likely post an operating margin loss of 7.5 per cent to 8 per cent in the first quarter, he said. The division lost $632m in 2025 and $2.1bn in 2024.

The company expects to increase production of its popular 737 MAX jet from roughly 42 aircraft a month to 47 a month by year’s end and to deliver about 500 of the jets this year, Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave said at the Bank of America Global Industrials Conference in London.

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The single-aisle jet is critical to Boeing’s financial recovery. Planemakers receive the majority of cash from customers when they deliver new aircraft.

Deliveries in the first quarter were slightly hampered by damage to wiring on about 25 737s, but fixing the problem only required a few more days of work and will not hurt annual deliveries, Malave said.

Shares continue slide

Boeing shares were down 1.8 per cent around midday, continuing a 13 per cent slide in the past month.

Malave said Boeing does not plan to introduce another new jetliner anytime soon, saying neither airlines, new technology, nor Boeing itself is ready for a new airplane model.

The commercial airplane division is focused on stabilizing and increasing jetliner production, and certifying and delivering the 737-7 and -10 models and the 777-9, the first model of its new 777X jet.

Adopting a new airplane model requires high one-time costs for airlines, and there is no new technology that justifies those costs, said Robert Mann, aviation analyst and principal at RW Mann and Company.

The latest generation of engines has, in general, proven more problematic and inefficient than expected, he said.

They have required maintenance sooner than anticipated, and for some engines, particularly Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan, major maintenance is taking longer than planned, Mann said.

That has put pressure on the engine supply chain to keep up with demand for aftermarket spare parts and new engines.

Regarding plans to increase jetliner output, Malave said Boeing is monitoring the engine supply chain, particularly the tension between demand for aftermarket parts and original equipment.

Boeing’s first-quarter 787 Dreamliner deliveries will be down slightly from a projected 20 aircraft to about 15 of the popular widebody jet, mostly due to delays certifying premium-class seat designs, he said.

“Premium seating has been challenging,” he said. “Those are very strict, rigorous types of certifications.”

The plane maker wants to increase 787 production from its current rate of eight Dreamliners per month to 10 by the end of 2026. The company is expanding its 787 assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.