Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) has broken ground on Dubai Creek Gardens, a master-planned residential development valued at Dhs3bn, marking a significant expansion of its integrated healthcare, wellness and lifestyle ecosystem.

Developed by Global Partners Ltd in DHCC Phase 2, the project spans more than 127,000 square metres along Dubai Creek and is designed as a low-density community, with 70 per cent of the site dedicated to landscaped gardens, parks, sports facilities and wellness-focused open spaces.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by senior executives from Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA), Global Partners Ltd, Mirage Leisure and Development, OCTA Properties, BAUER Spezialtiefbau GmbH and Marriott International.

The development aligns with the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy 2033 and the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, supporting the emirate’s vision to expand green spaces and create sustainable, people-centric communities. DHCA also said it became a founding shareholder in the Global Partners Property Fund II to support long-term investment and strengthen Dubai’s position as a destination for foreign direct investment.

Dubai Creek Gardens will comprise more than 1,400 residences alongside retail and dining outlets. The project will also introduce the UAE’s first Westin and Renaissance branded residences, developed in partnership with Marriott International.

Issam Galadari, chief executive officer of Dubai Healthcare City Authority, said: “Global Partners’ Dhs3bn investment in Dubai Creek Gardens reflects the continued confidence of leading investors in DHCC Phase 2 and its potential as an integrated destination for healthcare, wellness and lifestyle. Developments of this scale and quality contribute to our vision for the destination by creating an environment where people can live, work and access world-class healthcare and wellness services within one connected ecosystem.”

Bader Saeed Hareb, executive chairman of Global Partners Property Fund II, said the project reflects long-term confidence in Dubai’s residential market and represents a deliberate move away from high-density developments by allocating 70 per cent of the site to landscaped open spaces.

Sandeep Walia, chief operating officer, Middle East & Africa, Luxury, Europe, Middle East & Africa at Marriott International and global leader of Design Hotels, said the project will bring the UAE’s first Westin and Renaissance branded residences, offering hospitality-inspired living centred on wellbeing.

Scheduled for completion in 2030, Dubai Creek Gardens is expected to strengthen DHCC Phase 2’s residential, hospitality and lifestyle offering as Dubai’s population continues to grow, with the emirate projected to reach 5.8 million residents by 2040.

The UAE has expressed hope that Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations will be temporary, while reaffirming its commitment to strengthening relations with countries around the world.

The United Arab Emirates has responded to Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations, expressing hope that the move will be temporary while reaffirming its commitment to maintaining strong relations with countries worldwide.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said: “In light of the decision by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to sever relations with the United Arab Emirates, the UAE reaffirms the importance it attaches to its relations with all countries and its commitment to developing and strengthening them to serve shared interests and promote understanding, cooperation and prosperity.”

The ministry added: “The UAE expresses hope that this decision will be temporary, in a manner that preserves the fraternal ties between the two brotherly peoples.”

MoFA also reaffirmed the UAE’s appreciation for the Algerian people and the longstanding bonds between the two nations, particularly through the Algerian community residing in the UAE and Algerian visitors, adding that it remains committed to preserving and strengthening these ties and shared interests.

The development of Al Maktoum International Airport is moving “full speed ahead,” with the first major phase of the project on track to begin operations in the early 2030s, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said.

The first phase of Dubai World Central (DWC) is planned to handle 150 million passengers a year, giving Dubai additional capacity as traffic at Dubai International Airport (DXB) approaches its longer-term limits. DWC is ultimately designed to accommodate as many as 260 million passengers annually.

Griffiths said the next major milestone will be the opening of DWC’s second runway by the end of 2027. The airport is planned around eight nodes, each designed to provide capacity for about 32 million passengers, allowing new infrastructure to be added as demand increases.

When fully developed, DWC will have five runways, four of which will be used regularly, with the fifth serving as a standby runway. Two runways are expected to support the initial 150-million-passenger phase, with additional runways brought into service as passenger volumes grow, according to a Dubai Media Office report.

Transition From DXB to DWC

The move from DXB to DWC is expected to take place in stages rather than through a single transfer of operations.

Griffiths said flydubai could potentially move five or six aircraft to DWC as early as next year. The wider transition would then take place over several months, with DXB operations eventually shifting to DWC once the new airport reaches its initial capacity of 150 million passengers.

Read more: Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport: What residents, travellers need to know

The phased approach is intended to allow airlines and airport infrastructure to adjust as capacity becomes available, while maintaining Dubai’s international connectivity during the transition.

DXB traffic continues to rise

The planned expansion comes as passenger traffic at DXB continues to strengthen.

Griffiths said the airport handled 31.5 million passengers in the first half of 2026, reflecting continued demand for Dubai as both a destination and a global connecting hub.

Monthly traffic reached 5 million passengers in June before rising to 6.3 million in July, a 26 per cent increase in a single month.

Griffiths described the rebound in traffic as a “trampoline bounce,” suggesting that passenger volumes could climb beyond previous levels as more airline capacity returns.

Airline capacity has recovered to 84 per cent of previous levels, while passenger volumes stand at 78 per cent, he said. Several carriers have yet to fully resume operations, with most expected to return by the start of the upcoming winter season.

DXB is expected to handle about 70 million passengers in 2026. Griffiths also reiterated that the airport could reach 100 million passengers annually by the end of 2027 if demand and available capacity continue to rise.

Technology to reshape the passenger journey

The development of DWC is also being positioned as an opportunity to redesign how passengers move through an airport.

Griffiths said technology could remove or significantly reduce several traditional steps, including conventional check-in procedures and queues. Baggage drop systems and facial recognition could allow passengers to move through the airport with fewer physical touch points.

The experience, he said, could become “more like an arrival at a lobby of a hotel.”

Dubai Airports is also examining ways to connect the airport more closely with the city’s wider transport network. Griffiths said artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies could further change how passengers interact with airport infrastructure.

Aviation and Dubai’s economic growth

Griffiths also highlighted the relationship between Dubai’s economic expansion and its aviation sector.

International air connectivity supports tourism, trade and investment, while population and business growth in the emirate create additional demand for air travel. He said the balance between transfer passengers and those travelling directly to or from Dubai remains broadly even, underscoring the importance of both segments to the airport’s traffic base.

The comments came during the second session of the Government of Dubai Media Office’s International Media Briefing series. The session brought together international and local media for a discussion covering DXB’s growth, connectivity, DWC’s development and the use of technology in airports.

Hend Fekri, director of Strategic Media Relations at the Government of Dubai Media Office, said: “GDMO’s International Media Briefing series creates a platform for open dialogue between international media and the leaders shaping Dubai’s key sectors. The session with Paul Griffiths reflects the informed exchange we aim to foster.”

Mona Ghanem Al Marri, director general of the Government of Dubai Media Office, said the briefing provided insight into the strategies and priorities shaping Dubai’s aviation sector.

The airport expansion comes as Dubai seeks to accommodate rising passenger demand while maintaining its position as a major international aviation hub. With DWC being developed in stages, the emirate is preparing for a long-term shift in where and how its growing air traffic is handled.

Apple has increased prices across its existing iPhone lineup following the launch of its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, marking an unusual departure from its long-standing practice of reducing prices on older devices after introducing new flagship models.

The price increases affect several models that remain on sale, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. In the US, most entry-level versions have become $100 more expensive, with the iPhone 16 rising from $699 to $799, the iPhone 17e from $599 to $699, the iPhone 17 from $799 to $899 and the iPhone Air from $999 to $1,099. Higher-capacity storage variants have seen even steeper increases.

The pricing changes came immediately after Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max during its “Surprise and Shine” event. Starting at $1,999, the iPhone Duo is Apple’s most expensive iPhone to date and signals the company’s entry into the premium foldable smartphone segment.

The adjustments extend beyond the US. Reuters reported that India recorded one of the steepest increases globally, with some existing iPhone models rising by as much as 41 per cent. For example, the base iPhone 17 now starts at ₹99,900, while the 1TB iPhone Air has increased to ₹224,900. The sharp rise has prompted criticism from consumers on social media, particularly as India has become one of Apple’s fastest-growing markets and a major manufacturing hub for the company.

Industry analysts attribute the pricing strategy largely to rising component costs, particularly memory and storage chips, which have become more expensive amid surging demand driven by artificial intelligence applications. According to Reuters, rather than absorbing those higher costs, Apple has chosen to pass them on across both its latest devices and existing models that remain in its portfolio.

Read: Samsung, Duolingo troll Apple’s iPhone Duo launch in viral X exchange

Etihad Airways will launch direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Airport from October 4, expanding air links between the UAE and the kingdom’s growing tourism destinations.

The airline will initially operate one flight every Sunday from Zayed International Airport before adding a second weekly service on Thursdays from October 25, Red Sea International Airport said in a statement.

The year-round route will use an Airbus A320, with a flight time of a little over three hours.

Flights from Abu Dhabi will depart at 9:55 am and arrive at Red Sea International Airport at 12:05 pm, while return services will leave at 2 p.m. and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 6:05 pm.

The new route will provide direct access from the UAE capital to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, including The Red Sea and AMAALA tourism destinations.

“Red Sea International Airport is the front door to the Red Sea coast, home to two of the world’s most ambitious new destinations, The Red Sea and AMAALA,” said Michael White, chief commercial officer of Red Sea International Airport.

“Etihad’s twice-weekly service from Abu Dhabi opens the region to guests from across the UAE and far beyond. We cannot wait to welcome them through our doors.”

Etihad chief executive Antonoaldo Neves said the service would make the destination accessible from Abu Dhabi as well as through connections across the airline’s wider network.

“The kind of holiday people normally take a long-haul flight for – islands, reefs, and relaxation – is now a short flight from Abu Dhabi and a single connection from anywhere across our network,” Neves said.

“We are always looking ahead to where our guests will want to travel next and making sure we are there early. The Red Sea is exactly that kind of destination, and it is an easy one to reach: the holiday starts on the day guests arrive, not the day after.”

Red Sea airport expands network

Red Sea International Airport, operated by daa International, currently handles around 20 domestic and international flights a week, connecting the destination with Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai, Doha and Milan.

The network has been developed with support from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, alongside daa International.

The Red Sea destination currently has 11 resorts open, including Six Senses Southern Dunes, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and Four Seasons Resort and Residences, with another six expected to open in the coming months, according to the airport.

Located about 90 kilometres south of Al Wajh on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, Red Sea International Airport serves as the main aviation gateway to The Red Sea, a tourism destination being developed by Red Sea Global.

The airport said it is within three hours’ flying time of 250 million people and within eight hours of 85 per cent of the world’s population.

Red Sea International Airport has capacity for two million passengers and is preparing to handle one million guests annually by 2030 as it adds more airlines and routes.

The Etihad flights are available for booking now.