Wio Bank has partnered with lifestyle savings platform ENTERTAINER to provide eligible Wio Personal customers with complimentary access to a curated selection of Buy One Get One Free offers, expanding the digital bank’s customer rewards ecosystem beyond traditional banking benefits.

Available from 13 July, the new feature is integrated directly into the Wio app, giving customers access to 600 Buy One Get One Free offers across 200 merchants spanning dining, entertainment, wellness and family attractions throughout the UAE.

The partnership reflects a growing trend among digital banks to differentiate their offerings through lifestyle benefits alongside financial products, as competition intensifies in the UAE’s digital banking sector.

The curated collection includes offers at restaurants, attractions and wellness destinations such as Signor Sassi, Maison Mathis, Carnival by Tresind, Emirates Park Zoo, Sofitel Spa and Café Bateel.

“The best banking benefits are the ones customers actually use. Whether that’s earning 2 per cent cash back on everyday spending, growing their savings with some of the most competitive rates in the UAE, or now saving at their favourite restaurant or spa through the ENTERTAINER. Every benefit we offer is designed to give Wio Personal customers genuine, repeated value. This is a bank built around your life, not just your balance,” said Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer at Wio Bank PJSC.

Donna Benton, founder and CEO of ENTERTAINER, added: “At the ENTERTAINER, we’re passionate about helping people enjoy more experiences while making their money go further. Through our partnership with Wio, we’re excited to extend that value to Wio customers across the UAE, giving them easy access to savings on dining, attractions and wellness experiences they can enjoy every day.”

The complimentary membership covers premium and casual dining, brunches, attractions, spas, salons and fitness experiences across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Northern Emirates.

Wio said customers using its Wio Family offering will receive enhanced benefits, with access to up to 1,200 offers.

The ENTERTAINER partnership complements Wio Personal’s existing proposition, which includes competitive savings rates, 2 per cent cashback on eligible spending and access to investment products through Wio Invest.

By embedding lifestyle rewards directly within its banking platform, Wio is seeking to strengthen customer engagement and position itself as a broader financial and lifestyle platform, rather than a traditional digital banking provider.

The UAE is expected to experience partly cloudy to cloudy conditions, with chances of rainfall in eastern and southern regions through the weekend, according to the National Center of Meteorology (NCM).

In its latest forecast covering Thursday through Sunday, the NCM said convective cloud formation is likely over eastern and southern parts of the country on Thursday and Friday, bringing the possibility of rainfall in those areas.

The weather authority also warned of light to moderate winds that are expected to freshen at times, leading to blowing dust and reduced visibility in exposed areas. Sea conditions in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea are forecast to remain slight to moderate during the first two days of the forecast period.

On Friday, similar conditions are expected to continue, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies and the probability of convective clouds associated with rainfall over eastern and southern areas. Southeasterly to northeasterly winds are forecast to blow at speeds of 10km/h to 25km/h, strengthening to as much as 40km/h at times.

Conditions are expected to improve slightly on Saturday, with fair to partly cloudy skies across most of the country. However, clouds developing over eastern and southern regions could still become convective. The NCM also forecast humid conditions by Saturday night and into Sunday morning over some western coastal areas, increasing the likelihood of mist or fog formation in those locations. Winds are expected to reach up to 35km/h, while seas will remain slight in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

By Sunday, the weather is expected to remain fair to partly cloudy, with some cloud development over eastern areas. Southeasterly winds will gradually shift to northwesterly, reaching speeds of up to 35km/h during stronger gusts. Sea conditions are expected to remain slight across both coastlines.

The latest forecast comes as the UAE continues to experience typical summer weather patterns, with convective cloud activity bringing isolated rainfall to inland and mountainous regions while higher humidity develops overnight in coastal areas.

The US military said it had completed its latest wave of strikes against Iran overnight, including a 90-minute raid on Greater Tunb Island and attacks on military infrastructure in Bandar Abbas, as Washington continued operations aimed at weakening Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest evening wave of strikes concluded at 5 am Gulf time on Thursday.

American forces struck Iranian command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities using precision-guided munitions, with targets hit at multiple locations including Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s largest port and key naval facilities overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.

US forces also carried out a separate 90-minute strike against coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island, one of three UAE islands occupied by Iran.

“The US military is holding Iran accountable at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The military said the operations were intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten “innocent mariners” aboard commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy chokepoints.

The latest strikes follow two waves of US attacks launched on Wednesday after Washington reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports, prompting Iran to retaliate with attacks on US military sites in neighbouring countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Hostilities have intensified since Iran said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz late on Saturday. Military operations by both sides have disrupted shipping through the waterway, which previously carried around one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments.

Three US officials told Reuters on Wednesday that the strikes are aimed not only at reopening the strait but also at destroying Iranian military capabilities that could threaten future US operations in the Gulf.

The latest escalation comes days after a fragile ceasefire collapsed, raising fears of a return to a broader regional conflict.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran wanted to “settle so badly”, while Tehran has insisted the only path to reopening the Strait of Hormuz is for Washington to comply with a previously agreed memorandum of understanding and accept what it calls Iranian regulations governing ship traffic through the waterway.

PwC Middle East has entered into an exclusive strategic collaboration with RegTech specialist Label to deliver an integrated tax transparency compliance solution for financial institutions across the Middle East, as regulatory reporting requirements become increasingly complex.

The partnership combines PwC Middle East’s tax and regulatory advisory expertise with Label’s AI-enabled automation platform to help banks and financial institutions streamline compliance with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and the emerging Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).

Under the agreement, PwC Middle East will act as Label’s exclusive regional partner for on-premise implementations, providing financial institutions with a technology platform that automates tax reporting processes while improving data quality, governance and regulatory readiness.

The collaboration comes as financial institutions across the region face growing pressure to strengthen tax transparency, improve reporting accuracy and reduce the operational burden associated with increasingly complex compliance obligations.

By combining specialist advisory services with AI-driven automation, the two companies aim to help organisations replace fragmented, manual compliance processes with more scalable and efficient operating models.

“As regulatory tax expectations continue to evolve, financial institutions are looking for solutions that combine deep technical expertise with practical innovation,” said Bilal Abba, Partner and Middle East Global Information Reporting Leader at PwC Middle East.

“Our collaboration with Label reflects PwC Middle East’s commitment to supporting clients navigate an increasingly complex compliance landscape through technology-enabled solutions that deliver greater accuracy, transparency and efficiency.”

The joint offering covers the full compliance lifecycle, from client onboarding and technology implementation to regulatory reporting and ongoing compliance management.

Rodrigo Ruiz, CEO and Co-Founder of Label, said: “This collaboration represents a significant milestone in our growth journey and reflects a shared vision for the future of tax transparency compliance.

“By combining PwC Middle East’s trusted tax advisory capabilities with Label’s automation platform, we are bringing a truly integrated solution to market—one that helps financial institutions simplify compliance, improve reporting quality and adapt to an increasingly demanding regulatory environment. We are excited to work alongside PwC Middle East across the region as they prepare for the next generation of tax transparency reporting.”

The partnership reflects a broader shift within the financial services industry towards technology-enabled compliance as regulators expand tax transparency frameworks and introduce new reporting requirements, including CARF, which extends reporting obligations to crypto-asset transactions.

As financial institutions prepare for the next phase of international tax transparency standards, the companies said scalable automation and AI-driven compliance capabilities will become increasingly important in helping organisations meet regulatory obligations while improving operational efficiency.

Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) has launched UP by CBD, a mobile-first banking platform designed for micro and small businesses, enabling entrepreneurs to open business accounts, access financing and manage their finances through a single digital application.

Developed in collaboration with ecosystem partners, including the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the platform integrates directly with the Dubai Unified Licence (DUL), allowing businesses to move seamlessly from company registration to banking activation.

The initiative supports Dubai’s ambition to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) by reducing the time required for new businesses to become operational.

With startup activity continuing to expand across the UAE, CBD said the platform addresses one of the key challenges facing entrepreneurs by providing faster access to financial infrastructure from the first day of business.

UP by CBD combines digital account opening with business banking services, including instant access to business credit cards, payroll solutions, transfers and savings products through a single mobile app.

Among its key features are mobile onboarding using digital verification and direct integration with trade licence authorities, zero-balance business accounts with flexible subscription plans, and instant business credit cards designed to help entrepreneurs manage early-stage cash flow requirements.

Dr. Bernd van Linder, chief executive officer of CBD, said: “UP by CBD signals our long-term commitment to supporting business owners at every stage of their journey, helping them move more quickly from business setup to operation while contributing to the continued growth of Dubai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the foundations of Dubai’s micro and small business economy, in line with the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.”

Dhiraj Kunwar, general manager of Retail & Business Banking, said the platform was designed around the practical needs of entrepreneurs.

“We built UP by CBD around the realities of starting and running a small business. Business owners need to get their business up and running, access funding when they need it, and manage their finances with ease. By integrating directly with the Dubai Unified Licence (DUL) and combining fast onboarding with instant access to a business credit card, we are helping entrepreneurs move seamlessly from business setup to operation, allowing them to focus on what matters most, growing their business from day one.”

CBD said businesses using the platform will benefit from the agility of a mobile banking experience while operating within the bank’s established regulatory and governance framework, backed by more than 50 years of banking experience in the UAE.

Through its partnership with DET, entrepreneurs will also gain access to broader support initiatives, including Dubai Founders HQ and SME in a Box, providing connections to programmes, business networks and resources aimed at helping startups scale.

The launch reflects CBD’s broader strategy to strengthen financial services for micro and small businesses while supporting Dubai’s efforts to foster entrepreneurship, accelerate business formation and enhance the emirate’s competitiveness as a global destination for investment and innovation