Ajman Transport Authority reported a rise in taxi usage during the first quarter of 2026, with total trips reaching 3,322,268, up from 3,146,769 in the same period last year.

The increase of 175,499 trips represents a growth rate of approximately 5.6 per cent, reflecting steady demand for taxi services across the emirate, WAM reported.

Sami Ali Al Jallaf, Executive Director of the Public Transport and Licensing Corporation, said: “This growth reflects increasing demand for taxi services across the emirate, as well as high levels of safety and operational readiness, supported by the use of modern, well-equipped vehicles that meet the highest standards.”

Al Jallaf highlighted that taxis continue to play a critical role in Ajman’s transport ecosystem, offering flexible and efficient mobility solutions to meet daily commuting needs.

He added: “Taxis represent a vital component of the transport system in Ajman, given their key role in meeting daily mobility needs with efficiency and flexibility. He noted that the authority continues to develop its services, enhance fleet quality, and adopt modern solutions to improve traffic flow and quality of life in the emirate.”

The authority said it will continue to invest in service enhancements, fleet upgrades and smart mobility solutions as part of its broader efforts to improve transport efficiency and support urban development.

Adyen has expanded its long-standing partnership with Careem Pay to support the scaling of its remittance services from the UAE to global markets.

The collaboration builds on more than eight years of partnership and is aimed at strengthening Careem Pay’s international money transfer capabilities across Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and other key corridors.

Under the expanded agreement, Adyen will provide integrated payments infrastructure to enhance performance, reliability and scalability as Careem Pay grows its remittance business.

A key component of the partnership includes unified settlement and streamlined reporting through a consolidated framework, designed to improve operational efficiency and increase transparency across transactions.

The platform will also support higher payment conversion and authorisation rates, underpinned by a secure and scalable infrastructure.

Daumantas Grigaravicius, head of Middle East at Adyen, said: “Careem Pay is a strategic growth area for Careem and supporting it is a natural step forward in our partnership. As remittances in the UAE continue to shift from physical to digital channels, our single platform helps reduce operational complexity, while delivering smooth, reliable payment experiences that strengthen long-term customer relationships and support Careem Pay’s continued expansion.”

Mohammad El Saadi, vice president at Careem Pay, said: “At Careem Pay, our mission is to simplify financial services and provide a fairer, more transparent way for people to manage their money. We recognize that we operate in an incredibly innovative and competitive ecosystem here in the UAE, which pushes us to keep improving every day. By deepening our partnership with Adyen, we’re ensuring our remittance service stays fast and reliable as we expand globally. We know our customers trust us with what matters most – supporting their families, so we’re committed to keeping every transfer easy, affordable and seamless.”

Careem Pay currently enables international transfers from the UAE to more than 35 countries via the Careem app, with services provided in partnership with Lulu Exchange, licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE.

The expansion reflects growing demand for digital remittance solutions in the UAE, as consumers shift towards faster, more transparent and app-based financial services.

In preparation for Hajj season 1447 AH, and as part of ongoing efforts to ensure a secure, easy, and peaceful pilgrimage, the Ministry of Interior has announced a detailed set of penalties targeting violations of regulations requiring official permits to perform Hajj.

The announcement outlines a multi-tiered system of fines and enforcement actions aimed at both individuals attempting to perform Hajj without authorisation and those facilitating such violations, a Saudi Press Agency report said.

According to the ministry, a fine of up to SAR20,000 will be imposed on any individual found performing or attempting to perform Hajj without a permit.

Read more-Hajj 2026: How pilgrims can choose their preferred service packages

The same penalty applies to any holder of any type of visit visa who enters, attempts to enter, or remains in the city of Makkah or the Holy Sites during the specified period from 1 Dhu Al-Qi’dah to 14 Dhu Al Hijjah.

These measures are intended to regulate access to the pilgrimage and ensure that only authorized individuals are present during the official Hajj period.

Heavy penalties for facilitators

The ministry also detailed stricter penalties for those who contribute to or facilitate violations. A fine of up to SAR100,000 will be imposed on any person who applies for the issuance of a visit visa for an individual who performs or attempts to perform Hajj without a permit, or who enters or remains in Makkah or the Holy Sites during the restricted period.

The fine will be multiplied depending on the number of individuals involved.

In addition, any person who transports visit visa holders, or attempts to transport them, with the intention of delivering them to Makkah or the Holy Sites between 1 Dhu Al Qi’dah and 14 Dhu Al Hijjah will face similar penalties.

Providing accommodation is also considered a violation. The ministry stated that anyone who provides or attempts to provide accommodation to visit visa holders in hotels, apartments, private residences, shelters, Hajj accommodation facilities, or other lodging places will be penalized. This includes those who conceal such individuals or offer any assistance that enables them to remain in the restricted areas.

“Fines shall be multiplied according to the number of violators who are accommodated, concealed, or assisted,” the ministry said.

Deportation and confiscation measures

The ministry further announced that infiltrators, including residents and those who overstay their visas, will be deported to their countries and banned from entering the Kingdom for a period of 10 years.

Additionally, the competent court will be requested to order the confiscation of land transport vehicles proven to have been used to transport visit visa holders to Makkah and the Holy Sites during the period from 1-11-1447 until the end of 14-12-1447, provided the vehicle is owned by the transporter, contributor, or accomplice.

Right to grievance and appeal

The Ministry of Interior affirmed that individuals subject to penalty decisions have the right to file a grievance within a period not exceeding 30 days from the date of notification.

It also confirmed the right to appeal the committee’s decision before the Administrative Court within 60 days from the date of notification of the committee’s ruling.

The ministry reiterated that these measures are part of broader efforts to regulate the Hajj process and maintain order throughout the pilgrimage season.

Authorities emphasised that adherence to permit requirements remains essential to achieving a safe and organised Hajj for all participants.

China’s largest trade fair, held twice a year, opened on Wednesday in the southern city of Guangzhou, where more than 32,000 exhibitors are showcasing products over an area larger than 200 football fields.

Held from April 15 to May 5 in three phases, the fair provides a barometer of trade in China.

It is being held after data showed China’s export engine slowed sharply in March as war in the Middle East triggered shocks to energy and transportation, hurting global demand and exposing the risks in Beijing’s strategy of leaning on manufacturing to support growth.

The conflict has disrupted global growth, leaving China vulnerable as it has relied on foreign demand to offset a prolonged inability to revive consumption at home.

To accommodate buyers facing travel constraints, the fair is holding online events and livestreaming, organisers said.

The expo’s first phase includes electronics, manufacturing and new energy vehicles. The second phase offers housewares, building materials and furniture while the third phase features toys, fashion, home textiles and stationery.

The previous fair drew more than 310,000 overseas buyers from 223 countries and regions, according to its website.

From DFS to Avolta, duty-free stores selling premium perfumes and spirits to big spenders are feeling the pinch as conflict in the Middle East shuts airports and curbs travel to the region, a setback likely to become more acute as the war drags on.

The disruption now in its sixth week exposes a vulnerability for luxury and beauty groups that have relied on airport shopping and Gulf hubs among their highest-margin channels – to offset weaker demand in China and Europe, making even short-term airport closure a potential drag on quarterly profit.

Read more-Flexible payments, AI now shape how Gulf shoppers buy, finds Tabby survey

Analysts have said a prolonged slump in Middle East air traffic could compound pressure on a travel-retail industry still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, squeezing underperforming businesses such as LVMH’s DFS and weighing on prestige beauty and luxury firms including Estee Lauder, Puig and L’Oreal.

International flights to and from the Middle East plummeted in the first half of March. While some airlines in the UAE are slowly restarting, flights remain well below normal levels.

Flight cancellations from the Middle East, excluding Turkey, decreased from their peak of 65 per cent on March 3 to 13 per cent on March 27, showed data from Cirium, but the number of flights scheduled has also fallen.

DFS “is costing two (percentage) points of growth” for its selective retailing division, which includes beauty brand Sephora, LVMH CFO Cecile Cabanis told analysts this week.

The conflict shaved at least 1 per cent off group ​sales in the latest quarter due to lower spending in the Gulf region, LVMH said.

“What we see today is still that demand is very much down,” Cabanis said.

Drone strikes shutter gulf hubs

Companies that operate in the $74bn travel-retail industry have been shifting inventories and temporarily closing airport stores in the region. Normalcy for luxury airport shops may take time, analysts said.

Dubai International Airport, whose retail outlets include L’Oreal’s Aesop, Kering’s Gucci and Estee’s Jo Malone, is operating a reduced number of terminals after a drone attack forced the hub to temporarily close. Kuwait International Airport has been shut due to repeated drone strikes, halting sales for airport outlets owned by Avolta and Boots.

Avolta, which earns 3 per cent of revenue from the Middle East, is moving inventory from locations with slower sales to those with more foot traffic, CFO Yves Gerster told Reuters. Still, partly shuttered airports in some instances were leading to strong sales of food and other items for stranded travelers, for instance at Dubai airport, Gerster said.

Kering CFO Armelle Poulou told Reuters after the company’s first-quarter earnings report that travel retail was slightly down compared with last year, and that “performance with local customers has been more resilient than tourism-related demand.”

The conflict shaved 3 per cent off overall Kering sales in March, or 1 per cent for the quarter, with a similar effect at Gucci in particular, Poulou said.

Investors will keenly watch out for Estee’s quarterly results on May 1, as the firm explores a $40bn acquisition of Spanish competitor Puig, which derives a tenth of sales from travel retail. That makes it one of the more exposed beauty companies to swings in airport shopping and international travel, analysts said.

L’Oreal, whose travel-retail business in Asia accounted for less than 4 per cent of the company’s $44bn in 2025 sales, is scheduled to report quarterly results on April 22. The company does not provide total travel-retail sales, although analysts said Asia accounts for the largest share.

Estee Lauder and L’Oreal declined to comment. Puig was not immediately available for comment.