Etihad Airways has launched its first non-stop service between Abu Dhabi and Calgary, marking the first direct air connection between the UAE capital and the Western Canadian city.

The airline’s inaugural flight, EY29, arrived at Calgary International Airport on October 26, with Etihad confirming that the flight was sold out.

The new route will operate four times a week using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, expanding Etihad’s Canadian network and strengthening connectivity between the UAE and Alberta.

Calgary becomes Etihad’s second destination in Canada, complementing its existing Toronto service, and serves as the airline’s westernmost Canadian gateway.

The launch was marked by an event at Calgary International Airport attended by representatives from the Government of Alberta, airport authorities and tourism organisations.

Etihad expands Canadian network

The new service will provide travellers from Western Canada with direct access to Abu Dhabi and onward connections across Etihad’s network, including destinations in the GCC, India, Asia and Africa.

The airline said the route would support tourism, business travel and investment flows between the UAE and Canada.

Calgary is a major centre for Canada’s energy industry, alongside growing activity in technology, innovation and investment.

The direct connection is expected to improve accessibility between Alberta and markets across the Middle East and Asia, while providing international travellers with easier access to Western Canada.

Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Some routes immediately feel significant, not simply because they connect two destinations, but because of the opportunities they create. Calgary is one of those routes.”

He added that the route represents another milestone in the airline’s network expansion strategy, connecting two economies with growing international business and tourism links.

New route to strengthen UAE-Canada trade ties

Joseph Schow, Alberta’s Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration, said the service would support the province’s efforts to strengthen its international commercial relationships.

“The arrival of Etihad Airways in Calgary is another sign of Alberta’s growing connections around the world. Our recent trade missions are translating into commercial momentum, reflecting confidence in our market and recognition of the value our province offers. This new direct route to Abu Dhabi will help connect Alberta businesses and travellers with new markets and opportunities across the Gulf region and beyond, while supporting stronger trade, investment and tourism ties. We are proud to welcome Etihad to Alberta.”

Chris Dinsdale, president and CEO of Calgary Airports, also welcomed the launch.

“Today, the distance between Calgary and Abu Dhabi feels a whole lot shorter,” Dinsdale said. “With Etihad’s arrival at YYC, we’re creating a direct link between two dynamic regions as we open Calgary to the world and the world to Calgary. We’re proud to see this partnership take flight and even prouder to welcome Etihad’s first guests to Calgary.”

Boeing 787 to operate four weekly flights

Etihad will operate the route using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring Business and Economy cabins.

The service will also allow passengers travelling from Canada to use Etihad’s Abu Dhabi stopover programme, which enables eligible travellers to extend their journey and explore the UAE capital.

For passengers travelling from the UAE and other destinations across Etihad’s network, Calgary provides access to Alberta’s business centres and tourism attractions, including Banff and Jasper National Parks and the Canadian Rockies.

Alisha Reynolds, President and CEO of Tourism Calgary, said the new service would strengthen the city’s international visitor connections.

The launch forms part of Etihad’s wider network expansion strategy, as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier continues to add destinations and strengthen connections between the UAE and international markets.

With Calgary joining Toronto, Etihad now serves two Canadian destinations, expanding its presence in North America and providing additional travel options for passengers connecting through Abu Dhabi.

Huawei has showcased its latest wearable healthcare technologies, including the new HUAWEI WATCH D3 blood pressure monitoring smartwatch, at its MEA Tech Innovation Talks conference in Dubai.

Held at Grand Plaza Mövenpick alongside the ISH-ECS 2026 annual conference, the event brought together healthcare researchers and technology experts to discuss advances in cardiovascular monitoring, early diabetes risk identification and wearable medical technology.

The ISH-ECS conference, held in Dubai from October 22 to 25, focused on developments in hypertension prevention and management.

Huawei, a member of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), presented research involving its WATCH D Series devices and their potential applications in blood pressure monitoring.

Huawei Watch D3 targets cardiovascular monitoring

The newly introduced HUAWEI WATCH D3 incorporates blood pressure monitoring capabilities designed to make regular measurements more accessible through wearable technology.

Researchers at the event discussed how wearable devices could support hypertension management by enabling monitoring outside conventional clinical settings.

Professor Jiguang Wang, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, highlighted the potential of the technology.

“Innovations like Minimally Disruptive ABPM and environmental monitoring reminder by Huawei Watch D3 may be inspiring for shaping a new direction on how future blood pressure management is automated and seamlessly embedded into daily life, via wearable devices,” he stated.

Professor George Stergiou, President of the International Society of Hypertension, described the WATCH D3 as a wearable device capable of providing insights into blood pressure patterns.

He also noted that the European Society of Hypertension and ISH encourage the clinical use of validated wrist-cuff blood pressure monitors, while emphasising the need for further research into their use in clinical practice.

Huawei has also established a Wearable Blood Pressure Technology Innovation Fund in collaboration with ISH to support further hypertension research.

Huawei and Dubai Health collaborate on diabetes research

The conference also highlighted Huawei’s work in using wearable technology to support earlier identification of diabetes risk.

Professor Maryam Al Saeed of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences outlined an ongoing research collaboration between Dubai Health and Huawei.

“Dubai Health and Huawei are collaborating on a clinical research initiative to evaluate non-invasive wearable technology for earlier diabetes risk, leveraging real-world health data to advance personalised prevention, enable proactive healthcare, and improve long-term health outcomes across diverse populations.”

The research forms part of broader efforts to explore how wearable devices and health data could support preventive healthcare and personalised risk assessment.

Professor Datin Yook-Chin Chia, Professor and Senior Consultant at Sunway University in Malaysia, also discussed how reducing disruption and the number of measurements required could make ambulatory blood pressure monitoring more practical for patients.

Huawei invests $28.62bn in research and development

Huawei said it invested $28.62bn in research and development (R&D) in 2025, equivalent to 21.8 per cent of its annual revenue.

The company highlighted its global health research laboratories and collaborations with medical institutions as part of its efforts to develop wearable healthcare technologies.

Beyond health monitoring, Huawei also showcased developments in its smartphone business, including foldable devices and mobile camera technology.

Edwin You, Chief Technology Officer at Huawei, presented the company’s Tau Law technology, a proposed approach to semiconductor development that focuses on reducing signal propagation delays rather than relying solely on smaller transistor dimensions.

According to Huawei, the technology uses approaches such as LogicFolding to potentially improve transistor density and system performance.

The Dubai event highlighted Huawei’s efforts to expand its presence in digital healthcare while continuing to invest in smartphone and semiconductor technologies.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced temporary lane and tunnel closures on Emirates Road (E611) near Al Maktoum International Airport to facilitate highway testing for autonomous taxi companies.

According to an announcement posted on RTA’s official X account, three lanes on Emirates Road, opposite Al Maktoum International Airport, will be closed from October 26 to 31, between 9am and 4pm daily.

In addition, the Al Maktoum International Airport Tunnel will be fully closed in both directions during the same period.

Emirates Road closures: What motorists need to know

The temporary traffic restrictions are being implemented to allow autonomous taxi companies to conduct highway testing as part of Dubai’s ongoing efforts to advance self-driving mobility.

The closures will affect three lanes along E611 near the airport, while motorists using the Al Maktoum International Airport Tunnel will need to consider alternative routes during the specified hours.

RTA has advised motorists to plan their journeys in advance and follow directional signs to ensure smooth travel and minimise potential disruptions.

Saudi Arabia will raise the minimum monthly wage threshold for Saudi employees to count fully toward private-sector Saudisation requirements to SAR5,000 in April 2027 and SAR6,000 in April 2028, while eligible citizens are set to receive an additional SAR500 in monthly allowances under directives issued by King Salman.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the revised thresholds under the Nitaqat Saudisation program will be introduced in two phases, starting six months after the announcement on October 25, 2026, a Saudi Gazette report said.

The first phase will take effect on April 25, 2027, when the minimum monthly wage required for a Saudi employee to count fully toward a company’s Saudization quota will increase to SAR5,000. The threshold will subsequently rise to SAR6,000 on April 25, 2028.

The ministry clarified that the decision does not oblige private-sector employers to directly raise the salaries of Saudi employees. Instead, it changes the wage threshold used to determine whether employees count fully toward their employers’ Saudization requirements. The phased rollout is intended to give businesses time to prepare for the changes.

King Salman orders SAR500 monthly allowance increase

Separately, King Salman has ordered a SAR500 increase in monthly allowances for eligible civilian and military employees covered by civil service pay scales and employment programs, retirees, and family members of deceased contributors or retirees covered by the Social Insurance Law.

Families receiving social security benefits will also qualify for additional monthly support of SAR500, subject to applicable regulations and procedures.

The measures, based on a proposal presented by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, coincide with adjustments to electricity and water consumption tariffs announced by the Saudi Energy Company and the National Water Company, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.

The financial support is intended to help ease the impact of the utility tariff adjustments on citizens.

The directives also seek to improve salary levels and promote sustainable employment opportunities for Saudi nationals in the private sector through the revised Nitaqat wage requirements.

Doctors at Aster Hospital Mankhool in Dubai have successfully removed a nearly 2cm fish bone that remained lodged in a patient’s airway for more than two months, causing persistent coughing, chest congestion and breathing difficulties.

The patient, 60-year-old Indian expatriate Unnikrishnan Sivaraman, who lives in Sharjah, accidentally inhaled a milkfish bone while eating on July 1, 2026.

Following the incident, he experienced discomfort, severe nausea and blood-stained vomiting, prompting a visit to the emergency department at Aster Hospital Al Qusais.

However, his symptoms persisted over the following weeks, including a worsening cough, chest congestion and increasing difficulty breathing.

A subsequent CT scan conducted at another hospital revealed that the fish bone had become lodged in the right main bronchus, the airway leading into the right lung.

The patient was subsequently referred to Aster Hospital Mankhool on August 26 for specialised treatment.

Fish bone causes inflammation in patient’s airway

According to the hospital, the fish bone’s prolonged presence had caused significant local inflammation and the formation of granulation tissue around the foreign object.

Its size, sharp edges and position made removal particularly challenging, with doctors identifying potential risks including bleeding, airway injury and sudden obstruction during extraction.

A multidisciplinary team comprising specialists in pulmonology, ear, nose and throat (ENT), and anaesthesia developed a treatment plan to safely remove the bone.

Dr Jolsana Augustine, Specialist Pulmonologist at Aster Hospital Mankhool, performed a bronchoscopy to carefully move the fish bone from the right main bronchus towards the upper airway.

Dr Bharath Neranki Satish Rao, Specialist ENT, subsequently used direct laryngoscopy and specialised forceps to extract the bone while protecting the patient’s vocal cords.

The procedure was supported by anaesthesia specialists Dr Abhishek Jayaprakash Narayan and Dr Siraj Madayi Meethel.

A follow-up bronchoscopy was performed to examine the airway and clear remaining secretions.

Dubai doctors complete complex procedure

Dr Augustine said the prolonged presence of the foreign object had complicated its removal.

“When a foreign body remains in the airway for a prolonged period, inflammation and granulation tissue can make removal more challenging. In this case, the size, sharp edges and location of the fish bone required careful planning and controlled manipulation. Close coordination between the Pulmonology, ENT and Anesthesia teams was essential for its safe removal while minimising the risk of airway injury or bleeding.”

Dr Rao highlighted the challenges associated with extracting the sharp object near the vocal cords.

“The sharp edges of the fish bone and its proximity to the vocal cords made the final stage of extraction particularly delicate. Our focus was to remove the foreign body safely while protecting the vocal cord structures. The successful outcome was made possible by careful coordination between the Pulmonology, ENT and Anesthesia teams throughout the procedure.”

Patient discharged hours after procedure

The procedure was successfully completed on September 11, 2026, and the patient was discharged in stable condition within a few hours.

During a subsequent follow-up consultation, Sivaraman reported significant improvement in his breathing and overall health, with no further medical treatment required.

“I am very thankful to Dr. Jolsana, Dr. Bharath and the entire team at Aster Hospital Mankhool for the care and support I received. Dr. Jolsana explained everything clearly and made me feel comfortable throughout the treatment. I am very happy with my recovery and the significant improvement in my breathing and overall condition,” he said.

The hospital said the case highlighted the importance of accurate diagnosis and coordinated specialist care when treating foreign objects lodged in the lower respiratory tract.

While fish bones are commonly associated with accidental ingestion, this case involved aspiration into the airway, requiring a more complex extraction procedure.