For years, Saudi Arabia has built ambitious hotels and, more often than not, partnered with international operators to run them. Atheel KAFD Hotel represents a new chapter. Due to open in the final quarter of 2026 inside Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, it will be the first Saudi-managed hotel in the district, developed by KAFD and operated by Adeera Hospitality, both companies inside the Public Investment Fund. What it quietly signals is not just Riyadh’s ability to build another 214-room hotel, but a growing confidence to operate one to the standard the world expects.

Adeera was created to answer exactly that. Positioned as Saudi Arabia’s national hospitality company under PIF, its mandate is to develop and run homegrown brands to international standards. Stefan Leser, its chief executive, is precise about what that does and does not mean for how the company works.

“Our objective is to deliver hospitality that is globally competitive while authentically expressing Saudi culture, values and the renowned generosity of Saudi hospitality,” he says. Atheel, in his framing, is less a first property than a first proof: “the first expression of our operating philosophy in practice.”

Authenticity from the inside
The industry’s language on “local character” is usually decorative, a majlis in the lobby, dates at check-in. Leser draws the line somewhere harder. Authenticity, he argues, cannot be applied from the outside; it comes from the people and communities that define a place. “There can be no true reflection of Saudi hospitality without Saudi voices shaping the experience,” he says, from the food to the welcome. It is a notable position for a European executive running a national champion, and he states his own role plainly: “My role is not to define Saudi hospitality, but to help create the environment for it to thrive.”

That is not only rhetoric. Atheel’s pre-opening executive committee is 63 per cent Saudi, most in leadership or specialist roles, many returning from careers with international groups. Leser frames the wider shift toward considered, culturally grounded luxury — and away from scale for its own sake — as one Saudi Arabia is well placed to lead, given what he calls its “incredible historical, cultural and geographic diversity.” The aim, aligned with Vision 2030’s emphasis on Saudi talent, is a model “delivered to the highest international standards, while remaining authentically Saudi.”

If Leser sets the philosophy, Emre Pasli has to open the doors. The general manager is blunt about the brief. Riyadh, he says, is drawing global investors, founders and decision-makers at a scale the city has not seen before, and it does not need more rooms so much as hotels with a reason to exist. “The market does not simply need more hotel rooms,” he says. “It needs hotels with a clear sense of purpose.” Atheel, he states, is built for a traveller who wants efficiency and sophistication but also to feel connected to the place they have landed in.

That ambition is location-led. KAFD is designed as a “10-minute city” of 95 buildings, LEED Platinum, its offices, homes and hotels linked by a Guinness-record skywalk network and a metro stop with a direct line to the airport.4 Pasli wants Atheel woven into that daily rhythm rather than parked beside it. “We want to create a place where business conversations continue over dinner, where residents feel equally welcome,” he says, a social anchor of the kind that hotels become in mature global cities, and his ambition is for it to become “the hospitality heart of the district.”

That integration is the offer itself, not just the backdrop. Riyadh was long a city where movement depended on the car; KAFD, with its metro connection and pedestrian skywalks, is among the sharpest signs of that changing. “Connectivity is becoming one of the defining factors in people’s choice of where to stay,” Pasli says. Business travellers, increasingly conscious of how they spend their time, can move between meetings, dining and the metro on foot — which, he argues, changes what a guest is actually buying. At Atheel, they are choosing “a base of operations within one of the city’s most connected and consequential addresses,” not simply a room, and he expects accessibility and integration to weigh as heavily as the traditional measures of luxury. His shorthand for the district’s pitch, and the hotel’s, is the same: “Where power meets place.”

The design, and the soul
The architecture is by Foster + Partners: bold geometric massing, a façade engineered to deflect the Riyadh sun and cut cooling loads, and a sculptural atrium said to run the full height of the building — one of the tallest internal hotel spaces in the capital.

Pasli treats all of it as a beginning rather than the point. “Architecture creates a stage,” he says. “What gives a hotel its soul is the experience that unfolds within it.”

That experience is built to carry the cultural argument without announcing it. Alongside the French brasserie Riya Maison and the rooftop pool and lounge Cloud 14, the flagship is LAFANA, a contemporary Saudi restaurant Pasli wants taken seriously on its own terms.6 The intent, he says, is “not to showcase culture as a feature, but to allow it to be naturally woven into the guest journey.” For both men, the definition of luxury is the same, and it is a rejection of the old model. In Pasli’s words: “Luxury is not about excess. It is about meaning, precision, warmth, and a strong sense of place.”

The longer game
The stakes reach past one opening. Pasli reads Atheel as evidence of a sector maturing fast enough that “international standards and local expertise are no longer separate conversations.” The part of Vision 2030 he rates most highly is its patience with people: “Buildings can be developed in a few years. Developing future leaders takes much longer.” The real legacy, he suggests, will not be the hotels but the generation of Saudi professionals trained to run them.

As a new class of longer-staying guests arrives — consultants, project teams and executives in the city for weeks or months — the hotel is designed around work-leisure overlap rather than the old business-versus-leisure split, with flexible public spaces and rooms meant for working as much as sleeping. But the closing thought is Leser’s territory as much as Pasli’s: that a hotel like this is, for many visitors, their first real encounter with the country.

“Saudi Arabia is introducing itself to the world with the confidence of a nation that knows its own worth,” Pasli says. “Atheel was built to be part of that welcome.” Whether the kingdom can run luxury as well as it can commission it is the test. Late 2026 is when the answer opens for business.

Apple is launching a device leasing program called ‘Apple Upgrade’ on July 28 in the US to boost sales, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The new service arrives as Apple has raised prices on its iPads, MacBooks and other devices except the iPhone, no longer able to shield customers from surging memory and storage chip costs driven by the AI industry’s data-center buildout.

Read more-iPhone 18: What you need to know about its higher prices, delayed launch

Apple Upgrade will support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models and the company is partnering with Klarna Group the financial backer for the program, the report said.

It will function as a subscription, allowing users to pay off their device early, switch to a new model before their term ends, or retain the device after the leasing period concludes, Bloomberg reported.

The service will be available in both Apple’s physical retail stores and online.

Apple intends to market the program as offering lower payments than its existing financing options, the report said.

The company plans to end new enrollments in its current iPhone payment plans, the iPhone Upgrade Program and standard financing — to clear the way for the new Apple Upgrade initiative.

Unlike the current iPhone Upgrade Program, Apple Upgrade will not include AppleCare. Some devices, including the Apple Watch SE, the entry-level iPad, the iPhone 16 and the MacBook Neo, will not be eligible for the program, the report said.

Business and education purchases will also be excluded, according to Bloomberg.

Both Apple and Klarna did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Novo Nordisk has appointed Venkat Kalyan as general manager for the Gulf, strengthening its leadership team as the pharmaceutical company expands its presence across one of its key strategic growth regions.

Based in the Gulf, Kalyan will oversee the company’s operations across the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen, with responsibility for strengthening healthcare partnerships, driving innovation and improving outcomes for patients living with chronic diseases.

The appointment reflects Novo Nordisk’s confidence in the Gulf’s evolving healthcare landscape and the UAE’s growing role as a regional hub for medical research, innovation and collaborative healthcare initiatives.

Commenting on his appointment, Kalyan said: “The Gulf markets hold real potential and are exceptionally well positioned to lead the next phase of healthcare transformation. I look forward to building on Novo Nordisk’s strong foundation in the region and working closely with all our healthcare stakeholders to improve outcomes for patients.”

Kalyan brings nearly 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, including 18 years with Novo Nordisk. Before assuming his new role, he served as general manager of the company’s Gulf Emerging Markets Cluster.

His leadership experience spans multiple international markets, including India, Switzerland, Denmark, Middle Africa, South Africa and the Gulf region, providing broad experience in managing healthcare businesses across developed and emerging markets.

Novo Nordisk said the Gulf has become an increasingly important part of its global growth strategy as healthcare systems across the region continue to invest in innovation, chronic disease management and patient-centred care.

The company said it remains committed to expanding access to healthcare solutions while working with governments, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to support the development of more sustainable and accessible healthcare systems across the Gulf.

eSIM technology may be mature, widely supported and available across most modern smartphones, but its path to mainstream adoption remains uneven.

For Deepak Gusain, COO of new-generation fintech marketplace Cartex, the issue is not a failure of the technology itself. Instead, adoption is being held back by fragmented customer journeys, limited awareness and regulatory processes that can undermine the central benefit of eSIM: instant digital connectivity.

“I would not say eSIM has failed. Rather, its adoption has been highly uneven. The technology is mature, device compatibility is expanding and operator support is widespread. The real constraint is the surrounding ecosystem: how easily consumers can discover, purchase, activate and manage an eSIM, and whether regulation supports a fully digital journey.”

Gusain has more than 20 years of experience across telecoms and fintech, including senior leadership positions at Tata Communications. He believes the next phase of eSIM growth will be shaped by collaboration between telecom operators, fintechs, travel platforms and digital wallets rather than by network operators acting alone.

Infrastructure does not guarantee adoption

Global eSIM adoption illustrates the gap between technical capability and consumer uptake.

“The Global eSIM Index illustrates this clearly. China and India, two of the world’s largest telecom markets, rank 36th and 49th respectively, while the much smaller South Korea ranks ahead, partly due to regulatory support for digital activation. Market size alone guarantees nothing.”

Consumer awareness remains another challenge. Operators may offer eSIM services, but users often do not know that the option exists or understand how it differs from a physical SIM, Gusain reveals.

For Gusain, this reflects a wider problem facing digital infrastructure providers: the availability of a technology does not automatically translate into demand. “That gap between technical availability and consumer understanding is not unique to eSIM. It is a recurring challenge in digital infrastructure: launching a capability does not automatically create adoption.”

Fintech companies are gaining ground in travel eSIM distribution because they can offer connectivity as part of an existing customer journey.

A telecom operator typically markets connectivity as a standalone service, requiring customers to actively search for, compare and purchase a plan. Fintech platforms, by contrast, can introduce an eSIM while a customer is already preparing for international travel.

“Fintechs are not necessarily offering a different eSIM, but they are offering it in a different context.”

A customer exchanging currency, activating a travel card, arranging insurance or booking accommodation can be offered connectivity without leaving the platform they already use.

“The customer does not actively decide, ‘I need an eSIM,’ but simply continues a familiar journey in which connectivity is already embedded. This reduces friction significantly.”

According to Gusain, users activating an eSIM through their primary financial application have stronger retention than those purchasing connectivity through a separate app.

“Users who activate eSIM directly in their main financial application show a 22 per cent higher retention over the year compared to those who purchase a connection through a separate application. The product itself is the same, but the friction between the desire and the result is much lower in apps where everything is gathered together.”

This ability to place connectivity at the point of need could allow fintechs, travel companies and digital wallets to become the most influential distribution channels for eSIM services.

The UAE adoption gap

The UAE combines advanced mobile infrastructure, high smartphone penetration and globally competitive telecom operators. Yet the country ranked 41st in the Holafly Global eSIM Index 2026.

Gusain argues that the ranking should not be viewed as a reflection of the UAE’s telecom capabilities.

“The UAE’s ranking should not be interpreted as a weakness in its telecom infrastructure. The country has highly advanced mobile networks, strong smartphone penetration and sophisticated operators. In fact, the same index ranks e& third among the 171 operators evaluated globally, while du ranks 24th. It also estimates that approximately 65 per cent of devices in the UAE market are eSIM-capable.”

The more significant issue, he says, is the impact of regulation and activation requirements on the customer journey.

He adds: “The answer is that the very methodology of the index contains a kind of penalty for regulatory heaviness. This means that even if the infrastructure itself is perfect, if the activation process is bureaucratically complicated, it still drags the final ranking down.”

Restrictions affecting some international travel eSIM providers can also reduce consumer choice after travellers enter the country.

“In the UAE, access to or initial activation through certain international travel eSIM providers may be restricted once the traveller is already inside the country. This can reduce consumer choice and create additional friction, even though domestic operators have strong eSIM capabilities.”

The market therefore highlights the difference between advanced network infrastructure and an open digital marketplace for travel connectivity.

“The UAE therefore demonstrates an important point: world-class connectivity infrastructure and an open travel-connectivity marketplace are not necessarily the same thing,” Gusain says.

Saudi Arabia offers a regional contrast

Saudi Arabia’s ranking offers a contrasting example of how regulatory support can accelerate adoption even in markets with broadly comparable infrastructure.

Gusain says: “For contrast, it is worth looking at Saudi Arabia — it ranks 10th in the world with a score of almost 80, thanks to Vision 2030 and targeted regulatory support. Turns out that in a region with a similar infrastructure, a more user-friendly regulatory policy can make a difference of more than thirty positions.”

Across the Gulf, the commercial opportunity is significant. The region combines high smartphone penetration, substantial inbound and outbound travel and a population accustomed to digital onboarding, mobile wallets and super apps.

However, Gusain says technical readiness must be matched by regulation that preserves the convenience of digital provisioning.

“If purchasing and activation require multiple identity checks, physical presence, restricted distribution channels or an operator-specific process, the central advantage of eSIM which is instant digital provisioning is weakened.”

This explains why countries with similar network quality can record very different adoption levels.

“The Gulf has the underlying conditions to become one of the world’s most important eSIM regions. But the speed of adoption will depend on whether regulation, operator models and digital distribution are aligned around a low-friction customer experience.”

Embedded connectivity emerges as the winning model

The long-term eSIM market is unlikely to be controlled exclusively by a single sector.

Operators retain assets that fintechs and travel platforms cannot easily replicate, including spectrum, national network infrastructure, wholesale capacity and control over mobile service provisioning.

He says: “Telecom operators own strategic assets that are extremely difficult to replicate: licensed spectrum, network infrastructure, subscriber management, wholesale connectivity and operational control of the mobile service. Fintechs, travel platforms and digital wallets have a different advantage: they own the customer interface, payment relationship and context in which the need for connectivity arises.”

A financial platform can identify when a user is exchanging currency or making an overseas transaction, while a travel app knows when a customer is booking a flight or hotel.

“The strongest model will therefore be embedded connectivity: operators provide the underlying network, while fintech, travel and commerce platforms distribute and contextualise the service.”

Under this model, consumers may not actively select an eSIM provider. Connectivity will instead become one component of a wider travel or financial experience.

“Customers may not consciously choose an eSIM provider at all; connectivity will simply be built into an experience they already use.”

Gusain believes telecom operators and fintech companies will generate more value through partnerships than by attempting to replicate one another’s business models. There may be cases in which operators expand into financial services or fintechs move deeper into mobile connectivity. However, vertical integration will not always represent the most efficient use of capital or expertise. “For a telecom operator to build a bank from scratch is just ineffective, just as it makes little sense for a bank or an eSIM provider to build its own mobile network. Each player focuses on its core strengths, which boosts the final result and the quality of the service.”

The trade-off is that commercial value must be shared between the network owner and the platform controlling distribution.

“But sharing the economics of a larger and more engaged customer base is often preferable to retaining all the economics of a smaller standalone product.”

For operators, this could mean shifting from direct customer acquisition towards wholesale connectivity, API access and embedded distribution agreements.

An invisible layer of the digital economy

Over the next five years, Gusain expects eSIM to become less visible as a standalone telecom product and more deeply integrated into banking, travel and loyalty platforms.

The companies best positioned to succeed will be those capable of combining network reliability with seamless distribution, payments and regulation. “The strongest proposition will come from an ecosystem combining reliable infrastructure, intuitive distribution, integrated payments and supportive regulation — not necessarily the company with the largest network.”

Telecom operators will remain essential, but their role may become less visible to the end customer.

“Telecom operators will remain indispensable because fintechs and travel platforms cannot replicate licensed spectrum or national infrastructure. However, they may become less visible, managing connectivity and provisioning while another brand owns the customer relationship.”

Operators can respond by making their networks easier to integrate through APIs and commercial partnerships.

Gusain concludes: “The future is not telcos versus fintechs, but interconnected platforms delivering connectivity, payments, identity and travel services as one seamless experience.”

The United States has issued a worldwide security caution for its citizens, warning that escalating tensions in the Middle East could lead to travel disruptions, airspace closures and broader security risks affecting Americans overseas.

In an advisory issued on July 20, the US Department of State urged Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution, citing a “complex” security environment with the potential for unforeseen escalation.

The advisory said US citizens currently in the Middle East should remain vigilant and prepare for possible flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures and wider travel disruptions. It also advised Americans outside the region to reconsider travel to and through the Middle East as geopolitical tensions continue to evolve.

The warning comes as airlines, airports, logistics operators and multinational businesses continue to navigate heightened regional security risks that have periodically disrupted commercial aviation and supply chains in recent weeks.

The State Department also warned that US diplomatic facilities, including those outside the Middle East, have been targeted, adding that Iran and groups supportive of Iran could target other US interests overseas or locations associated with the United States and American citizens around the world.

For businesses with internationally mobile workforces, the advisory underscores the need to review travel policies, monitor airline schedules and contingency plans, and maintain close communication with employees travelling through or operating in the Middle East.

The department encouraged US citizens to monitor embassy and consular security alerts, follow local authorities and news updates, and enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive the latest security notifications. Travellers were also advised to review destination-specific travel advisories before making international travel plans.

The latest advisory follows a series of security alerts issued by governments and aviation authorities in response to the deteriorating regional security environment, which has prompted temporary airspace restrictions and flight cancellations across parts of the Middle East in recent weeks.

Read: Gulf travel alert: Emirates, AirArabia and flydubai cancel some GCC flights