The UAE’s Workers Protection Programme paid more than Dhs320m to over 44,000 workers by the end of H1 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said.

Beneficiaries received an average of approximately Dhs7,000 each under the programme, which is designed to protect workers’ financial entitlements.

Separately, the Unemployment Insurance Scheme paid more than Dhs512m in compensation to workers who lost their jobs between its launch in 2024 and the end of June 2026.

Worker awareness programmes

MoHRE said its awareness programmes were provided in 17 languages. All workers targeted by the ministry completed mandatory guidance courses, while more than 1.3 million workers benefited from specialised awareness programmes.

Around 800,000 workers participated in celebrations organised by the ministry at more than 60 locations across the UAE during the first half of 2026.

The events were held with federal and local government bodies and private-sector partners to involve workers in national occasions and holidays and support social inclusion.

Heat protection and accommodation

MoHRE said its digital and field inspection system supported the implementation of the Occupational Heat Stress Prevention Policy, which runs from June 15 to September 15.

The ministry also planned to allocate more than 12,000 rest stations for delivery riders during the policy period.

More than 2,800 accommodation facilities were registered in MoHRE’s Labour Accommodation System by the end of June, housing around two million workers.

Dalal Alshehhi, assistant undersecretary for labour protection at MoHRE, said the first-half results reflected the ministry’s efforts to maintain a safe, stable and sustainable working environment while protecting workers’ interests and balancing the rights of employers.

US President Donald Trump’s covert departure from Turkey last month has sparked debate over presidential security protocols and the safety of journalists after reports revealed that Air Force One was used as a decoy while the president secretly travelled on a separate military aircraft amid a credible assassination threat linked to Iran.

According to reporting by The Washington Post, Trump publicly boarded the older Air Force One after the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8 before being discreetly transferred via an airport catering truck to a smaller US Air Force C-32A aircraft. The deception operation was reportedly ordered after intelligence agencies identified a credible threat against the president. White House staff and the travelling press corps were reportedly unaware that Trump was no longer on board the aircraft they believed was carrying him.

Trump has since confirmed the operation, saying the Secret Service and the US military wanted him on “a different plane” because of the threat, Associated Press reported. He said he followed their advice despite insisting he was not personally concerned about the risk. The White House has defended the extraordinary security measures, saying authorities use “every tool at our disposal” to protect the president from evolving threats.

The disclosure has, however, triggered criticism from members of the White House press corps and media organisations, who argue that journalists may have unknowingly been placed at greater risk if the aircraft carrying them had been viewed as the president’s plane. Several reporters have questioned why they were not informed after the threat had passed, while press freedom advocates say the incident raises broader concerns about balancing national security with the government’s responsibility towards accredited media travelling with the president.

National security experts remain divided over the operation. Some have described the deception as a legitimate protective measure given the reported Iranian threat, noting that decoy operations have long formed part of presidential security planning. Others argue that leaving journalists and some government officials unaware they were effectively travelling on the decoy aircraft represented an unprecedented step that could complicate future relations between the White House and the travelling press corps.

UAE airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways are stepping up efforts to give travellers greater flexibility, broader network access and more value from their journeys, with new measures ranging from unlimited free date changes and expanded travel insurance to enhanced frequent-flyer partnerships.

The latest initiatives from the two airlines come as carriers increasingly look to provide customers with greater confidence and choice when booking and managing international travel.

Emirates expands flexibility for Dubai travellers

Emirates is offering customers travelling to Dubai greater flexibility, including unlimited free date changes across eligible fares.

From August 10, 2026, customers travelling to Dubai can change their travel dates as many times as they need, free of charge, across every type of fare. Unlimited, free-of-charge changes apply from Saver through to Flex fares in Economy, and to Special, Saver and Flex fares in Business Class.

Read more-From free date changes to discounted fares: GCC airlines launch fresh travel offers

Economy Flex Plus, Premium Economy, Business Flex Plus and First Class fares will continue to remain fully flexible.

The airline has also substantially reduced refund fees on flights to Dubai. Refund fees have been cut to $50 on Saver fares and $25 on Flex fares in Economy. In Business Class, refund fees will be $50 on Special and Saver fares and $25 on Flex fares.

Combined with unlimited free date changes, the measures give customers more options to adjust or cancel their plans with lower penalties.

Beyond Dubai, Emirates is also offering customers travelling anywhere across its network one free date change on tickets booked from April 2, 2026, including journeys connecting through Dubai. Customers can also hold a fare for 24 hours at no charge while finalising their plans.

The airline has further introduced Comprehensive Travel Cover, which it describes as an industry-first insurance product. The policy covers a range of scenarios, including added conflict cover with reimbursement of medical expenses of up to $25,000 and a free trip extension of up to 30 days.

The cover also includes trip cancellation, baggage delay and loss, unlimited worldwide medical expenses and emergency evacuation. It can be purchased when booking on emirates.com or added to an existing booking through Manage Booking.

Where flights are disrupted, Emirates said it will support impacted customers with accommodation directly. Where onward connections on other airlines are affected, or Emirates services are unavailable, customers will be rebooked to their destination at no additional cost, including when cancellations are caused by airspace disruptions.

Skywards members get additional savings

Emirates is also increasing the benefits available to its Skywards loyalty programme members.

Until August 31, 2026 members can benefit from a 20 per cent reduction in the Tier Miles required to reach Silver, Gold and Platinum status, as well as a 20 per cent bonus on Tier Miles earned on Emirates and flydubai flights.

Members can also receive additional value through Cash+Miles, with a special rate of 2,000 Miles for $30, compared with the usual $15, when using Miles towards Emirates or flydubai flights, excess baggage, lounge access and seat selection.

Etihad expands loyalty reach through STARLUX

Meanwhile, Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, has launched a frequent-flyer partnership with Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines’ COSMILE programme.

The partnership builds on the airlines’ strategic relationship, following their codeshare agreement signed in June 2025 and the launch of Etihad’s direct Abu Dhabi-Taipei service in September last year.

From August 4, Etihad Guest members can redeem Etihad Guest Miles for Business and Economy flights across STARLUX’s network. The agreement expands access to destinations across Asia, North America and Europe, including Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle in the US, as well as Okinawa, Kobe and Nagoya in Japan.

The partnership is set to expand later this year. Etihad Guest members will be able to earn Etihad Guest Miles when flying across the STARLUX network, while COSMILE members will, for the first time, be able to earn and redeem miles across Etihad’s global network of more than 100 destinations.

“This partnership with COSMILE gives our members more ways to use their Etihad Guest Miles, opening up STARLUX’s network across Asia, North America and Europe from this August,” Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways, said.

“As we build towards full reciprocal earning and redemption in October, we’re creating a seamless loyalty experience that reflects the strength of our wider partnership with STARLUX, from our codeshare agreement to our direct Abu Dhabi–Taipei service. We look forward to welcoming more COSMILE members into the Etihad Guest experience later this year.”

Richard Tseng, chief passenger commercial officer at STARLUX Airlines, said the loyalty partnership was a natural extension of the airlines’ relationship.

“Offering our COSMILE members the ability to earn and redeem miles across Etihad’s global network will give them far greater reach, and reflects the shared commitment both airlines have to delivering an exceptional experience for our customers,” he said.

The partnership further strengthens Abu Dhabi’s role as a connecting hub between STARLUX’s Asia-Pacific network and Etihad’s routes across Europe, while Taipei provides an important connecting point for Etihad customers travelling across Asia.

The chairman of India’s Tata Sons, N. Chandrasekaran, said on Wednesday that he has resigned in light of the lack of board approval for his reappointment amid tensions with the charity arm that controls the salt-to-aviation Tata Group.

Tata Sons controls more than 30 companies in the conglomerate, including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Motors and Air India, but is in turn 66 per cent owned by Tata Trusts, the group’s charitable arm.

Disagreements have been brewing between Chandrasekaran and Tata Trusts over the past few months, with the two sides clashing over board representation, strategy, losses at group company Air India and how to handle the planned exit of a minority shareholder.

In February, Tata Sons postponed a decision on reappointing Chandrasekaran as chairman after Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, opposed the move.

“It has been 6 months since that board meeting, and no resolution has been reached till date,” Chandrasekaran said in his statement, adding he would continue in the position until February 2027.

“Tata Sons is a very large institution and there are many strategic projects that are under critical stages of execution,” he added.

The disagreements between Chandrasekaran and the Tata Trusts were the sole reason for his resignation, said a source with direct knowledge of his decision.

Shares in Tata Group companies fell, with TCS losing 4 per cent.

Chandrasekaran joined the Tata Group in 1987 as an intern at TCS and spent essentially his entire corporate career at the IT giant, rising through the ranks to become CEO in 2009, before taking over as Tata Sons chair in 2017.

Over the past year, the Tata conglomerate has also had to grapple with regulatory scrutiny of Air India following a fatal crash, pricing pressure at TCS and a cyberattack at Jaguar Land Rover that disrupted production and weighed on Britain’s economic output.

Feuds between Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have roiled the storied Indian conglomerate before, most famously in 2016 when Tata Sons’ board sacked then-chairman Cyrus Mistry after he fell out with group patriarch Ratan Tata over corporate governance issues, triggering a bitter legal battle that lasted several years.

The captain of an Air India flight that suffered a sudden mid-air altitude loss over India last week has tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test, escalating scrutiny of the carrier and prompting fresh regulatory action.

The development comes a week after Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo operating from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden loss of around 300 feet in altitude while flying over the eastern Indian state of Odisha. The aircraft, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, landed safely in Delhi, but 13 passengers and four crew members were injured in the incident, prompting an investigation by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

According to a source familiar with the matter, the pilot-in-command returned a positive result for marijuana in a laboratory confirmatory test after an earlier post-flight screening indicated the presence of psychoactive substances. The captain had already been removed from flying duties pending the outcome of the confirmatory analysis, Reuters reported.

The incident has prompted India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation to summon Air India chief executive Campbell Wilson for a briefing on the airline’s response and the status of the investigation. Speaking to local media after the meeting, Wilson said Air India had updated the ministry on the ongoing probe, while the airline continues to cooperate with investigators, Reuters stated.

Air India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation have not publicly commented on the confirmed laboratory result. Earlier, the airline said it had not been informed of the outcome of the confirmatory test and stressed that post-flight screening had been conducted in accordance with regulatory protocols.

The latest development adds to a series of operational and reputational challenges for Tata Group-owned Air India as it continues a multi-billion-dollar transformation programme aimed at modernising its fleet, improving service standards and strengthening safety oversigh