BNW Developments has issued a warning to banks and financial institutions after identifying instances of individuals falsely claiming to represent the company in dealings with lenders and financial organisations in the UAE and other markets.

The real estate developer said it has not authorised any individual to represent the company, communicate, issue instructions or act on its behalf in relation to such approaches.

The advisory urges banks, financial institutions and other stakeholders to independently verify the credentials and authority of anyone claiming to act for BNW Developments before relying on any communication, instruction or representation.

A spokesperson for BNW Developments said: “Protecting the integrity of our institutional relationships and safeguarding our stakeholders is of paramount importance to us. We encourage all banks, financial institutions and business partners to verify any communication or representation through BNW Developments’ official and authorised channels before taking any action.”

The company stressed that any communications, requests, undertakings, transactions or representations made by individuals who have not been duly authorised by BNW Developments should not be regarded as official company communications.

BNW Developments said it continues to maintain established authorised channels for all institutional and business engagements and advised stakeholders to contact the company directly if they have any doubts about the authenticity of a communication or a person claiming to represent the business.

Majid Al Futtaim reported record first-half EBITDA of Dhs2.5bn, up 11 per cent from a year earlier, as stronger contributions from development, shopping malls, cinemas and digital businesses helped lift profitability despite a challenging second quarter.

Net operating profit after tax rose 25 per cent to Dhs1.8bn, while revenue increased 1 per cent to Dhs17.5bn, the Dubai-based shopping malls, communities, retail and leisure group said on Wednesday.

The company said higher-margin businesses including development, malls, cinemas and digital operations contributed a greater share of overall performance.

Majid Al Futtaim said its performance was achieved despite the impact of the regional conflict on the operating environment during the second quarter.

The group’s development business was a major growth driver, with revenue increasing 38 per cent year-on-year.

Its development pipeline exceeds Dhs100bn, while Dhs2.8bn of construction contracts were awarded during the period.

Projects include a Dhs62bn agreement with Dubai South to develop a 22-million-square-foot mixed-use community, while construction progressed at Ghaf Woods and the redevelopment of Mall of the Emirates. The company also advanced projects in Egypt, including a partnership with Midar and the JUNCTION business park in West Cairo.

Majid Al Futtaim asset management portfolio sees growth

The group’s asset management portfolio reported a 4 per cent increase in net revenue to Dhs2.3bn, supported by customer demand, leasing activity and tenant performance across its shopping malls. Mall revenue increased 12 per cent year-on-year, helping offset weaker tourism demand at its hotels during the second quarter.

Retail was weaker, with revenue declining 6 per cent year-on-year, predominantly due to non-food categories.

Majid Al Futtaim attributed the decline to more challenging consumer conditions, particularly in the UAE, as well as measures being implemented as part of the retail business’s transformation.

Markets outside the GCC performed better, with retail revenue rising 4 per cent, supported by growth in Egypt and Kenya.

Digital retail revenue increased 11 per cent to Dhs1.8bn, while revenue at Precision Media jumped 89 per cent to Dhs75m.

Cinema revenue rose 3 per cent year-on-year during the first half, while the group’s Lifestyle business recorded a 5 per cent increase in revenue. Digital revenue at the Lifestyle division increased 9 per cent.

Majid Al Futtaim opened five new Lifestyle stores during the period, including the first international location for U.S. fashion and lifestyle brand Pacsun, and secured another seven store openings across its portfolio.

“These results show the dynamism of Majid Al Futtaim’s diversified and integrated portfolio in practice,” chief executive Ahmed Galal Ismail said.

“Across our 14 markets, the operational strength of our businesses is reflected in the contribution of multiple growth engines, from development and destinations to digital platforms and customer businesses, while disciplined execution continues to strengthen profitability.”

The company’s SHARE loyalty programme reached 14 million members following its launch in Saudi Arabia, with more than 190,000 customers transacting daily and over 140,000 SHARE credit cards issued.

Its group Net Promoter Score increased four points to 58.3.

Majid Al Futtaim ended the first half with net borrowings of Dhs13.2bn. Cash and available committed credit lines covered more than two-and-a-half years of net financing needs, while total assets stood at about Dhs73bn, up 4 per cent year-on-year.

The group said it would continue to invest selectively in areas including data and artificial intelligence, SHARE, fintech, e-commerce and Precision Media, and remained confident in the long-term prospects of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the wider Middle East.

The next standard iPhone 18 is shaping up as a spring 2027 arrival, while Apple prepares to reserve its September 2026 launch window for its premium smartphones and a potentially transformative new form factor. The unusual timetable marks a major departure from the company’s familiar annual release cycle and could signal the beginning of a much broader shift in how Apple introduces hardware.

For years, Apple has relied heavily on established product categories, refining the iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch while building a growing services business around its hardware ecosystem. The company has introduced successful additions such as AirPods and Apple Watch, but its broader hardware strategy has generally favoured evolution over a constant stream of entirely new categories.

That approach now appears poised for a major change.

Read more-Apple’s big September launch date is set: What’s coming with new iPhones, Siri AI and more?

Reports indicate that Apple is preparing an unusually ambitious sequence of launches spanning 2026, 2027 and beyond, with new designs and product categories expected to play a much larger role. The September 2026 event could provide the first major indication of that strategy, particularly if Apple unveils its long-rumoured foldable iPhone.

Foldable iPhone could become the star

The most closely watched product is expected to be Apple’s first foldable smartphone. Its name has reportedly changed several times during the rumour cycle, moving from “iPhone Fold” to “iPhone Ultra” and, most recently, “iPhone Duo.”

A CNET report said the device could arrive with a starting price of about $2,000, while higher-capacity configurations could reach approximately $3,000. Bloomberg managing editor Mark Gurman reportedly said the phone would be announced at Apple’s September event but would not begin shipping until October.

The device is also expected to come in dark blue and white, while stylus users could get a major addition: Apple Pencil support.

That positioning would make the foldable iPhone substantially different from Apple’s conventional smartphone lineup. Rather than simply offering another screen-size variation, the product could establish an entirely new premium tier and give Apple a direct presence in the increasingly competitive foldable-phone market.

Pro models lead the September charge

Apple is expected to keep its most expensive conventional smartphones on the traditional September timetable. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are reportedly set to arrive alongside the foldable model, creating a fall lineup dominated by premium devices.

That would leave consumers seeking a standard iPhone with an unusual choice: wait several months or move up the price ladder.

Industry estimates suggest that the Pro models could also become significantly more expensive. TrendForce has projected increases of roughly 10 per cent to 20 per cent compared with the previous generation. Under those estimates, the iPhone 18 Pro could start around $1,249 to $1,299, while the Pro Max could begin between $1,349 and $1,399.

The expected increase is tied in part to rising component expenses. TrendForce has pointed to sharply higher memory costs and a significant increase in the estimated bill of materials for a 256GB Pro model.

Apple may not pass the entire increase directly to buyers, however. The company could absorb part of the additional expense through lower margins, according to the reporting.

The foldable model is expected to occupy an even higher price tier, with estimates putting its entry point above $2,000 and its most expensive configuration potentially exceeding $3,000.

A spring 2027 iPhone 18 launch

The biggest strategic change could come several months after the September event.

Apple is reportedly planning to introduce the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air in spring 2027. That would break up the iPhone family into two distinct launch cycles, with premium models arriving first and more affordable offerings following later.

For Apple, the strategy could help keep attention focused on its highest-margin products during the crucial fall shopping season. It could also give the company additional opportunities to generate publicity and sales throughout the year rather than concentrating its smartphone releases into a single period.

For customers, however, the shift could make the traditional upgrade calendar considerably less predictable.

New chips and more on-device intelligence

When the standard models eventually arrive, they could still receive meaningful technical upgrades.

The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are expected to use Apple’s A20 processor, moving the company toward a 2-nanometre manufacturing process. The smaller manufacturing node is expected to improve both performance and energy efficiency, potentially allowing Apple to extend battery life without sacrificing processing power.

Memory capacity remains less certain. Some analysts expect 9GB of RAM, while others have suggested a 12GB configuration.

That distinction could become increasingly important as Apple expands its artificial-intelligence features. Certain anticipated Apple Intelligence capabilities may require more memory because they operate directly on the device rather than relying on cloud processing.

The camera system could also receive an upgrade. Reports indicate that Apple may equip the iPhone 18 family with a 24-megapixel front-facing camera, compared with the 18-megapixel sensor used by the previous generation.

Apple is also reportedly considering a smaller Dynamic Island across the lineup, although the extent of that design change remains uncertain.

Apple pushes further into its own technology

The company could simultaneously increase its reliance on internally developed connectivity technology.

The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are expected to potentially use Apple’s next-generation C2 modem, although reports suggest Qualcomm hardware could remain part of the mix in certain markets.

The new modem is also expected to introduce a privacy-oriented location feature designed to reduce the precision of location information available to mobile networks.

Elsewhere, Apple may simplify the Camera Control hardware on the standard models as part of an effort to manage costs.

Taken together, the changes point toward a two-track strategy: Apple appears prepared to make its premium products more ambitious while keeping its eventual mainstream models technologically competitive and carefully positioned on price.

A new era for Apple hardware

The significance of the 2026-27 iPhone cycle extends beyond a single launch. Apple appears to be preparing a broader hardware push after years of incremental updates across its core product categories.

The foldable iPhone could provide the most visible symbol of that shift. Meanwhile, the split launch strategy would give Apple greater flexibility over when and how it markets different price tiers.

If the plan unfolds as reported, September 2026 will no longer represent simply another iPhone upgrade season. It could instead mark the beginning of a new chapter in Apple’s hardware business, one in which new form factors arrive alongside its flagship products, while mainstream devices follow on a separate schedule in 2027.

For consumers, the message is straightforward: the next iPhone generation may not arrive all at once. For Apple, the change could represent something considerably bigger, a deliberate attempt to turn its hardware pipeline into a year-round engine of new products, premium pricing and renewed growth.

Schools across the UAE have introduced stricter appearance, dress code and food regulations as the 2026-27 academic year gets underway, reinforcing campus discipline through updated student conduct policies, according to local media reports.

Among the measures introduced by several schools are bans on hairstyles in which sections of the head are shaved with a razor or blade while other parts are left long, as well as long hair for male students. Students have also been prohibited from wearing hoodies inside school premises as institutions seek to standardise uniforms and maintain what they describe as an appropriate learning environment.

In circulars addressed to students and parents, schools have also expanded restrictions on food and beverages brought onto campus. Tea, coffee, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks and chips of all kinds have been prohibited under the new rules, with schools encouraging healthier eating habits among students.

Administrators have warned that students who fail to comply with the updated regulations could face disciplinary measures in accordance with each school’s behaviour policy.

The latest measures form part of broader back-to-school initiatives aimed at strengthening discipline, student wellbeing and the overall learning environment. They come as UAE schools implement a range of new policies for the 2026-27 academic year, including changes to student welfare, digital safety and classroom practices.

Aramex has appointed logistics industry veteran Faysal El Hajjami as its new chief commercial officer (CCO), strengthening its executive leadership as the Dubai-headquartered logistics company accelerates its global growth strategy.

Based in Dubai, El Hajjami will lead Aramex’s global commercial agenda, overseeing commercial strategy and execution, customer growth, sales, pricing, and strategic account management across the company’s international network.

He joins Aramex from DHL Express, where he most recently served as vice president commercial for the Middle East and North Africa. In that role, he oversaw commercial strategy across a significant regional revenue portfolio and was a member of DHL’s Global Commercial Executive Committee.

El Hajjami brings more than 25 years of experience in the international express and logistics sector, with expertise spanning commercial strategy, sales, pricing, product development, aviation, trade lanes and general management.

Amadou Diallo, Group CEO of Aramex, said: “We are delighted to welcome Faysal to Aramex. He brings an exceptional depth of commercial and logistics experience, together with a proven ability to drive profitable growth and lead transformation across complex international markets.

“As we continue to strengthen our global commercial capabilities and deepen the value we deliver to customers, Faysal’s expertise will be invaluable. We look forward to working with him as we continue to execute our growth ambitions with the Accelerate program.”

Commenting on his appointment, El Hajjami said: “I am excited to be joining Aramex at such an important point in its journey. Aramex has a strong global brand, an entrepreneurial culture and a network that connects customers across some of the world’s most dynamic trade markets.

“I look forward to working with teams across the organisation to build on these strengths, deepen our customer relationships and further strengthen commercial excellence across the business. Above all, I am excited by the opportunity to help shape the next phase of sustainable, profitable growth for Aramex and its customers.”

Separately, Aramex announced that Tim Martin has been appointed Regional CEO, West, following El Hajjami’s move into the CCO role. The company said it looks forward to Martin’s continued contribution as it advances its long-term growth ambitions.