Uber is acquiring Berlin's Blacklane to bolster its presence in the luxury travel market. The acquisition, expected to conclude by 2026, will integrate Blacklane's chauffeur service into Uber's platform. This move aligns with Uber's strategy to expand its premium offerings, providing a wider range of travel options and enhancing its Uber Elite programme.
Uber Technologies Inc said on Monday it has agreed to acquire Berlin-based global chauffeur service Blacklane, expanding its presence in the luxury and executive travel segment.
Founded in 2011, Blacklane connects travellers with independent local chauffeur services in more than 500 cities across 60 countries.
Corporate executives and discerning travellers widely use the service.
The acquisition, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Uber said the deal will accelerate its expansion into the chauffeur sector, complementing its recently launched Uber Elite service.
Uber is looking to grow premium travel offerings
“Premium travel is one of the most exciting growth areas of Uber’s business. We want to offer the widest selection of options to meet our riders where they are,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said.
Blacklane founder and CEO Dr Jens Wohltorf said, “This partnership marks a significant milestone in Blacklane’s next chapter and is a powerful step-change in introducing our service to new markets globally.”
Uber said combining Blacklane’s luxury service with its global scale and technology will create a platform for growth in executive and premium travel.
A cluster of Dubai hotels in Deira and the Gold District has launched a "Work From Hotel" programme. Targeting remote workers, it offers workspace functionality with hospitality perks, including discounted dining and wellness activities. Daily and monthly packages provide flexible working environments, aiming to attract residents seeking alternatives to home distractions or traditional offices.
A cluster of hotels in Dubai’s Deira and Gold District has launched a new “Work From Hotel” offering, targeting the growing segment of remote professionals and residents seeking flexible work environments beyond the home.
The initiative brings together multiple properties across the district, including Novotel Dubai Gold District, Mercure Dubai Deira, Mercure Dubai Gold District, ibis Styles Dubai Deira, ibis Styles Dubai Gold District and Aparthotel Adagio Dubai Deira. The programme aims to combine workspace functionality with hospitality-led experiences as remote and hybrid working models continue to reshape urban lifestyles.
The offering provides access to shared workspaces within meeting room environments, alongside refreshments, allowing guests to work in a structured setting while transitioning easily into leisure facilities. The concept is designed to appeal to professionals looking to avoid home distractions, as well as residents seeking a change of environment without committing to traditional office spaces.
The move reflects a broader trend in the hospitality sector, where operators are repositioning assets to capture demand from remote workers and long-stay guests, particularly in urban markets with high expatriate populations such as Dubai.
Daily rates across the participating properties start from Dhs169, with pricing tiers varying by brand positioning. Economy and lifestyle-focused brands such as ibis Styles offer entry-level pricing, while midscale and premium options including Mercure, Novotel and Adagio provide additional space, amenities and extended-stay configurations.
The packages include added incentives such as discounts of up to 50 per cent on food and beverages and up to 40 per cent on spa services at selected properties. The inclusion of family-friendly benefits, such as complimentary stays for children under 12, highlights the targeting of residents balancing work and home responsibilities.
For longer-term demand, the cluster has also introduced monthly stay packages starting from Dhs4,999. These are positioned as an alternative to traditional rentals or co-living arrangements, offering serviced accommodation with additional benefits including discounted dining, laundry services and flexible check-in and check-out options.
In parallel, the cluster is integrating wellness-focused programming into the offering, including yoga and meditation sessions under initiatives such as #TogetherWePause at Novotel Dubai Gold District. This reflects a growing emphasis among hospitality operators on combining productivity with well-being as part of the guest experience.
The launch comes as Dubai’s hospitality sector continues to diversify revenue streams and adapt to evolving consumer behaviour, with “work-from-hotel” concepts emerging as a viable hybrid between short-stay leisure and long-stay residential models.
The offering is now available across participating hotels in the Deira and Gold District cluster for a limited period, subject to availability.
US-Israel-Iran conflict: Airlines face fare dilemma as fuel spike threatens travel demand
Record post-pandemic demand for travel and persistent supply-chain challenges had constrained capacity growth and given airlines significant pricing power
Airlines are raising fares and cutting capacity due to soaring jet fuel prices, jeopardising projected profits. Carriers like United and SAS are implementing changes. Experts warn of a "perfect storm" as airlines balance stimulating demand with covering costs. Higher gasoline prices may curb consumer spending, impacting travel, particularly for budget airlines. The Middle East conflict exacerbates supply concerns.
Global airlines have begun to hike fares and cut capacity to cope with the sudden surge in the oil price, but the industry’s ability to remain profitable may depend on whether consumers pull back on flying as gasoline costs threaten household budgets.
Before the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began last month, the airline industry had forecast record profits of $41bn in 2026, but a doubling in jet fuel prices has placed that at risk and forced carriers to rethink their networks and strategies.
Carriers ranging from United Airlines to Air New Zealand and Scandinavia’s SAS have announced capacity cuts and fare hikes, while others have imposed fuel surcharges.
“Airlines face an existential challenge,” said Rigas Doganis, who once headed Greece’s former national carrier, Olympic Airways and served as a director of Britain’s easyJet EZJ
“They will need to cut fares to stimulate weakening demand while higher fuel costs will be pushing them to increase fares. A perfect storm,” said Doganis, who now chairs London-based consultancy firm Airline Management Group.
Record passenger traffic
Last year, the industry reported record global passenger traffic that rebounded to about 9 per cent above pre-pandemic levels even in the face of persistent supply-chain challenges that affected deliveries of new planes.
Record post-pandemic demand for travel and persistent supply-chain challenges had constrained capacity growth and given airlines significant pricing power as they filled more seats on each plane.
But the scale of the increases needed to make up for the jet fuel price surge is huge at a time when consumers are under pressure from higher gasoline prices that could curb discretionary spending.
“The only way to get prices up is to reduce capacity,” said Barclays’ head of European transport equity research Andrew Lobbenberg. “That is what I would expect to see happen this time, and it’s what we saw in the previous occasions when we had other crises; people just have to start trimming capacity.”
Higher ticket prices
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told ABC News last week that fares would need to rise 20 per cent for the airline to cover the higher fuel costs.
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways has lifted fuel surcharges twice in the last month, and from Wednesday a return trip from Sydney to London will attract an $800 fuel surcharge. Before the Iran conflict, a normal round-trip economy-class fare on the route was roughly A$2,000 ($1,369.60).
Low-cost carriers could struggle the most given their passengers are more price-sensitive than the corporate customers and wealthy consumers who have been increasingly targeted by premium rivals like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, analysts say.
“I think for the more price-sensitive travellers, even the short-haul flying trip gets downgraded, potentially to rail or to bus or other alternatives,” said Nathan Gee, Bank of America’s head of Asia-Pacific transport research.
The Middle East conflict is the fourth oil shock for the airline industry since the turn of the century, though the first in which carriers like Vietnam Airlines have expressed concern about securing physical supplies of fuel due to the Strait of Hormuz closure.
Group-IB warns of escalating fake shipment tracking scams in the Middle East and Africa, fuelled by PhaaS platforms like "Darcula". Cybercriminals exploit "delivery anxiety" via SMS messages mimicking genuine couriers, prompting victims to input personal and banking details on phishing sites. The scams, prevalent in Egypt and South Africa, use advanced techniques like keylogging and Sender ID spoofing, highlighting logistics...
Group-IB has warned of a sharp rise in fake shipment tracking scams across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), as cybercriminals exploit the rapid growth of parcel deliveries.
The firm’s latest research shows these scams have accelerated through 2025 and early 2026, driven by increasingly sophisticated phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platforms. With global parcel volumes now exceeding 161 billion annually, attackers are leveraging what researchers describe as “delivery anxiety” to target consumers expecting packages.
The scam typically begins with an SMS claiming a failed delivery or returned parcel, prompting users to update address details or pay a fee via a link. These links redirect victims to highly convincing phishing pages designed to mimic legitimate courier platforms.
Group-IB said attackers are using advanced techniques such as real-time keylogging to capture banking details and one-time passwords as they are entered. In some cases, Sender ID spoofing allows fraudulent messages to appear within legitimate SMS threads from trusted delivery providers.
The campaign infrastructure has also been linked to “Darcula”, a phishing-as-a-service platform offering thousands of fake domains and templates.
The MEA region saw a spike in activity between December 2025 and February 2026, with Egypt and South Africa among the most affected markets.
The findings highlight how logistics and delivery services are becoming a major attack vector, as e-commerce and last-mile delivery become embedded in daily life.
Most affected industries in MEA.
How the scam works
You receive an SMS about a “failed delivery” or “returned package”
The message urges urgent action (update address / pay fee)
A link directs you to a fake courier website
You enter personal, card or OTP details
Attackers capture data in real time
How to spot a fake delivery message
Unexpected delivery alerts when you aren’t expecting a parcel
Messages that create urgency or demand immediate payment
Links with unusual domains (e.g. random extensions or misspellings)
Messages from mobile numbers instead of official sender IDs
Requests for sensitive details like OTPs or card information
What residents should do
Do not click on tracking links sent via SMS or WhatsApp
Visit the courier’s official website manually and track your shipment
Ignore messages asking for urgent payments or address updates
Double-check sender details before taking any action
Report suspicious messages to authorities or service providers
What businesses should do
Run public awareness campaigns about phishing using your brand
Strengthen email and domain security protocols (DMARC, SPF, DKIM)
Provide official verification tools for tracking and communications
Monitor and take down fake domains impersonating your services
Abu Dhabi has introduced new regulations to bolster its real estate sector, focusing on transparency, governance, and investor protection. The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) aims to improve escrow account controls, shared property management, and off-plan sales dispute resolution. These measures seek to create a clearer legislative environment, fostering confidence and supporting the emirate's growth as a global property...
Abu Dhabi has introduced a new set of regulatory decisions aimed at strengthening transparency, governance and investor protection across its real estate sector, as the emirate sharpens its positioning as a global property investment hub.
The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) said the measures implement provisions of Law No. (3) of 2015, as amended, and are designed to “enhance the effective implementation of the law” while “further strengthen transparency and governance within the emirate’s real estate market”.
At a practical level, the changes target some of the market’s most sensitive pressure points — how developer funds are accessed, how shared properties are managed, and how disputes in off-plan sales are handled — with the aim of reducing friction and improving confidence on both sides of a transaction.
The framework also establishes “a more flexible and clearly defined legislative environment that aligns with international best practices”, the DMT said, as the sector continues to expand at pace.
Escrow safeguards and ownership clarity
Among the most significant changes are tighter controls on escrow accounts — a long-standing focus area in off-plan property markets.
Developers will now face stricter conditions when accessing these funds before a project reaches 20 per cent completion. The DMT said the mechanism introduces “clear controls linked to the submission of bank guarantees and approved cost estimates… safeguarding purchasers’ funds and preventing any unregulated use” of escrow money.
In parallel, the decisions introduce a more structured framework for jointly owned properties, including apartment buildings and large-scale communities where shared assets require ongoing management.
The authority said the new rules “define the respective roles and responsibilities of developers, property management companies, and Owners’ Committees”, helping to “enhance operational efficiency and sustainability” while safeguarding the long-term quality of assets.
A unified bylaw for owners’ committees has also been introduced, setting out “mechanisms and procedures for establishing owners’ committees” and standardising how they operate across the emirate — a move expected to bring greater consistency to community-level governance.
Off-plan protections and dispute reduction
The package also addresses one of the most commercially sensitive areas of the market — off-plan property transactions.
New provisions define compensation owed to developers if buyers fail to meet contractual obligations, as well as refund procedures for purchasers when units are cancelled and resold.
The DMT said the framework introduces “transparent procedures that safeguard the rights of all parties” and supports faster, more equitable dispute resolution, while helping to “reduce disputes between developers and unit purchasers”.
Rashed Al Omaira, director general of the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), which operates under the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), said the measures represent “an important step” in advancing the law’s implementation.
“These decisions enhance the efficiency of sector regulation and reinforce the principles of transparency and governance, supporting investor confidence and strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading real estate destination,” he said.
He added that the framework establishes “a clear executive framework ensuring balanced contractual relationships” and strengthens “the protection of all parties’ rights”, while improving the speed and efficiency of procedures across the market.
Rashed Al Omaira, director general of the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC).
Market growth underpins reforms
The regulatory push comes as Abu Dhabi’s property market continues to gain momentum, with rising transaction values and growing investor participation.
The emirate recorded Dhs142bn in real estate transactions in 2025, marking roughly 44 per cent annual growth, according to data from ADREC.
Transaction volumes have climbed alongside increased foreign investment, while prices in several segments have posted double-digit gains, reflecting sustained demand across residential and commercial assets.
Oman's government has acquired SalamAir, aiming to bolster its national aviation system. While Oman Air and SalamAir will remain independent brands, the acquisition seeks to reduce destination overlap, improve fleet utilisation, and expand connectivity. The move is expected to strengthen the financial positions of both airlines and associated ground services by improving cost structures and revenues.
The government of Oman has completed its acquisition of budget carrier SalamAir, while confirming that both Oman Air and SalamAir will continue to operate as independent brands.
Engineer Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said in a statement carried by the Oman News Agency that the move is intended to reduce overlap in destination networks, improve fleet utilisation and expand air connectivity within Oman and across the wider region.
He said maintaining the separate operational identities, fleets, and services of the two carriers will help enhance operational efficiency and offer travellers a broader range of options across different fare categories.
Al Maawali added that the strategic change is expected to strengthen the financial positions of both airlines and of companies involved in associated ground services, by improving cost structures and the quality of revenues.
SalamAir celebrates 9th anniversary
The airline is celebrating its 9th anniversary this year. In 2025, it operated 22,164 flights, carried over 3.4 million passengers, and expanded its network to over 44 destinations across domestic, regional, and international markets.
The airline now operates a modern fleet of 15 aircraft.
