The Ajman Government Human Resources Department has announced reduced official working hours for government employees during the summer as part of its Sayfuna Mutawazin (Our Summer, Balanced) initiative.

The move is designed to foster a healthier work environment while strengthening the balance between employees’ professional and social lives. The initiative also aligns with the objectives and programmes of the Year of the Family.

Under a circular issued to all government entities in the emirate, official working hours from Monday to Thursday will be reduced to seven hours a day, running from 7:30am to 2:30pm. The revised schedule will be in effect from 29 June 2026 to 28 August 2026, a WAM report said.

Flexible schedules permitted

The circular states that Friday working hours will remain unchanged at four and a half hours, from 7:30am to 12:00pm, in line with existing Ajman Government regulations.

The Department said government entities may introduce flexible working arrangements, provided employees complete no fewer than the official working hours outlined in the circular.

It added that entities operating on a shift system will be responsible for determining the start and end times of shifts according to operational requirements and the nature of their services, while ensuring government services continue to be delivered efficiently and effectively.

The Ajman Government Human Resources Department also affirmed its readiness to provide technical and advisory support to government entities to help ensure the smooth implementation of the circular and its provisions.

The Central Government has announced a revision in passport application fees, with the new charges set to come into effect from July 1 under the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. The revised fee structure increases the cost of fresh passport applications, passport reissues, Tatkal services and replacement passports for lost or damaged documents, an AIR news report said.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the fee for a fresh 36-page ordinary passport or the reissue of a passport has been increased to INR2,500 from the existing INR1,500. Applicants opting for the Tatkal scheme for a 36-page passport will now have to pay INR5,000, up from the earlier INR3,500.

Read more-UAE passport powers ahead: Visa-free access to 187 destinations

For those applying for a 60-page ordinary passport or seeking its reissue, the revised fee has been fixed at INR3,500, compared with the previous INR2,000. Under the Tatkal scheme, the fee has been increased to INR6,000 from INR4,000, according to news reports.

Higher charges for replacement of lost or damaged passports

The revised rules also increase the fee for replacement passports issued in cases of loss or damage.

Under the new structure, the fee for replacing a lost or damaged 36-page passport has been fixed at INR5,000. Meanwhile, applicants seeking a replacement for a lost or damaged 60-page passport will have to pay INR6,000.

The revised payment structure has been introduced through amendments to the Passports Rules, 1980.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 24 of the Passports Act, 1967 (15 of 1967), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Passports Rules, 1980, namely — 1. (1) These rules may be called the Passports (Amendment) Rules, 2026. (2) They shall come into force with effect from the 1st day of July, 2026,” the Ministry of External Affairs’ notification reads.

Validity rules and fee concession remain unchanged

The Ministry also reiterated the validity period for passports issued under the revised rules.

“The validity of passports issued under serial number I(a) shall not exceed ten years, and the validity of passports issued under serial number I(b) shall be for five years or until the applicant attains the age of 18 years, whichever is earlier,” the MEA said.

The notification further confirmed that certain categories of applicants will continue to receive a fee concession.

“There shall be a discount of ten per cent in passport fee for fresh applications (and not for re-issue) in respect of minors up to the age of 8 years and senior citizens (persons above the age of 60 years),” it added.

Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs recently clarified that an Indian passport is strictly a travel document and should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. Officials said the primary purpose of a passport is to facilitate international travel and establish the holder’s identity while abroad, an NDTV news report conveyed.

The revised fee structure is expected to affect all fresh passport applicants and those seeking reissues or Tatkal services from July 1 onwards.

The AD-300 arrived three months early, a 50-metre-high fully automated walking island rig that can move between wells without dismantling, equipped with AI systems and hybrid power capability. For ADNOC Drilling, it’s more than an engineering achievement. It’s a statement about where the industry is heading: a shift toward automation, intelligence and scale working together.

CEO Abdulla Ateya Al Messabi sees AD-300 as the first of six rigs under a $1.54bn contract, each one deepening the company’s capabilities through 2027. We spoke with him about what the rig signals, why AI matters in industrial operations, and how this investment translates into both safety and performance.

AD-300 has attracted attention as a major milestone. Why does it matter beyond the rig itself?

It signals a broader shift in how we deliver energy because we are redesigning offshore well delivery around automation, data and intelligence so we can operate more safely, more efficiently and with greater consistency at scale. This is a 50-metre-high, fully automated walking island rig delivered nearly three months ahead of schedule. At the same time, it is a visible step-change in capability. This is a walking rig that can move between wells without being dismantled, reducing downtime and accelerating delivery.

AD-300 integrates a unique combination of automation, artificial intelligence, digital systems and hybrid power capability, with the option to connect to the grid.

Taken together, this makes it one of the most advanced island rigs in operation globally. The point I would emphasise is that AD-300 is the first of six next-generation island rigs under a $1.54bn drilling services contract across 2024–2025. The first rig proves what the design can do, and six of them will ultimately reshape capability at fleet level.

Why is ADNOC Drilling accelerating automation and AI now?

The future of energy will be won by those who can combine scale with intelligence. Performance expectations are higher, and our customers expect safer operations, faster delivery and stronger economics. Automation and AI help us respond to all of that because they reduce manual intervention in higher-risk environments, improve real-time visibility, support predictive maintenance and enable faster, better-informed decisions.

On AD-300 specifically, AI-enabled systems support real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance, improving visibility and reducing operational surprises. More fundamentally, they allow us to move from a traditional operating model to one built around repeatability, productivity and disciplined execution. That is where this sector is heading, and we intend to lead that transition.

Many companies talk about AI. What does it actually change in an industrial setting?

In our world, AI has to be practical. It has to improve how assets perform, how our people work and how decisions are made. In this case, AI and digital systems support real-time monitoring, performance optimisation and predictive maintenance, providing earlier visibility on issues, better operational insight and fewer surprises. For example, automated pipe handling and AI-enabled monitoring reduce manual intervention in complex operating environments.

Combined with automation, they also remove people from some of the most manual and higher-risk activities. The impact is operational, stronger uptime, more consistent execution and better well delivery performance. When that intelligence is combined with physical capability, such as a rig that can move seamlessly between wells, you begin to see the full impact on productivity and delivery.

How does this investment translate from capex into operational performance?

Ultimately, technology spending must be measured by the quality of the operating model it creates. The logic runs in two steps. First, capex discipline, investing in assets designed to perform better for longer, with more embedded intelligence and lower friction across the operating cycle. Second, OPEX performance, reducing downtime, lowering manual intervention, improving maintenance planning and increasing execution consistency.

Delivering AD-300 ahead of schedule also enables earlier revenue generation, directly improving return on capital. When you do both well, the asset raises the productivity baseline of the fleet. Smart capital deployment should translate into a structurally stronger operating profile over time.

Is this primarily a safety story or a growth story?

It is both, and while the two are connected, safety comes first. If automation can reduce exposure to higher-risk tasks, that is a meaningful and non-negotiable advance. Automation reduces personnel exposure in higher-risk environments while improving consistency and uptime. At the same time, those same technologies improve uptime, compress non-productive time, support more predictable delivery and help generate stronger returns from the assets we deploy.

What should the market take away from this milestone?

That ADNOC Drilling is investing ahead of the curve and executing against that investment with discipline.

AD-300 is a visible moment, but the bigger message is the kind of company we are building, more advanced, more resilient, more productive and more clearly aligned with where the UAE energy sector is going.

The remaining rigs will be deployed in phases, which gives us good visibility on revenue and supports our growth into 2027. This programme is evidence that the strategy is already in motion.

The UAE’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) has withdrawn an emergency missile threat warning after sending a series of mobile alerts to residents across the country on Friday, underscoring the government’s rapid public warning capabilities amid heightened regional tensions.

The initial emergency notification instructed residents to “immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building,” urging them to stay away from windows, doors and open areas and await further instructions due to a potential missile threat. The alert was delivered directly to mobile phones through the UAE’s emergency warning system.

Within minutes of the initial warning, residents received a second all-clear notification from the Ministry of Interior.

The Ministry subsequently sent a third message stating: “Please disregard the previous warning,” effectively cancelling the earlier alert and confirming there was no need for the emergency measures outlined in the initial notification.

The UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) later confirmed that Friday’s emergency missile threat alerts were triggered by a technical malfunction in the country’s National Early Warning System, bringing clarity after a series of conflicting notifications were sent to residents across the UAE.

In a statement published on X, NCEMA said the incorrect warning messages were caused by a “sudden technical malfunction in the early warning system” that occurred on Friday evening. The authority said specialised technical teams immediately initiated corrective procedures in line with approved contingency plans, adding that the issue had been addressed while ensuring continuity of the service and minimising any impact on users.

NCEMA and the relevant authorities apologised for what they described as an “unintentional technical malfunction” and thanked members of the public for their understanding and cooperation during the incident. The authority also commended residents for following official guidance and relying on verified government sources, saying the response reflected a high level of community awareness and responsibility.

Dubai is set to launch a new wave of urban development projects after HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, approved a package of initiatives aimed at enhancing quality of life, strengthening cultural heritage, and leveraging artificial intelligence to shape the emirate’s future public spaces.

Announced on X, the projects include the Dubai Falcon Market, the first specialised falcon market in the region, an 8-kilometre Dubai Creek Lighting project, and what is being described as the world’s first AI-designed park, developed through community participation and data-driven planning. The initiatives form part of Dubai Municipality’s broader strategy to improve urban services while reinforcing Dubai’s reputation as a global hub for innovation, sustainable development, and liveability.

Among the flagship developments, the Dubai Falcon Market seeks to preserve and celebrate the UAE’s rich falconry heritage through a modern destination that combines traditional culture with contemporary infrastructure. The project reflects Dubai’s continued investment in cultural assets as part of its long-term tourism and economic diversification strategy.

The Dubai Creek Lighting project will span approximately eight kilometres, transforming one of the city’s most historic districts into a new nighttime attraction. By enhancing the visual identity of Dubai Creek, the initiative is expected to support tourism, hospitality, retail, and waterfront economic activity while further elevating the area’s appeal to residents and visitors.

Meanwhile, the AI-designed park represents a significant milestone in the application of artificial intelligence within urban planning. According to Sheikh Hamdan, the project will combine community participation, AI technologies, and data analytics to inform its design and development, positioning Dubai at the forefront of smart public space innovation.

“Dubai continues to invest in innovative ideas that bring together heritage, technology, and quality of life for residents and visitors alike,” Sheikh Hamdan said in the announcement, underscoring the emirate’s strategy of integrating innovation with cultural identity to support sustainable urban growth.