Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the US and Iran might not hold after the US said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.

Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the US had hoped to kick off before the ceasefire expires on Tuesday.

The US has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then reimposed its own blockade on marine traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

The US military said it fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship headed towards Iran’s Bandar Abbas port on Sunday after a six-hour standoff, disabling its engines.

Read more-Hormuz Strait shut again: Iran halts key oil route, blames US blockade

US marines then rappelled from helicopters onto the vessel, US Central Command said.

“We have full custody of their ship, and are seeing what’s on board!” President Trump wrote on social media.

Iran’s military said the ship had been traveling from China. “We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy by the US military,” a military spokesperson said, according to state media.

Oil prices jumped more than 5 per cent and stock markets wobbled as traders fretted that the ceasefire would collapse and traffic in and out of the Gulf would remain at a bare minimum.

Iran rejects peace talks

Iranian state media reported that Tehran had rejected new peace talks, citing the ongoing blockade, threatening rhetoric, and Washington’s shifting positions and “excessive demands.”

“One cannot restrict Iran’s oil exports while expecting free security for others,” Iran’s first vice president Mohammadreza Aref wrote on social media. “The choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone.”

Trump earlier warned Iran that the US would destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran if Tehran rejected his terms, continuing a recent pattern of such threats.

Iran has said that if the US were to attack its civilian infrastructure it would hit power stations and desalination plants of Gulf Arab neighbors.

Preparing for talks that might not happen

Trump said his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, one day before a two-week ceasefire ends.

A White House official told Reuters the US delegation would be headed by vice president JD Vance, who led the war’s first peace talks a week ago, and also include Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. But Trump told ABC News and MS Now that Vance would not go.

Pakistan, which has served as the main mediator, appeared to be preparing for the talks. Two giant US C-17 cargo planes landed at an air base on Sunday afternoon, carrying security equipment and vehicles in preparation for the US delegation’s arrival, two Pakistani security sources said.

Municipal authorities in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad halted public transport and heavy-goods traffic through the city. Barbed wire was rolled out near the Serena Hotel, where last week’s talks were held. The hotel told all guests to leave.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who has led Iran’s side in the talks, had earlier said the two sides had made progress but were still far apart on nuclear issues and the Strait.

European allies, repeatedly criticised by Trump for not aiding his war effort, worry that Washington’s negotiating team is pushing for a swift, superficial deal that would require months or years of technically complex follow‑on talks.

Now in its eighth week, the war has created the most severe shock to global energy supplies in history, sending oil prices surging because of the de facto closure of the strait.

Thousands of people have been killed by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and in an Israeli invasion of Lebanon conducted in parallel since the war began on February 28.

Dubai Holding Real Estate has partnered with Emirates NBD to introduce integrated mortgage financing solutions for off-plan residential developments across Meraas, Nakheel and Dubai Properties.

The agreement marks a shift in Dubai’s off-plan property market, enabling buyers to access mortgage financing at the early stages of purchase, rather than relying solely on developer-led payment plans.

Early-stage financing integrated into buyer journey

Under the partnership, eligible customers can secure mortgage pre-approval during the off-plan stage, providing clarity on affordability, competitive rates and long-term financial planning from booking through to project handover.

The initiative will be available to both UAE residents and non-residents, subject to approval, and is designed to streamline the homebuying process while reducing uncertainty for buyers.

By embedding financing directly into the sales process, the collaboration aims to improve transparency and support more structured decision-making among buyers, while reinforcing responsible lending practices across the real estate sector.

Dubai Holding Real Estate will integrate Emirates NBD’s mortgage solutions across its portfolio, offering buyers greater liquidity planning throughout the construction lifecycle.

The move aligns with broader policy objectives under the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which focuses on enhancing housing accessibility and building a resilient, well-regulated property market.

Khalid Al Malik, chief executive officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate, said: “Dubai’s real estate market continues to evolve as a global benchmark for growth and investment. In partnership with Emirates NBD, we are enhancing the way off-plan homes are purchased by embedding structured mortgage solutions directly into the customer journey. This creates a more structured and predictable pathway for buyers throughout the development lifecycle.”

Marwan Hadi, group head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, added: “We are pleased to partner with Dubai Holding Real Estate to advance how off-plan homes are financed in Dubai. By introducing structured mortgage solutions earlier in the homebuying journey, we are giving customers greater financial clarity and confidence at the point of decision. This initiative reflects our commitment to enabling sustainable homeownership, while strengthening transparency and responsible lending across the UAE’s real estate market.”

The partnership comes amid sustained momentum in Dubai’s property market. According to Dubai Land Department, the emirate recorded more than 270,000 real estate transactions valued at Dhs917bn in 2025, with off-plan properties accounting for over 70 per cent of residential activity.

The introduction of early-stage mortgage solutions is expected to further strengthen market confidence and support continued demand for high-quality developments.

Brandon Dawson has built companies that move fast and think big. As co-founder of Cardone Ventures alongside Grant Cardone, and of 10X Health System, he sits at an unusual intersection: one part business strategist, one part precision health architect. He’s direct and wastes no time getting to what he sees as the central problem: how most people engage with their health is categorically wrong.

“People are done being passive,” he says. “For decades, the system trained us to show up when something was wrong, when you’re sick, when you’re in pain, when the numbers are bad. That model is collapsing.”

What’s replacing it, Dawson argues, isn’t simply better information. It’s a reckoning with data. The kind that used to sit exclusively inside hospital labs and research institutions is now accessible to anyone willing to look. Genetics, biomarker tracking, and real-time physiological feedback. “That’s not a niche luxury anymore,” he says. “That’s the new baseline expectation for anyone who takes their performance seriously.”

Personalisation versus precision

The word ‘personalised’ gets used loosely in wellness, and Dawson draws a firm line between it and what he’s actually building.

“The industry deserves credit for moving in that direction,” he concedes, “but what most people call ‘personalised health’ is still, in many ways, a more refined version of the same averaging problem. You fill out a lifestyle questionnaire, you get a customised supplement recommendation, maybe you track your steps and your sleep. That’s better than nothing, but it’s not precision.”
Precision, he explains, starts somewhere most wellness programmes don’t go: your DNA.

“Your genetic makeup is not a preference or a lifestyle indicator. It’s the foundational code that determines how your body processes nutrients, manages inflammation, responds to training, and metabolises hormones. It’s fixed, it’s specific, and it’s unique to you.”

At 10X Health, that genetic foundation is layered with live blood biomarker data, over 70 markers covering everything from hormone levels to inflammatory response, and integrated with real-time physiological feedback from wearables.

The result is a protocol that could only belong to one person. “Not because we customised a template, but because every recommendation is a direct response to what your specific biology is telling us across three distinct data streams simultaneously.”

The cellular machinery behind longevity

On longevity, Dawson is clear about what the word actually means to him.

“Longevity isn’t about adding years to your life. It’s about adding life to your years.” The machinery behind that, he explains, is cellular. Mitochondrial health. Metabolic resilience. Things most people have never connected to their day-to-day experience.

“Most people don’t connect their brain fog or afternoon crashes to mitochondrial inefficiency,” he says, “but that’s exactly what’s happening for a huge percentage of the population.” When mitochondria are compromised through nutrient deficiencies, chronic inflammation or poor sleep, every system pays a price. Metabolic resilience follows the same logic: blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity are among the strongest predictors of how well a person ages.

“We identify these vulnerabilities before they become conditions,” he says. “The goal isn’t to treat metabolic disease. It’s to ensure it never develops.”

Cutting through the supplement noise

The supplement industry is one of the most crowded, least regulated spaces in consumer health. Dawson doesn’t soften his assessment. “Our industry has earned the skepticism,” he says. “There is an enormous amount of noise, influencer-driven supplement stacks, detox protocols with zero clinical backing, marketing that exploits people’s desire to feel better.”
His advice is straightforward: demand data. Not anecdotes, not endorsements, but specific data. What deficiency does this product address? What does your bloodwork show? What genetic markers support this recommendation?

But even when the need is real, ingredient quality is where most companies quietly cut corners. He uses vitamin B12 as his example. “The majority of supplements use a synthetic form called cyanocobalamin. It’s cheap, it’s stable, and it technically raises your B12 levels on a lab test.” The issue is that cyanocobalamin isn’t found naturally in the human body and requires conversion before it can be used. Methylcobalamin, by contrast, is already in a bioactive state. “Research has shown it remains in the body for a longer period and at higher levels,” he says. “That’s not a marginal difference. That’s the gap between a supplement that performs and one that merely appears to.”

Every ingredient in 10X’s product line is reviewed by medical advisors for the form, source, and delivery mechanism, not just whether the active compound is present. “The question we ask isn’t just whether an ingredient works in theory. It’s whether the specific form gives your body the best possible chance to actually use it.”

Beyond the clinic

The traditional clinic, Dawson says, was never the ideal mechanism for wellness. It was simply the only option available.

“Think about what’s already possible,” he says. “You can collect a DNA sample at home and have a comprehensive genetic profile within days. Wearables give you continuous data on heart rate variability, sleep quality, blood oxygen. Blood panels are moving toward at-home collection. AI platforms are beginning to interpret this data in real time.”

Genetics provide your baseline blueprint; bloodwork shows where that blueprint is being undermined by environment and choices; wearables provide the continuous feedback loop that tells you whether your interventions are working. “When those three data streams are integrated, the traditional clinic becomes one node in a much larger ecosystem, not the centre of it.”

He’s careful not to frame this as the end of clinical medicine. “The future isn’t clinic versus consumer technology. It’s both, working in an intelligent, connected system.”

10X Health System currently delivers this across 46 countries, operating precision IV therapy through certified medical facilities and building out a wider suite of services that includes gut health testing, hormone therapy support, and the Superhuman Protocol, a three-stage process combining PEMF therapy, oxygen therapy, and red light therapy designed to support cellular regeneration and recovery.

The next decade: personalisation, AI and the Gulf

On the decade ahead, Dawson identifies three forces he believes will define the next era of wellness: personalisation at scale, AI-powered decision-making, and the globalisation of preventative longevity medicine.

“Imagine a system that knows your genetic predispositions, monitors your real-time biomarkers, tracks your sleep and recovery from wearables, and uses all of that to help you make micro-decisions throughout your day, which foods support your hormonal balance, which type of training matches your recovery capacity right now, when to push and when to restore. That’s not science fiction. That’s where we’re heading.”

On geography, he’s equally direct. “I’m particularly energised by what’s happening in regions like the Gulf. Leaders here are not waiting for the future of healthcare to arrive. They’re building it.” The investment in infrastructure and the ambition around longevity medicine in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE, he says, is genuinely world-class. “This region is going to be central to how precision longevity medicine scales globally over the next decade.”

The Cardone blueprint, and what business taught him about health

What building Cardone Ventures alongside Grant Cardone taught him about scale and conviction turns out to be inseparable from how he thinks about health optimisation.

“Grant operates at a level of conviction and intensity that forces you to remove your own ceiling,” he says. “The biggest thing I took from building together is that your limitation is rarely the market. It’s the size of your thinking.” Speed and commitment followed as practical lessons. “Most businesses fail not because the idea was wrong but because the execution was too tentative.”

The deeper carry-over is structural. In business, you start by understanding your baseline, where you are financially, operationally, and culturally. You identify the gaps between that baseline and where you want to go, build precise and measurable interventions to close them, and track the data to know whether your strategy is working. “You don’t guess. You don’t hope. You measure, adjust, and scale what works.”

That, he says, is exactly how 10X Health approaches optimisation. “Your genetics are your baseline blueprint. Your blood work identifies the gaps, the deficiencies, imbalances, and vulnerabilities that are limiting your performance. Your precision protocol is the intervention strategy. And your ongoing testing and wearable data are your performance metrics. The feedback loop is the same.”

What he’s observed consistently across both domains is one shared characteristic among the highest performers. “They’re ruthlessly honest about where they are. They don’t rationalise the bad numbers. They face them, they address them, and they use them as a starting point. Whether it’s a P&L or a blood panel, the willingness to look at the truth without flinching is the foundation of every meaningful result I’ve ever seen.”

The importance of building community around a vision, of making people feel part of something larger than a transaction, is something he has carried from Cardone Ventures directly into 10X Health. “We’re not just selling a product or a test. We’re inviting people into a fundamentally different relationship with their own health. The mission has to be bigger than the business.”

Read: Staying calm in uncertain times: Here’s what UAE mental health professionals advise

As global supply chains face renewed disruption and geopolitical tensions continue to test market stability, the Middle East’s automotive sector is holding its ground, underpinned by strong demand and deep-rooted brand loyalty. For carmakers, the region is not just weathering uncertainty, it is reinforcing its role as a core growth engine.

In this interview with Gulf Business, Thierry Sabbagh, divisional vice president and president, Middle East, Saudi Arabia, CIS and India, Nissan and INFINITI discusses how the company is navigating the current environment, why trust is emerging as a defining factor in purchase decisions, and how customer expectations around ownership are evolving.

Sabbagh also outlines the brand’s strategic priorities in the region, its response to logistical challenges, and the factors sustaining momentum for key models such as the Patrol and X-Trail.

How resilient is the Middle East automotive market? And in a period of wider global uncertainty, where does the region sit in Nissan’s strategic priorities?

The Middle East automotive market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, even in the face of current geopolitical and logistical pressures. While recent disruptions, particularly across key shipping routes, have created short-term complexity, these challenges are primarily logistical rather than structural. Demand fundamentals remain robust, underpinned by deep-seated customer trust. For us, this reinforces a clear reality: the Middle East is a market that consistently proves its ability to absorb shocks and emerge stronger.

For Nissan, the Middle East remains a strategically important market and a core driver of our global performance. It is a region where we have nearly 70 years of heritage and a consistent track record of results. Our presence dates back to the 1950s, with markets like Kuwait among the first to see a Patrol on their roads. We continue to work with long-standing partners across the region, including in the UAE, who have been with us for over 50 years. This enduring legacy has forged powerful brand equity, positioning the region as a primary engine of our global performance and a vital contributor to the Re:Nissan global plan. This role is further solidified by a steady pipeline of innovative products and iconic nameplates tailored specifically for our Middle Eastern customers.

As we look ahead, our focus is clear: maintain continuity, support our partners and customers, and build on our momentum through disciplined execution and product-led offensive.

In today’s market, what really drives automotive purchase decisions: price, product, or trust in the brand behind it? And are you seeing that balance shift in the current environment?

It’s no longer a choice between price, product, or trust – it’s about the ecosystem that connects them. While price would always be a factor, it is no longer the sole driver. In a region where geopolitical and logistical shifts are part of the landscape, customers have become more deliberate. They are moving away from “transactional” buying and toward brands that offer long-term stability and a seamless ownership experience.

Our strategy isn’t just about selling a car; it’s about the peace of mind that comes with a robust partner network, parts availability, and digital integration. When the environment becomes complex, “trust” becomes a very practical currency.

For us, this trust is visible in the enduring loyalty to our most iconic nameplates. When a customer chooses a Patrol, or an enthusiast goes for a NISMO or GT-R, they aren’t just buying performance – they are investing in a 70-year legacy of reliability. That heritage allows us to stay close to our communities, ensuring that we continue to support them and deliver value consistently across every product, service, and brand touchpoint. Even when decision-making cycles get longer, the intent to stay with Nissan remains stronger.

Is the traditional ownership model changing in the Middle East? To what extent are customers now expecting greater flexibility and support across the ownership journey?

Customers in the Middle East are not necessarily rethinking ownership itself, but they are certainly redefining what they need from it. Especially during periods of uncertainty, the “return on investment” is no longer measured in horsepower or price, but in reassurance. People still want to own their vehicles, but they expect that experience to be simpler, more flexible and more connected from start to finish.

This shift plays directly to our strength, as we are naturally prepared with an established omnichannel approach that seamlessly bridges the digital and physical worlds. The journey often begins with Shop@Home, which allows customers to explore and engage on their own terms before transitioning into our physical touchpoints without any friction. It’s about being present wherever the customer is, ensuring the transition between a screen and a showroom is entirely invisible.

Once on the road, we continue to build on this foundation through a connected ecosystem that transforms the vehicle into a service. Through NissanConnect and the MyNissan App, we provide real-time convenience and digital integration that keeps the customer supported at all times.

When you combine these tools with service innovations like NissanService, the value equation shifts. It ensures that ownership is no longer just about handing over a key, but about providing continuous peace of mind and reducing complexity at every stage of the journey.

Has the current regional situation impacted Nissan’s business, and how are you responding?

While no industry is entirely immune to global logistical shifts, our focus has been on navigating these complexities with agility. We are actively managing our supply chain to ensure we remain responsive to market conditions, making tactical adjustments where necessary to maintain a healthy flow of vehicles to our customers and partners.

What is most important is that our underlying performance remains exceptionally strong. In the first nine months of our 2025 fiscal year (April – December 2025), we have seen a significant positive trend, with an 8 per cent increase in overall performance compared to the same period in FY24. This momentum is driven by deep customer demand for our core lineup, specifically the X-Trail and the iconic Patrol, which continue to see robust growth.

The fact that production for high-demand models like the Patrol remains at normal levels is a testament to the strategic priority we place on this region. We view these short-term logistical challenges as manageable operational realities, rather than structural shifts. Our outlook remains firmly positive, supported by a market that continues to show a strong appetite for the Nissan brand and a clear path for sustained growth as we move forward.

Oman’s hotel sector posted record revenues of OMR297.3m ($772m) in 2025, rising more than 22 per cent from a year earlier, according to property consultancy Cavendish Maxwell.

The firm said hotels in Oman welcomed 2.4 million guests last year, up nearly 11 per cent from 2024. Average occupancy climbed 13.6 per cent to almost 57 per cent, while average room rates rose 4.7 per cent to just under OMR49 ($127).

Supply also increased, with around 900 new hotel rooms added in 2025, taking total inventory to about 36,800 rooms. A further 2,400 rooms are expected to be delivered in 2026, followed by another 900 in 2027.

“After a robust, record-breaking performance in 2025, Oman’s hospitality sector has entered this year with strong momentum,” said Khalil Al Zadjali, head of Oman at Cavendish Maxwell. He added that growth is being supported by a broader mix of international visitors, stronger domestic demand and higher occupancy levels.

Oman welcomed 1.66 million travellers during Salalah’s Khareef season

Oman’s airports handled just under 15 million passengers in 2025, up 2.8 per cent year-on-year.

Traffic peaked in August, when 1.66 million travellers visited during Salalah’s Khareef season. Muscat International Airport accounted for 13.2 million passengers, or about 88 per cent of total traffic, while Salalah International Airport saw volumes rise nearly 10 per cent to 1.7 million.

The report, which covers three- to five-star hotels, also showed employment in the sector rising 7.3 per cent to around 11,200 workers, reflecting continued expansion.

Domestic tourism played a larger role, with Omani nationals making up more than 36 per cent of hotel guests, up from 33.8 per cent a year earlier.

European visitors grew by 22 per cent to account for nearly 28 per cent of guests, followed by Asian travellers at 14.5 per cent. Other visitors came from the Gulf, wider Arab region, the Americas, Oceania and Africa.

Read: Oman govt completes acquisition of SalamAir, maintains separate airline brands