Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has cut transaction turnaround time by 95 per cent through its Smart Bank Guarantee System, while reducing reliance on physical bank guarantees by 74 per cent, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, announced.

The system processes approximately 2,500 bank guarantees annually, with a combined value of around Dhs1bn, highlighting the scale of the authority’s digital transformation efforts, a WAM report said.

Read more: From days to minutes: DEWA reduces refunds processing time to only 8 minutes

“We continue to leverage cutting-edge digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to redesign organisational operations and enhance efficiency, supporting Dubai’s vision for digital leadership while delivering faster, more resilient and proactive services,” Al Tayer said.

“We are developing an AI-driven integrated operational model that achieves the highest levels of operational efficiency and sustainability, contributes to zero bureaucracy and enhances customer and employee experiences,” he added.

Automation and control

Al Tayer said the system strengthens bank guarantee management through faster, more accurate and resilient procedures, while supporting the optimal use of resources and boosting workforce productivity. It also advances DEWA’s use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to automate repetitive procedures and tasks, reducing routine manual work.

The Smart Bank Guarantee System manages the full bank guarantee lifecycle through integrated digital processes covering receipt, review, updates and follow-up. It replaces paper-based procedures and manual tracking with a digital ecosystem that provides real-time tracking and data updates, while improving data quality, governance and financial control.

The system uses automated processing and verification powered by RPA-based validation, SWIFT authentication and SAP-linked digital audit trails.

The system has also received a five-star rating at the International Best Practice Competition, underscoring its effectiveness and positioning DEWA’s digital approach as a model for improving operational efficiency, transparency and service delivery, and strengthening the authority’s broader digital transformation agenda across key operations globally.

Group of Seven leaders agreed to coordinate the release of 100 million barrels through the International Energy Agency over four months, including a substantial diesel release in the first 20 days, as they seek to stabilise energy markets and ease pressure from surging prices.

The release will begin immediately and include a substantial amount of diesel front-loaded within the first 20 days by G7 members and partners, according to a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting of leaders.

The G7 said it would also coordinate refinery maintenance schedules to avoid simultaneous shutdowns and temporarily raise utilisation rates where feasible. It encouraged countries with significant refining capacity to increase production of refined products, particularly diesel.

Leaders asked the IEA to monitor implementation of commitments made in March and said they would meet within the IEA framework in the coming days to consider further diesel releases if necessary.

The G7 also reaffirmed its commitment not to impose restrictions on energy and energy-product exports between member countries and called on other producers to avoid bans that could add to market tensions.

The IEA was asked to assess the impact of the measures on energy security and market stability and provide a follow-up report within 20 days, including recommendations on future responses and the replenishment of emergency stocks.

The leaders also condemned what they described as continued Iranian attacks against neighbouring countries and disruption to international trade and energy security, and called for the restoration of navigational rights and principles in the Strait of Hormuz.

They said they would intensify efforts towards that objective and commended the US for efforts to maintain the flow of commerce through the strait.

The G7 also said sanctions against Russia would remain in place while members worked with the IEA and other international partners to limit spillovers into fuel, gas and other commodity markets.

The measures come as global energy markets face sharp volatility and elevated fuel prices.

Read: UAE announces fuel prices: Here’s how much you will pay from October 1

Global Food Week 2026 will bring together international organisations, policymakers, investors and food-sector specialists in Abu Dhabi this week, with discussions focused on food security, agrifood systems, animal health and agricultural technology.

The event, organised by ADNEC Group, a Modon company, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), will run from October 6 to 8 at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi.

Participants will include representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), alongside governments, development institutions, researchers, private-sector companies and investors.

The programme will include the WOAH GCC & Africa Workshop, which will examine technical and trade cooperation between the Gulf and Africa, as well as animal health frameworks and cross-border disease challenges affecting food supply chains.

Global Food Week will also host YALAFAST, or Youth Action Leadership for Agrifood Awareness and Systems Transformations, an FAO youth leadership programme that brings together young participants from different countries to discuss agrifood systems and build international networks.

The FAO Policy Majlis will take place on October 7 and 8 and focus on agrifood systems transformation across the Near East and North Africa.

The programme will bring together policymakers, researchers, youth representatives, financing partners and private-sector stakeholders to discuss areas including science and technology, innovation, youth participation and investment in food systems.

Other events taking place during the week include the Global Food Security Summit, AgriTech Forum, Farmers Majlis and the Abu Dhabi Honey Forum, organised in collaboration with Apimondia.

The broader agenda will focus on policies, technologies and financing models intended to improve the resilience and efficiency of food systems and strengthen food security.

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has set out seven rules for life in Dubai, outlining the values he believes should underpin the emirate as it continues to grow as a global city.

In a message addressed to Dubai’s citizens, residents, visitors and those who love the city, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said the emirate’s success should ultimately be measured not simply by what it builds, but by the society it creates.

“We have built a beautiful city, a harmonious society and a model experience for the world,” Sheikh Mohammed said in the Arabic-language message shared on Saturday.

He described Dubai as “a home for the world, for people and for life” and said his aim was for the city to remain an exceptional and inspiring human experience.

The message forms part of The Messages, the second part of Sheikh Mohammed’s What Life Taught Me, which brings together lessons drawn from almost six decades of public service. The book contains 26 messages addressed to his family, colleagues, the people of the UAE and the wider world.

Here are Sheikh Mohammed’s seven rules for life in Dubai.

1. Life is responsibility

Sheikh Mohammed said responsibility begins with the individual and extends across every level of society. Employees are responsible for their work, leaders for their teams, parents for their families and individuals for their communities, he said.

Government, meanwhile, carries responsibility for the security, wellbeing, rights and happiness of everyone under its care.

“When every individual fulfils their responsibility, society lives a dignified and balanced life,” he said.

2. Respect human dignity

Respect for people is at the heart of civilisation, according to Sheikh Mohammed. That includes respecting a person’s religion, values, culture, time, feelings, dignity and rights, as well as showing respect towards women, older people, workers and those who may hold different views.

He said the quality of a city should not be judged by its buildings alone, but by the way it treats people.

3. Pursue excellence

Sheikh Mohammed described excellence as one of the strongest messages Dubai can send to the world. It should be visible everywhere, he said – from airports and roads to buildings, companies, public services and individual jobs.

Excellence is also cumulative, with small details and daily standards ultimately shaping the reputation and performance of a city.

“Dubai is a culture that lives within each one of us,” he said, adding that every task completed to a high standard contributes to the city’s wider civilisation.

4. Rise through humility

Humility was the fourth principle, with Sheikh Mohammed arguing that success should not diminish a person’s willingness to learn.

Humility towards others increases their respect for you, while humility in the face of achievement pushes ambitions higher, he said.

Dubai should also remember the modest origins from which it developed and recognise that there remains much more to learn and achieve.

5. Make optimism a way of life

Sheikh Mohammed said Dubai’s outlook should be founded on the belief that the future can be better – provided people continue to work towards it.

Challenges should be viewed as opportunities, crises as tests of creativity and the experiences of others as opportunities to learn.

He also reiterated a theme closely associated with Dubai’s development: that what appears impossible can be overcome through determination, belief and action.

6. Make doing good a habit

Supporting others and doing good should be embedded in everyday life, Sheikh Mohammed said.

That can range from helping someone in difficulty to offering a kind word, a smile, directions to someone who is lost or encouragement to a young person.

He said societies that lose their sense of goodness ultimately lose part of the meaning of life itself.

7. Be loyal to the nation

The final rule centres on loyalty to the country that provides security and opportunity. Sheikh Mohammed said loyalty means respecting the nation’s constitution and laws, protecting its achievements, honouring its flag and upholding values including honesty, justice, integrity, respect, excellence and responsibility.

“A nation is not geography, nor is it symbols,” he said. “A nation is a heart that beats within us and a spirit that runs through us.”

He concluded the message by drawing a distinction between physical development and the deeper task of creating a society.

“Constructing buildings and engineering cities is not a miracle,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

“The real miracle is building a society founded on meaning, principles and great values.”

Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, has warned over the continuing threat of extremism following the attempted terrorist act aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, saying there can be “no tolerance for extremism” or its discourse.

In a post on X on Saturday, Gargash said the attack served as a fresh warning that the region’s confrontation with extremism was far from over.

“The region’s struggle with extremism persists, and justifying terrorism through hate speech is part of the danger, not its margins,” Gargash said.

“The latest terrorist operation is a new warning that the confrontation has not ended.”

He said the incident reinforced the importance of the UAE’s long-standing position against extremist ideology and rhetoric.

“Here, the importance of the UAE’s early and firm stance is confirmed: no tolerance for extremism and no leniency toward its discourse, for security begins with confronting hate and drying up the sources of extremism.”

The comments followed confirmation from UAE Attorney-General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi that investigations had found the co-pilot of flight FZ1073 attempted to carry out a terrorist act.

According to the Attorney-General, the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the flight deck with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft.

Investigations are continuing to establish the full circumstances and motives behind the attack, as well as any associated links. Authorities are also examining physical and digital evidence before announcing their final findings.

Gargash praises hero pilot

A day earlier, Gargash praised Machchhar for his actions during the attack.

“The Indian pilot at flydubai, Smit Machchhar, deserves every bit of appreciation, for he embodied the meaning of courage and responsibility in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster,” Gargash said.

“His professionalism and moral sense in the darkest of circumstances make him a true hero.”

He also warned against conspiracy theories surrounding the incident.

“Far from the easy reduction of what happened or the adoption and promotion of conspiracy theories, vigilance and caution remain essential in confronting the risks of extremism and terrorism.”

His remarks on Friday came before the Attorney-General’s announcement on Saturday that the investigation had established that the co-pilot attempted to carry out a terrorist act.

Flydubai attack investigation continues

Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, 30 September, when the attack took place.

Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar was able to open the flight deck door, allowing others on board to intervene. A reserve pilot subsequently helped bring the aircraft under control before it landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar has since received widespread praise for his actions, including from Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who visited him in hospital on Saturday.

The investigation remains ongoing.