The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) have announced additional precautionary measures for travelers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Uganda and the Republic of South Sudan as part of the UAE’s efforts to strengthen preparedness against the Ebola virus.

The measures form part of the country’s proactive strategy to safeguard public health and enhance national readiness in response to developments related to Ebola, authorities said on Friday, a WAM report conveyed.

New restrictions to take effect on June 6

According to the two authorities, the issuance of all new visas for nationals of the three countries, including visit visas, will be suspended beginning at 13:00 on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

Read more-New Ebola advisory issued: Emirates, Oman issue travel rules

Officials noted that the decision may be extended depending on the evolving health situation and ongoing risk assessments. Cargo flight operations between the UAE and the three countries will continue without disruption.

The authorities said travelers arriving directly from the listed countries will be denied entry to the UAE under the new measures.

Transit passengers also affected

The restrictions will also apply to passengers traveling through one or more transit destinations if they have recently been in the affected countries. However, travelers who have remained outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan for more than 21 days before arriving in the UAE will be permitted entry.

Authorities clarified that transit flight operations through UAE airports will continue as normal and will not be impacted by the new procedures.

In a joint statement, NCEMA and ICP reaffirmed their commitment to closely monitoring developments related to the Ebola virus in coordination with local and international partners. The authorities added that they will continue evaluating potential risks in other countries and implement any necessary measures in accordance with approved health standards and ongoing risk assessments.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has reaffirmed the importance of the Wage Protection System (WPS) as a cornerstone of the UAE’s labour market framework, highlighting its role in promoting transparency, safeguarding workers’ rights and strengthening compliance across the private sector.

According to the ministry, the WPS continues to support labour market stability by ensuring the timely payment of wages, reinforcing confidence in employment relationships and reducing potential disruptions to business operations. The system also plays a key role in protecting employees while contributing to the sustainable growth and competitiveness of the UAE economy.

Updated framework focuses on governance and transparency

MoHRE said the latest decision is part of ongoing efforts to further develop the regulatory and procedural framework governing the Wage Protection System. The enhancements are designed to strengthen oversight and governance mechanisms while supporting stable employment relationships and maintaining the UAE’s attractiveness as a destination for global talent, a WAM report said.

The ministry stressed that the decision does not impose any new substantive obligations on employers. Instead, it formalises and streamlines existing procedures related to wage payment monitoring, providing greater clarity regarding employer responsibilities and improving the efficiency of compliance processes.

Read more-New UAE salary rule drives 151% jump in WPS transactions at Al Ansari

Officials noted that the refined framework is intended to facilitate the faster resolution of delayed wage payment cases and enable early intervention when issues arise. This approach helps minimise potential impacts on employment relationships and business continuity while serving the interests of both employers and workers.

Gradual approach encourages early compliance

A key feature of the updated framework is its gradual and balanced approach to addressing delayed wage payments.

MoHRE explained that the process begins with electronic monitoring and notifications to employers when delays are detected. Establishments are given adequate time to address payment issues and rectify their status before administrative measures are introduced within approved timelines.

The Ministry said this preventive approach is designed to encourage compliance at an early stage and reduce the likelihood of prolonged violations that could affect labour market stability or disrupt business operations.

In addition, MoHRE clarified that an establishment will be considered compliant if it transfers at least 85 percent of total wages due within the specified timeframe.

The Ministry said this threshold reflects a practical and flexible approach that balances the operational realities faced by businesses with the need to ensure workers receive their wages in a timely manner.

Risk-based monitoring targets key sectors

MoHRE also highlighted that compliance monitoring measures are implemented through a risk-based model that takes into account the nature of economic activities and workforce size.

Particular attention is given to labour-intensive sectors and large-scale operations, where delayed wage payments may have a more significant impact on labour relations and business continuity.

According to the Ministry, the targeted approach is intended to support the stability and sustainability of critical economic sectors while protecting the interests of both employers and employees.

The scale of the Wage Protection System underscores its importance to the UAE economy. MoHRE revealed that the system processes more than Dhs37bn in wage payments each month, reinforcing its position as a key pillar of labour market stability and business confidence.

The Ministry said the continued evolution of the WPS reflects the UAE’s commitment to strengthening labour market governance, protecting workers’ rights and supporting long-term economic growth.

du, a leading UAE telecommunications and digital services provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Innovation AI, a UAE-based AI infrastructure and workload orchestration company, in a move aimed at accelerating the adoption of sovereign Agentic AI across government entities and enterprises.

The agreement, orchestrated in collaboration with the UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC), is designed to strengthen the country’s sovereign AI ecosystem by combining secure cloud infrastructure with advanced AI orchestration capabilities. The initiative will be delivered through du’s technology-focused sub-brand, du Tech, and aligns with the UAE’s broader digital transformation and national security priorities.

Read more-du unveils sovereign industrial AI platform: What UAE businesses need to know

The MoU was signed during the Digital Readiness Retreat 2026 in Dubai, one of the country’s leading forums focused on digital innovation and transformation. The agreement was executed by Jasim Al Awadi, chief ICT Officer at du, and Dr Abed Benaichouche, co-founder and CEO of Open Innovation AI, in the presence of Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council.

Industry leaders said the partnership reflects the growing importance of sovereign AI infrastructure as governments and organizations seek to deploy advanced AI capabilities while maintaining control over data, computing resources, and regulatory compliance.

Building a secure foundation for Sovereign AI

A key component of the partnership is the integration of du Tech’s National Hypercloud platform with Open Innovation AI’s GPU orchestration and AI infrastructure management technology.

The collaboration is expected to provide public and private sector organisations with secure access to in-country AI computing resources, enabling them to deploy and scale autonomous Agentic AI workloads more efficiently while adhering to stringent regulatory and cybersecurity requirements.

The initiative follows the recent certification of du Tech’s National Hypercloud by the UAE Cyber Security Council, a milestone that positions the platform as a locally governed infrastructure capable of supporting the nation’s growing AI economy.

Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cyber Security Council, highlighted the strategic significance of the initiative.

“Sovereign AI is a critical national security priority. Following our recent certification of du Tech’s National Hypercloud, this homegrown collaboration represents the secure in-country AI infrastructure orchestration the UAE requires to protect its data and digital future. The UAE Cyber Security Council remains committed to fostering an environment where AI is securely governed within UAE jurisdiction, and this initiative is a meaningful step toward elevating national AI innovation,” he said.

Focus on AI infrastructure and GPU orchestration

Under the terms of the MoU, both organizations will explore a range of collaboration opportunities, including the technical integration of du Tech’s National Hypercloud with Open Innovation AI’s platform to support GPU orchestration and advanced resource management capabilities.

The companies will also assess opportunities related to sovereign AI platform development, commercial deployment models, and joint go-to-market initiatives aimed at expanding the adoption of trusted AI services across the UAE.

The partnership comes as demand for AI computing infrastructure continues to grow globally, with organizations increasingly seeking scalable and secure environments capable of supporting advanced AI models and autonomous digital agents.

Jasim Al Awadi, chief ICT Officer at du, said the partnership represents an important step in building the infrastructure needed to support the next generation of AI-powered services.

“True digital sovereignty requires an infrastructure capable of powering tomorrow’s cognitive workloads today. By merging du Tech’s CSC-certified National Hypercloud with Open Innovation AI’s orchestration platform, we are delivering the foundational compute engine required for secure, in-country Agentic AI deployment. We are building the secure, compliant, and high-performance backbone that will allow UAE government entities and enterprises to deploy autonomous AI workforces with absolute confidence,” he said.

Supporting the UAE’s AI and digital transformation goals

As part of the collaboration, the two organizations will evaluate opportunities to establish sovereign AI and GPU orchestration capabilities on du Tech’s National Hypercloud infrastructure.

The goal is to provide organisations with secure and locally governed access to AI computing resources while supporting innovation across both public and private sector ecosystems. The initiative is expected to contribute to the development and deployment of AI solutions and autonomous AI agents designed to meet the UAE’s growing demand for trusted AI services.

Security, compliance, and data sovereignty are expected to remain central pillars of the project, ensuring that AI workloads, models, and sensitive information remain governed within UAE jurisdiction and aligned with national cybersecurity frameworks.

Dr Abed Benaichouche, co-founder and CEO of Open Innovation AI, said the agreement marks an important milestone in advancing the country’s sovereign AI ambitions.

“This MoU with du marks a meaningful step toward building the foundations of sovereign AI in the UAE. By bringing Open Innovation’s Sovereign AI Fabric together with du Tech’s National Hypercloud, we aim to give government entities and enterprises secure, in-country access to the compute that AI workloads demand, while keeping data, models, and infrastructure firmly within UAE jurisdiction. We are proud to work alongside du and the UAE Cyber Security Council to accelerate this national ambition,” he said.

The agreement further expands du’s growing ecosystem of AI-focused partnerships and reinforces the company’s role as a key sovereign infrastructure enabler through du Tech. With cybersecurity governance embedded at its core, the collaboration is expected to support the UAE’s long-term vision of building a secure, resilient, and globally competitive AI ecosystem.

Oil prices rose on Friday, paring sharp losses from the previous session, after Hezbollah rejected a new Lebanon ceasefire proposal and Oman’s Mina al Fahal terminal briefly suspended oil loadings following an explosion.

Brent crude futures rose 33 cents, or 0.35 per cent, to $95.36 a barrel after settling down 2.84 per cent in the previous session.

US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $93.06 a barrel, up 2 cents, or 0.02 per cent, following a 3.1 per cent loss on Thursday.

Both contracts are set to post their first weekly gain in three weeks, with WTI up more than 6 per cent, after fighting flared up in the Middle East as US-Iran war peace talks dragged on while traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world’s oil passes, remained limited.

Reuters reported on Friday that Oman’s Mina al Fahal terminal has suspended oil loading following an explosion near its single-buoy mooring (SBM) berths due to an alleged drone attack. Operations have since reportedly resumed, Bloomberg News reported.

Analysts have also flagged concerns of falling oil inventories globally that could cause a price spike in the third quarter.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected on Thursday a US-brokered agreement between Israel and the Lebanese government to halt the fighting. Iran has made a ceasefire in Lebanon a condition for any peace deal with Washington.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believed progress was being made between Israel and Lebanon and that Lebanon deserved to have peace.

“Any optimism remains heavily clouded by a tangled web of headlines and counter-headlines,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said in a note.

“From a technical perspective, as long as (WTI) crude oil remains above trendline support in the low $80s, the risks remain skewed to the upside.”

OPEC is sticking to its oil demand growth forecast of 1.2 million barrels per day for this year, Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said on Thursday, despite the Middle East conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian oil exports have fallen to their lowest level in six years mainly due to the US naval blockade, according to shipping data, although weak demand in China has depressed prices for the oil.

Liverpool-born entrepreneur Adam Thornhill, now based in Dubai, first stepped into the UAE property market through a personal investment project in 2023, purchasing, renovating, and successfully flipping an office in Ajman for profit.

What began as a standalone investment quickly sparked a deeper interest in property development and the wider UAE real estate sector. Following the success of the project, Thornhill went on to establish L5 Properties, with the business now exploring multiple investment strategies including off-plan developments across Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

The company name itself also carries personal meaning. Thornhill named the business L5 Properties after the L5 postcode area where he grew up on Breck Road in Liverpool.

But while the project proved commercially successful, Thornhill says the experience also reinforced something more important to him than profit alone.

“I’ve always believed in the saying, ‘You don’t give to get,’” he explains. “To me, success in life isn’t measured purely by money or possessions, but by the positive impact you can have on people and causes that genuinely matter to you.”

As the Ajman office investment was the project that ultimately inspired the launch of L5 Properties, Thornhill decided to personally donate part of the profits to a number of charities and organisations that held personal meaning to him.

Among them was Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, one of the UK’s leading children’s hospitals, which provides specialist care for children and young people across the country. The donation carried particular significance as Thornhill was born with clubfoot and spent a considerable amount of time there throughout his childhood.

He also made a personal donation to Cancer Research in memory of his nan, Maureen, who he lived with for several years growing up and who he credits as having a major influence on his life.

A donation was also made to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in recognition of his mother, Tina Askew, who worked there as a nurse after following in the footsteps of her own mother, Sylvia.

Animal welfare also remained close to Thornhill’s heart. He chose to personally support RAK Animal Welfare Centre, dedicating the donation to his Patterdale mix, Penny, and recognising the importance pets and companionship can play in people’s lives. The cause also carried a personal connection through a dear friend’s rescue dog, Twirl, a Golden Retriever mix who was adopted from the centre.

While many investors focus solely on scaling portfolios and financial returns, Thornhill believes genuine fulfilment comes from building something that carries meaning beyond business itself.

“Property investment is not just about buildings or returns,” he says. “It’s about creating opportunities, building a future, and hopefully doing some good along the way.”

Optimistically looking ahead, Thornhill says that while there are already many major developers operating across the UAE, one day he would love to enter that space himself and focus on creating affordable housing for families.

“Whilst I don’t yet know exactly how the company will evolve, I’m excited about its future and the opportunities ahead,” he says. “For me, it’s about continuing to learn, grow, and hopefully build something that has a positive impact both commercially and personally.”