Etihad Airways has strengthened its expansion strategy with the successful launch of its inaugural passenger service to Dhaka while unveiling an industry-first training platform for the air cargo sector, underscoring the airline’s continued investment in connectivity, operational excellence and workforce development.

The twin announcements reflect Etihad’s broader ambitions to reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a global aviation and logistics hub while expanding its passenger network and enhancing service standards across its cargo operations.

Together, the initiatives highlight the airline’s focus on supporting regional trade, facilitating international travel and building long-term capabilities across the global air cargo ecosystem.

Read more-From Abu Dhabi to Eastern Europe: Etihad’s latest deal opens the door to 10 new destinations

The carrier’s inaugural flight to Bangladesh departed Abu Dhabi on June 26, with a full passenger load, demonstrating strong demand for travel between the UAE and Bangladesh while creating additional cargo capacity to support one of South Asia’s fastest-growing export markets.

Sold-out inaugural flight strengthens UAE-Bangladesh connectivity

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, launched its inaugural flight to Dhaka on June 26, operating a sold-out Boeing 777 service to the Bangladeshi capital. The new route is expected to strengthen passenger connectivity while supporting growing trade and cargo flows across the South Asia corridor.

Flight EY382 departed Abu Dhabi at 22:00 on 26 June before arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka the following morning. The airline will operate the route four times a week using its Boeing 777 aircraft, offering 28 lie-flat Business seats and 374 Economy seats on each flight, alongside significant wide body belly-hold cargo capacity to accommodate rising freight demand, according to an Etihad news report.

Antonoaldo Neves, chief executive officer at Etihad Airways, said: “Our first flight to Dhaka departing fully booked speaks to the strength of the bond between the UAE and Bangladesh, and to the sustained demand we’re seeing across both passenger and cargo segments on this route. The UAE is home to one of the largest Bangladeshi communities in the world, and this service is a direct link for the families who call both countries home, as well as a gateway for the Bangladeshi diaspora across the GCC, North America and the UK travelling via Abu Dhabi.”

The new route is expected to serve both leisure and business travellers while further strengthening Abu Dhabi’s role as a strategic gateway linking South Asia with destinations across the Middle East, Europe and North America.

Beyond passenger travel, the additional belly-hold capacity is expected to provide an important boost for Bangladesh’s export economy, particularly its globally significant garment and textile industry. The enhanced freight capability offers exporters improved access to international markets through Abu Dhabi, supporting more efficient movement of goods across Etihad’s expanding global network.

Passengers travelling through Abu Dhabi will also be able to benefit from Etihad’s stopover programme, allowing travellers to extend their journey and experience the UAE capital before continuing to their final destination. Visitors can explore attractions including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the recently opened Zayed National Museum, alongside the city’s beaches, waterfront destinations and hospitality offerings.

With Dhaka joining its network, Etihad continues to deepen its presence across South Asia as it expands connections between regional communities, businesses and international markets.

Cargo division launches industry-first Excellence Hub

Complementing the expansion of its passenger and cargo network, Etihad Cargo has announced the launch of the Excellence Hub, described as the air cargo industry’s first airline-led logistics training academy.

The initiative has been designed to establish consistent operational, safety and compliance standards across Etihad Cargo’s global partner network while supporting workforce development throughout the air cargo value chain.

Serving Etihad Cargo representatives, stakeholders, partners, customers and air cargo professionals worldwide, the platform provides structured learning programmes aimed at strengthening technical expertise and professional capability. The curriculum includes operational standards, product and service knowledge, safety and regulatory compliance modules, as well as industry-certified programmes developed in collaboration with accredited institutions.

Participants can access foundation courses, podcasts, masterclasses and executive education programmes, including a miniMBA. Upon successfully completing each learning pathway, users receive accredited certifications recognising their professional development.

The platform also incorporates gamification features, including a points-based leaderboard and LinkedIn badges, designed to encourage ongoing engagement and recognise learning achievements. Complimentary access will be available for university students, enabling emerging talent to participate in a global learning community alongside industry professionals and academic partners.

In addition, the Excellence Hub leverages AI-enabled learning tools that provide personalised feedback and real-time performance analytics. Its mobile-first design ensures learners can access training resources from anywhere, reinforcing the platform’s objective of supporting continuous professional development across the international air cargo sector.

Stanislas Brun, chief cargo officer at Etihad Airways, said: “As the first logistics training academy established by an airline, it represents a significant step forward in how we approach knowledge, capability, and service quality across our global network. By bringing together operational expertise, industry knowledge, and accredited learning pathways in one platform, the Excellence Hub will help raise capability standards across the global air cargo ecosystem.”

Dr Nadia Al Bastaki, chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer at Etihad Airways, added: “Etihad is committed to investing in people, and the Etihad Cargo Excellence Hub is a testament to this commitment. By providing accessible learning opportunities and a platform for knowledge sharing, Etihad Cargo aims to enhance the capabilities of those entering and advancing within the air cargo industry. The Excellence Hub will facilitate professional development and enhance operational excellence, customer service, and efficiency.”

The Excellence Hub forms part of Etihad Cargo’s wider strategy to strengthen safety, compliance, operational excellence and workforce capability while supporting sustainable growth across its expanding international cargo network.

South Korea on Monday laid out a sweeping industrial strategy centred on semiconductors and artificial intelligence, as President Lee Jae Myung unveiled over $576bn in investment to lock in global dominance and drive more balanced growth.

The plan, anchored by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, marks Lee’s boldest push yet to align South Korea’s AI and chip ambitions with his pledge to narrow regional disparities and revive economies beyond the Seoul metropolitan area.

Flanked by the chiefs of the world’s two biggest memory chipmakers, Lee cast the initiative as a “great leap forward,” centred on the “triple axis” of semiconductors, physical AI and data centres.

“We must secure the core elements of AI faster than any other country,” the president said in a televised address.

Samsung and SK Hynix will invest 800 trillion won ($518.30bn) with suppliers to build two new chip fabrication sites each in South Korea’s southwest region, industry minister Kim Jung-kwan said.

Lee said the country’s southwestern city of Gwangju and South Jeolla province will also invest 5-20 trillion won in the projects. Kim said a further 81 trillion won is expected for a chip packaging cluster in the Chungcheong area near Seoul.

“To meet the rapidly increasing demand for semiconductors, we need to quickly complete the production hubs that are currently under construction,” he said.

“At the same time, we must secure overwhelming production capacity in advance through large-scale new investments, including in the southwestern region. Existing sites centred around Yongin and Pyeongtaek have already reached their limits.”

Lee said the southwest will host major chip production clusters, drawing on abundant, underused power.

High-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips produced by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have become pivotal in the global race to build advanced AI systems. Both companies already operate major semiconductor facilities in and around the Seoul metropolitan area.

Kim also said the country will double dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) output within five years by bringing forward construction of fabs in the Seoul metropolitan area to the mid-2030s.

DRAM is a type of memory that is used to power electronics such as laptops and smartphones and HBM is produced by stacking multiple layers of DRAM.

Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee said at the event the company had selected Gwangju as a site for its new chip cluster, while SK Hynix’s Chairman Chey Tae-won said the firm needed more time to finalise a site and secure infrastructure in the southwestern region.

“It took us nine years for us to create a cluster in Yongin. Also, a chip factory requires massive land, power, water and talent,” Chey said.

Opposition politicians have sharply criticised Lee’s southwest chip hub, questioning whether the proposal is politically motivated given that 85 per cent of voters in the region backed Lee in last year’s presidential election.

The announcement comes as Lee’s approval rating has slid for six weeks to 46.5 per cent, according to pollster Realmeter.

The president defended the proposed southwest chip hub in a series of X posts over the weekend, rejecting criticism that it favours a liberal stronghold.

Industry experts say diversifying chip investment beyond Seoul could ease infrastructure bottlenecks, but warn that building cutting-edge fabs requires vast electricity and water, advanced logistics, deep supplier networks and highly skilled labour – elements that may not scale quickly enough in a new region to meet surging AI demand.

Burjeel Holdings, one of the Gulf’s largest private healthcare providers, has priced its inaugural $500m sukuk, attracting an orderbook of $1.6bn and underscoring strong investor appetite for regional corporate debt despite tighter global financing conditions.

The five-year senior unsecured sukuk, due in 2031, was issued under a newly established $1.5bn programme and was oversubscribed 3.2 times, Burjeel said.

The transaction marks the first sukuk from a MENA healthcare provider since 2018 and one of the few recent UAE corporate debt offerings amid a subdued regional issuance pipeline.

Pricing was tightened from initial guidance in the mid-7 per cent range to a 7.000 per cent profit rate and 7.125 per cent yield, which Burjeel said represents the lowest five-year yield achieved by a GCC-based private non-investment grade corporate issuer since 2020.

Investor demand was broad-based and skewed toward international accounts, which accounted for 61 per cent of final allocation. Investors from the UK made up 34 per cent, US offshore accounts 24 per cent, while GCC investors took 39 per cent, according to the company.

The sukuk was rated BB+ by S&P Global Ratings and Ba2 by Moody’s.

“Strong demand for our inaugural sukuk reflects investor recognition of our strategy, credit fundamentals and ability to deliver sustainable growth,” Burjeel chairman and CEO Shamsheer Vayalil said in a statement.

He said proceeds would be used for refinancing and general corporate purposes, while supporting investments in clinical care, medical education, digital transformation and artificial intelligence-enabled healthcare.

The deal comes as Gulf issuers continue to tap international debt markets to diversify funding bases and extend maturities, with the UAE maintaining one of the most active corporate issuance pipelines in the region.

The sukuk is expected to be listed on the International Securities Market of the London Stock Exchange on July 1, subject to customary approvals.

Citi, Emirates NBD Capital and First Abu Dhabi Bank acted as joint global coordinators on the transaction.

Read: Burjeel’s Dr Shamsheer Vayalil on building a global hub for complex care

Dubai Holding Real Estate has launched a new service to help eligible property buyers apply for long-term UAE residency, integrating Golden Visa and investor residency guidance into the home buying process at the sales centres of Meraas and Nakheel.

The service allows customers to receive in-person support on eligibility, documentation and application requirements while purchasing a property. Applications will be processed by an accredited visa service provider, with Meraas and Nakheel acting solely as facilitators, the company said on Monday.

The initiative is available to both new and existing customers purchasing properties across the developers’ portfolios.

Eligible real estate investors owning property, or a group of properties, worth at least Dhs2m ($544,600) may apply for the UAE’s renewable 10-year Golden Visa, subject to government approval and applicable regulations. The service also supports other investor residency pathways available to qualifying property owners in Dubai.

“By integrating the Golden Visa and investor residency process into the property ownership journey, we are empowering our customers with greater clarity and confidence as they choose their home,” Khalid Al Malik, chief executive officer of Dubai Holding Real Estate, said in a statement.

The UAE has expanded long-term residency programmes in recent years as part of efforts to attract investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals.

The initiative also aligns with Dubai’s Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033, which aims to increase homeownership rates to 33 per cent, double the real estate sector’s contribution to gross domestic product to about Dhs73bn and increase real estate transactions by 70 per cent.

Dubai Holding Real Estate said the service is intended to simplify the property purchase process by providing customers with dedicated residency guidance while supporting brokers and sales teams through a more coordinated application process.

The company said all visa eligibility requirements, documentation, government fees and approvals remain under the authority of the relevant UAE government entities, with the developers providing facilitation services only.

In other news, Nakheel last week launched the next phase of Palm Central Private Residences on Palm Jebel Ali, releasing 222 beachfront homes across three low- to mid-rise buildings after what it described as strong demand following the project’s initial launch in October 2025.

The development forms part of the 13.4-km Palm Jebel Ali masterplan, which is aligned with Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan and D33 economic agenda.