Parkin takes smart parking beyond Dubai with major Bahrain partnership
The agreement creates a framework for the companies to combine their technology, operational expertise and market capabilities to enhance customer experience
Parkin Company (Parkin), Dubai’s largest provider of paid public parking facilities and services, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bahrain Car Parks Company (Amakin) B.S.C., a leading parking and mobility solutions provider in Bahrain, to explore opportunities across parking technology, digital mobility services and regional business development.
The agreement creates a framework for the companies to combine their technology, operational expertise and market capabilities to enhance customer experience, improve efficiency and support the development of smarter parking and mobility services across the GCC, a WAM report said.
Digital platforms, payments in focus
Under the MoU, Parkin and Amakin will assess opportunities to integrate their digital platforms, with the aim of streamlining operations and creating a more seamless experience for customers.
The companies will also examine the feasibility of enabling customers to access and pay for parking across both networks through their respective mobile applications. The initiative could support a more connected UAE-Bahrain parking experience while making digital payments more convenient.
Data analysis will also form part of the collaboration, with both companies looking to analyse mobility data to identify emerging trends and develop data-driven parking solutions in their respective markets.
Engineer Mohamed Abdulla Al Ali, CEO of Parkin Company PJSC, said the partnership would help extend the company’s smart parking capabilities beyond Dubai.
“At Parkin, we are constantly exploring opportunities to apply our technology and operational expertise to enhance the parking experience,” Al Ali said. “Our partnership with Amakin represents a significant milestone in expanding our smart parking capabilities beyond Dubai, bringing together our complementary technologies and digital platforms to deliver a seamless customer experience and unlock future growth opportunities across the GCC and beyond.”
Focus on customer convenience
Tariq Ali Aljowder, CEO of Amakin, said the collaboration would focus on practical digital solutions tailored to the Bahraini market.
“Our priority is to make parking simpler and more convenient for our customers,” Aljowder said. “Working with Parkin gives us the opportunity to explore practical solutions that combine digital innovation with our understanding of the Bahraini market to improve customer experience, including faster payment options and more accurate space availability for the communities we already serve.”
Beyond technology integration, the MoU provides a framework for Parkin and Amakin to explore joint business opportunities across the GCC and selected international markets.
A 19-year-old law student raised in the UAE has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, securing the opportunity to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico later this year.
According to media reports, Kaziah Liz Mejo, who was born in the UAE to parents from Kerala, won the national title at the Miss Universe India 2026 finale held in Jaipur on August 23. She succeeded outgoing titleholder Manika Vishwakarma after emerging as the winner from a field of more than 50 contestants from across India. The judging panel included former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen alongside other former beauty queens and industry figures.
Raised in Abu Dhabi, Mejo is pursuing a law degree while building a career in modelling. Her victory marks another milestone in a pageant journey that has gathered momentum over the past two years. She previously won Miss Teen Diva 2024 and finished as the first runner-up at Miss Teen International 2025 before claiming the Miss Universe Kerala title earlier this year.
Beyond pageantry, Mejo is trained in classical dance and has participated in music and acting, reflecting the increasingly multidisciplinary profile of contestants competing on international beauty platforms.
Mejo will now begin preparations to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico, where she will compete against contestants from around the world for the international crown. India has won the Miss Universe title three times previously, through Sushmita Sen in 1994, Lara Dutta in 2000 and Harnaaz Sandhu in 2021.
Gulf Business has officially unveiled its shortlist for its 2026 Awards, recognising the region’s most influential companies, business leaders and innovators.
The awards, held as Gulf Business celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, will take place on September 23 at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, JBR, with proceedings beginning at 6pm.
The annual awards celebrate excellence across the region’s business landscape, shining a spotlight on organisations and individuals that continue to drive innovation, leadership and sustainable growth across the Gulf economy.
This year’s finalists span almost 30 award categories, covering sectors including banking, artificial intelligence (AI), tourism, hospitality, retail, transport, healthcare, energy, technology, investment, logistics, resilience and sustainability.
The shortlisted companies and executives were selected following a rigorous evaluation process and will now proceed to the final stage of judging, where an independent panel of respected business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry experts will determine this year’s winners.
The winners will be announced during the Gulf Business Awards 2026 gala on September 23, when senior executives, entrepreneurs and decision-makers from across the GCC gather in Dubai to celebrate excellence in business.
New for 2026, the Gulf Business Awards will also introduce “Highly Commended” recognitions across all Business Leader categories, acknowledging exceptional finalists who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and industry impact.
The full shortlist is now available on the official Gulf Business Awards website. To view all shortlisted companies and leaders, visit: https://bit.ly/4wGXm5H
A limited number of tables are also available for organisations wishing to attend the awards ceremony. For table bookings and enquiries, visit: https://bit.ly/3TQTRLm
Full list below:
Company Awards
AI Company of the Year
Space42
Inception42
SpeakUp
Globant
AIQ
Banking Company of the Year
Emirates NBD
ADCB
ADIB
Wio Bank
Habib Bank AG Zurich
Tourism Company of the Year
Miral
Dubai Holding Entertainment
Hayya
Marjan
Almosafer
Hospitality Company of the Year
Accor
Marriott International
Palazzo Hospitality
Radisson Hotel Group
Kerten Hospitality
DWTC Hospitality
Retail Company of the Year
Alshaya Group
Dubai Duty Free
ADNOC Distribution
Spinneys
Jashanmal Group
Transport Company of the Year
GE Aerospace
LunaJets
Arenco Automotive (Thrifty and Dollar Car Rental)
Car Fare Rent A Car (Car Fare Group)
Eunoia Mobility
Healthcare Company of the Year
The Brain & Performance Centre
Mediclinic Middle East
Reem Hospital
Philips
Aster DM Healthcare
Energy Company of the Year
GE Vernova
Masdar
Global South Utilities
IPT Energy
GoSolr
Technology Company of the Year
stc Bahrain
Western Digital
JetBrains
Crowe MAK Technology
BE Club
Investment Company of the Year
EFG Holding
L’IMAD
CFI Financial Group
Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX)
Finvasia Group
Logistics Company of the Year
Arenco Automotive (Thrifty and Dollar Car Rental)
AD Ports Group
Agility Global
Tristar
Transcorp
Resilient Company of the Year
ADNOC Distribution
TalentOne
ISD Dubai Sports City
FIVE Holdings
Sterling Group
Capstone Real Estate
Sustainability Company of the Year
Agthia Group
ADNH Catering
VinFast Middle East
BEEAH Group
GoSolr
Leader Awards
AI Leader of the Year
Saeed Nasser Al Ahbabi — Chief Shared Services & Technical Officer, ADNOC Distribution
Hasan Al Hosani — CEO, Smart Solutions, Space42
Nick Zhuchkov CTO & Co-founder – SpeakUp
Ashish Koshy – CEO, Inception42
Dennis Jol — CEO, AIQ
Banking Leader of the Year
Shayne Nelson — Group CEO, Emirates NBD
Raheel Ahmed — Group CEO, RAKBANK
Ala’a Eraiqat — Group CEO, ADCB
Mohamed Abdelbary — Group CEO, ADIB
Jayesh Patel — CEO, Wio Bank
Tourism Leader of the Year
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi — Group CEO, Miral
Issam Kazim — CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM)
Phillipa Harrison — CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA)
Haitham Mattar — Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Saeed Al Kuwari — Director, Hayya
Hospitality Leader of the Year
Marloes Knippenberg — CEO, Kerten Hospitality
Joe Nassoura — General Manager, Fairmont Dubai
Bani Haddad — Founder & Co-CEO, Aleph Hospitality
Kabir Mulchandani — Chairman & Chief Executive, FIVE Holdings
Why your next flight could face more turbulence than before
Experts say the future of flight safety will depend on combining real-time aircraft data, artificial intelligence and more advanced atmospheric forecasting
The recent Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi that experienced a sudden altitude loss, leaving passengers and crew injured, has once again thrust turbulence into the spotlight. While investigators continue examining the precise cause of the incident, aviation experts say the event highlights a much broader challenge confronting airlines worldwide: predicting clear-air turbulence before aircraft encounter it.
Unlike thunderstorms, clear-air turbulence cannot be seen by pilots or detected by conventional weather radar, making it one of the industry’s most persistent operational challenges.
“Clear-air turbulence is hard to predict because, unlike a thunderstorm, it doesn’t appear in standard meteorological models and, in real time, doesn’t show up on radar,” says Maya Shpak, CEO of SkyPath, whose turbulence intelligence platform is used on more than 40,000 flights daily by airlines including Emirates, American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines.
“These legacy models are excellent at detecting convective activity, the visible, moisture-driven weather that shows up on a screen, but clear-air turbulence leaves no visible signature and gives no visual warning. It’s invisible until you’re already in it, which is why the industry has struggled with it for more than 30 years.”
She says even accurate weather forecasts often lack the precision pilots need.
“A regional forecast can be completely accurate and still tell a crew almost nothing they can act on. It might say rough air exists somewhere along a 300-mile corridor, but not whether it’s at 35,000 feet or 37,000, or whether it starts in 20 minutes or two hours.”
“The decisions that actually prevent injuries — which altitude, which heading, when to secure the cabin — happen in feet and minutes, not across a stretch of sky that size.”
Maya Shpak, CEO of SkyPath
Aircraft become the sensors
Instead of relying solely on weather models, airlines are increasingly using aircraft already in the sky as real-time turbulence sensors.
SkyPath’s platform uses a patented algorithm running on pilots’ existing cockpit iPads, combining onboard motion data with ADS-B information, Eddy Dissipation Rate measurements, pilot reports and machine-learning forecasts to create a live turbulence map.
“SkyPath turns every aircraft already in the air into a turbulence sensor,” says Shpak.
“Weather radar detects convective activity, thunderstorms and storm cells, not clear-air turbulence, which produces no radar return at all. SkyPath fills that gap, using the aircraft itself, and thousands of others flying the same skies, as the sensor network.”
The technology reflects a broader shift across aviation.
“A few years ago, turbulence management was mostly reactive… That’s changed. Safety officers and flight operations leaders aren’t asking whether they should do something about turbulence anymore. They’re asking where to find the best, most current data so that they can be proactive in planning and preparing.”
Climate change and El Niño add new complexity
The challenge is becoming more pressing as scientific evidence points to increasing turbulence in many parts of the world.
Professor Paul Williams, head of the Department of Meteorology and professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading, says recent research has identified a connection between El Niño and stronger clear-air turbulence.
“When we analysed 40 years of atmospheric data recently, we found strong evidence to support this idea.”
“During a typical swing from strong La Niña to strong El Niño conditions, we found that the wind shear at flight cruising altitudes over the North Atlantic increases by around 35%, and the amount of clear-turbulence increases by around 30%.”
“These impacts on turbulence are not confined to the North Atlantic, but extend all around the world, including Asia.”
Williams says climate change is reinforcing that trend.
“I have been studying the link between climate change and turbulence for 15 years.”
“We see it in observational data since satellites began observing the atmosphere in 1979, we see it in supercomputer simulations of the future climate, and we understand the basic physical mechanisms involved.”
“For flight routes in the midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, including the Middle East, Asia, the North Pacific, North America, the North Atlantic, and Europe, the projections are for hundreds of per cent more turbulence by the 2060s.”
Professor Paul Williams, head of the Department of Meteorology and professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Reading
Beyond safety, a business issue
While passenger safety remains paramount, airlines also face significant operational and financial implications.
Shpak says a five-year study by one airline found a 40-50 per cent reduction in turbulence-related injuries after integrating real-time turbulence intelligence into daily operations.
“Cabin crew accounts for 80% of turbulence-related injuries industry-wide, so that’s a direct safety and liability line item.”
She adds that turbulence-related rerouting, altitude changes and additional fuel burn account for roughly 1-2 per cent of fleet fuel costs, with airlines using the technology recovering an estimated 0.5 to 1 per cent of fleet fuel costs per aircraft each year. Fewer severe encounters also reduce the need for post-flight aircraft inspections.
AI becomes the next safety layer
Both experts believe the next major advance will come from combining atmospheric science with AI and live aircraft observations.
“The biggest breakthrough would be to move from forecasting turbulence indirectly — from large-scale atmospheric conditions — to predicting the turbulence itself,” says Williams.
“Ultimately, I expect the biggest gains to come from combining physics-based forecasting, machine learning, and real-time aircraft observations into a single system that continuously updates the predicted turbulence along each flight route, which is exactly the approach that SkyPath are taking.”
Shpak agrees that turbulence intelligence is becoming as fundamental to aviation as traditional weather forecasting.
“Absolutely. It took decades to develop tools for wind shear and icing, which are now mandatory, and no aircraft flies without them.”
“Turbulence has historically been treated as background risk, but that is no longer the case.”
For airlines operating through the Gulf, where long-haul networks connect Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, she argues that real-time turbulence intelligence is rapidly becoming core operational infrastructure rather than an optional safety enhancement.
While the investigation into the Air India incident continues, the episode has reinforced a wider industry message: turbulence may never be eliminated, but the ability to anticipate and avoid it is becoming one of aviation’s fastest-moving areas of innovation.
Bitcoin lands inside Rakbank Islamic: What customers can now do from the app
The new service combines everyday banking with access to virtual assets, allowing customers to access Bitcoin through Rakbank Islamic while transacting directly from their current or savings accounts in UAE dirhams
Rakbank announced on August 24, that Rakbank Islamic customers can buy, sell and hold Bitcoin through Bitpanda’s regulated virtual asset trading platform directly from the Rakbank mobile app.
The new service combines everyday banking with access to virtual assets, allowing customers to access Bitcoin through Rakbank Islamic while transacting directly from their current or savings accounts in UAE dirhams.
As interest in virtual assets continues to grow, customers are increasingly looking for ways to participate through trusted and transparent channels that align with their personal values. Rakbank’s new offering provides customers with a convenient way to access Bitcoin through a banking experience designed around their financial preferences and values.
By removing the need to transfer funds to and from external exchanges, customers can fund transactions directly from their Rakbank Islamic accounts, creating a more seamless experience while avoiding foreign exchange conversion costs.
Through the Rakbank app, customers can access Bitcoin through the Islamic Banking platform, supported by secure infrastructure and the confidence of banking with Rakbank.
Regulated infrastructure
The service is delivered through Bitpanda Broker MENA DMCC, Bitpanda’s Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)-regulated entity, while Rakbank facilitates access through its mobile banking app in accordance with Shari’ah principles.
Vikas Suri, MD, Wholesale Banking Group – Products at Rakbank, said: “At Rakbank, our focus is on making innovation accessible in a way that reflects our customers’ needs, values and aspirations.
“With this launch, Rakbank Islamic banking customers can access Bitcoin directly through the Rakbank mobile app, funded in UAE dirhams and supported by trusted, regulated infrastructure, while maintaining the Islamic values and principles that guide their financial decisions.
“By combining the convenience of everyday banking with responsible access to virtual assets, we are giving customers greater confidence, clarity and control as they explore this emerging asset class.”
Expanding access to virtual assets
The launch reflects growing customer interest in virtual assets and Rakbank’s commitment to delivering innovative financial solutions while maintaining standards of customer protection, transparency and regulatory alignment.
The milestone also positions Rakbank as the first conventional bank with an Islamic banking window to enable access to virtual asset trading through a regulated partner platform, further expanding access to virtual assets through a secure banking experience.
Bitpanda is one of the world’s leading digital asset infrastructure providers and is regulated by multiple European financial authorities. Its institutional technology business, Bitpanda Enterprise, is trusted by leading global financial institutions.
The launch builds on Rakbank’s strategic partnership with Bitpanda and reinforces the bank’s commitment to responsible innovation through trusted, regulated partnerships. By combining virtual asset innovation with the values and principles that underpin Rakbank Islamic, Rakbank continues to expand customer access to emerging financial technologies through a secure, transparent and customer-centric experience.
Al Ansari Exchange teams up with RTA to bring nol travel cards to more Dubai branches
The collaboration expands Al Ansari Exchange’s portfolio of third-party products while giving residents and visitors greater access to Dubai’s integrated mobility payment system
Al Ansari Exchange, the UAE’s leading remittance and foreign exchange company and a subsidiary of Al Ansari Financial Services, has partnered with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in association with MDX Technology Solutions ME, to make nol Travel Cards available at selected branches across Dubai.
The collaboration expands Al Ansari Exchange’s portfolio of third-party products while giving residents and visitors greater access to Dubai’s integrated mobility payment system through its extensive branch network.
Image credit: Supplied
Expanding access across Dubai
Residents and visitors can now purchase nol Travel Cards from selected Al Ansari Exchange branches, distributed through MDX Technology Solutions ME, the RTA-authorised distributor of nol Travel Cards. The move provides an additional point of access to one of Dubai’s most widely used mobility payment solutions.
The partnership also supports Al Ansari Exchange’s strategy of developing a connected physical and digital ecosystem, giving customers convenient access to a broader range of everyday financial and lifestyle services.
Image credit: Supplied
One card for transport and more
The nol Travel Card enables cashless payments across Dubai’s public transport network, including the Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public buses, marine transport and public parking. It is also accepted at more than 14,000 retail outlets across the UAE.
Through the nol Pay App, cardholders can additionally access more than 200 lifestyle offers and discounts.
Commenting on the collaboration, Musad Ibrahim Alhammadi, director of Automated Collection Systems at Corporate Technology Support Services Sector, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: “Expanding the availability of nol Travel Cards through strategic collaborations supports RTA’s efforts to make mobility services more accessible across Dubai. Providing additional distribution channels contributes to wider adoption of digital payment solutions and enhances the travel experience for residents and visitors.”
Ali Al Najjar, CEO of Al Ansari Exchange, added: “As customer expectations continue to evolve, we are expanding the role of Al Ansari Exchange beyond traditional financial transactions by bringing together financial, payment and everyday lifestyle services through both our branch network and digital platforms. Making nol Travel Cards available through our branches complements our broader strategy of creating a seamless customer experience while supporting Dubai’s vision for a smart, digitally connected city.”
