Aster DM Quality Care Limited has officially commenced operations following the successful merger of Aster DM Healthcare and Quality Care India Limited (QCIL), creating one of India’s largest integrated healthcare platforms.

The newly formed organisation brings together four established healthcare brands, Aster DM, CARE Hospitals, Evercare and KIMSHEALTH, with a shared vision of expanding access to specialist care, advanced treatment and cutting-edge medical technology beyond India’s metropolitan centres.

As part of the new leadership structure, Dr Azad Moopen will continue as executive chairman, while Varun Khanna will serve as MD and group CEO.

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The combined entity begins operations with 39 hospitals across 28 cities and more than 10,600 beds, providing a strong presence across South and Central India. The company said the merger represents more than the coming together of two leading healthcare organisations, describing it as the creation of a stronger platform focused on delivering world-class healthcare closer to where patients live.

Expanding specialist healthcare beyond the metros

Aster Quality Care said it plans to strengthen its presence in several underpenetrated, fast-growing healthcare markets beyond India’s major cities.

The company will focus on decentralising affordable and advanced healthcare by expanding specialist services, investing in advanced medical technologies and strengthening centres of excellence across emerging healthcare hubs. These markets are expected to play an increasingly important role in the group’s long-term growth strategy.

Commenting on the first day of operations for the merged entity, Dr Moopen said, “The coming together of Aster and Quality Care as a single enterprise marks a defining milestone in our journey to build one of India’s most trusted and future-ready healthcare institutions. More than the combination of two healthcare networks; it is the convergence of shared values, clinical excellence, deep medical expertise and an unwavering commitment to patient care. Together, we are creating an institution that is stronger, more resilient and better positioned to address the evolving healthcare needs of India.”

Focus on seamless integration and patient care

The company said its immediate priority will be ensuring a smooth integration of operations while maintaining uninterrupted patient care across the combined network.

According to the leadership team, patients and their families will remain at the centre of every decision as the organisation integrates its systems, processes and clinical capabilities.

Speaking about the strategic priorities of the merged organisation, Khanna, said, “Aster Quality Care brings together highly complementary institutions, strong clinical ecosystems and teams united by a shared ambition to strengthen healthcare delivery in India. At Aster Quality Care patients and their families will be at the centre of every decision, with digitally enabled solutions and a strong bias for high-quality clinical outcomes. Our immediate focus is disciplined and seamless integration with continuity of patient care. We are committed to ensuring that patients, clinicians, employees and partners experience stability and consistency as we bring together systems, capabilities and best practices across the combined network.”

The merged platform is expected to generate significant synergies across clinical collaboration, technology adoption, procurement, digital health and operational excellence. The organisation said doctors across its hospitals will increasingly collaborate through shared treatment protocols, multidisciplinary case discussions and centres of excellence, helping ensure patients receive consistent standards of care while benefiting from a wider pool of specialist expertise.

Investment in advanced technology and regional healthcare

Aster DM Quality Care said it is well positioned to improve access to advanced healthcare services across India’s tier 2 and tier 3 cities, reducing the need for patients to travel to metropolitan centres for complex treatments.

Its network spans key cities including Nagpur, Aurangabad, Vijayawada, Guntur, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Nagercoil, Kolhapur, Kannur, Kasaragod and Kottakkal.

The company said this expansion reflects a long-standing commitment by both organisations to bring advanced healthcare closer to patients in emerging cities. Over the years, this has included introducing the first LINAC-based radiation therapy system in Nagercoil and expanding robotic surgery programmes across Raipur, Trivandrum and Kolhapur, with similar programmes planned for Guntur and Vijayawada.

Building on these initiatives, the merged entity plans to accelerate investments in advanced technologies, including Gamma Knife systems, stereotactic radiosurgery platforms such as ZAP, 10 robotic surgical platforms and other next-generation clinical capabilities. It also plans to improve access to advanced cancer treatment through the addition of 12 LINAC-based radiation therapy systems across tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

Growth plans and employment opportunities

Looking ahead, Aster DM Quality Care expects to expand its combined bed capacity to more than 15,000 beds over the coming years as it continues to increase access to affordable, high-quality healthcare across the country.

The organisation now brings together more than 45,000 healthcare professionals, creating one of India’s largest clinical ecosystems. The expanded network is expected to strengthen collaboration among doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals while supporting improved patient outcomes across its hospitals.

As the platform grows, the company said it also expects to generate thousands of new employment opportunities for doctors, nurses, allied healthcare professionals and support staff, contributing to the continued development of healthcare infrastructure and services in the communities it serves.

Sharjah Airport is preparing to welcome approximately 3 million passengers during the peak summer travel season across July and August 2026, with around 19,000 flight operations expected as part of a comprehensive plan to manage the seasonal increase in passenger traffic.

The airport said it has activated an integrated operational strategy in coordination with its strategic partners to ensure smooth passenger movement while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and service throughout the busy travel period, a WAM report said.

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Airport officials said all operational teams and support services are fully prepared to handle the expected surge in travellers. The plan also includes continuous performance monitoring to maintain operational efficiency and ensure services run smoothly during one of the year’s busiest travel periods.

Passengers urged to plan ahead

To support a seamless travel experience, Sharjah Airport is advising passengers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departure and to confirm their flight details with their respective airlines before travelling.

Travellers are also encouraged to ensure their passports and other required travel documents remain valid and to review airline baggage regulations before heading to the airport to help avoid delays.

Sharjah Airport highlighted several passenger-focused services designed to simplify the travel process. Among them is the Home Check-In service, currently available across Sharjah, allowing travellers to complete check-in procedures from their homes before arriving at the airport.

Passengers can also make use of self-service check-in facilities once they arrive at the terminal. In addition, the Al Diyafah hospitality service offers access to airport lounges while a dedicated team completes travel procedures on behalf of passengers, providing added convenience for families and other travellers.

Airport officials said these initiatives reflect Sharjah Airport’s ongoing commitment to enhancing operational readiness and improving customer experience as travel demand continues to grow.

The airport added that it will continue developing its services and strengthening operational capabilities to meet rising passenger numbers while supporting the sustainable growth of the aviation sector in the Emirate of Sharjah. Officials said the coordinated summer plan is designed to ensure travellers enjoy a safe, efficient and hassle-free journey throughout the peak holiday season.

stc Group and Huawei have successfully deployed Saudi Arabia’s first Full Duplex solution in Riyadh, introducing a next-generation 5G transport technology designed to boost network capacity, improve spectrum efficiency and strengthen connectivity for critical infrastructure.

The deployment marks another milestone in the companies’ long-standing partnership and supports Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to expand high-capacity 5G services as demand for digital connectivity continues to grow.

The Full Duplex solution enables a single connection to transmit and receive data simultaneously on the same frequency, delivering transmission capacity of up to 50Gbps while improving spectrum efficiency by up to 200 per cent. The technology is designed to support high-bandwidth 5G transport, particularly in suburban areas and emerging coverage zones where spectrum availability is more constrained.

Saudi Arabia launched nationwide 5G services in 2019 and has since become one of the world’s leading adopters of the technology. A significant portion of the country’s 5G infrastructure relies on microwave links, which connect mobile towers to the wider telecommunications network.

Conventional microwave transmission requires separate frequency channels for sending and receiving data, limiting network expansion where radio spectrum is scarce and creating challenges for delivering reliable, high-capacity connectivity to critical infrastructure.

To address these constraints, stc and Huawei jointly developed the Full Duplex solution, which operates using a single frequency channel. The approach reduces spectrum consumption, simplifies network architecture and maintains high-capacity connectivity with built-in network protection, improving both efficiency and resilience.

The deployment reflects the companies’ shared commitment to advancing next-generation 5G transport technologies and expanding network capabilities beyond major urban centres. It is expected to support future digital applications while contributing to Saudi Arabia’s wider digital transformation and connectivity ambitions.

Almarai reported double-digit revenue growth in the second quarter of 2026, with strong demand for its poultry and dairy products helping offset higher shipping, energy and raw material costs, as the Saudi food and beverage producer continued to expand its operations across the region.

Revenue increased 11 per cent year-on-year to SAR5.87bn ($1.57bn) during the quarter, while first-half revenue rose 9 per cent to SAR12.03bn compared with the same period last year.

Net profit remained stable at SAR635.7m in the second quarter, supported by topline growth, portfolio expansion and ongoing cost management initiatives despite continued inflationary and logistical pressures affecting the global food industry.

Almarai said improvements in its sales mix and operational efficiency contributed positively to financial performance, while strong consumer demand and higher sales volumes across its core markets sustained growth momentum.

Fawaz Al Jasser, CEO of Almarai, said: “Q2 2026 reflects another quarter of strong growth momentum for Almarai, attributable to healthy demand across our core product categories, particularly poultry and dairy. Disciplined execution and cost management have enabled us to deliver a stable and resilient financial performance. We remain confident in our strategy and commitment to food security and to strengthening our leadership across target markets, while continuing to innovate, meet evolving consumer expectations, and drive sustainable growth.”

The company’s poultry business remained its strongest-performing segment during the quarter, benefiting from an expanding customer base and continued investment in production capacity and operational efficiency, reinforcing its position as a key growth driver.

The dairy and juice divisions also recorded solid growth as demand strengthened, with Almarai continuing to expand its product portfolio through innovation and new product development.

Meanwhile, the bakery business delivered stable performance, supported by an improved product mix and ongoing product innovation. The company said it will continue focusing on product development and selective geographic expansion within the category.

Looking ahead, Almarai said it remains confident that its current growth strategy will continue to strengthen its market position, supported by continued investment in dairy, poultry and innovation to capture future growth opportunities and deliver long-term value.

Resilience is becoming a defining factor in economic competitiveness, operational continuity and public trust, with organisations increasingly embedding it into leadership, governance and long-term business strategy, government and technology leaders said at the Innovate through Resilience Summit 2026 in Abu Dhabi.

Organised by the UAE Cyber Security Council in collaboration with Dell Technologies, the summit examined how cyber, operational and geopolitical risks are reshaping resilience strategies, with speakers calling for a more integrated approach that extends beyond technology to encompass business continuity, critical infrastructure and executive decision-making.

Participants said organisations are moving away from managing cybersecurity, operational risk and business continuity as separate disciplines, instead adopting unified resilience frameworks that improve preparedness, strengthen recovery capabilities and support long-term organisational performance.

The discussions also highlighted the growing importance of combining cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), operational resilience and business continuity into integrated strategies designed to anticipate, withstand and recover from increasingly complex disruptions.

A central theme of the summit was “Kinetic Resilience”, a concept that integrates cybersecurity, operational resilience and critical infrastructure protection to help organisations maintain continuity in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of cybersecurity for the UAE Government, said: “The World Economic Forum has highlighted that cyber security is becoming increasingly central to trade and economic policy. This reflects the reality organizations are navigating today, where cyber security plays an important role in supporting economic stability, operational continuity, and competitiveness.

“Success in today’s digital economy is shaped not only by preventing disruption, but by the ability to anticipate change, respond effectively, recover with agility, and maintain trust throughout times of challenge.”

Mohammed Amin, senior vice president for CEEMETA at Dell Technologies, said: “Resilience is built through a combination of secure digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cyber security, and operational readiness. Organizations in the UAE are increasingly taking integrated approaches that bring these elements together. Collaboration between government and industry continues to play an important role in supporting trusted digital ecosystems that enable innovation, economic growth, and long-term resilience.”

The summit brought together senior government officials, technology executives, business leaders and cybersecurity experts to discuss strategies for building future-ready organisations capable of navigating an increasingly complex risk environment while supporting the UAE’s digital transformation agenda.

The event also builds on the strategic partnership between the UAE Cyber Security Council and Dell Technologies, including the establishment of a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi to strengthen national cyber capabilities and accelerate innovation in digital resilience.