Sharjah Department of Public Works (SDPW) has completed the Ladies Beach Park in Dibba Al Hisn, delivering a 6,350 square metre women-focused recreational development aimed at enhancing quality of life and community amenities.

The project is part of wider efforts to expand modern leisure infrastructure across the emirate, according to a WAM report.

Read more-Dubai to roll out ‘Work from Park’ spaces in push to blend productivity with green areas

The project includes a two-wing building featuring a fitness hall, creativity hall, café, administrative offices, a clinic, a prayer room, and security facilities, along with supporting services. Designed as an integrated destination, the park provides a dedicated environment for women to engage in sports, wellness, and social activities within a modern and well-equipped setting.

Family-friendly amenities and fitness spaces

Additional features include a shaded children’s playground with safe rubber flooring and a waterfront jogging track, encouraging outdoor activity and fitness in a family-friendly environment.

The SDPW also implemented coastal protection works, constructing a 200-metre rock revetment to safeguard the shoreline and park infrastructure from wave impact. The beach has been enclosed with a 3-metre-high fence to ensure privacy, alongside lifeguard towers, bathing areas, and service rooms to enhance visitor safety.

The development strengthens Dibba Al Hisn’s recreational offering and supports the emirate’s commitment to providing safe, inclusive public spaces for women.

HeadsUp, a technology company specialising in procurement and pricing intelligence for the food and beverage (F&B) industry, has launched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), offering its platforms free of charge as operators face rising costs and supply chain pressures.

The move comes as geopolitical uncertainty and cost volatility increase the need for real-time pricing visibility across the sector. HeadsUp’s platform addresses a longstanding industry gap by providing market-wide insights into supplier pricing, helping operators benchmark costs and optimise procurement decisions.

By combining real purchasing data with artificial intelligence (AI), the platform enables businesses to compare pricing across suppliers in the UAE, identify inefficiencies, and reduce reliance on manual tracking processes.

As part of the launch, HeadsUp has made its Pepper platform, designed for independent and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and Benchmarket, built for enterprise groups, fully accessible at no cost, lowering barriers to adoption at a critical time for the industry.

“This wasn’t the timing we had planned,” said Sven Tietz, co-founder and chief executive officer of HeadsUp. “But as the situation evolved, it became clear how much pressure the industry is under and we had the tools to help operators better understand and manage their costs today.”

He added: “It’s a vote of confidence in the future of the industry in the UAE, and a decision to show up and support the market during one of its most difficult times. We’re carrying the cost of making the platform available because we believe in the leadership of the UAE, in the F&B industry and in the resourcefulness and staying power of its people. When the current situation passes, the industry has a bright and exciting future ahead which we’re looking forward to being an integral part of.”

While the platform is expected to transition to a commercial model in the future, the company’s immediate focus is on supporting operators and building a shared intelligence ecosystem to improve cost transparency and procurement efficiency.

HeadsUp is already operational in South Africa, where it is used by F&B operators purchasing at scale. Insights from these deployments have informed the platform’s development, enabling it to address practical procurement challenges.

The UAE launch is expected to enhance pricing transparency across the F&B ecosystem, enabling operators to identify inconsistencies, protect margins, and make more informed purchasing decisions in an increasingly complex operating environment.

Dubai Police has introduced the VOYAH FREE extended range electric vehicle (EREV) into its patrol fleet, in collaboration with Performance Plus Motors, marking a step towards smart and sustainable mobility solutions.

The addition reflects ongoing efforts to integrate advanced, low-emission vehicles into frontline operations, supporting the UAE’s broader sustainability and smart mobility agenda.

The VOYAH FREE operates primarily on electric power through dual electric motors, supported by a high-efficiency petrol generator that recharges the battery to extend driving range. This Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) system enables long-distance travel without the need for frequent charging.

The two patrol vehicles were unveiled by Major General Rashid Khalifa Al Falasi, Director of the General Department of Transport and Rescue, at Dubai Police headquarters, in the presence of senior officials from both Dubai Police and Performance Plus Motors.

The vehicle offers a combined driving range of up to 1,357 kilometres under the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) standard, with a dual motor all-wheel drive system producing 360 kilowatts (kW) of power, equivalent to 483 horsepower, and 720 Newton metres (Nm) of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) in 4.5 seconds.

Designed for operational flexibility, the VOYAH FREE features adjustable air suspension with up to 100 millimetres (mm) of lift, along with a triple-screen cabin and a luggage capacity ranging from 560 to 1,320 litres.

Major General Al Falasi highlighted the role of such initiatives in enhancing operational efficiency while supporting environmental goals, noting that Dubai Police continues to adopt eco-friendly transport solutions to strengthen its presence across the emirate.

Mohamed Elzawawy, general manager of Performance Plus Motors, said: “This partnership goes beyond vehicle delivery. It is about building long term collaboration around smart, responsible mobility. VOYAH’s EREV technology offers an ideal balance between electric efficiency and extended range, making it a strong fit for fleet operations and a meaningful contributor to the UAE’s transition towards cleaner transportation.”

The move underscores Dubai Police’s focus on leveraging advanced automotive technologies to support both operational performance and sustainability objectives, as the emirate continues to position itself at the forefront of smart mobility innovation.

Rising fuel costs are accelerating a shift towards electric and hybrid vehicles in the UAE, with new data showing a sharp increase in consumer interest as buyers prioritise efficiency and long-term savings.

Engagement with electric vehicles (EVs) rose by 24 per cent in the first week of April, significantly outpacing the 5 per cent growth seen in gasoline and diesel segments, according to data from dubizzle.

The increase points to a broader structural change in purchasing behaviour rather than short-term demand, as consumers reassess the total cost of vehicle ownership amid volatile fuel prices driven by geopolitical developments.

The EV segment is seeing growing traction across a range of global and emerging brands, including Tesla, Xiaomi and BYD, reflecting a diversification of consumer preferences and openness to newer market entrants.

Hybrid vehicles are gaining ground, shows dubizzle data

Hybrid vehicles are also gaining ground, recording 8 per cent growth, particularly among buyers seeking a transitional option that combines fuel efficiency with practicality.

“Rising fuel costs are accelerating a shift that was already underway,” said Haider Khan, CEO of dubizzle and CEO of Dubizzle Group MENA. “What we’re seeing now is a more decisive move from consumers towards vehicles that offer long-term efficiency and cost control. Electric and hybrid models are no longer niche considerations; they are becoming central to how buyers evaluate value in today’s market.”

The data suggests that buyers are becoming more deliberate in their purchasing decisions, spending more time comparing listings and saving searches, indicating a shift towards research-driven behaviour.

Demand remains broad-based across price segments, with higher-value vehicles showing a recovery of up to 23 per cent. However, interest in more affordable options is also rising, with page views for vehicles priced under Dhs100,000 increasing by 4 per cent.

Brand preferences are also shifting, with Japanese and Chinese manufacturers gaining engagement and outperforming German brands by the end of March, highlighting a move towards value-oriented choices.

The findings underscore a wider recalibration in the UAE automotive market, as consumers place greater emphasis on efficiency, total cost of ownership and long-term value, positioning electric and hybrid vehicles as central to future demand.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is planning to invest tens of billions of dollars to build a natural gas business in the United States, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday.

Nameer Siddiqui, the newly appointed chief investment officer of ADNOC’s overseas investment arm XRG, told the newspaper that the company is reviewing 29 potential deals aimed at creating a vertically integrated global gas business.

The strategy is to diversify XRG’s commodity exposure by operating across the entire gas value chain, Siddiqui added.

XRG is weighing options to create a business that would meet rising global demand for liquefied natural gas and the growing US demand to power data centres, the report said.

Potential investments could include everything from “getting gas out of the ground, owning the pipes and the processing plants and all the way to liquefaction facilities to put gas on water and potentially even owning the re-gas facilities and pipelines to end users in destination countries,” he said.

Asked about XRG’sfinancial capacity given the challenges linked to the Iran war, Siddiqui reaffirmed the company’s commitment to deploy tens of billions of dollars into the US energy value chain.

“This is unwavering, although obviously we will only do that under the right return expectations. The US is a market where we want to be bold.“