Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed meets with Sierra Leone President in Abu Dhabi

The two leaders discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Sierra Leone, especially in the investment, economic, trade and development fields

dubai-silicon-oasis

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority launches Sandbox programme to support early-stage tech startups

The programme operated by the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus will offer services worth over Dhs550,000

cyber attacks

Here’s why coding is a biggest game changer for digital innovation

Coding and programming help young students develop problem-solving abilities, such as solving an issue rationally and creatively

Covid-19 testing UAE 4

Covid-19: UAE reports less than 100 cases for the first time since March 2020

MoHAP also announced two deaths due to Covid-19 complications as well as 153 recoveries

Abu Dhabi schools

Abu Dhabi says schools with high student vaccination rates can gradually relax Covid-19 measures

According to ADEK, all staff and students aged 16 and above currently attending Abu Dhabi’s private and charter schools have been vaccinated

Emirates Draw

Results of latest edition of Emirates Draw announced

The winning combination of numbers for the main draw was 6926567

Saudi wealth fund PIF announces oil platform themed tourism project, ‘The Rig’

According to PIF, it is the world’s ‘first tourism destination on offshore platforms’ 

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Face masks no longer required to be worn in most public spaces

The Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah will also be allowed to operate at full capacity

Tunisia in talks with UAE, Saudi Arabia for funds, official says

Tunisia is battling long-running economic troubles and has been mired in fresh political upheaval since late-July

Artificial Intelligence

GITEX Future Stars: Meet the innovative startups from India, Japan and France

The startups set to present at GITEX Future Stars aim to bring together the most innovative ideas to inspire positive change in business and society

Explainer: Has the UAE’s hospitality sector recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic?

The hospitality sector is one small part of the Expo ecosystem but the event is fueling medium- and long-term growth within the space, opines Haitham Mattar, managing director for India, Middle East and Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts

Virtual Reality

GITEX Global: Women in tech

Women to take centre stage at GITEX Global’s TiE Women pitch competition, where women-led startups from over 40 cities pitch on stage for equity-free cash prizes, mentorship, investor networking and exposure

GITEX Future Stars: Meet the innovative startups from UAE, Italy and South Korea

Over 700 companies from more than 60 countries exhibiting at GITEX Future Stars will be able to access to the region’s tech investments

Abu Dhabi fund Mubadala Capital buys major Taco Bell franchisee

The deal reflects Mubadala Capital’s foray into the food and beverage sector, where it invested about $1.8bn in the past seven years alone

Madame Tussauds Dubai

Madame Tussauds Dubai opens to visitors

It features seven themed zones and over 60 lifelike wax figures

UAE reports 116 Covid-19 cases, 173 recoveries

The total number of recorded cases has risen to 738,268

Dubai’s Emirates expects 190,000 passengers to travel through DXB’s Terminal 3 this weekend

The busiest day for the airline will be Friday, October 15

Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions: Ireland, Singapore, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Bahrain, Austria

Here’s a list of eight participating country pavilions and their offerings

Saudi British Bank makes kingdom’s first green deposit to finance sustainable initiatives

The funds were deposited with HSBC in the UAE

Senior Kuwaiti official probed over ‘unauthorised’ decision to ban expats over 60

The decision to ban expatriates aged over 60 who do not hold a university degree from renewing their work permits has been revoked

UAE foreign trade

UAE’s non-oil foreign trade up 27% to Dhs900bn in H1 2021

The value of non-oil exports alone amounted to Dhs170bn during this period

How digital transformation is taking root within the construction industry

The pandemic has turbo-charged digital transformation. Is the construction industry ready to harness the full potential of the available technology?

Saudi Arabia considers freezones for cloud computing and manufacturing

At the outset Saudi Arabia plans to build four or five zones

Digital Tranformation

The digital revolution in the Middle East

Gartner predicts that the IT spending in the MENA region is set to grow 4.5 per cent annually and reach $171.3bn this year as businesses increasingly digitise amid pandemic

Etihad

Etihad raises $1.2bn in aviation’s first sustainability-linked ESG loan

Loan terms tied to targets to reduce CO2 emissions, increase corporate governance and promote female participation

UAE reports 126 Covid-19 cases, 163 recoveries

The nationwide case count has risen to 738,152

Abu-Dhabi

New Dhs5bn Abu Dhabi IPO fund launched to support SMEs

The fund will invest in five to 10 private companies per year

Germany

Travellers from UAE and Bahrain can now travel to Germany irrespective of vaccination status

The latest decision to add the two countries to the German safe list was based on a recommendation of the Council of the European Union

Rivoli Vision

Rivoli launches dedicated eyewear division in the GCC

Rivoli Vision expects 100 stores to be opened by early 2022 across its three eyewear retail concepts: Avanti, Rivoli Eyezone and Style 88

GITEX Global: What’s new in 2021?

The region’s largest IT exhibition has been defining the newest trends, and displaying product developments from across the world for over 40 years