Saudi Telecom seeks to cut $2.39bn offer for Vodafone Egypt

STC had said that the offer gives the Egyptian business an enterprise value of $4.35bn

Indian-workers-Saudi

Saudi extends validity of expired residency visas for expats stuck aboard

The decision comes since international passenger flights to and from the kingdom remain suspended

UAE spending

UAE federal budget records Dhs9.75bn surplus in H1 2020

The federal government’s total revenues were reported at Dhs34.7bn

Khashoggi

Khashoggi Verdict: No death penalty for accused in final Saudi ruling

Five of the men had been sentenced to death last year, but Khashoggi’s son announced in May that his family had forgiven the killers

Oman to reopen airports for international flights in October

These flights will be scheduled as per the prevailing health conditions of the specific destinations and according to the bilateral agreements with other airlines

How digital transformation enabled Al Salam Bank Bahrain to weather the Covid-19 storm

Rafik Nayed, group CEO, Al Salam Bank Bahrain, discusses the bank’s digital strategy in the Covid era with Gulf Business

Dubai Central laboratory

New food testing lab in Dubai to screen for contaminants

The lab has been set up in the Fruits and Vegetables Market in Warsan, Dubai

BMW LVL Up Academy

BMW Middle East to organise esports training sessions throughout September

The series provides esports enthusiasts and casual gamers an opportunity to learn different aspects of gaming from professionals in a private one-on-one setting

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways offers global Covid-19 insurance cover to passengers

All Etihad tickets, regardless of the date on which they have been booked, will include the Covid-19 insurance for those traveling until December 31, 2020

Abu Dhabi International Airport, shopping duty free

Abu Dhabi Duty Free launches home delivery service for residents across the UAE

The deliveries will be fulfilled by Aramex

Dubai Chamber headquarters extension slated to be ready by early 2021

As much as 76 per cent of the construction work has been completed on the building

GCC Covid-19 update: Oman registers 256 cases; 470 cases reported in UAE

The death toll in the UAE stands at 390

Dubai’s Emirates processes over 1.4 million refund requests; returns $1.4bn to customers

The processed refund requests represent 90 per cent of the airline’s backlog

Dubai-based online marketplace The Luxury Closet secures investment from Huda Beauty

The Luxury Closet targets the resale of perfect condition items from high-end brands

Bahrain postpones reopening of public schools by two weeks

Public schools were scheduled to reopen for the administrative, technical and teaching staff on September 6

social media

Social space: A roundup of all the GCC social media news in August

Fadi Khater, founder and managing partner of digital marketing agency Netizency, provides an overview of social media trends in the region

How is Dubai’s holiday homes sector faring?

With Dubai open to welcoming tourists again, holiday homes are set to gain further traction

Israel’s two biggest banks sending delegations to UAE

The normalisation process announced last month is the first between Israel and a Gulf Arab state

Bahrain

Bahrain reopens border to tourists and non-residents following Covid-19 closure

All incoming passengers must undergo a PCR test at their own expense after landing at the airport as well as on the tenth day of their stay in the kingdom

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad extends reduced pay for employees till end of the year; caps cut at 10%

The salary cuts were initially announced in March

RTAs-public-buses-

RTA begins using machine learning in planning bus routes in Dubai

The RTA aims to revamp 158 routes used by 2,158 buses in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai Land Department introduces AI into real estate valuation process

The valuation will be provided via DLD’s app called Dubai REST

GCC Covid-19 update: UAE registers 513 cases; 619 infections confirmed in Kuwait

The death toll in the UAE remains unchanged at 388

Dubai’s Emirates to restore full salaries of employees from October

The carrier first introduced salary cuts in March this year

Dubai RTA Classic Cars

RTA launches new design for licence plates of classic vehicles in Dubai

The plates will be available from November and can be ordered via the RTA’s website or through its Customer Happiness Centre in Deira

Dubai Economy facilitates partnerships between Emirates Cooperative Society, fulfilment partners to ease online shopping

The fulfilment partners will showcase up to 4,000 products of Emirates Cooperative Society, as well as deliver them to customers within 60-90 minute from the time of purchase

Oman Sultan to rule on VAT after legislature suggests 2022 start

Oman would become the fourth of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s six states to collect VAT

Emirates

Dubai’s Emirates to begin flights to three additional cities this week

With these new flights, the airline’s global network will expand to 84 destinations

Saudis reduce oil pricing in sign demand recovery is struggling

Aramco will also trim pricing for lighter barrels to northwest Europe and the Mediterranean region

Covid-19

Abu Dhabi updates Covid-19 testing requirements to enter emirate

Visitors and residents entering and staying there for six consecutive days or more, must undergo a Covid-19 PCR test on the sixth day of their stay