flydubai 2

Flydubai, Aster offer discounted Covid-19 PCR tests for passengers

The offer is available for flydubai passengers travelling from Dubai

Rizwan Sajan

Exclusive: Dubai’s Danube chairman on why the UAE will see a V-shaped recovery from the Covid crisis

The UAE is poised for a rapid rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, mainly led by tourism, opines Danube Group’s Rizwan Sajan

Airbus beats Boeing on deliveries, avoids order cancellations

Airbus customers to get jets in August included Gulf Air, which took its first A321neo, and Portuguese carrier Orbest, which received an initial A330-900 wide-body

Sharjah extends distance learning across all private schools by two more weeks

The move intends to limit the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic

UAE-ISRAEL-US-DIPLOMACY

UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah to sign official peace treaty with Israel in Washington on September 15

The Israeli delegation will include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

GCC Covid-19 update: UAE registers 644 cases; 781 infections recorded in Saudi Arabia

The death toll in the UAE stands at 391

Emaar Malls appoints Rajiv Suri as new CEO

Former Emaar Malls CEO Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne stepped down in 2019

Drake & Skull

Dubai-based contractor Drake & Scull appoints new CEO, CFO

Munir Mansour has been appointed as the new CEO, while Peter Lalor has now taken over as the CFO

Gulf Business Awards

Gulf Business Awards: A roundup of the previous Lifetime Achievement Award winners

As we get closer to the 2020 edition of the esteemed Gulf Business Awards, we look back at the previous winners of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award

Pure Harvest

UAE’s Pure Harvest to open $30m facility in Kuwait to supply retailer Sultan Center

The farm will supply many varieties of tomatoes, vine crops, leafy greens and berries and is expected to open next year

Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center

Tadweer inaugurates second phase of solar power unit at Abu Dhabi recycling facility

The second phase has enhanced the facility’s solar energy utilisation by increasing its capacity to 600 kilowatts per hour

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