#News

Qatar

Qatar updates Covid-19 PCR testing rules for inbound citizens and residents

Vaccinated citizens and residents are not required to conduct a pre-departure PCR test before travelling to Qatar, provided that the country they are departing from is not on the red list

Etihad Rail

Etihad Rail signs Dhs1.99bn financing agreement for passenger services with First Abu Dhabi Bank

The passenger service will connect 11 cities and locations in the UAE and is expected to carry over 36.5 million passengers annually by 2030

Etisalat e&

UAE telecom major Etisalat Group rebrands as e&

e& has also announced the establishment of its consumer digital and enterprise digital business units

UAE

UAE updates terror list to include one individual and five entities

They have been linked to supporting and financing Yemen’s Houthi militia

Dubai real estate

Dubai most preferred foreign investment location for Saudi home buyers – Knight Frank

The annual 2022 Saudi Residential Survey spoke to 55 HNWIs in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam

Umex Simtex

UAE signs defence deals worth Dhs1.62bn on first two days of Umex and Simtex 2022

It marked an increase of 159 per cent compared to the corresponding period of last year’s exhibition

Bahrain

Bahrain begins construction on United States Trade Zone

The USTZ will be initially spread across approximately 1.11 million sq m and built at a cost of around BHD75m

Saudi Arabia maintained its position in the top 50 global rankings

Abu Dhabi records Dhs71.5bn of real estate transactions in 2021

There were a total of 14,958 sales and mortgage transactions, with Yas Island topping the list with Dhs4.1bn in real estate deals

Bharain investcorp

Bahrain’s Investcorp acquires 64 industrial properties worth $640m in the US

The latest acquisitions grows Investcorp’s US industrial real estate holdings to approximately $3.5bn across approximately 32 million sq ft

Dragon Oil

Dubai’s Dragon Oil confirms first oil discovery in Egypt’s Gulf of Suez

The field could contain around 100 million barrels in reserves

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia convicts 11 people for laundering SAR10bn

An initial verdict has led to the conviction of two Saudi nationals and nine expatriates

F22

US to bring F-22 fighter jet squadron to the UAE imminently

It has already deployed the the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole to patrol the waters of the UAE

Bahrain

Bahrain introduces permanent residency golden visas

Open to both residents and non-residents, as well as their families, the visa can be renewed indefinitely

single-use plastic ban starts on Jan 1

Dubai to impose tariff on single-use plastic bags from July 1

The tariff of 25 fils is being introduced with the ultimate aim of completely banning the use of these plastic bags over the next two years

Global emissions from buildings, construction climb to record levels

Dubai to reduce almost a third of its carbon emissions by 2030

The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy approved updated plans for the programme that will help the UAE meet its net-zero goal by 2050

dnata amsterdam

UAE’s dnata invests over EUR200m to operate cargo facility at Schiphol airport

The dnata Cargo City Amsterdam is scheduled to become operational in 2024 and will be capable of processing over 850,000 tonnes of cargo annually

UAE corporate tax

UAE to introduce federal corporate tax on business profits from 2023

The Ministry of Finance has set a rate of 9 per cent for taxable income exceeding Dhs375,000

UAe flag

UAE intercepts ballistic missile targeting country; no casualties reported

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said that there has been no impact on flights or the country’s airports

UAE’s Etisalat completes acquisition of elGrocer

The acquisition is expected to complement Etisalat UAE’s existing marketplace services under the Smiles brand

Antonio Gonzalez, CEO, Sunset Hospitality Group.

Dubai’s Sunset Hospitality Group to expand to 14 countries in 2022

It has announced plans to increase its portfolio to 50 operating venues globally by the end of this year

Ras al Khaimah UAE

New department in Ras Al Khaimah to regulate entertainment and gaming operations

The scope of activities of the Department of Entertainment and Gaming Regulation established will cover licensing, taxation, operational procedures, and consumer safeguards

Sharjah Islamic Bank

Sharjah Islamic Bank’s 2021 net profit up 27% to Dhs514.1m

Its general and administrative expenses at the end of last year stood at Dhs576.8m, compared to Dhs561.5m in 2020

Carlos A. Rosillo, CEO and co-founder of Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross co-founder Carlos A. Rosillo on the strengths of independent watchmaking

Merging French design with Swiss watchmaking techniques has resulted in a brand with universal appeal

Dubai

UAE’s Property Finder acquires proptech firm Homevalue

Fouad Bekkar, founder and CEO of Homevalue has joined Property Finder and takes on the role of vice president in charge of data and AI

Tadweer

Abu Dhabi’s Tadweer signs four contracts worth Dhs235m

These include the complete management of controlled waste landfills as well as pest control services in the emirate

Emirates Dubai USA

Dubai’s Emirates suspends flights to nine US destinations

The airline cited operational concerns with the planned deployment of 5G mobile network services at certain airports in the US

Marc Jones Motivate Talent

Five minutes with…Marc Jones, head of Motivate Talent

Part of the Dubai-headquartered Motivate Media Group, Motivate Talent aims to be the platform of choice for global personalities seeking inroads within the region

UAE launches Etihad 7 programme to fund renewable energy projects in Africa

The programme aims to supply clean electricity to 100 million people by 2035

UAE security

UAE says it “reserves right to respond” to Houthi militia attack in Abu Dhabi

The UAE added that those responsible for the targeting of its civilian facilities on Monday will be held accountable

Dubai Palm Jumeirah

Sharjah’s Arada enters Dubai property market, purchases Dhs240m land at Palm Jumeirah

The 20,500 square metre plot located on The Palm’s East Crescent has been bought from Nakheel