Once known primarily for its oil wealth and gleaming skyscrapers, the UAE is now carving out a new global identity as a magnet for digital nomads, according to a report published by the state news agency WAM.
Rising to second place globally in the 2025 VisaGuide Digital Nomad Visa Index, the UAE has become one of the world’s most attractive destinations for remote workers, trailing only Spain and leapfrogging previous contenders such as the Bahamas, Hungary, and Montenegro.
This quiet but steady ascent reflects a broader strategy by the UAE to diversify its economy and position itself at the crossroads of global talent, technology, and mobility.
Rather than merely responding to the rise of remote work, the Gulf nation has anticipated it, building infrastructure, rolling out targeted visa programmes, and marketing its lifestyle offerings to a global audience of mobile professionals.
UAE rates highly with digital nomads for various reasons
According to Immigrant Invest, the UAE earned high marks across a wide range of indicators including internet quality, tax benefits, healthcare, cost of living, and, crucially, unmatched levels of safety and stability.
Remote work, once a niche privilege, has now ballooned into a global economic force valued at around $800bn a year.
Nearly 40 million people globally identify as digital nomads, a number projected to swell to one billion by 2035. If it were a country, the global digital nomad community would rank 41st in population, according to the report.
Recognising the shift early, the UAE launched its one-year renewable Remote Work Visa in 2021, making it one of the first countries to tailor immigration policy to remote professionals.
The move was swiftly followed by Abu Dhabi’s Virtual Working Programme, reinforcing the country’s intent to turn digital nomadism from a pandemic-era trend into a permanent pillar of its knowledge economy.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are now ranked first and fourth respectively among the world’s top cities for remote work by RemoteWork360.
While infrastructure and visa policies provide the backbone, lifestyle remains a key selling point. From the beaches of Ras Al Khaimah to the art districts of Sharjah, the UAE is promoting itself as more than just an office in the sun but a place to live, explore and thrive.
From café to empire: Natasha Sideris on Tashas Group’s Middle East rise
Based in Dubai, tashas founder Natasha Sideris is driving a bold international expansion, bringing her signature blend of boutique dining and warm hospitality from South Africa to the world
When Natasha Sideris opened the first tashas restaurant in Johannesburg’s Atholl Square in 2005, she never imagined it would grow into an international dining empire.
Now based in Dubai, Sideris is leading one of the most ambitious expansions in global hospitality, taking her boutique approach to dining far beyond her native South Africa.
Today, Tashas Group operates 40 restaurants across five countries. Of these, 18 are located in South Africa, 17 in the UAE, 3 in Saudi Arabia, 1 in Bahrain, and 1 in the UK. With 15 additional openings scheduled in the next 18 months, the group is on track for continued expansion across its core markets.
“I always said I would never go into the food business,” Sideris laughs, recalling her childhood.
“My father was a restaurateur, and I saw how hard it was. The only day we spent with him was Mondays, when restaurants closed in South Africa. He’d take us to The Doll’s House for steak rolls and milkshakes. But otherwise, he was always working.”
While studying psychology at university, her father convinced her to help out at his busy Fishmonger restaurant in Rivonia, a suburb in northern Johannesburg.
“I’d go to lectures during the day, my apron in the boot of the car. Then I’d work from four in the afternoon until one or two in the morning,” she recalls. “I fell in love with the adrenaline and the customer interaction.”
“Working in restaurants combines everything I love: people, interiors, the way spaces make you feel, and of course, food. Growing up in a Greek household, food was always at the centre of everything.”
The birth of tashas
After years working with her father and running several restaurants, including a successful turnaround of a Nino’s outlet, an opportunity came knocking. A landlord who admired her work offered her a site if she created her own brand. Sideris brainstormed dozens of names before finally agreeing to name it after herself.
“The landlord kept saying, ‘Call it tashas.’ I was hesitant, but eventually I said, ‘OK, let’s go for it.'”
From its very first day, tashas in Johannesburg’s upmarket Atholl Square was packed. That restaurant opening marked the beginning of the tashas journey and, by 2008, just three years later, Sideris sold a majority 51 per cent stake to JSE-listed food group Famous Brands.
“It was a good deal at the time,” she explains.
“I had two restaurants. They offered corporate governance, admin systems, procurement.”
The partnership proved valuable in the early years, but eventually, Sideris realised she was doing all the heavy lifting.
“I was driving everything myself, especially once I moved to Dubai,” she says.
COVID-19 provided an unexpected opportunity.
“It was devastating globally, but for me, it allowed me to renegotiate and buy the business back. Now, it’s just myself, my brother Savva Sideris, and a minority partner who own the group.”
The Dubai move
In 2014, Sideris made the bold decision to open in Dubai – a move that would fuel international growth.
“South Africa was saturated. The UK and US had too many barriers to entry. Dubai made sense: close to South Africa, culturally familiar, with an incredible hospitality scene. Greeks and Arabs share a love for family, food, and generosity.”
That move has proven transformative, given the global expansion her business has experienced.
While many brands lose their identity as they grow, Sideris insists on maintaining what she calls “boutique at scale.”
“Every venue we open feels as carefully crafted as the first. We want customers to feel a genuine sense of place and hospitality wherever they visit,” she says.
That commitment includes maintaining South African staff culture even as the business grows internationally.
“When we opened our first store in Galleria Mall here in Dubai, I insisted that 70 per cent of the staff had to be South African. Today we aim for 25 per cent, but South Africans and Zimbabweans are still a core part of our DNA.”
Pictured: Avli by tashas in DIFC reflects Natasha Sideris’s expanding portfolio and premium positioning in the UAE’s culinary scene.
A new phase of growth
The next phase of growth will take the group deeper into international markets. Luxury concepts such as Flamingo Room by tashas, Avli by tashas (now open in both Dubai and Bahrain), and Bungalo34 are being positioned for major cities and beach destinations across Europe, the US, and Asia.
Meanwhile, the casual dining formats, especially NALA and tashas, are slated for broad expansion via franchising globally.
New concepts launching this year include Arlecchino by tashas, a premium casual Italian offering, and Café Sofi, an ode to Sideris’ late mother, opening in Cape Town.
The group’s expansion strategy balances flagship-owned venues with selective franchising.
Sideris remains intimately involved in interiors, food, drinks and branding.
“I’m not involved in admin or training day-to-day: my teams are excellent at that,” she says.
“But I still sign off on every interior design, every dish, every beverage, every piece of marketing. It’s my passion.”
“In the beginning, it was partly about money and partly for the love of it,” she reflects.
“Now, it’s about legacy and creating opportunities for our people. We’re building an ESOP (employee share ownership programme) because I want those who have been with us to benefit long-term.”
She sums it up simply: “I want people to say we created something special, that we made a difference in people’s lives.”
In July 2025, the US Congress enacted the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB): a landmark legislative overhaul combining permanent extensions of Trump-era tax cuts for individuals and businesses with major spending cuts to welfare programmes and a hefty increase in defense and border security outlays.
The bill narrowly cleared its final hurdle in the House of Representatives, positioning it to become law following his signature on July 4.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the legislation is projected to add approximately $3.3–$3.4 trillionto federal deficits over the next decade and leave 11–12 million Americans without Medicaid coverage, a claim strongly disputed by the White House.
“President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill delivers on the commonsense agenda that nearly 80 million Americans voted for – the largest middle-class tax cut in history, permanent border security, massive military funding, and restoring fiscal sanity. The pro-growth policies within this historic legislation are going to fuel an economic boom like we’ve never seen before. President Trump looks forward to signing the One Big, Beautiful Bill into law to officially usher in the Golden Age of America,” the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.
From a B2B perspective, this bill sends strong signals: a brighter corporate tax landscape and investment clarity, contrasted with harsh reductions in healthcare and social safety nets. It deliberately reshapes incentives in sectors like renewable energy, defense, manufacturing, and infrastructure, offering strategic opportunities for businesses and investors.
With permanent 2017 tax cuts, expanded bonuses, and full 100 per cent expensing, the bill aims to stimulate corporate investment. Yet it simultaneously reverses many climate-related credits, potentially chilling solar and wind projects. Defense and security sectors, by contrast, are set to benefit from a $150 billion boost each in defense and border security funding.
Lost in the US-centric coverage, however, are ripple effects in the GCC region, from fiscal and investment flows to energy markets and defense partnerships. Gulf sovereign wealth funds with heavy US bond and equity exposure may see altered yields and investment valuations. A return to robust US fossil fuel production and weaker renewables support could benefit GCC oil exporters, even as geopolitical and military collaboration dynamics evolve.
Sector-wise breakdown
Tax and corporate sector
Permanent tax cuts: Lowers corporate and individual tax rates, increases SALT cap to $40K temporarily, and adds incentives for tips and overtime.
Business certainty: Enhanced planning through long-term tax predictability, including 100 per cent Section 179 expensing.
Trade & remittance levy: Introduces a 1 per cent tax on remittances—raising potential issues for global fund flows.
Healthcare and welfare
Drastic Medicaid/SNAP cuts: Deep reductions could strip about 10–11 million low-income Americans of benefits.
Eligibility changes: Programmes now include stricter work mandates and state cost-sharing, potentially straining hospital systems.
Defense and border security
Defense boost: More than $150 billion for military, including “Golden Dome” missile defense, drones, and nuclear upgrades.
Immigration enforcement: More than $150 billion for border control, ICE expansion, detention capacity for up to 1 million deportees annually.
Energy and environment
Clean energy rollback: Repeals IRA tax credits, halts renewables momentum, and favors fossil fuels, nuclear, and gas sectors.
Energy dominance push: Positions US around nuclear and gas reliability; delays investment in solar and wind.
Spectrum & R&D incentives: 600 MHz spectrum auction planned by 2034; R&D expensing restored to spur innovation.
Agriculture and rural
Support for rural hospitals: $50 billion allocated to support struggling healthcare systems in non-urban areas.
Agricultural enhancements: Elevated crop insurance, price supports, and disaster relief totalling approximately $60 billion.
GCC impact snapshot
Sovereign wealth and portfolio returns: The tax cuts and increased US debt may drive higher bond yields, squeezing GCC external debt issuances. A new remittance tax could also slightly dent returns for GCC-based investors in the US.
Energy market ripples: Rollbacks in clean energy tilt US fuel demands back to oil and gas, supporting GCC hydrocarbon export prices in the short to mid-term.
Defense and security ties: Expanded US defense budgets open avenues for GCC collaboration on advanced military and border technologies.
Investment climate: Tax clarity may attract more GCC foreign direct investment into US infrastructure and technology sectors, though uncertainty in welfare and fiscal policy might temper risk appetite.
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” epitomises a high-stakes gamble: it locks in permanent tax relief and certainty for corporations and the wealthy, while significantly slashing social safety nets, primarily Medicaid, potentially leaving nearly 12 million Americans uninsured. Although fossil fuel industries benefit from revived incentives, the rollback of clean‑energy credits casts a shadow over green energy’s momentum, even as targeted investments in technology, defense, and research and development open long‑term growth pathways, assuming fiscal discipline and stable global trade persist.
As organisations accelerate their digital transformation journeys, identity has become the new security perimeter, and the most critical layer of defence against modern cyber threats.
Yet, with a growing number of SaaS applications, fragmented security frameworks, and evolving compliance mandates, securing identity is more complex than ever.
Okta, a global leader in identity and access management, is working to change that. From championing a new Identity Security Standard to rolling out AI-driven threat protection and embracing a passwordless future, the company is aiming to redefine how enterprises approach identity.
Mark Whelan, Head of EMEA Growth Markets at Okta, shares how the company is building a more secure, scalable identity ecosystem, and what lies ahead for the future of identity management.
Q: What are the key objectives of the new Identity Security Standard, and how will it elevate identity protection across SaaS platforms?
The Identity Security Standard initiative is about creating a unified, standardised framework to securing identity across all enterprise applications. Its core mission is to provide a common framework that SaaS builders can rely on to meet the increasingly complex security needs of their customers. By standardising identity practices, we aim to make enterprise apps secure by default, fostering an open ecosystem. This move enhances end-to-end security for enterprise SaaS platforms.
Q: Okta’s recent solutions like Governance and Identity Threat Protection aim to build a secure ecosystem. What sets Okta’s approach apart from others in the industry?
What differentiates Okta is our commitment to delivering complete and unified identity management. Our platform integrates seamlessly with existing IT ecosystems, which means customers don’t have to choose between compatibility and innovation. We focus on high availability and always-on security, ensuring that protection is continuous and resilient. Importantly, we also emphasise user experience. There should never be a trade off between security and usability.
Q: How does the Okta Secure Identity Commitment (OSIC) influence client security practices? Could you share any notable examples?
One of OSIC’s core focuses is promoting phishing-resistant authentication. Beyond that, it reflects our ongoing investment in next-gen tools, including the use of AI and emerging areas like Identity Security Posture Management. The results speak for themselves: clients have seen up to a 90% reduction in credential stuffing attempts over 90 days, and in just a single month, OSIC’s protective mechanisms have blocked 2 billion potentially malicious access requests. These outcomes underscore how deeply OSIC is influencing operational security in real time.
Q: How is Okta leveraging AI in identity security, and what role do you see AI playing in protecting against future threats?
AI plays a pivotal role in our identity threat protection strategy today and will only become more critical moving forward. Currently, AI enables real-time threat detection and behavioural anomaly analysis, which means capabilities that are essential for identifying risks before they escalate. In the future, we see AI enhancing both security and user experience by analysing vast signals more efficiently and automating response mechanisms. This transition from reactive to proactive identity security means we can predict and prevent threats before they occur. Tools like Okta’s AI-driven Identity Threat Protection are already showing how transformative this approach can be.
Q: How does Okta ensure that new features effectively combat identity-based attacks, and what challenges do you face in staying ahead of these threats?
We take a customer-first approach to product development, working closely with organisations to understand the challenges they face. This gives us a comprehensive view of the industry and the market. To address identity-based attacks, we rely on a combination of real-time risk monitoring, adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA), and AI-powered detection. These systems continuously evaluate user behaviour, flag anomalies, and respond dynamically to threats—offering protection that extends far beyond the login screen. Of course, staying ahead isn’t easy. The pace of attack sophistication is accelerating, and striking the right balance between robust security and seamless user experience is always a challenge. Our solution is to continuously evolve and integrate with a broad range of tools, ensuring we stay resilient as the ecosystem grows more complex.
Q: Looking ahead, what major shifts do you expect in identity management over the next decade?
That’s the billion-dollar question. It’s always tricky to predict the future, but some trends are already becoming clear. First, passwords are on their way out. Technologies like Passkeys are gaining traction, and we expect passwordless authentication to become the norm. Second, Zero Trust has gone from being a buzzword to a foundational principle; it’s now standard practice, especially among digital-native organisations. We also anticipate stronger privacy regulations, and Okta is proactively building compliance and transparency into its solutions to help customers navigate this changing environment. Finally, AI will take centre stage. As it matures, AI will bring greater intelligence and automation to identity management, allowing organisations to predict and neutralise threats before they materialise.
Recall alert: Why Saudi pulled over 88,000 Anker power banks
The ministry urged all consumers to immediately stop using any of the affected products and to contact Anker to arrange for a replacement
Image credit: Defective Products Recall Center/Saudi Ministry of Commerce
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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of more than 88,000 Anker power banks due to a serious safety concern.
The affected power banks, spanning five different models, may suffer from an internal electrical short circuit that could cause overheating and increase the risk of fire, a Saudi Press Agency report said.
A total of 88,518 units are impacted by the recall, covering the following Anker power bank models:
A1257 (Anker Power Bank 10K, 22.5W)
A1681 (Anker Zolo Power Bank 20K, 30W, Built-in USB-C and Lightning Cable)
A1689 (Anker Zolo Power Bank 20K, 30W, Built-in USB-C Cable)
A1647 (Anker Power Bank 20,000mAh, 22.5W, Built-in USB-C Cable)
A1652 (MagGo Power Bank 10,000mAh, 7.5W, Stand)
The ministry urged all consumers to immediately stop using any of the affected products and to contact Anker to arrange for a replacement or full refund.
The ministry emphasised its ongoing commitment to monitoring consumer products and taking swift action when safety risks are identified.
How to check your device
Consumers who own an Anker power bank are encouraged to check the model number located on the bottom or side of the device. If the model matches one of the recalled units, users should proceed to verify the serial number or submit proof of purchase through Anker’s official recall site.
Customers can also reach Anker’s toll-free hotline at 800-850-0030 to begin the recall process.
Steps for consumers
If your power bank is confirmed to be part of the recall:
Stop using the device immediately.
Do not dispose of it until confirmation is received from Anker.
Complete the Recall Claim form on Anker’s website.
Follow instructions for receiving a replacement product or refund.
Disposal instructions
Once Anker confirms that your unit qualifies for the recall, the company will arrange for the pickup or shipment of the recalled product. Consumers are urged not to dispose of recalled batteries in regular trash, household recycling bins, or battery drop-off boxes at retail locations, as these facilities are not equipped to handle defective lithium-ion products.
Recalled batteries must be processed by certified facilities due to the elevated fire risk. Anker has committed to handling the safe disposal of all affected units.
Image: Dubai Media Office/ For illustrative purposes
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Dubai’s real estate sector recorded its strongest quarter on record in Q2 2025, with 53,252 property sales transactions totaling Dhs184.3bn, according to data released by real estate portal, Property Finder.
The figures mark a 22 per cent year-on-year increase in transaction volume and a 49 per cent surge in value, reflecting Dubai’s status as one of the world’s most resilient and attractive property markets.
The historic performance builds on a robust Q1 and reflects sustained confidence from both investors and end-users amid global economic uncertainty.
Ready real estate market drives growth
Dubai’s ready property market led the gains with 22,975 transactions, a 33 per cent increase from Q2 2024.
Transaction value rose by 62 per cent to Dhs115.5bn, up from Dhs71.3bn last year — surpassing previous peaks in both value and volume.
The segment contributed 43 per cent of total market activity, as rising rental prices pushed more residents toward home ownership.
According to Property Finder, the shift indicates a longer-term trend away from renting and into owner-occupied homes.
Off-plan segment sets new record
The off-plan segment also delivered record-breaking results, with 30,277 transactions, up 16 per cent year-on-year, and a total value of Dhs68.8bn, a 31 per cent increase over Q2 2024.
The segment accounted for 57 per cent of total Q2 transactions, reflecting investor confidence in Dubai’s regulatory stability and future growth.
Cherif Sleiman, chief revenue officer at Property Finder, attributed the surge to “proactive governance, agile policy making, and tighter regulation around agent conduct and advertising,” which have fostered transparency and boosted investor trust.
“As our data shows, the diversity of options in the property market today, especially across apartments, villas, and townhouses, reflects a healthy and active ecosystem,” said Sleiman. “This balance between demand and inventory signals market maturity rather than oversupply.”
Sleiman also welcomed the First-Time Home Buyer Programme, a government-backed initiative aimed at supporting residents in transitioning from renting to owning.
The programme is aligned with Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan and is supported by Property Finder in partnership with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
Outlook of sustained growth
With both ready and off-plan segments achieving a robust performance, Dubai’s real estate sector appears well-positioned for sustained growth.
The latest data from Property Finder suggests the market is maturing while remaining globally competitive, offering a mix of affordability, stability, and long-term value for domestic and international buyers.
