People & Lifestyle A lifetime of service by the President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, was elected President of the United Arab Emirates in November 2004, to succeed his father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAE President from 1971 to 2004. Sheikh Khalifa presided over a major restructuring of both the Federal Government and the government of […] May 13, 2022
Sheikh Khalifa Remembered Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed has passed away Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the second President of the United Arab Emirates and 16th ruler of Abu Dhabi, died today aged 73. In a statement published by Wam, The Ministry of Presidential Affairs expressed its deepest condolences to the people of the UAE, Arab and Islamic nations and the world. The Ministry of Presidential […] May 13, 2022
Banking and Finance First dirham-denominated bond listed on Nasdaq Dubai The UAE’s first dirham-denominated treasury bond was listed on Nasdaq Dubai yesterday. Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, minister of state for financial affairs, today rang Nasdaq Dubai’s market-opening bell to celebrate the listing and circulation of AED1.5 billion as the first Dirham-denominated treasury bonds issued by the UAE Federal Government acting through the Ministry of Finance. […] May 13, 2022
Insight Food & Drink Ukraine war drives Gulf to double down on food security As the war in Ukraine has pushed up food prices and disrupted supply chains, hard-hit Mena countries explore ways to protect themselves In Abu Dhabi clusters of fresh tomatoes are growing inside rows of climate-controlled greenhouses in the middle of the desert – just one example of the lengths the arid region must go to […] May 12, 2022
Tourism Saudi reveals post-Covid entry policy in tourism push Government white paper proposes simplifying health-related entry protocols for travellers to the kingdom Saudi Arabia is working to introduce a shared framework by which countries can share information on local and global health crises to prevent disruption in air travel to and from the kingdom. The proposed policy, called Harmonising Air Travel and set out […] May 11, 2022
Aviation Air travellers ‘still risk Covid infection,’ study warns Passengers are still at risk of coronavirus infection while travelling on aeroplanes and in airports, researchers have warned. A study in the Journal of Travel Medicine reported that two Covid-positive passengers infected 15 other people during a 10-hour flight from Dubai to Australia in July 2020 – despite mandatory face masks for passengers, the use […] May 10, 2022
Abu Dhabi sees £2.5bn of property deals in Q1 The volume of real estate transactions in the UAE capital reached AED11.3 billion (£2.5 billion) across 3,304 deals in the first quarter of 2022, official figures reveal. Yas Island, the Abu Dhabi neighbourhood that houses the Formula 1 racing track and several other leisure and entertainment destinations alongside upmarket residential complexes, recorded the largest amount […] May 9, 2022
Real Estate The new boom: 5 trends shaping Gulf property markets Demand for real estate in the GCC region is outpacing supply, keeping prices high and contributing to record transaction levels in the property hotspot of Dubai. AGBI looks at the key factors influencing the markets this year. May 9, 2022
Analysis Economy Lebanese elections spark fears of more instability The Lebanese government recently ordered the demolition of the blast-hit grain silos that were decimated during the August 4, 2020 port explosion. The silos absorbed much of the blast’s impact, saving sections of the city’s western residential areas from total devastation. The government has now determined that they must be removed amid reports that the tilting […] May 9, 2022
Insight Markets DEWA IPO bodes well for Dubai’s asset sale A further nine government and state-owned companies are now set to be listed on the DFM Optimism is growing over government plans to monetise state assets following the hugely successful Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) initial public offering (IPO). DEWA debuted on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) on April 12 in the UAE’s largest […] May 9, 2022
Finance UAE, Pakistan in push for stronger trade ties Leaders of the UAE and Pakistan have reaffirmed earlier commitments made by the two countries to boost bilateral trade. Pakistan imports from the UAE stood at £5.9 billion in 2021, according to the United Nations’ Comtrade database on international trade, but there is currently no formal free trade agreement between the two countries. A free […] May 3, 2022
