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Workers in the Middle East in construction, oil and gas and agriculture face significant risks from extreme summer heat, which often exceeds 50°C

Heat-health warning system planned for Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is to develop an official heat-stress index and a national heat-health warning system as rising temperatures threaten public health and businesses. The Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre has issued a tender for an index tailored to the UAE’s unique climate conditions, occupational settings, and the physiological differences among its diverse population.  The UAE […]

Dubai's plan includes increasing the amount of public transport and improving the quality of public spaces to encourage walking

Dubai begins work on ‘20-minute city’ concept

Dubai has approved a plan to support the “20-minute city” concept by developing land close to metro stations. The emirate’s executive council gave the green light to a plan to develop areas around metro stations by incentivising developers, UAE state-owned Wam news agency reported. The move will provide additional services, support the 20-minute city concept, […]

A stall holder in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. People in Istanbul faced rises in the cost of living this year, as soaring inflation impacted wages

Cairo and Istanbul feel biggest cost of living squeeze

Dubai has become the most expensive city in the Middle East for expatriate workers, while Cairo and Istanbul were among the cities that saw the biggest rise in the cost of living this year, as soaring inflation impacted wages. Dubai, the UAE’s largest city, saw rental prices rise by about a fifth in the last […]

Russians Turkey Istanbul Bridge

Russians rush from Turkey as costs and restrictions bite

Rising costs, increased difficulties in obtaining residency permits and tighter enforcement of restrictions on the number of foreign nationals who can live in popular regions are prompting an exodus of Russian citizens from Turkey.  The number of Russian nationals holding Turkish residence permits has plunged to just over 96,000 as of May 16, down from […]

Chinese smartphone

Middle East phone users turn to Chinese budget brands

Middle East consumers are embracing budget-friendly Chinese smartphone brands, as global favourites such as iPhone and Samsung suffer a slump in sales. The Middle East’s smartphone market is flourishing, with shipments excluding Turkey reaching more than 12 million units in the first quarter of 2024, a year on year increase of 39 percent, a report […]

Zayed International airport's air traffic controllers have guided planes carrying at total of 6.8 million passengers in the first three months of the year

London and India dominate airport traffic in Abu Dhabi

London and Indian cities dominated traffic at Abu Dhabi’s airports during the first quarter with year-on-year visitor numbers up by more than a third. Close to 7 million passengers passed through the emirate’s five airports in the first three months of the year. Zayed International airport, formerly known as Abu Dhabi International airport, welcomed 6.8 […]

The loan will be used to improve public services, and create jobs throughout Morocco

Morocco signs $109m loan deal with African bank

Morocco has received a loan worth €100 million ($109 million) from the African Development Bank to fund new investment and sustainable infrastructure projects across the country. The loan agreement was signed with Fonds d’Equipement Communal, a bank dedicated to financing investment projects and development programmes in Morocco. Funds will be used to improve public services, […]

Public sector jobs have traditionally been preferred by Emiratis, but the Nafis programme seeks to change those perceptions

UAE to invest $1.7bn to place more Emiratis in private sector jobs

The UAE is aiming to add 36,000 Emiratis to the private sector workforce this year and has approved a $1.7 billion budget to support Emiratisation. The number of UAE nationals working in the private sector was about 92,000 by the end of 2023, according to the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council. Nearly 42,000 joined private businesses […]

Workers in Bangladesh wait to travel to Saudi Arabia. Migrant workers have been sending remittances in smaller amounts.

Saudi remittances fall as expats invest domestically

Expatriate remittances from Saudi Arabia have fallen over the past two years, despite a rise in the number of overseas workers needed to develop the kingdom’s slate of huge giga-projects. Some experts have predicted the slump in funds sent back home could be as a result of improved investment opportunities inside the kingdom.  Yearly remittances […]

Hive Coliv co-living

Millennial ‘co-living’ concept gains momentum in Gulf

The appetite for “co-living”, a form of communal housing that offers private rooms and shared spaces, is on the rise in the GCC, and more investors are entering the sector.  Co-living as a sub-segment of residential property has gained in popularity in markets such as the UK and the US, as developers seek to provide […]

These workers at a factory in Manama, Bahrain, could soon be enjoying a three-day weekend if the government goes ahead with proposed changes

Kuwait and Bahrain propose changes to working week

Lawmakers in Kuwait and Bahrain are pushing for major amendments to the working week, aiming to improve workers’ rights and boost the work-life balance in the two Gulf states. In Bahrain, the focus is on extending the weekend to three days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  “There is an urgent need to keep pace with global […]

Retired people in the UAE will be encouraged to use the skills developed across their careers to develop small businesses in Dubai

Dubai launches small business plan to support Emirati retirees 

Retired emiratis are being incentivised to run their own companies after the launch of the Dubai Retiree Projects Support programme this week. The scheme is part of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, which aims to create a more proactive social system. Benefits include priority for government contracts, financing of future projects, exemption from service fees […]