Food & Drink Forget ‘Dry January’ – more Gulf drinkers ditching booze all year Dry January, the initiative of abstaining from alcohol for the first month of the year, has become a yearly fixture in many people’s lives since it was launched by Alcohol Change UK in 2013, and the Middle East is no exception. “We definitely see sales increase in the UAE,” Erika Doyle, founder and managing director […] January 27, 2023
Healthtech provider targets early cancer detection across Mena Abdul Latif Jameel Health is planning to expand throughout the Middle East and Africa, its CEO Akram Bouchenaki has told AGBI. The multinational company – the healthcare business of Saudi family conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel – is looking at new locations and tech innovations as part of its ambition to accelerate the region’s access to […] January 6, 2023
Health Qatar among countries imposing Covid tests for Chinese travellers Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as coronavirus cases in the country surge following its relaxation of “zero-Covid” rules. International health experts predict at least one million deaths in China this year. However, China has played down concerns, saying decisions by some countries to impose a requirement for […] January 4, 2023
Analysis Gulf healthtech investment is just what the doctor ordered Technological innovation and broader changes in society are shifting the balance of power in healthcare across the Middle East region, increasing investment from entrepreneurs looking to capitalise on the sector’s digital revolution. “The same wave of personalisation and consumerisation that ushered in analytics-based recommendation engines for entertainment has programmed people to want healthcare that is […] January 4, 2023
Health Bahrain’s GFH takes on US healthcare with Big Sky deal Bahrain’s GFH Financial Group announced on Tuesday it has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Big Sky Asset Management, a US real estate asset manager focused on the healthcare sector. The transaction further expands GFH’s presence in the States and follows the partnership in May with SQ Asset Management, a specialist in student […] January 3, 2023
Analysis Pharma giants move in on UAE as demand stretches local firms AstraZeneca and G42 Healthcare have signed an agreement to locally manufacture pharmaceuticals in Abu Dhabi. The agreement outlines collaboration in four key areas, including localisation of manufacturing, research and development, innovation and sustainability at a global scale. But while the deal aims to cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a hub for research and innovation in […] December 21, 2022
Development Bill Gates hails UAE president’s action on Covid and polio Bill Gates has praised his foundation’s partnership with Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s president, for its progress in tackling Covid-19 and polio. The philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder told an event in Abu Dhabi on Sunday: “We’ve worked with the [UAE] president on a number of things – he has been very generous […] December 13, 2022
Opinion Employment Why parent-friendly policies can boost business performance The UAE has launched the Parent-Friendly Label (PFL) for businesses, encouraging them to offer policies and practices that support working parents of young children December 8, 2022
Exclusive Health G42 Healthcare executive hails new era after Amazon tie-up “We want to reach everywhere at scale and at speed.” Many business leaders might say so, but when Dr Fahed Al Marzooqi, chief operating officer of G42 Healthcare, tells AGBI this, he has good reason. G42 Healthcare, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based AI firm G42, recently struck a deal with Amazon’s cloud computing arm – […] November 23, 2022
Health Venture capital firm to bring healthcare technology to the UAE An Abu Dhabi-based venture capital firm has obtained approval from regulators to invite investors into healthcare startups in the US and elsewhere with a view to bringing specialist technology to the Middle East. Biosis Ventures said this week it had in principle received permission from the Abu Dhabi Global Market to offer venture capital products […] November 17, 2022
Real Estate Nakheel secures $4.6bn from Dubai banks to build more islands Dubai developer Nakheel has secured 17 billion dirhams ($4.63 billion) from local banks for projects including its latest collection of manmade islands, the company said on Tuesday. The state-owned developer best known for Palm Jebel Ali said the financing came from a syndicate of three Dubai lenders: Emirates NBD, Mashreq Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank. […] November 8, 2022
Analysis Health Region urged to support vaping to deter smoking black market High taxes and outright bans imposed in some Middle East countries on e-cigarettes and vaping products have been blamed for pushing smokers to the black market and slowing the transition away from nicotine products in the region. Black market numbers in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE are “alarming” and can only be resolved by […] November 4, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Tech ‘Full support’ for Abu Dhabi biotech tie-up with Israel Abu Dhabi would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Israel to accelerate the development of biotechnology capabilities in the UAE. Dr Dirk Richter, senior advisor and director of health sector innovation with the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, said the emirate is “really open” to forging a partnership with the likes of the Hadassah Medical […] October 27, 2022
Analysis PureGym eyes up to 130 branches as part of Mena expansion UK-based fitness brand PureGym has revealed plans to open branches in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), beginning in the UAE but with Egypt, Kuwait and Oman also on the radar. The company has signed an agreement with its franchise partner, Ektimal, to open at least 130 gyms across the region over the next […] October 26, 2022
Economy China’s Xi talks up security, COVID stance as congress opens Chinese President Xi Jinping called for accelerating the building of a world-class military while touting the fight against COVID-19 as he kicked off a Communist Party Congress by focussing heavily on security and reiterating policy priorities. Xi, 69, is widely expected to win a third leadership term at the conclusion of the week-long congress that […] October 17, 2022
Opinion Employment Companies must find ways to improve workplace wellbeing Investing in staff wellbeing will be small compared to the costs associated with replacing top performers, rising health insurance premiums, and increased absenteeism October 14, 2022
Health Saudi to offer $12.7bn worth of health projects to private sector Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health is planning to approve 100 projects in cooperation with the private sector over the next five years, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing health minister Fahad Al-Jalajel. These projects will be worth around SAR 48 billion ($12.7 billion), he said, adding it includes the establishment of two medical […] October 11, 2022
Health UAE hospital operator Burjeel in share surge on $300m IPO debut The healthcare firm offered 11% of its shares on the ADX as proceeds from Middle Eastern IPOs continue to rise, bucking the global trend October 10, 2022
World Cup 2022 Qatar to intensify labour inspections during World Cup Qatar will intensify labour inspections during the soccer World Cup including extra health and safety checks to protect workers from exploitation, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said on Wednesday. Rights groups and labour unions have warned that hospitality, transport and security workers are especially vulnerable during the month-long tournament, the first held in a […] October 6, 2022
French cities to ban Qatar World Cup fan zones Several major French cities including Lille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux said they will not organise fan zones or put up giant outdoor screens to show Qatar World Cup soccer matches in protest against ecological and humanitarian issues. Leftist and ecologist mayors in those cities said the loss of immigrant workers’ lives during construction of the stadia […] October 4, 2022
Health Moody’s says hospitals and utilities face high hacking risks Around $22 trillion of global debt rated by Moody’s has a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ exposure to the risk of cyber attack, the ratings agency said in a report on Thursday, with hospitals and utilities seen at the greatest risk. Out of $80 trillion worth of debt across 71 sectors that the rating agency monitors, […] September 30, 2022
Health Europe drugmakers may cut output due to high energy bills Europe’s drugmakers have warned they may stop making some cheap generic medicines because of surging electricity costs and are calling for an overhaul of the way they are priced, the latest industry to seek help as the energy crisis deepens. The generic drug industry lobby group Medicines for Europe, which represents companies including Teva, Novartis’s […] September 29, 2022
