Containers in the port, Luanda Province, Luanda, Angola

Dubai’s DP World signs 20-year concession agreement with Angola

DP World will invest $190m over the 20-year period which will increase the terminal’s annual throughput to approximately 700,000 TEUs per year

Uber UAE

Covid-19: Uber offers discounted rides on trips to vaccination centres in the UAE

The discounted fare will be applicable for rides undertaken from January 25 – February 8

DGA

Saudi Arabia attracts record $152m in startup funding in 2020

Saudi startup ecosystem was the fastest growing in MENA, Magnitt report shows

Eggs UAE Uk Netherlands

UAE bans import of eggs, live birds from UK and Netherlands

The announcement was made by the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on Monday afternoon

Flydubai Dubai Europe

Flydubai adds four new flights to Europe; first UAE carrier to begin direct service between Dubai-Salzburg

Flydubai will have expanded the number of destinations it flies to from Dubai to over 65, of which 20 are located in Europe

Power Letters 2021: Adeeb Ahamed, managing director, LuLu Financial Group

Amidst the many challenges of 2020, Lulu Financial Group is determined to advance its objective of financial inclusion through technology and collaborative partnerships

Covid-19 update: UAE reports 3,591 new cases; nearly 2.5m vaccine shots administered

The death toll in the UAE has risen to 798

Help AG appoints new country director for Saudi Arabia

Help AG’s new cybersecurity operations centre to launch in Riyadh in 2021

H E Yasser Al Gargawi with Manal A R

Second edition of American Aesthetic Medical Center’s Super Power Awards held in Dubai

The winners were chosen from over 16 categories ranging from healthcare, fine arts, fashion, entertainment and beauty, among others.

Infor appoints new head of Middle East and Africa region

Amel Gardner will be responsible for overall business and customer growth in the region

Dubai cybersecurity firm spiderSilk closes $2.25m funding round

Proceeds will be used to expand the firm’s geographic footprint across the MENA region

Abu Dhabi’s Alef Education launches AI app for language learning

Alef Education is targeting more than six million non-Arabic speaking expatriates

US, UK condemn air attack on Riyadh which ‘targeted civilians’

Saudi Arabia said it had “intercepted and destroyed a hostile air target going towards Riyadh” on Saturday

Private Jets Dubai

Private jets movements at Dubai South increased 21% y-on-y in 2020

The Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub recorded a 78 per cent growth of private jets movements in Q4 2020, compared to Q4 2019

Saudi’s Public Investment Fund launches 5-year strategy; assets treble to $400bn

PIF aims to grow its assets under management to over $1.07 trillion by the end of 2025

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

UAE cabinet approves decision to establish embassy in Tel Aviv

Israel establishes embassy in Abu Dhabi, appointing diplomat Eitan Na’eh as the head of the mission in the UAE

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

UAE residency: Foreign students can now sponsor families

Foreign students in the UAE will now be permitted to sponsor their families, provided they have the financial means to do so

Investment bank Moelis & Company appointed for restructuring of UAE’s Finablr

In December 2020, Finablr agreed to sell off its business to an Israeli-UAE consortium for $1

Mahzooz UAE lottery

UAE’s Mahzooz lottery player wins Dhs1m in weekly draw

It is the draw’s third millionaire winner in the last month

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Health approves 3 new Covid-19 diagnostic tests

The new tests offer faster results and enable physicians to make swift decisions regarding medical treatment

cryptocurrency

Central Bank of Bahrain licences Sharia-compliant cryptocurrency exchange CoinMENA

At launch, CoinMENA’s platform will be available to residents of Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman

Bahrain-GCC trade hits $5.7bn in 2020 despite Covid-19 challenges

Bahrain exports surge 12 per cent in Q4 of 2020 buoyed by manufacturing sector

Dubai’s Emirates to resume flights to Australia

The carrier will resume operations to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane later this week

Dubai’s RTA completes construction of bus stations at Al Jaffiliya, Al Qusais and Deira

The new stations deliver integrated modern services

DEWA dubai water

DEWA’s Dhs256m water pipeline project in Dubai nears completion

It will extend DEWA’s water transmission network by 36km across Dubai and is now nearly 88 per cent complete

airport UAE

UAE says seeking clarity from Denmark regarding suspension of flights

Denmark suspended all flights from the UAE for five days starting Thursday

Sharjah

Sharjah attracted $220m FDI in 2020

There was a 60 per cent increase in the number of FDI projects between Q3 and Q4 in 2020

Covid-19: Dubai announces new restrictions for restaurants, gyms and events

Attendance at parties and weddings will be limited to first-degree relatives

Kuwait Central Bank allows lenders to distribute 2020 dividends

The Kuwait Banking Association said in June that there would be no distribution of dividends to shareholders for 2020

Cebu Pacific offers Dubai-Manila flights at fares starting Dhs300

Special fares are available from January 22-28, for travel from March 1-June 30, 2021