UAE Central Bank

UAE Central Bank gives in-principle approval for Wizz Financial to acquire UAE Exchange

Once finalised, UAE Exchange is expected to relaunch its branch network in the UAE

Merger and Acquisition

Emplifi acquires live commerce software provider Go Instore

Acquisition of live commerce Go Instore will give B2C brands faster connection-to-conversion experiences in-store and online

Dubai’s flydubai resumes operations to Prague, Zagreb

The carrier will operate up to five weekly flights to Prague and two weekly flights to Zagreb from September 23

UAE reports 329 Covid-19 cases, 401 recoveries

The number of recorded cases in the country has risen to 733,972

Dubai’s Emirates to implement IATA Travel Pass across six continents

The roll-out of the digital health pass across all 120+ Emirates destinations is expected to be completed by October

Amazon_American Express

Amazon payment services partners with American Express in Saudi Arabia

Amex cardholders in Saudi can now shop with their Amex card on merchant and supplier websites that use Amazon Payment Services

Facebook chief technology officer Mike Schroepfer to step down

Schroepfer will continue to advise the company in a new part-time ‘senior fellow’ role

Revealed: 10 highest-growth job roles of tomorrow

Demand for professionals in AI, data and engineering is expected to spike in the near future, as technology adaption takes off even further

Slack

Entrust acquires Paris-based card issuance firm Antelop Solutions

With this acquisition, Entrust can help banks and financial institutions worldwide create seamless payment experiences for their customers

Union Properties signs MoU to exit shopping centre under construction in Dubai’s Motor City

The MoU is valued at Dhs420m

Abu Dhabi’s Hope Consortium, Astral Aviation sign deal to boost vaccine distribution in Africa

The alliance will ensure delivery of vaccines and critical supplies to all 54 African nations

Hisense and FGT FZE

Hisense Middle East partners with FGT industries to enter the UAE market

FGT will be an advance fulfilment partner for Hisense in the UAE for the brand’s TV business

Covid cases today

Covid-19: Oman waives several fines to support the private sector

The Supreme Committee has also warned that authorities will shut down any establishments found in breach of the precautionary measures

UAE, India aim to double trade to $100bn in five years

Indian nationals make up one of the largest population groups in the UAE

long Covid

Dubai launches two clinics to address long-Covid symptoms

The clinics will conduct tests and refer patients to specialists in case they need specific medical intervention

UAE stock market regulator, Dubai World Trade Centre Authority agree to support crypto assets trading

DWTCA aims to expand its existing business licenses, services and incentives

Canon to host special series of events at Expo 2020 Dubai

The series of interactive events and programmes will align with Expo 2020 Dubai’s pillars of opportunity, mobility and sustainability

UAE reports 318 Covid-19 cases, 380 recoveries

The total number of recorded cases in the country has risen to 733,643

Emirates pavilion Expo 2020 Dubai

Emirates opens bookings for visits to its pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

It will feature interactive multi-sensory interactions which will preview the future of commercial aviation

Etihad airways talabat

Etihad Guest members can now earn and redeem miles on talabat transactions

Etihad Guest members can earn 1 mile for every Dhs3 spent when ordering food, groceries and other essentials on the talabat platform

Majority of MENA, Pakistan consumers prefer digital payment methods for ecommerce: report

The report estimates that 209m more customers in MENA and Pakistan have begun shopping online since the start of the pandemic

Dubai Airshow 2021 will showcase the industry’s recovery and future growth

The event – the only global airshow to take place since 2019 – will introduce a dedicated hub for startups and provide more networking opportunities this year

BIOS Middle East expands its cloud footprint to Oman

The new cloud footprint in Muscat complements existing cloud footprints already available in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jeddah

Abu Dhabi to use drones for medical supply transfer and delivery

The project aims to ensure the overall health and safety of the community, while also increasing Abu Dhabi’s emergency preparedness

ADNOC Drilling Company increases offering size for IPO

The offer price of Dhs2.30 per share remains unchanged

Saudi’s GACA instructs airlines to verify vaccination status of residents pre-departure

The authority warned that those found violating the procedures will face legal action

Sheikh Hamdan announces restructuring of Dubai Municipality

Dubai forecasts 3.1% economic growth in 2021, 3.4% in 2022

The total cost of the five stimulus packages announced by the emirate’s government since the start of the pandemic amounted to Dhs7.1bn, or 1.6 per cent of Dubai’s GDP

Saudi wealth fund plans green bond, works with BlackRock on ESG

The kingdom is looking to boost its environmental credentials

UAE sees no need for OPEC+ to change oil-production plan

Benchmark Brent crude is currently trading around $75 a barrel, up 45 per cent this year

Oxford University and Oracle collaborate to detect Covid-19 variants faster

Global research community using genomic sequencing platform, running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, to discover new coronavirus mutations