Dina Sam'an Coinmena

The SME Story: Dina Sam’an, founder and managing director of CoinMENA

CoinMENA is a fully-regulated, onshore, and Sharia-compliant crypto assets exchange

Saudi to retain ban on 20 countries including UAE, India and UK when international flights resume in May

The kingdom will resume international flights on May 17

Why regional banks must digitise their trade finance platforms right now

Automating the trade financing platform will enable banks to benefit in numerous ways, according to global IT firm Comarch

Hana Al Rostamani FAB

FAB Q1 group net profit at Dhs2.5bn; initiates share transfer to acquire Bank Audi sae Egypt

The acquisition will make FAB one of Egypt’s largest foreign banks by assets with pro-forma total assets of over $8.5bn

Dubai Islamic Bank Nasdaq Dubai sukuk

Dubai Islamic Bank lists $500m sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai

DIB is the leading UAE-based sukuk issuer by value on Nasdaq Dubai with a total value of $6.3bn listed on the exchange

Oman Covid-19 Travel Ban

Covid-19: Oman to indefinitely ban travellers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

The ban will take effect from 6pm on Saturday, April 24

Microsoft data centre

Worldwide public cloud spending to grow 23% in 2021: Gartner

Cloud spending driven by emerging technologies becoming mainstream

Covid-19 update: UAE reports 1,931 cases, 2 deaths

The nationwide case count has risen to 502,791

Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa to launch operations in Kuwait

The company will launch its fully digital app-based proposition in Kuwait under the Virgin Mobile brand

HSBC facilitates first blockchain transaction for steel between UAE, India

The Contour blockchain platform enabled end-to-end digitisation of the documentation required to import flat carbon steel

Highlights from the Apple Spring 2021 event

New colorful iMacs, purple iPhone 12, Apple TV 4K, iPad Pro and AirTags

Flydubai initiates seasonal flights to Batumi, Georgia

Flights will operate thrice a week from May 12 until September 1

Boeing’s Max gets fresh boost with order from leasing firm

The order for the Max 8 variant is worth about $1.8bn at list prices

KUWAIT-HEALTH-VIRUS

Kuwait curfew extended until end of Ramadan, cinemas prepare to open for Eid

The partial curfew will continue to be in place from 7pm until 5am

Leading oil producer UAE says case for renewables never stronger

The country plans to be at the forefront of the transition to greener energy and the fight against climate change

ABu Dhabi Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Abu Dhabi now offering Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine; updates list of centres for free jabs

Prior appointments are necessary to avail of the Pfizer-BioNTech jabs

Several Israelis could move to the UAE to work – senior official

A quarantine-free travel corridor between the two countries will be set up very soon, says Fleur Hassan Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem

UAE Covid-19 Vaccine restrictions

UAE considering movement restrictions for unvaccinated residents

Individuals with medical conditions have been urged to consult a doctor to determine whether they are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine

Saudi-based Community Jameel to fund infectious disease research at Imperial College London

Jameel Fund for Infectious Disease Research and Innovation to provide grants of up to $65,000

UAE Central Bank projects real GDP to grow by 7.6 % in 2022

UAE Central Bank extends economic-support programme until mid-2022

Banks can draw on the facility to provide new loans and financing

Covid-19: IATA adds Unilabs testing network to its Travel Pass

Unilabs and IATA are currently running a pilot program in the UAE

Etihad Airways

Etihad begins IATA Travel Pass trials on flights from Abu Dhabi to North America

The pass allows users to create a ‘digital passport’ to receive Covid-19 test results and verify they are eligible to undertake their journey

UAE’s Emirates Islamic Bank posts 37% rise in Q1 net profit

The bank’s operating profit dipped 12 per cent y-o-y to Dhs319m

UAE’s G42 sets up data JV with Israel’s Rafael

Group 42 signed an agreement with Rafael to form Presight.AI and plans to establish a research and development center in Israel

Saudi Red Sea tourism plan set to clinch $3.7bn green loan

It will have a tenor of 15 years and an interest rate of about 1 per cent above the Saudi interbank offered rate

Abu DHabi

Abu Dhabi issues two PPP tenders to private sector

The projects include the construction of three schools and a street lighting upgrade programme

Dubai food trade

Dubai’s external food trade totalled Dhs52bn in 2020

In terms of volume, the overall trade weighed 17 million tonnes

India to Dubai Covid-19 Testing rules

Pre-departure Covid-19 testing rules changed for passengers travelling to Dubai from India

Effective April 22, the validity of the Covid-19 PCR test for passengers travelling from India to Dubai has been reduced to 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample

Saudi’s Dar Al Arkan collaborates with Versace Home on Shams Ar Riyadh project

The Shams Ar Riyadh project is located in an area north of Riyadh, on the King Khalid Road