On-demand laundry service Laundryheap raises $3.5m in Series A funding round

Laundryheap is now operational in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait

Covid-19 Vaccination Masdar City Abu Dhabi

No prior appointments required for select persons at new Covid-19 vaccination centre in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City

Operated by Mubadala Health, the centre is open from Sunday to Thursday between 10am and 7pm

Fitbit brings Deepak Chopra’s mindful sessions to its wellness catalogue

Deepak Chopra will guide users through wellness techniques via audio and video sessions

science

Northern Ireland’s healthtech expertise to spur growth in the Middle East

Northern Ireland’s two main universities – Queens University Belfast and Ulster University – rank among the top 10 in the UK for bioscience research

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise

Dubai Aerospace leases 7 Airbus A321neo aircraft to Indian carrier IndiGo

The aircraft will be delivered in 2021

Saudi Arabia turns to Euro-bond amid near record-low yields

The kingdom is planning a two-part, benchmark-sized deal with a three-year and nine-year offering

UAE Govt retreat

UAE leaders discuss agenda for the next 50 years at government retreat

Leaders also personally honoured the UAE’s Hope Probe team at the retreat

Schools Education Dubai

UAE private schools admission age changed – ministry

All students currently enrolled at private schools in the UAE will not be affected by the change

Deals worth Dhs17.913bn signed by UAE Armed Forces at IDEX, NAVDEX

A total of 12 new deals worth Dhs5.589bn were signed with local and international companies on the third day of the exhibitions

Etisalat

UAE operator Etisalat reports Dhs9bn net profit in 2020; up 3.8% y-on-y

Its consolidated revenues reached Dhs51.7bn, a 0.9 per cent decrease over the previous year

Kuwait projects $183bn cumulative deficit over five years

Total expenses during that period are projected at KD114.1bn

UAE Covid-19 Field Hospitals Dubai Oxford-AstraZeneca

UAE to set up 7 Covid-19 field hospitals; Dubai increases interval between Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs

The hospitals will increase the health sector’s capacity to deal with Covid-19 patients

UAE-based startup North Ladder secures $5m Series A funding

North Ladder is a trading platform for pre-owned luxury assets and electronics

Ajman

Ajman: Restaurants and cafés to close at 11pm

Authorities said the decision was made as a new measure to combat the spread of Covid-19

Covid-19 update: UAE reports 3,005 cases, 3,515 recoveries and 5 deaths

The death toll in the UAE has risen to 1,145

Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani

Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Saudi’s long-serving oil minister, dies at 90

Yamani represented four Saudi kings at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

Moroccan court rules against Dubai’s Aramex in $40m lawsuit

Aramex confirmed that the judgment can be appealed

Abu Dhabi-based Halcon rolls out UAE’s first air defence missile

Halcon’s SkyKnight was purposely designed to counter modern threats, providing early warning signals and precise surface-to-air intercept capabilities

Abu Dhabi removes Saudi Arabia from ‘green list’, destinations cut to 10

Passengers arriving from the green list are exempt from mandatory quarantine measures

IDEX NAVEX 2021

UAE Armed Forces sign over Dhs7bn deals on day two of IDEX and NAVDEX 2021

On day two, the UAE Armed Forces signed Dhs6.983bn worth of contracts with international companies, representing 95 percent of the total deal value for the day

UAE, Qatari delegations meet in Kuwait to follow up on Al-Ula agreement

Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states agreed to fully restore ties with neighbouring Qatar during the 41st GCC Summit

Kuwait seeks approval to use wealth fund to finance deficit

The government’s also attempting to push through parliament legislation allowing it to tap international bond markets

Dubai Airport facial recognition technology

Dubai airport launches facial recognition technology to fast-track immigration process

Deployed at 122 smart gates at arrival and departure terminals, pre-registration is required to avail the service

Sharjah’s Shurooq set to welcome guests to luxury destination ‘Moon Retreat’

The construction of the luxury retreat is 75 per cent complete

IATA travel pass etihad

UAE’s Etihad to begin trials for IATA Travel Pass on select routes in March – official

Etihad recently became the first airline in the world with 100 per cent of its operating pilots and cabin crew vaccinated

Bahrain seeks PPP partner to build national metro network

Phased project consists of a 109km urban rail transit network

Covid-19 update: UAE reports 2,105 cases, 3,355 recoveries and 15 deaths

The death toll in the UAE has risen to 1,140

Online F&B sales in UAE rise 255% in 2020 – Dubai Chamber

The value of online food and beverage sales in the UAE is projected to reach $619m by 2025

Dubai’s Emirates to resume flight operations to Newark via Athens

The daily service will commence from June 1, 2021

Air Arabia

Air Arabia Egypt to launch direct flights from Cairo to Muscat

The carrier will launch a twice-weekly service between Cairo to Muscat, starting March 11, 2021