UAE’s Etihad to resume flights to Shanghai from July 27

The service will operate with an initial weekly flight from Abu Dhabi

Lego opens exclusive e-commerce store in Saudi Arabia

The brand recently opened its first retail store in Red Sea Mall in Jeddah

DIFC Dubai

More than a quarter of UAE, Saudi businesses to allow remote work post-Covid: study

Technology performance issues hindering remote workers

G20 to make debt relief extension call closer to year end

All member countries have started implementing the Debt Service Suspension Initiative that currently is set to only run through December

UAE’s Elite Agro, Khalifa Fund partner to enhance food security

The MoU has been developed to manage and operate a number of protected farms that fall under the ambit of the Khalifa Fund

Oman’s tourism arm ends deal with Damac for waterfront project

Damac International is a joint venture between Damac and DICO Group

Saudi Arabia’s Fannie Mae buys up $800m of mortgages

The refinancing company was established to buy home loans from banks and other finance companies, freeing up the lenders to book more mortgages

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi records Dhs80.23bn non-oil foreign trade in first five months of 2020

Saudi Arabia was the emirate’s top trading partner during the period, accounting for Dhs17.91bn worth of trade

Dubai Chamber announces task force to manage late payments issue

The task force will explore the causes of late payments, raise awareness and encourage the adoption of best payments practices

UAE Hope Probe

Video: UAE Hope Probe bound for Mars successfully launches from Japan

The Ground Control station located in the Al Khawaneej area of Dubai has successfully received the first transmission from the Hope Probe too

Zoom launches touchscreen device for WFH, to cost $599

It partnered with hardware maker DTEN to create the 27-inch device

UAE’s Al-Futtaim Group partners with Tabby to offer flexible shopping options

Al-Futtaim Group will be extending this feature to its retail stores, other brands and business units across the UAE by the end of 2020

UAE leaders review pre-flight preparations of Mars Hope Probe

The Hope probe will now lift-off on July 20, 2020, at 1.58am UAE local time

New ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ stamp to confirm health protocols at hotels, restaurants and tourist establishments

The stamp is issued free of charge and is valid for 15 days

Oppo updates VOOC range of chargers; can charge 4,000mAh battery in 20 minutes

Increased consumption of power-hungry applications presents new energy challenges to phone users

UAE reports Covid-19 recovery rate of 85.8%

The government said on Saturday that another 460 individuals had recovered from the virus taking the overall number of recoveries up to 48,917

Why the regional fintech ecosystem is booming

Regional fintech startups hold tremendous room for growth

Saudi mountains, Crimean beaches beckon for staycations in Covid-times

As the Covid-19 pandemic dented international travel and tourism, companies look to capture domestic spending that normally goes abroad

UFC Fight Island Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s ‘safe zone’ at UFC Fight Island ensures maximum safety for all

An 11-square-kilometre stretch of Yas Island has been blocked off from the public to create a safety bubble for all those involved with the ongoing UFC event

Hackers breach Twitter, steal thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency

Twitter accounts of high-profile people and companies hacked into

Half of SMBs in the UAE, 35% in Saudi reduced their workforce due to virus: study

Small businesses turn to digital channels to survive the pandemic

Dubai’s Emirates to resume flights to four more cities

The carrier’s passenger network will grow to 62 destinations in August

Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed

Head of Abu Dhabi’s health department becomes first volunteer for Covid-19 Phase III vaccine trials

A total of 15,000 volunteers are required to participate in the trials

Omantel taps Ericsson to expand 5G across the sultanate

Telco to connect the Salalah, Nizwa and Surto areas to high-speed 5G network

Sheikh Khalifa issues decree to restructure board of directors of UAE Central Bank

The restructure follows the appointment of Abdulhamid Saeed as governor in April

Update: Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe to now launch between July 20-22

The launch is contingent upon improved weather conditions

Aramco joins Exxon, BP, Shell in starting to curb own emissions

Members of the Oil & Gas Climate Initiative pledged to reduce the carbon intensity of their operations to between 20 and 21 kilograms of carbon dioxide per barrel of crude equivalent by 2025

Amazon’s ‘Everything for you sale’ to begin on July 21

Prime members will get exclusive 12-hour early access to deals from 12pm on July 20

Abu Dhabi bourse plans first ETF next month, followed by futures

The exchange in the capital of the United Arab Emirates is close to setting up a central clearing house

DP World

DP World lists $1.5bn sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai

The capital raised by the sukuk will be used for general corporate and growth purposes including refinancing debt