Author: Sam Allcock

Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) has been awarded the Sharjah Excellence Award (SEA) in the Sharjah Gulf Excellence category for 2024, a major recognition from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The accolade affirms the bank’s role as a trailblazer in the UAE’s banking landscape, highlighting its institutional innovation, sustainable business model, and strategic growth across the region. This prestigious recognition comes on the heels of another major milestone for the bank—its inclusion in Forbes Middle East’s “Top 100 Companies in the Middle East for 2024”, reinforcing SIB’s standing as a financial institution with consistent and impactful performance. Commenting on…

Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, is introducing an exciting new attraction this summer — Officina Maranello, a high-energy live show that offers audiences an immersive journey into the world of Ferrari engineering. The show is set to run from 28 June to 31 August 2025, with performances taking place six days a week at the park’s Red Theatre. Scheduled daily at 12:45 PM, 3:30 PM, and 5:30 PM, the production marks a new direction for Ferrari World’s entertainment offerings, blending storytelling, performance, and engineering in a spectacle designed for all ages. At the heart of Officina Maranello is a…

Global satellite operator Intelsat has announced a powerful new partnership with actor and humanitarian Forest Whitaker’s nonprofit, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), to bring high-speed internet to underserved, conflict-affected communities in South Sudan and Uganda. The three-year collaboration will provide satellite-powered internet connectivity to 10 WPDI Community Learning Centers—seven in South Sudan and three in Uganda—enabling thousands of young people to access educational resources for the first time. “Education is the foundation for peace,” said Forest Whitaker, WPDI’s founder. “With the right tools, youths can reclaim their futures and become powerful agents of peace in their communities.” Intelsat…

HCL Group and UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) innovation platform, have announced the launch of the Water Resilience Challenge — the fourth and latest in their joint Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative. The global competition aims to support groundbreaking solutions to strengthen freshwater resilience amid growing climate, industrial and agricultural pressures. Unveiled at the WEF’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China, the challenge is now open for submissions through August 4, 2025, with winners to be revealed in January 2026. A total of CHF 1.75 million in funding will be distributed among the top 10 innovators. The initiative…

Azizi Developments, one of the UAE’s leading private real estate developers, will unveil exclusive Dubai property offerings at a dedicated exhibition in New York this Saturday. The one-day showcase promises American investors a rare opportunity to secure high-yield, previously unreleased assets, only available at the event. Hosted at the Marriott Marquis – Marquis Ballroom, Salon C, in Times Square on June 28 from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, the exhibition will feature a curated portfolio including new residential, commercial, and hospitality projects—most notably the developer’s newest master communities: Azizi Milan and Azizi Venice. The invitation-only event offers investors access to…

As industries worldwide grapple with ageing infrastructure and critical workforce shortages, a new global initiative is tapping into student innovation to bridge the gap. Bentley Systems, a Nasdaq-listed infrastructure software company, has launched the 2025 iTwin4Good Challenge in collaboration with Enactus, the global student entrepreneurship non-profit. The international competition, now in its second year, invites university students from across five regions—the United States, Germany, Canada, the UK and Ireland, and Brazil—to develop digital twin applications aimed at solving pressing social and environmental challenges in their communities. Digital twin technology, which creates real-time digital replicas of physical infrastructure systems, is increasingly…

In a significant cross-continental tech development, Dubai-based crypto infrastructure company Omining has expanded its operations into Kenya, launching one of the region’s first large-scale Web3 facilities established by a UAE entity. The new hub, located within Kenya’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Naivasha, will begin with a 90-megawatt crypto mining capacity, with plans to increase to 200 megawatts in the near future. The move comes amid growing international interest in Kenya’s SEZ framework. Major global tech companies like Microsoft have already established a presence, while Google and Amazon are reportedly conducting due diligence for entry. Omining’s early-stage investment reflects growing…

The Dubai Sports Council has kicked off its ambitious summer initiative titled “Our Summer is Sporty”, offering a wide variety of sports and wellness activities across the city from now until the end of August. The campaign is designed to foster a culture of year-round physical activity, even during the intense UAE summer, and includes more than a dozen venues and sporting categories to suit all ages and abilities. Aiming to enhance quality of life and maintain Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s most active cities, the initiative will host events ranging from snow-based cycling to indoor mall races…

Dubai Customs has significantly intensified its operations across all border points in a bid to counter drug smuggling, reinforcing the emirate’s position as a global leader in safe customs practices. These efforts align with a national strategy aimed at shielding society from the dangers of drug trafficking, and are being carried out through cutting-edge inspection technology, enhanced international cooperation, and ongoing training of frontline staff. Speaking on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, marked annually on June 26, Yasser Al-Muslimi, Senior Customs Affairs Consultant and Supervisor of the Customs Inspection Sector, underlined the department’s…

In a bold statement of performance and regional relevance, Nissan premiered the all-new Patrol NISMO in the Middle East on Thursday, unveiling the high-powered SUV to a crowd of motoring enthusiasts and media. A decade after introducing the first Patrol NISMO, this latest model is engineered specifically for Middle Eastern drivers and conditions — a world-first debut that highlights the region’s significance in Nissan’s global strategy. Boasting 495 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque, the new Patrol NISMO becomes the most powerful Patrol to date, featuring a region-specific twin-turbo V6 engine and an aggressive aerodynamic redesign. Developed through extensive customer…