Author: Sam Allcock
Sam Allcock
Sam Allcock is a seasoned media professional and content strategist with a passion for storytelling across digital platforms. As a contributor to Abu Dhabi Week, Sam brings a sharp editorial eye and a deep appreciation for the culture, innovation, and lifestyle that define the UAE capital. With over a decade of experience in journalism and public relations, he covers everything from local events and business trends to travel, dining, and community highlights. When he's not writing, Sam is exploring the hidden gems of Abu Dhabi, always on the lookout for the next story worth sharing.
O Gold, the UAE’s first Emirati app for fractional gold and silver ownership, has announced a strategic partnership with Emirates Gold, one of the region’s most respected and long-standing refineries. The collaboration is set to provide O Gold’s growing user base—now over 75,000 active investors—with seamless access to certified gold and silver products directly from the refinery at competitive rates. The partnership combines Emirates Gold’s 33-year legacy of refining excellence with O Gold’s innovative fintech platform, aiming to make precious metals investment more accessible, transparent, and trusted for everyday users in the UAE. Bridging Digital Access and Physical Value Through…
Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) services, has announced a major reorganization of its executive committee and operational structure to accelerate the execution of its LEAP | 28 strategy. The initiative, launched in March 2024, aims to position Bureau Veritas as the preferred partner for excellence and sustainability across industries worldwide. As the company enters a pivotal phase of the strategy’s rollout, it is evolving its operating model to drive greater alignment between geographies, product lines, and customer workflows. The restructured organization is expected to improve agility, decision-making speed, performance impact, and innovation delivery. Key…
The State of Kuwait celebrated its National Day at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, with a powerful cultural showcase that blended heritage, innovation, and a vision for the future. The day-long festivities positioned the Kuwait Pavilion as a standout attraction at the global exposition, drawing dignitaries, international media, and thousands of Expo visitors. The celebration opened with a traditional parade of over 100 participants dressed in Kuwaiti attire, moving rhythmically to traditional music across the Expo site. The procession’s vivid colours and cultural energy drew large crowds, offering a festive and authentic glimpse into Kuwait’s history and customs. The official ceremony,…
Students from four UAE schools showcased their visions for sustainable school campuses as part of the School of the Future initiative, organised by AtkinsRéalis, a global engineering and design company. The 2025 finals took place on 14 May at Dubai English Speaking College (DESS) and marked the second year of the initiative’s expansion in the UAE. The programme, originally launched in the UK, aimed to engage students aged 14 to 16 in designing future-ready, environmentally conscious school campuses. This year’s event brought together participants from Repton School, Jumeirah College, JESS Dubai, and DESS, who worked in teams to address sustainability…
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to FNP-223, a promising investigational drug developed by Ferrer, a B Corp-certified pharmaceutical company, for the treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This rare and aggressive neurodegenerative disorder affects balance, speech, and cognitive functions, and currently has no approved disease-modifying therapies. FNP-223, which Ferrer in-licensed from Swiss biotech company Asceneuron, is a novel molecular entity designed to slow the progression of PSP. The drug is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials to assess its safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics in adult patients diagnosed with PSP-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS), the most…
DDC Enterprise Limited, a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, has announced a landmark capital raise totalling up to $528 million. The funds are earmarked almost entirely for expanding the company’s Bitcoin holdings, marking one of the largest dedicated Bitcoin financing efforts by a publicly traded firm to date. The fundraising comprises three components: a $26 million equity private investment in public equity (PIPE), a $300 million convertible secured note and associated equity placement, and a $200 million equity line of credit (ELOC). Collectively, the structure reflects growing institutional confidence in Bitcoin’s role on corporate balance sheets. Institutional Backing from Crypto…
MAG Group Holding, the multinational real estate developer based in the UAE, has officially launched Riviera Heights—a landmark luxury residential project set within Marsa Zayed, Jordan’s largest mixed-use waterfront development. This move signals the beginning of major construction activity in the ambitious Red Sea coastal destination. The Riviera Heights project will feature four 35-storey residential towers, spanning 51,000 square metres, and offering over 1,250 seafront apartments. Located on the southern edge of the Marsa Zayed development zone in the city of Aqaba, the complex is designed to attract both international tourists and long-term residents with its promise of high-end coastal…
The LYCRA Company has introduced a major innovation in sustainable fashion with the unveiling of bio-derived LYCRA® EcoMade fiber at the Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2025. CEO Gary Smith joined Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore®—the manufacturer of QIRA®, a renewable ingredient derived from field corn—in a Fireside Chat titled From Farm to Fashion. Held on June 4 at the DR Concert Hall, the session was moderated by Amy Nguyen, a leading sustainability researcher and founder of Sustainable & Social. The event marked the debut participation of both The LYCRA Company and Qore® at the world’s foremost platform for sustainable…
Samsung Gulf Electronics has unveiled its cutting-edge AI Home, an immersive smart living experience designed to demonstrate the power of connected devices working in harmony. Showcased inside a villa-style smart home, the concept highlights Samsung’s vision for intelligent, sustainable living through its SmartThings platform and next-generation appliances and entertainment systems. At the exclusive launch event, held in the UAE, Samsung presented eight lifestyle zones that replicate everyday home scenarios—from movie nights to smart kitchens and productivity-focused workspaces—all seamlessly connected by SmartThings, the company’s global IoT ecosystem. Doohee Lee, President of Samsung Gulf Electronics, described the launch as a bold step…
The birthplace of the Olympic Games is preparing to host a very different kind of competition this summer. Olympia, Greece, will welcome the world’s first International Humanoid Olympiad from 29 August to 2 September 2025 — a pioneering event where intelligent humanoid robots will perform Olympic-inspired feats in a celebration of innovation and technology. Held at the historic International Olympic Academy, the event will bring together state-of-the-art humanoid robots and the world’s leading minds in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) for a week of live demonstrations, games, workshops, and expert talks. The Olympiad is spearheaded by Acumino, a cutting-edge Robotic…