Author: Editorial Team
BEIJING — Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed the deepening ties between Moscow and Beijing as a “stabilizing” force on the world stage ahead of talks with Xi Jinping, less than a week after the Chinese leader received US President Donald Trump during his high-profile visit to the country. Putin is traveling to Beijing on Tuesday in his first foreign visit of the year with the war in Iran offering an opportunity to deepen energy ties with China. Russia hopes the turmoil in energy markets from the Middle East conflict will make China more flexible in negotiations on a contract…
Lebanon’s Alsama Project, a refugee-led education organisation transforming the lives of displaced Syrian and Palestinian teenagers excluded from traditional schooling, has been named the winner of the inaugural Global Schools Prize. This award is an initiative of the UAE-based Varkey Foundation, recognising innovative schools that are transforming education systems worldwide. Founded in 2020 to support just 40 teenagers in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp, Alsama has since grown into a pioneering education organisation serving more than 1,100 displaced young people. While many refugee education programmes focus on younger children, Alsama specifically targets adolescents, who are often overlooked and left out of…
DUBAI, 19th May, 2026 (WAM) — DP World has attracted AED854 million in investments across Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) in the first four months of 2026, underlining continued investor demand for Dubai’s trade and industrial hub. The investments reflect commitments made by Jafza tenants to develop and expand facilities across manufacturing, logistics, food production, healthcare, vehicle handling and heavy equipment. Momentum continued through March and April, with more than 43% of the total commitments by value signed during these months. The new investments reflect a broad mix of trade and industrial activity, including: Manufacturers of steel, food products and…
Swiss watchmaker Swatch and luxury partner Audemars Piguet are betting big on a Gen-Z “product drop” culture — buzzy, often limited launches that have helped spur sales from Labubu dolls and Nike trainers to Popeyes chicken. The maker of popular colourful watches has stirred debate — and seen some punches thrown — with a product launch of its Royal Pop pocket watch collection with Audemars Piguet, which forced it to close some stores and limit queues. In Milan shoppers outside a Swatch store ended up in a scuffle, to get their hands on the Pop Art style watches blending the…
From June 1, if you are a private sector employee in the UAE, your company must pay your salary by the first day of each month under the new Wage Protection System rules (WPS). Salary paid after the first day will be considered delayed. While salaries are due on the first day of the month, authorities begin taking action almost immediately in a phased manner, with warnings starting from Day 2 and penalties escalating if delays continue. With the updated rules, the UAE introduces clearer controls for salary payment deadlines and stricter measures against non-compliant companies. Here’s a detailed explainer…
ABU DHABI, 19th May, 2026 (WAM) — Presight, a global leader in applied AI for intelligent systems, has signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority (ADCDA) to advance the use of artificial intelligence in public safety and emergency response. The Cooperation Agreement reflects the shared commitment of both organizations to advance safety, preparedness, and resilience through innovation. It represents a significant step in the UAE’s efforts to apply artificial intelligence for societal benefit and highlights how collaboration between technology leaders and public institutions can shape safer, smarter, and more sustainable cities. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Al Kathiri,…
Swiss watchmaker Swatch was forced to shut stores and cap queues after the launch of its Royal Pop pocket watch in collaboration with Audemars Piguet drew large crowds and triggered brawls among shoppers. The watches combining Swatch’s 1980s pop-art style with the Audemars Piguet octagonal bezel sell for $400 to $420, far below the many thousands of dollars commanded by Audemars Piguet’s luxury watches, leading many to buy and then flip Royal Pop timepieces online at inflated prices. Social media posts and video showed queues of shoppers at stores in New York, London, Barcelona and Dubai at the weekend, with…
When a group of fresh Emirati graduates walked into Hamad Al Marar’s office in 2013 with an idea to build a navigation system from scratch, refusing to license intellectual property from anyone, few imagined how far it would travel. Today, that same locally-built system guides Emirati drones, missiles and aircraft, including JENIAH, the country’s first jet-powered combat drone. The story, told by Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE Group, on Tuesday at the International Exhibition for National Security and Resilience (ISNR) 2026, was paired with another disclosure from the country’s top cybersecurity official: 27 cybersecurity startups have grown…
DUBAI, 19th May, 2026 (WAM) — Dubai South has signed an agreement with Majid Al Futtaim to develop a landmark AED62 billion mixed-use master community within Dubai South. In the presence of Khalifa Alzaffin, Executive Chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South, and Fadel Abdulbaqi Al Ali, Chairman of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, the agreement was signed at Dubai South HQ by Nabil Alkindi, Group CEO of Dubai South, and Ahmed Galal Ismail, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Holding. Spanning 22 million square feet, the new master-planned development will feature a diverse mix of residential, retail, and lifestyle…
Swiss watch giant Swatch said Monday insufficient organisation by shopping centres contributed to scuffles at around 20 stores worldwide over the weekend as clients raced to buy a limited-edition timepiece. Hundreds of people waited through the night or longer hoping to get their hands on the “Royal Pop” timepieces, billed as a “disruptive collaboration” with the luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. But things turned ugly in New York and several European cities as well as in Thailand on Saturday, with fights breaking out and some security gates vandalised at some of the 220 stores offering the watches. In France, officers fired…