Author: Editorial Team
[Editor’s Note: This article is part of Khaleej Times’ Schools and Parents, a dedicated section designed to support families in the UAE as they explore educational choices. The section offers explainers, guidance from education leaders, expert advice and insights from parents to help readers make informed decisions about schools, curricula and communities.] Dubai parents are getting a clearer picture of their education choices ahead of the 2026-27 academic year, with private school fees frozen and families taking a closer look at what Outstanding-rated schools offer — from learning experiences and facilities to student opportunities and asking: are these ratings worth the price tag? Families in…
DALLAS/NEW YORK, 21st July, 2026 (WAM) — The Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Partnership (AIP), MGX, and BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) (collectively, the Consortium), today successfully completed their previously announced acquisition of 100 percent of the equity in Aligned Data Centres from private infrastructure funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management and its co-invest partners. The transaction, which represents Aligned’s enterprise value of approximately $40 billion, stands as one of the largest private investments made to date in digital infrastructure. Aligned Data Centres is one of the largest and fastest-growing data centre developers globally, with a portfolio spanning 51 campuses and more…
BOLOGNA — Police have clashed with demonstrators during a protest in Bologna after a Moroccan-born man died pleading for help while being forcibly restrained by two police officers in the northern city. Human rights campaigners and Italy’s opposition parties have demanded urgent answers over the death on Sunday of Abderrahim Fakir, 42, who had lived in Italy since he was five years old and ran a small removals and cleaning business. A video shared widely on Italian media shows Fakir, who reportedly had heart issues and asthma, repeatedly calling out “aiuto, aiuto, basta” (Help, help, that’s enough) as two officers…
RIYADH — The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and the Muslim World League (MWL) have strongly condemned recent allegations made by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their support for the Kingdom and stressing the need to safeguard international maritime navigation. GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi denounced the statements issued by the Houthi militia’s so-called military spokesman, describing them as baseless allegations aimed at distorting facts and evading responsibility for actions that have deepened the suffering of the Yemeni people and threatened regional security and stability. Al-Budaiwi said the accusations could not obscure Saudi Arabia’s longstanding efforts to…
When Shaukat Ali Rana opens the front door of his villa in Mirdif to visitors, they quickly realise they have stepped into something far more than an ordinary home. Walls are lined with black-and-white photographs. Vintage cameras sit beside film projectors, Polaroids and wooden field cameras. Glass cabinets display yellowing newspapers, old passports, pre-Union border permits, coins, stamps, driving licences and documents that many people would have discarded decades ago. However, Rana does not begin the tour with any of these. Instead, he walks to a framed black-and-white photograph of Al Maqta Fort near Abu Dhabi. “This was the first…
ABU DHABI, 21st July, 2026 (WAM) — The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) confirmed a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries of the VAT Refund Scheme for UAE Nationals Building New Residences in the first half of 2026. The authority stated that approximately 4,000 refund applications submitted by UAE nationals for VAT incurred during the construction of their new residences were approved in H1 2026, with total refunds reaching AED353.5 million. The authority said this compares to 3,100 approved applications worth AED284.8 million in H1 2025, representing a 27.5 percent increase in the number of approved applications and a 24.1…
BEIRUT — Lebanon has said its troops have begun deploying to a “pilot zone” in the south of the country following the withdrawal of Israeli forces under a US-brokered agreement reached last month. A statement from the Lebanese army command said units had entered Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatieh district on Tuesday morning. Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is one of the three towns it is expected to take control of in the first phase of a “pilot zone” project that’s part of a larger framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel signed in Washington. Dozens of displaced residents had on Monday begun to return…
PARIS — Saudi Ambassador Faisal Al-Mujfel arrived in the French capital, Paris, on Tuesday to assume his duties as the Kingdom’s ambassador to France and non-resident ambassador to Monaco. He was received at Charles de Gaulle Airport by Didier Le Bret, chief of protocol at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, along with Chargé d’Affaires Majdi Mahram and members of the Saudi Embassy. Al-Mujfel expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for the trust placed in him. He pledged to serve the Kingdom’s interests…
Planning to host family or friends in Dubai? You could unlock hotel, dining and attraction offers worth more than Dh3,000 when they visit the emirate. Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism on Tuesday announced the launch of ‘A Dubai Invite’, which will run from July 20 to October 31, 2026. Under the initiative, residents who successfully nominate family members or friends and verify their visit can access a range of rewards, from hotel stays and restaurant offers to experiences at some of the city’s attractions. How can residents unlock ‘A Dubai Invite’ benefits? To take part, residents must nominate their…
FARNBOROUGH, 21st July, 2026 (WAM) — Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, and Embraer, a leading global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, today signed a Strategic Framework Agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow, establishing a pathway to a long-term collaboration across supply, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), human capital development, and research and development. The agreement was signed by Amer Siddiqui, Executive Director at Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform on behalf of Mubadala, and Dimas Douglas Tomelin, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer of Embraer S.A. on behalf of Embraer. The partnership draws on the UAE’s integrated aerospace ecosystem,…