JEDDAH — The Saudi Cabinet approved the establishment of a unified national visa platform at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, making it the Kingdom’s official national platform for visa services. The Cabinet also approved agreements between Saudi Arabia and the governments of Hungary, Kazakhstan and Poland on mutual exemption from visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, service and special passports. Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman chaired the Cabinet session held in Jeddah on Tuesday. During the session, the Cabinet reviewed the state’s activities over the past several days, particularly efforts to strengthen relations with brotherly and friendly…
Author: Editorial Team
Apple and Broadcom recently agreed to expand their longstanding partnership until 2031. A move that suggests a complete switch to the iPhone-maker’s own C-series chips may still be several years away. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on the 6th July 2026, Broadcom will develop and supply a range of custom ASIC chips for use across multiple generations of Apple products. The chips include radio frequency components used in iPhones for cellular connectivity, along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity chips and other networking semiconductors. Broadcom has been a long-standing supplier to Apple. Analysts estimate Apple accounts for…
SHARJAH, 7th July, 2026 (WAM) — The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has launched its new website, introducing an integrated digital platform that provides members, businesses and investors with streamlined access to the Chamber’s electronic services, initiatives and economic data. The new platform supports SCCI’s digital transformation strategy, strengthens its online presence and enhances the efficiency and quality of its services. Designed with a modern, user-focused interface, the website brings together the Chamber’s services, initiatives, affiliated institutions, news, publications, Knowledge Center and Business Directory on a single platform, enabling users to easily access information, services and business opportunities.…
Fan zones and football viewing areas saw spirited cheers as well as heartbreak on Tuesday as Egypt and Argentina faced off against each other in a keenly fought game that had fans on the edge of their seats. Dubai resident Federico Escobar found himself cheering for his home country in a shisha cafe filled with Egyptian supporters. “I was the only Argentinian there so when they scored, I didn’t really cheer,” he chuckled. “But I was worried in the first half of the game. I think Egypt played a really really good game. They were phenomenal. They should be proud…
ATLANTA — Lionel Messi sparked a remarkable late comeback as defending champion Argentina recovered from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 on Tuesday and book its place in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. Messi scored his eighth goal of the tournament and a record-extending 21st World Cup goal in the 83rd minute before Enzo Fernández completed the dramatic turnaround in stoppage time, capping one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history. Argentina had appeared destined for elimination after falling 2-0 behind, with Yasser Ibrahim opening the scoring in the 15th minute before Mostafa Zico doubled Egypt’s lead in…
PARIS — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s political future remained uncertain on Tuesday after an appeals court cleared her to run for office but wearing an ankle tag, potentially hampering a campaign for next year’s presidential elections when her party has its strongest chance yet of winning power. A lower court last year had sentenced Le Pen, 57, to a five-year ban from public office and a two-year sentence over a fake jobs scam at the European Parliament, threatening the three-time presidential candidate’s hopes to replace outgoing centrist President Emmanuel Macron. The court said the misappropriated public funds amounted…
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 7th July, 2026 (WAM) — Etihad Airways and Fastjet Zimbabwe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a new interline partnership, codeshare agreement and frequent flyer partnership with Fastjet Zimbabwe. The collaboration will enhance connectivity giving guests access to destinations currently flown by both airlines, on a single ticketing system. The agreement was signed in Harare on 7th July 2026, with sales available from 24th August 2026. Under the partnership, guests travelling on Etihad can connect onward on Fastjet Zimbabwe to Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and to Johannesburg, combining both airlines on a single ticket. The partnership…
[Editor’s Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments after the signing of the US-Iran peace agreement.] The UAE has strongly condemned the Iranian attack targeting the Qatari tanker ‘Al-Rekayat’ while it was transiting near the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the attack poses a serious threat to the safety and security of international navigation and represents a dangerous escalation aimed at undermining the security and stability of one of the world’s most vital maritime routes. The UAE expressed its full solidarity with Qatar, reaffirming its support for all measures…
RIYADH — The Saudi government has granted Acwa an exclusive mandate to export green hydrogen and its derivatives produced in the Kingdom to international markets. The company has also been assigned to develop renewable electricity export projects serving Europe and the Arab region. The approval gives Acwa the exclusive right to export Saudi-produced green hydrogen, including green ammonia, green methanol and green fuels, as global demand for low-carbon energy accelerates. Under the mandate, Acwa will also develop projects for the production, transmission and export of renewable electricity to European and Arab markets, supporting regional energy security while expanding the Kingdom’s…
Ali Siddiqui, CEO, BMC Helix. Dubai — Montagu, a leading mid-market private equity firm, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in BMC Helix in a carve-out transaction from BMC Software (BMC). Funds managed by KKR, a leading global investment firm, will maintain ownership of BMC, the automation company for the AI era, which will also retain a minority stake in Helix. KKR acquired BMC in 2018 through its twelfth Americas Private Equity fund. Helix is a leading agentic AI ServiceOps platform powering mission-critical service and operations management solutions used by thousands of blue-chip organisations worldwide across financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail,…