SRINAGAR — Aproposed move in Indian-administered Kashmir to introduce uniform Friday sermons at mosques across the region has sparked outrage after criticism from politicians and religious leaders alike. The government-appointed Waqf Board, which oversees Muslim religious endowments as mandated by Islamic laws, announced the controversial move last weekend, prompting a political controversy as the region’s top Muslim scholars slammed the proposal as “irresponsible interference in the religious affairs of Kashmiri Muslims”. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called the proposal “unacceptable,” accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of interfering in Muslim religious affairs, and urged the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf…
Author: Editorial Team
DUBAI, 15th October, 2026 (WAM) — Mashreq has successfully priced its inaugural CNH1 billion three-year senior unsecured Dim Sum bond at a fixed coupon of 2.50 percent, marking the bank’s first public issuance in the offshore renminbi market. The transaction represents a significant milestone in Mashreq’s funding diversification strategy, expanding its access to alternative funding markets. The issuance demonstrates the bank’s ability to execute transactions across international capital markets despite a challenging global macroeconomic environment while strengthening its funding profile. The transaction also reflects the strengthening economic and financial relationship between the UAE, China and Hong Kong, supported by growing…
Walid Yehia, Managing Director – South Gulf, Dell Technologies. Dell Technologies recently released findings from its Modern Enterprise Readiness Study 2026, conducted with independent research firm Vanson Bourne. The study surveyed 1,500 business and IT decision-makers across EMEA, including the UAE, as part of a global survey of 2,950 respondents in 35 countries. Research was conducted in June 2026 and included organisations across financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, energy and utilities, and the public sector. Why it matters The findings reveal a region entering a new phase of digital transformation. UAE organisations are navigating a complex environment shaped by economic…
When Simon Squibb started his first business at 15, there were plenty of things he didn’t know. How to build a company, where to find support or even whom to turn to for advice. Much of it, he recalls, involved figuring things out on his own. Decades later, having built businesses, invested in 87 companies and amassed a following of 27 million on social media, the British content creator and entrepreneur finds himself thinking about that 15-year-old version of himself. And what he would have done differently if someone had simply offered to help. “In many ways, this initiative is…
RIYADH — The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced Thursday that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi cruise missile over the Madinah region. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki confirmed that the cruise missile had been launched by the Houthi militia and successfully intercepted over the Madinah region. The latest interception came amid a series of attacks over the past days, during which the coalition announced the interception and destruction of 14 missiles and drones targeting Saudi territory. The intercepted threats included ballistic and cruise missiles targeting Riyadh, Al-Kharj and the Eastern Province, as well as five drones…
ABU DHABI, 15th October, 2026 (WAM) — Avantguard Holding, an EDGE Group entity, and the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on data and smart mapping. The MoU was signed by Dr Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Director-General of the Integrated Transport Centre, and Hanadi bin Darwish, CEO of Avantguard, at the Liveability and Investment Exhibition (LIVEX 2026) held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The partnership aims to use high-precision positioning services and advanced navigation technologies to develop high-definition digital maps,…
KYIV — Ukraine has resumed its attacks on Russian refineries with a strike at an installation in the Ryazan region, the regional governor said on Thursday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy voiced his anger at a “dangerous” withdrawal of US intelligence. Since US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, Kyiv had refrained from attacking Russian refineries, which the US leader had blamed for raising diesel prices on global markets. “The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,” Zelensky told the Financial Times in London in a fiery interview. The comments…
ABU DHABI, 15th October, 2026 (WAM) — First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has successfully issued and settled AED1 billion 3-year Digitally Native Green Notes, becoming the first digital green bond from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The landmark issuance brings together sustainable finance and digital capital markets infrastructure, reinforcing FAB’s commitment to financial innovation and its role in shaping the future of the region’s capital markets. The notes were priced on 13th October 2026 at an interest rate of 5.75 percent and settled today through Euroclear’s Digital Financial Market Infrastructure (D-FMI). They will mature on 15th October…
The roadshow will explore how AI-powered ServiceOps can help teams across organisations streamline IT operations, free up capacity and scale AI across the business BMC Helix, a leading AI-powered ServiceOps company, will host its annual roadshow for enterprise IT leaders, including customers, partners and technology leaders, at The Museum of the Future in Dubai on 22 October. The company’s senior leadership team will share practical insights into applying AI across enterprise IT services and day-to-day IT operations. The event will also feature customer success stories, hands-on sessions exploring incident management, workflow automation and IT service management, and insights into BMC…
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows increased by 33.5 percent to SR159.1 billion in 2025, compared with SR119.2 billion in 2024, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The increase came as the Kingdom’s total FDI stock rose by 8.3 percent to SR1.06 trillion by the end of 2025, while net FDI inflows increased by 1.7 percent to SR81.4 billion, compared with SR80 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, FDI outflows increased by 98.5 percent to SR77.7 billion, up from SR39.2 billion in the previous year. Construction activities recorded the highest contribution to total FDI inflows at SR34.5…