DUBAI, 14th October, 2026 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and President of the Dubai International Financial Centre, met with Lord Philip Hammond, Chairman of Innovo Group, a London-headquartered international construction and real estate development company with operations across four continents. The meeting explored opportunities for international companies to expand their operations in Dubai and develop projects that support growth and innovation. Discussions highlighted Dubai’s growing role as a hub for regional and global business operations, and the advantages it…
Author: Editorial Team
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia condemned Colombia’s decision to open an “embassy” in occupied Jerusalem, describing the move as a blatant violation of international law and relevant international resolutions. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia said the Colombian government’s decision directly infringes on the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem and contradicts the established international position regarding the city. The Kingdom also renewed its call on the international community, including the United Nations Security Council and all concerned parties, to fulfill their legal and moral responsibilities. Saudi Arabia urged immediate action to…
HCLTech, an Indian IT firm, recently entered into an agreement with Anthropic to establish a separate business unit designed to accelerate enterprise adoption of agentic AI. This new unit will also have a strong focus on safety, cybersecurity and governance. HCLTech stated its services team will build industry solutions and offerings powered by Anthropic’s Claude, Cowork and Claude Code, while its HCLSoftware business unit will embed these capabilities into select enterprise products. The company will further establish a dedicated “Anthropic Business Unit and Centre of Excellence” to accelerate use of Claude in enterprise environments, providing secure sandbox environments to enable…
RIYADH — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi strongly condemned the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, including the strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, during a meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace on Wednesday. The Iraqi prime minister reaffirmed Baghdad’s commitment to preventing Iraqi territory from being used to launch attacks against Saudi Arabia or other countries in the region. During the meeting at the Royal Court, the two leaders discussed regional developments and coordinated efforts to strengthen security and stability across the region. Al-Zaidi expressed the Iraqi government’s strong condemnation…
DUBAI, 14th October, 2026 (WAM) — Officials and experts at the Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils in Dubai said the future of finance and responsible AI adoption will depend on collaboration, effective governance and public trust in their contribution to sustainable development. Organised through a partnership between the UAE Government, the World Economic Forum and the Dubai Future Foundation, the Meetings featured “Economics after Certainty,” where Milojko Spajic, Hamed Ali, Sergei Guriev, Ma Song and Chinwe Egwim highlighted risk forecasting and management as central to future economic policy, sustainable growth and resource protection. Milojko Spajic, Prime Minister of…
DUBAI, 14th October, 2026 (WAM) — In support of the ‘Dubai Cashless’ strategy, and complementing its efforts to enhance the integration of customs services and digital payments in a way that helps simplify procedures, improve the customer experience, and raise the efficiency of doing business, Dubai Customs announced that its cashless payment transaction rate reached 99.3% of total payment transactions in the first half of 2026, compared with 99.4% in 2025 and 99.2% in 2024. These results reflect the development of the organisation’s digital infrastructure, the efficiency of its electronic payment systems, and its commitment to providing a smooth and…
ABU DHABI, 14th October, 2026 (WAM) — The next generation of world-class wrestlers are set to take to the mats in Abu Dhabi next month after Real American Freestyle (RAF), the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the UAE Wrestling Federation announced a partnership to bring the wrestling promotion’s first international youth tournament to the Middle East – RAF NEXT GEN Abu Dhabi. Registration is now open across all weight classes. Athletes can register here, with limited places available in each division. Interested participants are encouraged to secure their spot as early as possible.…
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump and his administration have ratcheted up pressure on Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries, citing harm to American consumers, they have remained silent on recent Russian strikes on US businesses in Ukraine Russia has escalated attacks on facilities linked to American companies, as well as civilian infrastructure across Ukraine in recent months. Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, told CNN that Russian missiles and drones have hit facilities belonging to some of America’s most notable brands, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, McDonald’s and Oreo. Although Russia has tried to deter successful…
BANGKOK — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday that developments in Saudi Arabia potentially have “negative spillovers for everybody everywhere.” Speaking at the IMF Managing Director’s briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok on Wednesday, she praised Saudi leadership for pursuing structural reforms in recent years. Georgieva noted the resilience of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), including Gulf diversification efforts and non-oil sector economic growth before and since the conflict. “This has put buffers that are now paying great dividends to the…
DUBAI, 14th October, 2026 (WAM) — German and Indian companies will showcase sustainable water and energy solutions at the 28th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) from 20th to 22nd October at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The German Pavilion will feature 20 specialised companies, many of which have been regular exhibitors for years. They will showcase products and innovations aimed at reducing emissions, protecting the environment and improving operational efficiency across sectors including energy, water, renewable energy, low-carbon hydrogen, environmental sustainability, automation, software, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart metering. Saeed…