RABAT, 11th May, 2026 (WAM) — The 42nd Plenary of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF) commenced today in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, under the presidency of Hamid Saif AlZaabi, President of MENAFATF. Hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco from 11th to 13th May 2026, the meetings brought together heads of delegations, experts in anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, and counter-proliferation financing from member states, in addition to observers from regional and international countries and organisations. The opening session was attended by Nadia Fettah, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Kingdom of Morocco. In her…
Author: Editorial Team
PARIS, 11th May, 2026 (WAM) — The 33rd edition of the UAE President’s Cup Series for Purebred Arabian Horses achieved a distinguished European debut through its French leg, hosted at the ParisLongchamp racecourse in the capital, Paris, on Sunday. This took place within a global evening of the Emirates French Guineas (Poule d’Essai) races, in a scene that embodied the prestigious status of the Precious Cup and its growing presence in major European arenas. The Precious Cup race series enjoys the support and attention of the UAE’s leadership. This support is directed toward plans for developing the Arabian horse racing…
DUBAI, 11th May, 2026 (WAM) — Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), received Saeed bin Ali Al Hajri, Consul General of Qatar in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, at DEWA’s headquarters. Al Tayer briefed the Qatari Consul General on DEWA’s mandate, activities, development journey, service quality and operational efficiency, underscoring DEWA’s commitment to providing world class infrastructure in line with the highest standards of reliability, efficiency and availability. The meeting highlighted DEWA’s strategic vision and strong commitment to sustainable development. Both sides reaffirmed the strong relations between the UAE and Qatar and…
[Editor’s Note: Follow the Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.] After a week of remote learning prompted by the missile threat due to the regional tensions, classrooms across the UAE came alive again on Monday as students returned to in-person learning, reconnecting with friends, teachers and routines many educators say children deeply missed. School leaders across Dubai and Abu Dhabi reported strong attendance rates and a smooth transition back to campus, with many parents reassured by the safety measures, wellbeing support and clear communication maintained throughout the disruption. For many students, the…
RIYADH — A mutual visa exemption agreement between Saudi Arabia and Russia officially entered into force on Monday, May 11, 2026, allowing citizens of both countries to travel without visas for short visits. As an extension of the distinguished relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia, this enforcement of the visa exemption reflects the shared commitment to enhancing and developing tourism and cultural exchange between the two friendly nations. The agreement covers all types of passports — diplomatic, special, and ordinary — and makes Russia the first country with which the Kingdom has signed a visa exemption that includes ordinary passports.…
LONDON — Acclaimed British actor Michael Pennington, best known to global audiences for his role in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, has died aged 82, his representatives said. His death was reported on May 10 by The Telegraph, with no cause given. While many will instantly recognize Pennington as the stern Moff Jerjerrod, the Death Star commander famously confronted by Darth Vader on behalf of Emperor Palpatine, his career extended far beyond the galaxy. In fact, it was on the stage, rather than the screen, where he truly made his mark. A towering figure in British…
Anthropic has reportedly signed a $1.8 billion computing deal with cloud services provider Akamai Technologies to help meet the increased demand for AI software. Bloomberg reported Akamai stated in its Q1 earnings call last week it had struck a seven-year cloud computing deal with a “leading frontier model provider”, but did not name the company. Akamai CEO F. Thomson Leighton stated on the Q1 earnings call the deal was the largest in the company’s history. The deal is the latest in a frantic stretch of infrastructure moves by Anthropic, which has been scrambling to keep pace with demand for its…
Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to offices, coding labs or tech conferences in Dubai. Increasingly, it is showing up in residents’ everyday routines, from ordering coffee and planning workouts to beauty consultations and emotional companionship. At SOIL Café at Kite Beach this week, visitors were greeted by a café experience powered almost entirely by AI. As part of a temporary activation by Yango Group, Yango robots served coffee while customers placed their orders at the counter through Yasmina, the company’s AI assistant. The concept, which ran from May 8 to 10, turned an ordinary beachside coffee stop into a…
BRUSSELS, 11th May, 2026 (WAM) — The EU Council today adopted a decision terminating the partial suspension of the Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Syrian Arab Republic. The decision repeals Council Decision 2011/523/EU that introduced the suspension. By ending the partial suspension, the Council reinstates the full application of the Cooperation Agreement, marking an important step towards strengthening the bilateral relations between the EU and Syria. The Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Syria, concluded in 1977, provides the framework for economic and trade relations between the parties. Source: Emirates News Agency
ABU DHABI, 11th May, 2026 (WAM) — Space42 on Monday announced a strategic partnership with Skylo Technologies, a leading global non-terrestrial network (NTN) service provider, to deliver standards-based direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity through its geostationary satellite, Thuraya-4. The companies have already demonstrated what this means in practice: a bi-directional, real-time voice call completed over Thuraya-4, no modified SIM and no changes to existing operator core infrastructure. Technology integration between Skylo’s 3GPP-compliant NTN platform and Thuraya-4 is complete, confirming the service is ready for commercial deployment. For carriers, the partnership delivers an integrated extension of their existing network architecture rather than an…