ABU DHABI / WAM Five organisations that specialise in gauging global competitiveness have ranked the UAE among the top 20 countries 2020 across 13 indexes related to transport, adding to the country’s track record in this sector. The UAE has been making tireless efforts to drive its sustainable development while also preserving the environment. The UAE Vision 2021 comprises guidelines ...

DUBAI / WAM Boksha, an Emirati-founded tech startup, has secured $1 million from a group of investors, which includes Sandooq Al Watan and family offices. Founded in 2018, the platform is the largest online marketplace for independent fashion designers in the region offering Khaleeji themes. This is the company’s first raise; it has bootstrapped itself since then to offering over ...

SHARJAH / WAM Air Arabia has announced the introduction of a new service to Phuket, Thailand, with direct flights from Sharjah International Airport starting on July 02. Air Arabia is the first low-cost carrier in the region to launch a direct route to Phuket. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed that travellers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 from ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM S&P Global Ratings has assigned ‘AA-‘ long-term issuer credit rating with stable outlook to Emirates Development Bank (EDB), a key financial enabler of the country’s economic diversification and industrial transformation agenda. The bank has also been assigned a ‘gcAAA’ long-term GCC regional scale rating by S&P Global Ratings, said a statement issued by EDB on Monday. ...

SHARJAH / WAM The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) welcomed Lars Pera, Ambassador of Guatemala to the UAE, and Jose Bassila, Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Guatemala, to discuss means to boost bilateral ties and stimulate investments in food security, waste management and natural tourism fields, among others. The two sides agreed to organise a coordination meeting ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 208,090 additional Covid-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment. In a statement on Monday, the ministry stressed its aim to continue expanding the scope of testing nationwide to facilitate the early detection of coronavirus cases and carry out the necessary ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) announced the signing of an agreement with the Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment (MBRHE) to provide flexible financing options for UAE nationals seeking suitable family housing. The agreement comes as part of the ‘Al Yusr’ programme, one of the housing establishment’s initiatives aimed at providing the best financing options for nationals ...

SHARJAH / WAM Air Arabia has announced the introduction of a new service to Phuket, Thailand, with direct flights from Sharjah International Airport starting on July 2. Air Arabia is the first low-cost carrier in the region to launch a direct route to Phuket. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed that travellers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 from ...

Dubai / WAM Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) announced it will organise the 23rd Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) and Dubai Solar Show from October 5-7, at Expo 2020 Dubai. Dewa is the Official Sustainable Energy Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai. The announcement was made by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa, Founder and ...

Janet Yellen may be doing a solid for Jerome Powell, her successor at the helm of the Federal Reserve. Yellen, now Treasury secretary, says higher interest rates would be beneficial for the US economy. Both borrowing costs and inflation have been too low for the past decade. “If we ended up with a slightly higher interest rate environment, it would ...