Local News

DUBAI / Emirates Business The Smart Dubai Office (SDO) has launched a new hi-tech initiative to mark the Year of Giving 2017, issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to promote charity. SDO customers who paid for their purchases using the Dubai Now application received a message allowing them to enter whatever sum ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business UAE companies are taking corporate and employee wellbeing seriously as evidenced by growing investments in workplace wellness initiatives. The growing recognition of the many positive benefits of wellness programmes not just on employee wellbeing, but also on the overall competitiveness of the organisation are spurring investments on office renovations, additional facilities, sponsoring lifestyle and sporting activities, ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The actual spending of federal departments amounted to AED8.92 billion during Q1 2017, with a 100 percent budget execution rate, according to a Ministry of Finance report. The Service Sector spending hit AED3.207 billion, which accounts for 36.96 percent of Q1 total spending, while AED2.384 billion went to the Public Order and Safety Affairs Sector- 26.73 ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology announced a research breakthrough that provides valuable insights on the development of optimized graphene-based membranes, which aim to make water filtration and desalination more efficient and sustainable. The Masdar Institute is a part of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology. The breakthrough was made by a team ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Etihad Airways has introduced the Boeing 787-9 on its scheduled daily service from Abu Dhabi to Seoul. The aircraft touched down this morning at the South Korean capital’s space-age Incheon International Airport. The new two-class 787 Dreamliner service replaces the Airbus A340-600 aircraft previously operated on the route, and features Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy ...

Dubai / WAM Takaful Emarat, the DFM-listed, Shariah-compliant Life and Health Takaful provider, announced its Q2 financial results for six-month period ended June 30. Results were approved at the company’s Board of Directors meeting. Takaful Emarat reported a net profit of AED0.9 million for the first half of the year. This growth is attributed to the company’s continuous investment in ...

DUBAI / WAM Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund (MBRF), the financial arm of Dubai SME, the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, has appointed Metis Management Consultancy to conduct post-fund monitoring services for all the companies supported by the Fund. The partnership will enable SMEs assisted by the Fund to have greater access ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business Consumers in the UAE increasingly want to be able to resolve their basic banking issues without having to speak to a bank adviser by phone, according to a new survey from Avaya. The findings reveal that customers’ most preferred channel for accessing banking services is via a mobile app, contacting bank advisers only for more consultative ...

AJMAN / WAM During its meeting with a delegation from the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the UAE, the Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) discussed ways to streng-then and increase economic cooperation with the Republic of Uzbekistan. Abdullah Omar Al Marzouqi, Executive Director of Corporate Registration and Transaction Services at the Ajman Chamber, stressed the importance of the meeting ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business Consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are more ready to adopt artificial intelligence (AI)-powered devices and services than consumers in many other countries, according to new findings from the annual research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN). Based on a poll of 26,000 consumers in 26 countries, the report—the 2017 Accenture Digital Consumer Survey—found that three-fourths (76 ...