News

ABU DHABI / WAM The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development officially announced the completion of the 2019-2020 edition of the “Franchise Initiative”, which saw three UAE-owned and operated businesses become the latest organisations to benefit from the long-serving initiative, and become ready to expand. This year, the initiative supported Amaryliss Flowers, a one-stop-shop for flower arrangements which imports premium quality ...

Dubai / WAM The Commercial Compliance and Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in Dubai Economy revealed that the number of active trademark files on its ‘IP Gateway’ reached 5,126 in the first six months of 2020, a 14 percent increase compared to H1 2019. Meanwhile, the number of complaints registered for infringement of intellectual property (IP) in the first half of ...

ABU DHABI / WAM His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Mohammed Haneef Atmar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, have discussed strategic and cooperation relations between the two countries in various fields. This came during a telephone call, wherein the ministers exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments, ...

Fujairah / WAM National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) on Monday announced the launch of “NBF Connect”, a dedicated and exclusive banking platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the first of its kind in the UAE. The community platform will serve as a one-stop shop for SME members, which will include access to a suite of services and solutions ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The United Arab Emirates has provided 500 food parcels containing 21.4 tonnes of food aid to the residents of Mukalla District, Hadramaut Governorate, benefitting 2,500 members of underprivileged families. The food aid, which was distributed by Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) teams, is part of the UAE’s efforts to alleviate the suffering of local people and normalise ...

Sharjah / WAM His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and President of Al Qasimia University (AQU) approved the budget of the University for the academic year 2020/2021. According to this approved budget, 300 students will be accepted to study in the current semester, with the continuation of studies for 1,252 students ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced Monday that it conducted 71,282 additional Covid-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment. In a statement, 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 treatment. ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Aldar Properties PJSC (Aldar) published its second annual sustainability report, demonstrating strong progress in 2019 and charting an ambitious roadmap for the future through a number of key commitments. Formulated in close alignment with key global indices and standards including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, the report formally enshrines Aldar’s approach to responsible corporate citizenship, ...

Bloomberg Several of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s biggest investors have converted billions of dollars in US shares for Hong Kong stock in part to avoid potential US sanctions and de-listings of major Chinese technology companies. Temasek Group Holdings Pte, Baillie Gifford & Co, and Matthews Asia are among the major shareholders that have swapped stakes in the Chinese e-commerce giant ...

Bloomberg Thailand is cautiously looking at plans to reopen its borders as it struggles to survive an extended period without international visitors, who account for about two-thirds of the country’s tourism income. “The virus won’t go away soon and we have to think about the economy. But we can’t just reopen the borders. We have to be careful,” Transport Minister ...