San Francisco / AP The robots are coming — to help run your life or sell you stuff — at an online texting service near you. In coming months, users of Facebook’s Messenger app, Microsoft’s Skype and Canada’s Kik can expect to find new automated assistants offering information and services at a variety of businesses. These messaging “chatbots” are basically …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Dubai’s market for apparel and footwear is estimated to be worth US$12.8 billion, registering 5.5 percent annual growth in sales since 2010, according to a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry based on data from Euromonitor International. The category is mainly composed of apparel, footwear and sportswear, with apparel leading total sales …

Dubai / Emirates Business Award-winning communications network Publinet Group continues to focus on the region’s exciting opportunities for growth by expanding its senior leadership team. The group; which includes Cicero & Bernay (C&B) Public Relations, RAW, a social-media agency, and creative think-tank Spark Middle East; has appointed three senior communication professionals to its Dubai headquarters in the first quarter of …