Dubai / WAM Dubai South Properties announced that investments in its first leasehold staff accommodation development, Sakany, have reached AED500 million, helping to position the project as a regional benchmark for safe and secure housing for blue collar workers. The welfare of residents is central to the Sakany project, reflected in its first-rate leisure facilities and well-equipped medical rooms. There ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has confirmed that higher education institutions making only zero-rated and/or standard-rated supplies may recover input tax in full, except where recovery is specifically blocked. Blocked input tax includes value-added tax (VAT) incurred on certain entertainment services, and motor vehicles that have been purchased, leased, or rented and made available for personal ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Etihad Airways announced that it has partnered with Singapore food technology startup Lumitics to trial the use of computer vision and machine learning in order to reduce food wastage on Etihad flights. The partnership will see Etihad and Lumitics track unconsumed Economy class meals from Etihad’s flights, with the collated data used to highlight food consumption ...

Dubai / WAM Dubai’s vision to drive economic growth through reliable, clean, efficient and secure energy supply and usage was discussed by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO) during an online webinar on energy sustainability in the emirate. “The collaborative efforts of multiple government and private organisations combine to achieve the vision of ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced a new ‘Library Talks’ Programme for 2020. With a focus on libraries as a profession in the Arab world, this carefully curated programme will shed light on the latest related developments, issues, information and subjects affecting this vital public service sector. The ...

DUBAI / WAM Jebel Ali Free Zone, Jafza, has ramped up efforts to support the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector, the free zone operator said on Sunday. The free zone hosted a webinar titled “Empowering Growth During Business Uncertainty” that attracted top industry experts and Jafza associates, which included Abdullah Alajaji, Founder, Driven Properties, Paul Bryson, Director of Domestic ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE-Pakistan Assistance Programme (UAE PAP) announced that it has vaccinated 12,144,323 Pakistani children under five years old against polio from August 17-26 in a nationwide campaign to vaccinate to 12,788,000 children as part of the Initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for Global Polio Eradication. UAE PAP said the second exceptional ...

KHARTOUM / WAM A second Emirati aid aircraft arrived in Khartoum as part of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) air bridge under the current UAE humanitarian aid programme, with relief for those affected by the floods in Sudan. The plane carried large quantities of medicines, medical and food supplies, and shelter materials, and was received at Khartoum Airport by the ...

Bloomberg Uganda’s planned oil pipeline will result in more than 12,000 families losing their land and the development threatens sensitive ecosystems, according to research by Oxfam International. The East African nation’s crude industry has “opaque processes” to compensate affected communities, the London-based charity said in a statement. Oil majors and the state should address the issues before the next stage ...

What would a second presidential term for Donald Trump look like, anyway? Let’s suppose he wins in November, and let’s assume the election winds up a lot like 2016. This time, he’s even farther behind in the polls before Election Day, but has a well-timed surge as November 3 approaches. And while he falls well short in the popular vote, ...