March, 2020

• 15 March

  Covid-19: WTO suspends meetings till end of April

  

  GENEVA / WAM All World Trade Organisation (WTO), meetings are suspended until the end of April and Secretariat staff have been requested to work from home until the end of March. Director-General Roberto Azevedo has informed WTO members and staff that access to the organisation’s premises will be restricted as of March 16. “In light of developments related to the ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  Europe widens lockdown, moves to limit economic damage amid virus

  

  Bloomberg Europeans were faced with increasingly draconian restrictions on public life on Sunday, as governments from Spain to Scandinavia and the Baltic tried to check the spread of the coronavirus and limit the damage to continent’s fragile economies. With Europe now the epicenter of outbreak, Austria banned gatherings of more than five people, urged citizens to self-isolate and said it ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  Dubai Cares launches ‘vocational training’ in Tajikistan

  

  Dubai / WAM Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has expanded its geographical outreach with the launch of its first educational programme in broader Central Asia. The AED5,510,250 ($1.5 million) programme, being implemented in partnership with Mercy Corps, is set to tackle widespread youth unemployment in Tajikistan over a period of three years. The programme ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  Etihad announces changes to route network

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM Etihad Airways has announced temporary changes to its route network on Sunday. In a statement, the UAE airline said, “Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Covid-19, and its continuing impact on air travel services globally, Etihad Airways continues to follow UAE and international government and regulatory authority directives and has implemented a series of ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  ADX, DFM ban insider trading from Tuesday

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM Abu Dhabi and Dubai Financial Markets announced the prohibition period for insider trading at public shareholding companies listed in the UAE capital markets, which will take effect on Tuesday, March 17 2020, in compliance with the applicable regulations and rules. ADX and DFM called on listed shareholding companies and brokerage companies to implement the ban until ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  Emirati engineers due to launch UAE Mars probe this summer

  

  DUBAI / WAM After making history last year by sending the first Emirati Astronaut, Hazaa Al Mansoori to the International Space Station, the United Arab Emirates Space programme is now fixing its focus on Mars with the Hope Mars Mission. Omran Sharaf, Project Manager of Emirates Mars Mission and Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  Noura Al Kaabi heads Zayed University Council’s meeting

  

  DUBAI / WAM The Zayed University Council held its first meeting in 2020, led by Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, President of Zayed University, at the university campus in Dubai. At the meeting, Al Kaabi greeted all members and praised their sincere work to expand the progress across various academic, research, administrative, and societal ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  UAEBF chairman hails central bank’s AED100b stimulus

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM AbdulAziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of UAE Banks Federation (UAEBF) commended the UAE Central Bank’s decision to provide an AED100 billion stimulus package, noting that it will give a significant boost to the UAE banking sector, and have far-reaching impact on various sectors that underpin the economy. “During these times of worldwide uncertainty, taking decisive measures like ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  Aldar inks deal to invest AED2m in social impact bonds projects

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM The Authority of Social Contribution, Ma’an, and Aldar signed a strategic agreement that will see both organisations address priority social challenges through social contracting. Aldar will invest AED2 million, a demonstration of their commitment to the programme. As part of the agreement, Aldar and Ma’an will work together to build a Social Impact Bond, with the ...

  Read More »
• 15 March

  ADX closes trading halls over Covid-19 concerns

  

  ABU DHABI / WAM The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) announced to the investor community that the Exchange is temporarily closing its trading hall in its main offices in Abu Dhabi as well as those in the other emirates beginning March 15 and until further notice. According to a press statement, the decision was taken by ADX as “a precautionary ...

  Read More »