The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.

Dubai / WAM Free zones across the world are optimistic about their growth performance in coming months as they prepare to become “future ready” in a post-pandemic world, according to latest indicators revealed by the Free Zones World Economic Barometer. About 40 percent of free zone organisations expressed a positive outlook on their performance during the fourth quarter of 2020 ...

DUBAI / WAM Dubai Chamber of Commerce discussed on Monday at its headquarters the bilateral economic ties and investment opportunities with Pierre Dartout, Minister of State in the Principality of Monaco. The dignitary was head of a delegation from the European principality that arrived in Dubai to explore opportunities of mutual benefit and to enhance bilateral relations as the city ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM Aldar Investment on Monday announced an AED 500 million redevelopment plan for Yas Mall to reinforce the asset’s position as the centrepiece of Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s fast-growing residential and leisure destination. The substantial investment will enhance the customer journey by reimagining the mall’s spaces and introducing new innovative retail concepts. The redevelopment will further enable ...

Dubai / WAM The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) on Monday published its “Framework for Regulating Security Tokens” for public consultation for a period of 30 days. The DFSA is proposing a comprehensive and innovative regulatory framework for regulating Security Tokens, a new and growing area of interest for many industry participants. DFSA is actively engaged with key stakeholders in ...

Dubai / WAM Emirates NBD has reported that contactless payments now make up 84 percent of all face-to-face card payment transactions, as consumers and merchants have increasingly preferred to use touch-free technologies to stay safe. The bank, a front-runner in digital banking, saw contactless payment transactions which include contactless card and mobile wallet-based payments rise by 59 percent year-on-year in ...

SHARJAH / WAM The 18th edition of the Sharjah Heritage Days (SHD) continues in the city of Khor Fakkan “Heritage Area”, as it witnessed a remarkable turnout of attendees on its second day. In a joyful heritage atmosphere that brought together citizens, residents and heritage lovers in the area of Khor Fakkan, the second day of the 18th edition of ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Led by Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, and President of Zayed University (ZU), members of the Zayed University Council held their second meeting of 2021 to review several topics on the Council’s agenda. Initiating the meeting, Noura Al Kaabi greeted and praised all Council members for their sincere engagement towards enhancing ...

Bloomberg AGL Energy Ltd, Australia’s largest electricity retailer, will launch a joint venture with Ovo Energy Ltd. to use the UK utility’s technology platform Kaluza. As part of the agreement, AGL will invest in Ovo Energy Australia to adapt the Kaluza platform for its domestic market. The aim is to digitalize AGL’s services and offer customers smart products as households ...

Bloomberg China’s coal mining giants surged on Monday after promising generous dividend payouts and as prices for the fuel jumped on supply tightness. Shares for China Shenhua Energy Co. and Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. both rose more than 10% in Hong Kong. The companies, China’s largest listed miners by production, said Friday they would give the lion’s share of 2020 ...

There’s growing enthusiasm inside and outside the Biden administration for establishing a market that would make carbon dioxide a cash crop for US farmers. The potential climate benefits are huge: US farms have the capacity to sequester hundreds of millions of metric tons of C02 every year — many times the amount of carbon offset annually by the country’s solar ...