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

  Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has tried to shake the perception that it’s just the EBay Inc. or Amazon.com Inc. of China, by pushing into social media and entertainment and actively investing in startups like Snapchat Inc. Chairman Jack Ma’s sprawling pursuits are starting to pay off. Alibaba’s Taobao mobile app is a riot of tiny print and icons ...

  Bloomberg Some of blockchain’s biggest backers, including people with ties to IBM and JPMorgan, will gather on Wednesday to work on the biggest issue hobbling the technology behind digital currency — the absence of grown-up governance. While growth of the internet was fostered by bodies such as the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Internet Governance Forum and the Internet ...

  Bloomberg A group of Chinese investors said it’s acquiring ad-tech startup Media.net for about $900 million in cash, with plans to eventually sell the company to an obscure telecommunications firm whose shares have been suspended from trading since last year. Media.net, which is based in Dubai and New York, is touting this as the third-largest ad-tech acquisition in history. ...

  Bloomberg The imminent Hong Kong debut of Meitu Inc., whose main claim to fame is selfie touch-up apps, offers investors a rare chance to get in near the ground level of China’s nascent, booming smartphone economy. Meitu banked on China’s growing pre-occupation with ideals of comeliness, a passion that’s inspired countless internet memes and a surge in cosmetic surgery. ...

  Moscow / AFP A compass on the smartphone screen points towards Red Square. As the distance to the target narrows, the camera app pops up and zooms in on a bearded figure in a fur cloak. The routine is familiar to Pokemon hunters obsessed with the ultra-popular Pokemon Go game — but this is no Pokemon. Instead, it is ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business Modern office environments are often in a state of flux, with workers needing spaces to meet on short notice. These informal gathering places should be inspiring, comfortable and hardworking—a way for mobile workers to socialize and collaborate without monopolizing real estate. Coalesse, a premium furniture brand by Steelcase, is supporting this need by developing insight-led, ...

  DUBAI / WAM A new report from Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), owned by Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) says that the total committed and planned energy investments in the MENA region could reach US$ 900 billion over the next five years. The report reveals that planned MENA investments in the energy sector are estimated at US$ 11 ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business ENOC Retail, Emirates National Oil Company’s retail business segment, announced ambitious growth plans of 150 per cent for its ZOOM stores network in the UAE by 2025 to cater to increasing customer demand and population growth. The company also aims to triple its turnover in the next 15 years. ZOOM’s growth plans include the opening of ...

DUBAI / WAM Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, Empower, has launched mobile chiller trailers to ensure 24/7 uninterrupted district cooling service for the company’s customers. Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said, “This innovative project is part of our relentless efforts to continuously enhance our customer service principles and standards.

DUBAI / Emirates Business The Department of Economic Development (DED) presented a certificate of appreciation to ‘Sugar Factory,’ the newly opened celebrity favourite American Brasserie in Dubai in honour of the unique concept being brought to the city under franchise by Tablez Food Company, the F&B division of leading retailer Lulu International Group. The certificate was handed over during a ...