Author: Arabian Media staff

Image: Supplied Cognita Middle East (Cognita ME), the regional hub of the global schools group, has announced a significant expansion, entering into strategic partnerships with five schools and extending its footprint into three new markets – Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar. The move reinforces Cognita’s presence in the region and underscores its commitment to academic excellence and holistic education. The partner schools include Downe House Riyadh, King’s College Riyadh, Downe House Muscat, Cheltenham Muscat, and King’s College Doha. With these additions, Cognita ME will operate 14 schools across the Middle East, building on its existing portfolio of nine schools in…

The state-backed ecosystem, created in 2019 with support from sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, now counts more than 300 companies. Its focus is shifting from simply adding new ventures to scaling globally competitive firms, with artificial intelligence and healthcare at the forefront. “AI was a very strategic topic we chose because Abu Dhabi has a strong value proposition – from compute power and energy to talent and sovereign investment,” Peter Abou Hachem, Head of Growth and Strategy at Hub71, told Arabian Business. “Our aim is to help create the next OpenAI out of the emirate.” The new entrants span fields from…

Image credit: Getty Images In a bold step toward shaping a tech-driven future, more than six million students across Saudi Arabia’s general education system are set to embark on a transformative journey. For the 2025–2026 academic year, students will be introduced to a newly developed artificial intelligence (AI) curriculum, marking the country’s first nationwide integration of AI in general education. The initiative, hailed as a pioneering milestone, is the result of collaboration between the National Centre for Curriculum Development, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), a…

Image: RAKTDA The government of Ras Al Khaimah has appointed Phillipa Harrison, former MD of Tourism Australia, as chief executive officer of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA). Harrison will lead efforts to position the northern emirate as the “Destination of the Future”, bringing decades of experience across global markets including Australia. “Tourism is at the heart of Ras Al Khaimah’s strategy, it is our fastest-growing sector and we’ve achieved remarkable milestones in a short period of time,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud Al Qasimi, chairman of RAKTDA’s Executive Committee. “ Miss Harrison brings with her a depth…

Image: TAQA/ X Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) has agreed to acquire GS Inima, a Spanish-headquartered water treatment and desalination firm, from GS Engineering & Construction in a $1.2bn deal, expanding its international water platform. The transaction will give TAQA full ownership of GS Inima, which operates about 50 projects including around 30 long-term public-private partnerships. The Madrid-based company has operations in 10 countries, among them Spain, Brazil, Mexico, the US and Oman. Building a global water platform The Abu Dhabi-based company said the acquisition marks a step towards building a global water platform, adding 171 million imperial gallons…

Image credit: Dubai Media Office/ Website Dubai’s private education sector is set for another significant growth spurt as the city welcomes six new schools, 16 early childhood centres (ECCs), and three prestigious international universities in the 2025–26 academic year. The expansion reflects Dubai’s continued evolution as a global hub for high-quality education and family-friendly living. Together, the new institutions will add over 11,700 school seats and accommodate more than 2,400 new learners in early education, offering increased options for families across the emirate, a Dubai Media Office report. Read more-UAE schools to introduce AI curriculum from kindergarten-grade 12 Diverse school…

Image credit: Dubai Media Office/Website Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in partnership with Dubai Airports, has awarded a major contract to widen and upgrade the bridge that connects Airport Street to Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport. The project is designed to improve traffic flow, reduce journey times, and accommodate the airport’s rapidly increasing passenger numbers, which topped 92 million in 2024. Read more-Dubai International: Here’s what makes it the world’s leading airport The existing bridge, currently three lanes wide, will be expanded to four lanes through the construction of a new adjacent bridge. Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and…

Images: Supplied Sony’s influence as a global entertainment and technology powerhouse is deeply felt across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, a region spanning more than 70 countries with vastly different consumer needs. At the helm is Jobin Joejoe, MD for Sony MEA, who is steering the company through this complexity with a dual focus on customer-centricity and artificial intelligence. From tailoring products like large-screen televisions and music-focused devices to market-specific demands, to embedding AI into televisions, cameras, and headphones, Sony is positioning itself at the intersection of creativity and technology. In this conversation with Gulf Business, Joejoe discusses…

Image: Getty Images Saudi Arabia is undergoing a transformative journey to diversify its economy and enhance its global competitiveness. Central to this vision is the development of a state-of-the-art transportation infrastructure. Saudi’s ambitious plans encompass extensive railway expansions, the construction of world-class airports, and the modernisation of highways—all aimed at positioning Saudi Arabia as a leading logistics and economic hub by 2030. Railways: Connecting the Kingdom and beyond Rail transport is pivotal to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, serving as the backbone for regional connectivity and economic integration. According to the Saudi Times, the Kingdom plans to expand its national railway…

This article is an on-site version of our Europe Express newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every weekday and fortnightly on Saturday morning. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersGood morning, and welcome back to Europe Express. I hope you had a terrific break — or better still, are reading this while still on the sunlounger. For those who totally switched off, the summer was much like the rest of 2025: Donald Trump said: “Jump!” and Europe replied: “How high?”, on a lopsided trade deal and a school trip…