Author: Arabian Media staff
Image credit: Getty Images Cryptocurrencies tumbled on Thursday, December 11 and bitcoin fell back below the $90,000 threshold in a renewed signal of market jitters as fresh concerns about artificial intelligence profits weighed on technology stocks. Risk sentiment turned sour after US cloud firm Oracle’s profit and revenue outlook missed forecasts and executives flagged higher spending – a sign AI infrastructure outlays are not turning profits as quickly as investors had hoped. Read more-Experts outline next phase of digital finance at Bitcoin MENA Bitcoin was last down 2.5 per cent at $90,056.24, while ether tumbled 4.3 per cent to $3,196.62,…
Image credit: WAM/Website The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) in UAE has launched an upgraded version of the Wage Protection System (WPS), developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE and Al Etihad Payments, the national payments service provider owned by the Central Bank. The update is being implemented alongside several MoHRE-accredited financial institutions through their respective digital platforms, marking a significant step forward in the UAE’s ongoing push for smarter, more transparent labour market processes. Read more-Top jobs, bigger paychecks: UAE salary rise 2026 forecast revealed The enhanced system was rolled out under the ministry’s…
The region’s business landscape is being reshaped by a new kind of influence, one driven not only by boardroom decisions, market performance or company scale, but by the ability to build communities, spark conversations and move audiences at speed. In an era where social reach can amplify strategic vision, the region’s most dynamic founders, executives and creators now operate at the intersection of business leadership and digital impact. In this special feature, Gulf Business spotlights a selection of the UAE’s most recognisable business voices, individuals who command sizeable followings, shape public perception and increasingly drive regional dialogue across sectors such…
Image: Getty Images/ For illustrative purposes Abu Dhabi has launched a new fintech, insurance, digital and alternative assets cluster, known as FIDA, aiming to accelerate the development of next-generation financial and investment solutions and strengthen the emirate’s position as a global capital hub. The initiative, led by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), is part of the emirate’s long-term diversification strategy. By 2045, officials project FIDA will add $15.2bn to direct GDP, create 8,000 skilled jobs and attract at least $4.6bn in investment. Key highlights of FIDA FIDA combines high-growth areas…
Image: Supplied The Bitcoin MENA conference closed in Abu Dhabi on December 9 after two days of panels and debates involving 234 local and international speakers, with industry leaders using the event to map out how digital assets, institutional adoption and regulatory clarity are reshaping global finance. The event was co-organised by ADNEC Group and BTC. The headline keynote came from Michael Saylor, executive chairman and co-founder of Strategy, who capped his Middle East tour with a detailed pitch on Bitcoin’s role as “digital capital”. In a session titled Digital Capital, Credit, Money, and Banking, Saylor said Bitcoin’s position as…
Image: WAM/ For illustrative purposes Across the Middle East, rapid population growth, economic diversification and the rise of data-intensive technologies are combining to drive electricity demand higher than ever before. Meeting this demand can no longer rely on simply building more power plants. Instead, the region must develop integrated energy ecosystems – an essential step toward ensuring energy security and realising regional ambitions and the net-zero transition. Success will hinge on governments, developers and financiers working in sync – aligning infrastructure, policy and capital to deliver scalable, resilient and commercially viable power systems. The demand shift With hyperscale data centres,…
Image: Supplied Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) gathered more than 1,200 industry stakeholders on 9 December for its second and final City Briefing of 2025, outlining progress across the tourism economy and plans to support another year of growth. The event, held at Global Village courtesy of Dubai Holding Entertainment, brought together players from hospitality, aviation, retail and F&B, along with government representatives and media. DET used the session to underline the importance of public and private sector coordination in meeting the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33. In the presence of Helal Saeed Almarri, DG of…
Image credit: Getty Images An Air India investigation into why one of its Airbus planes conducted eight commercial flights without an airworthiness permit found “systemic failures”, with the airline admitting it needed to do better on compliance, a company document showed. An Airbus A320 flew passengers between New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on November 24 to 25 without the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate, or ARC, a key permit issued annually by the regulator after a plane passes safety and compliance checks, according to the document. Air India found engineers and pilots had failed to check the aircraft’s documents and…
Paramount Skydance’s addition of three Gulf sovereign wealth funds to the cast of its $108bn hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery WBD.O marks a relatively rare alliance among the states as they build their own entertainment industries. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF,) Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) have agreed to back the deal, Paramount PSKY.O said on Monday. Paramount also has backing from Affinity Partners, started by Jared Kushner, which has investments from funds in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The decision to join forces on a single bid and grab a share of some of Hollywood’s crown jewels underscores…
The Dubai Land Department (DLD), in partnership with Dubai Holding Community Management, has approved the emirate’s first-ever three-year fixed service fees for the Palm Jumeirah Master community—a move aimed at strengthening financial stability and transparency across jointly owned properties (JOPs). Under the new mechanism, management companies of JOPs can now submit and secure approval for a three-year service-fee budget through the ‘Mollak’ system, while still retaining the option to continue with the traditional one-year model. The initiative is designed to provide greater predictability for owners and investors and enable management firms to engage in longer-term operational contracts with service providers.…