For brands to create and communicate an attractive value proposition, it is necessary that the perceived value – in this case quality – of the offering exceeds the value of the price that the customer is paying, an expert said
Author Archives: Abdul Rawuf
Abdulaziz Al-Duailej
Harmonising Air Travel: Saudi’s new framework to make global travel simpler, easier, and more fun
Nearly 50 percent of people surveyed in the Gulf said that prevailing confusion over health requirements will prevent them from travelling in 2022 – a gap that Saudi Arabia aims to bridge through a single, clear, up-to-date online resource
Brand View
Brand protection, cyber security in the spotlight for upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, cybersecurity experts recommend that organisations and individuals affiliated with the event invest in additional cybersecurity measures and be aware of possible cyber threats
Abu Dhabi
UAE-based venture builders merge startup portfolios to mark a first of its kind deal in the Middle East
The partnership, operating under the new name hatch & boost Ventures, will see the acceleration and growth of seven portfolio start-ups this year, which span across agritech, sustainable mobility, femtech, foodtech, fintech, among other sectors
Day trading
It is time for traders to fasten their seatbelts for turbulent markets
With energy costs soaring, a war in Europe, and an evolving pandemic, there has never been a greater need for traders to keep a cool head
build goals and strategy
Steps to find your purpose and meet your goals in life
Khaled Sharbatly, the group chief investments officer and partner at desert technologies, shares a few simple ways to set short, mid, and long-term goals, while pursuing your purpose in life
Aviation
Saudi Arabia plans to invest $100bn in the aviation sector over the coming decade: Transport Minister
Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport, revealed that the kingdom will launch new airlines and two new aviation centres in Riyadh and Jeddah
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Summer Pass offers UAE visitors, tourists access to theme parks, the Louvre, and cultural sites
Officially unveiled at Arabian Travel Market 2022, Abu Dhabi’s ‘Summer Like You Mean It’ campaign uncovers experiences that travellers can enjoy during the summer at affordable prices
Dubai
More than 1,000 flights per week to operate at Dubai’s DWC airport from May 9 as DXB shuts northern runway
Dubai Airports has also confirmed transport links between the two airports, including an inter-airport complimentary 24/7 coach service, free on-site parking facilities for passengers at DWC, and special fares for RTA taxis flagged for journeys from DWC
airline industry
Saudi Arabia poised to lead recovery in the aviation sector with passengers placed first in its new plan
The General Authority for Civil Aviation has produced a new whitepaper that outlines the future for the sector that puts the passenger first
Capital Gains Tax
UK inheritance tax net spreads to UAE properties: Have you planned ahead?
Few foreign investors are aware of the revised legislation, the impact on their residential property portfolio, and how to plan for it
algorithms
Alibaba offers source code of its federated learning platform to the open-source community
Sharing the self-developed federated learning technologies could promote privacy-preserving computation in different sectors such as healthcare and smart mobility
Arab Light Crude
Saudi Aramco lowers oil prices for first time in four months amid uncertainty around Russian supplies
Aramco’s decision comes days after OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed to continue increasing crude output only gradually, adding 432,000 barrels a day to the market in June
Mental health
Video: Why it’s time to break the stigma of mental health in the workplace
In the latest episode of the Spencer Lodge Podcast, in partnership with Arabian Business, we examine how leaders and businesses must make mental health a priority in the workplace
business activities
Saudi business confidence dips amid inflation fears despite fastest economic expansion in a decade
Business confidence in future activity levels was down to a three-month low and one of the lowest ever recorded, indicating a marked degree of uncertainty over whether the current rate of output growth can be sustained, an economist at S&P Global said
Central Bank of the UAE
Will rising interest rates help avoid liquidity trap issues?
Current price index levels observed in the UAE along with their projections suggest the need to curb excessive inflation growth before it is too costly for households, companies, governments, while allowing for future expansionary policies, when needed
bonds
Investing during a period of corrections: How to stay cool amid the panic
Sensible investing is an incredible mechanism to accumulate wealth over time, but it doesn’t come without risk. Volatility is the price we have to pay. And patience is the game we must embrace.
Coaching
What is the gold standard for mental health and well-being in the workplace?
Here is a flavour of what “outstanding” standards for employee mental health looks like. Indeed, there are organisations within the region working towards this.
airline industry
The pilot shortage can be the right catalyst to increase the number of women on the flight deck
Bhanu Choudhrie, founder of Alpha Aviation Group, discusses how the aviation industry can maximise a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to increase diversity in the cockpit
dedicated bus lane
Dubai looks to boost public transport over private commutes with dedicated lanes for buses and taxis
The dedicated bus and taxi lanes will be constructed across 37km between 2023 and 2027 and will cover eight main streets in Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed inspects region’s largest aquarium at Abu Dhabi’s Al Qana
Additional recreation spaces and a cinema are due to open soon at Al Qana, which also features indoor and outdoor fitness, retail, and dining outlets, as well as a marina
Abu Dhabi
Medical tourism and quality of healthcare services in Abu Dhabi highlighted at Arabian Travel Market 2022
The DoH will present Abu Dhabi’s latest therapeutic disciplines, world-class services, and outstanding healthcare facilities for visitors and medical tourists at ATM 2022
Bandar Alkhorayef
Saudi Arabia to attract investments worth $32 billion for nine mining and minerals projects
Saudi Minister Bandar Alkhorayef said that the mining projects would create more than 14,500 jobs. The ministry is now processing 145 exploration license applications from foreign firms.
acquisition
Combat sports firm Fame MMA acquires virtual land to offer fight events in Everdome’s metaverse
The Everdome platform leverages Metahero’s 3D scanning technology and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 to create an ultra-immersive experience for users in the metaverse
binance
Cashing in on crypto: Bankers, lawyers switch careers as Dubai grows into global hub for digital currencies
This is not a blip or a bout of euphoria. Cities and markets that embrace this emerging sector will become what centres such as New York, London, and Hong Kong have been to traditional finance, the CEO of BitOasis said
Alex Simons
The era of passwords is ending: Apple, Google, and Microsoft lead the charge on easier logins
A common standard created by the FIDO Alliance and the World Wide Web Consortium will allow websites and apps to offer consistent, secure, and easy sign-ins to consumers across devices and platforms using passwordless methods such as fingerprint or face ID verification
acquisition
Canada’s Magnet Forensics acquires UAE cybersecurity firm Comae to boost cloud-based memory analysis
Memory analysis plays a critical role in incident response investigations because it allows agencies to recover buried evidence and understand what happened on devices involved in cyber incidents, the CEO of Magnet Forensics said
AppDynamics
Nearly 90 percent of UAE consumers likely to monitor health with wearable tech in 2022: survey
Recent data showed that the global wearable healthcare market is projected to reach $30.1 billion by 2026 from $16.2 billion in 2021
Bart Carnahan
Former yacht club in Muscat to be redeveloped into Four Seasons resort and private residences
The luxury development will comprise of an urban style resort in a mountain and seaside setting, as well as a a collection of private residences with sweeping views of the Sea of Oman
Air travellers
Will you need to board your flydubai flight from the DXB or DWC airport?
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will provide a complimentary bus service between all terminals at DXB and DWC every 30 minutes
Al-Ahsa
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issues royal decrees to spur development and appoint governors in key regions
King Salman bin Abdulaziz has established a commission for the development of the Taif and Al-Ahsa regions in Saudi Arabia
binance
Saudi’s Prince Alwaleed to roll $1.9bn into “new” Twitter as Binance backs Elon Musk deal
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Binance join a number of individuals and firms – including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, the Qatar sovereign wealth fund, Sequoia, and Brookfield – who have backed Musk’s $44 billion takeover of Twitter
Bahrain
OPEC+ signals small hike in oil output, lifting prices as EU looks to ban Russian crude
Oil has surged more than 40 percent in 2022, with the Russia-Ukraine war disrupting flows, lifting inflation, and causing central banks – including the US Federal Reserve – to start tightening monetary policy
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports inks deal with Red Sea Ports Authority for major projects along Egypt’s coastline
One of the projects will see AD Ports Group develop, operate, and manage a multi-purpose terminal in Safaga Port in a consortium with the Red Sea Ports Authority and the Egyptian Group for Multipurpose Terminals Company
bank loans
What will impact UAE consumers more: Rising interest rates or higher prices due to inflation?
The US Federal Reserve’s “aggressive rate hike” is in line with efforts to stop the economy from overheating and reduce inflation that is running at its highest levels in four decades, experts said
Cryptocurrency
NFT transactions stabilise in 2022 after a volatile 2021: Chainalysis report
The digital asset boom has seen the value of some NFTs soar, with collectors spending more than $37 billion in NFT marketplaces in 2022
commodity prices
How the UAE economy remains resilient during turbulent times
The Arab world’s second-largest economy is blazing ahead, thanks to new business and demand that have helped insulate it from a sharp increase in global energy and commodity prices following Russia’s war in Ukraine
data breach
Dubai-based firms partner to focus on employee morale while protecting the HR sector from data breaches
IT service provider Truly Secure and employee engagement platform Workfam have recognised the importance of partnering on employee solutions to further increase the barrier of protection within the HR sector
clean energy
How the five phases of the MBR Solar Park are aiding Dubai’s push towards 100 percent clean energy
The clean energy capacity share of the world’s largest single-site solar park is currently around 11.4 percent of Dubai’s energy mix, and is expected to reach around 14 percent by the end of 2022
attract investors
What gaps need to be addressed to boost foreign direct investment into Dubai?
Different to investment attraction that thrives in the face of fierce competition, in what is a winner takes all game, investment aftercare nurtures what is based locally and seeks to create additional value for the economy. the lead author of Dubai’s FDI guide said
anti-money laundering
Why API technology is key to tackling financial crime in the UAE
While the UAE’s push to tackle financial crime focuses on regulation, it also provides an opportunity for banks to digitalise and improve their offerings such as adopting APIs that support compliance and protect them from threats and exposure
infrastructure projects
Sharjah’s SEWA provides natural gas services to more than 2,900 properties in the first quarter of 2022
Natural gas services have been extended to more than 2,038 residential buildings and villas, in addition to 935 in the commercial sector
Dubai
In pictures: Here’s how Dubai celebrated Eid al-Fitr
The emirate lit up with fireworks, decoration, light installations, live entertainment, delicious dishes and more during Eid al-Fitr
Armed Forces Unification Day
‘Made in the UAE’ seal has boosted the nation’s competitive edge in the global defense market: Dubai Ruler
One of the UAE’s national companies has etched its place among the top 25 defense companies in the world, while national defense products are helping diversify the nation’s economy, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said
Biodegradable plastic
Egypt Ministry of Petroleum, Italy’s Eni begin project to capture and store CO2
Oil and gas giant Eni will invest $25 million to capture and store up to 30,000 tonnes of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually
crypto assets
Using crypto to pay for rent and buy UAE property is the biggest opportunity since Palm Jumeirah: expert
The benefits of crypto payments include no cheques, no loans, no fees, no taxes, lower cost, and you can afford a better house for your family, the CEO of Hayvn said
foreign visitors
Visa-free travel to South Korea’s resort island reopens as nation eyes return to pre-Covid normality
South Korea’s new Covid-19 cases fell below 50,000 as the government has lifted the outdoor mask mandate in the latest effort to return to pre-pandemic normality
50 basis points
UAE Central Bank follows US Fed move to raise interest rates in effort to curb inflation
Inflation is much too high and we understand the hardship it is causing, and we’re moving expeditiously to bring it back down, the US Federal Reserve Chair said
conservation
Homes in Dubai save 72 GWh of electricity and 583 million gallons of water over 10 years
The savings from DEWA’s conservation programme are equivalent to annual electricity consumption from approximately 211,000 apartments and the annual water consumption of 120,000 apartments
Airbnb
Here’s why investors are lining up to own and operate Airbnb properties near the Burj Khalifa
Dubai is the most profitable location for Airbnbs in the world as it takes only four months for landlords to earn their money back after investing in a property, a study reveals
cry at your desk
Is it ever ok to cry at your desk?
If you’ve never cried at your desk, you might think this is madness, possibly the worst thing you could do in the workplace, but in all honesty, crying could create more positives than negatives
cash from operations
Why 2022 will see public exploration and production companies reporting record profits of $834 billion
The good times are set to get even better this year for public upstream operators, thanks to a perfect storm of factors pushing profits and cash flow to another record high in 2022, a Rystad Energy expert said
Arab nations
Brazil boosts food supplies to Arab nations hit by the impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
Brazil’s wheat exports to the Arab nations reached $285.86 million in Q1 2022, marking a 438 percent increase compared to the same period last year
Bali
Emirates flight lands in Bali for the first time since 2020
Restart of Emirates’ services to Bali comes with the easing of international travel restrictions and ramping up of global operations