DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Idris Elba explains why he doesn’t watch ‘The Wire’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nell Lewis | Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sherbro Island is known for its pristine beaches that are a nesting ground for green sea turtles. The actor was brought up in London, but his mom is from Ghana and his dad from Sierra Leone. Elba: First of all, it’s a beautiful little island off the coast of Sierra Leone. And Sherbro Island used to historically be the point of no return in the slave trade. It was where England had their capital city of Sierra Leone [when it was a colony], in a city called Bonthe, which is still there.

Persons: Idris Elba, Stringer Bell, John Luther, Elba, CNN’s Becky Anderson, It’s, Siaka Stevens, I’ve, CNN's Becky Anderson, Alexa Fogel, they’re, –, ” It’s, Luther, “, I’m Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN —, Sherbro Alliance Partners, CNN, Sherbro, Partners, CNN CNN Locations: Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi CNN — British, Sierra Leone, Sherbro, Elba, London, Ghana, Chicago, England, Africa, New York, Baltimore, East London, United States, Hollywood, America

☆ Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service is coming to a Gaza hospital
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Starlink internet service, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, will be provided to the UAE’s field hospital in southern Gaza for patients needing real-time video medical consultations, the UAE’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The UAE, which shares good relations with Israel, is one of the few countries operating a field hospital in Gaza. Starlink, operated by SpaceX, uses a network of thousands of satellites to provide broadband, and can deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world, including in areas where conventional internet is unavailable. “Israeli security authorities approved the provision of Starlink services at the UAE’s field hospital operating in Rafah,” the Israeli communication ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. CNN was the first western media outlet allowed to visit the field hospital in Rafah in December.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Afra Al Hameli, Musk, Shlomo Karhi, ” Karhi Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN —, Elon, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Communication, SpaceX, “, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Russian, CNN Locations: Abu Dhabi, Gaza, Rafah, UAE, Israel, Starlink, Ukraine, Russia

☆ Iran seizes oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Mostafa Salem | Adam Pourahmadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Iran has seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and is transferring it to an Iranian port in retaliation for the United States confiscating the same vessel and its oil last year, Tasnim News Agency reported Thursday. The Strait of Hormuz at the northern end of the Gulf of Oman is the biggest oil chokepoint in the world. A maritime monitoring website, Tanker Trackers, said the vessel seized Thursday was a Marshall Islands-flagged crude oil tanker named St Nikolas, formerly known as the Suez Rajan. Almost 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil were seized by the US government at the time, the DOJ said. The Suez Rajan transported the contraband to the United States and “incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States,” according to the DOJ.

Persons: St Nicholas, ”, UKMTO, Nikolas, Suez Rajan, “ Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Tasnim News Agency, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Navy, United Nations, CNN, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, ship’s Company, Oil, Tanker, US Department of Justice, DOJ, Emergency Economic, Navigation Locations: Abu Dhabi, Iran, Gulf of Oman, Iranian, United States, Oman, Islamic Republic, Gulf, Yemen, Gaza, Africa, Israel, Hormuz, Marshall, Suez, China

☆ ‘It’s chaos:’ Starving Gazans dig for food, supplies under the rubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi CNN —One man carries six jars of cooking oil as he struggles to walk across the rubble. Since October 9, Israel has blocked access to water, food and electricity in the Strip that is home to more than 2 million Palestinians. “It’s chaos,” one resident told CNN Monday, standing behind a crowd of people scavenging for supplies under the damage. Displaced Palestinians queue for food donations in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on November 30. A day after the IDF said it was expanding its ground operation, it said it struck about 200 Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Baraka, Dier, Gazans, ” Thomas White, Kamil Al, ”, Mohammed Abed, Ibrahim Dabbour, ” Dabbour, Israel, Israel’s, Khan Younis, Bani Suheila, Abed Zagout, Critics, ” Sari Bashi, ” Bashi, Khalil Abu Marahil, “ It’s, “ We’ve, Sally Essam, Deir Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, CNN, Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, of Health, United Nations, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Food Programme, Getty, UN, Hamas, Human Rights Locations: Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi, Gazan, Deir, Israel, Gaza, Dier, East, Rafah, AFP, Beit Hanoun, United States, Khan, Southern Gaza, Khuza'a, Maan, Anadolu, Gaza City, “, Palestinian, Deir al

☆ Saudi Arabia’s oil production cuts have tipped its economy into reverse
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Aimee Look | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Saudi Arabia’s economy has jolted into reverse, after the world’s largest crude oil exporter slashed output to prop up prices. Saudi oil production to nine million barrels per day in July as the biggest player in the OPEC+ alliance joined forces with Russia to restrict supply amid signs of weakening demand because of a slowing global economy. “We expect [oil] production to remain low until the end of this year, with a slow unwind in early 2024,” Oxford Economics analysts wrote in a note published Friday. Saudi Arabia’s oil cuts were aimed at stabilizing global oil markets, according to Raif Weigert, Economics Director for the Middle East and North Africa at S&P Global Market Intelligence. While other Gulf states have also come under economic pressure from cuts to oil production, the United Arab Emirates economy has continued to grow.

Persons: Raif, Weigert, “ Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN — Saudi, Oxford, Monetary Fund, P Global Market Intelligence, “, Saudi, United Arab Locations: Abu Dhabi, Saudi, OPEC, Russia, East, North Africa, United Arab Emirates, UAE

☆ Dubai police seize over $1 billion of captagon drug smuggled inside furniture
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A surveillance video shared by the interior ministry on Thursday shows the suspects attempting to bring the captagon tablets through Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port. UAE authorities have seized hundreds of thousands of captagon pills since 2019. Captagon was originally the brand name for a medicinal product containing the synthetic stimulant fenethylline. Experts say the vast majority of global captagon production occurs in Syria, with the Gulf region being its primary destination. Last year, the US introduced the 2022 US Captagon Act, which linked the trade to the Syrian regime and called it a “transnational security threat.”

Persons: Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Captagon, ” Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, country’s Ministry of Interior, Dubai Police, ”, Twitter, Customs, European Monitoring Centre, Drugs, Addiction, US Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, UAE, Jebel Ali Port, Abu, Syria

The UAE introduced a new regulatory body to oversee commercial gaming on Monday, made up of casino and gambling experts from the United States. Gambling is currently illegal in the UAE, where some laws are based on the Quran, which forbids the practice. The new federal body, called the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), would create a “regulatory framework for a national lottery and commercial gaming,” according to Emirati state media WAM. “[GCGRA will] facilitate unlocking the economic potential of commercial gaming responsibly,” WAM said. “I look forward to establishing a robust regulatory body and framework for the UAE’s lottery and gaming industry,” Mullally said on his new appointment, according to WAM.

Persons: ” WAM, Kevin Mullally, Jim Murren, Mullally, ” Mullally, Ras Al Khaimah, Craig Billings, ” Billings Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN —, United Arab, Gaming Regulatory Authority, Industry, MGM Resorts International, MGM, Gaming Laboratories, Wynn Resorts, United, WYNN, Wynn Hotels, Global, Caesars Entertainment, Royal, Royal Caribbean Cruise, UAE, Costa Cruises, Bloomberg Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, UAE, United States, Ras Al, Dubai, Royal Caribbean, Singapore

☆ Western officials arrive in the UAE amid push to deprive Russia of advanced microchips
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The UAE has invested large sums in developing an artificial intelligence program and has a ministry dedicated to the technology. UAE ‘abides by UN sanctions’Russia is under a barrage of sanctions from the US and other Western nations following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Western officials have visited the UAE several times over the past two years to warn the regional business hub that helping Moscow evade sanctions wouldn’t be without consequences. The UAE central bank in March cancelled a license granted to Russia’s MTS Bank after it came under US and British sanctions. We look at BRICS from a geo-economic not a geo-political perspective, with the aim of strengthening our economic competitiveness,” a senior UAE official told CNN.

Persons: ”, AMD, “, Abu Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN — Senior, United, European Union, CNN, Street, UAE, Nvidia, Reuters, AMD, US Department of Commerce, Financial Times, UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute, UN, US, “, MTS Bank, Moscow, BRICS, UAE hasn’t, New Development Bank Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Ukraine, United States, United Kingdom, Gulf, “, UAE, East, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, Iran, Washington, multipolarity, China, South Africa, BRICS

☆ Mostafa Rajaee: Iran bans weightlifter for life for shaking Israeli athlete’s hand
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Mostafa Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —An Iranian professional weightlifter received a lifetime ban from competing after shaking the hand of an Israeli athlete during an international competition, according to an Iranian state news agency. Weightlifting champion Mostafa Rajaee, 36, was filmed shaking hands and posing for a picture with Israel’s Maksim Svirsky at the World Master Weightlifting Championships in Poland this week, according to a video published by Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA Wednesday. Polmasters/YouTubeThe head of the expedition, Hamid Salehinia, was also removed from his position, state outlet Tasnim reported. In an Instagram post after the event, Rajaee thanked “everyone who helped me along the way [for finishing second]” but did not comment on either the handshake or his subsequent ban. Iran does not recognize Israel as a country and regularly issues hostile statements, while Iranian athletes have long been prohibited by the government from competing against Israelis.

Persons: Mostafa Rajaee, Israel’s Maksim Svirsky, Rajaee, Maksim Svirsky, Hamid Salehinia, “, Saeid Mollaei, Mollaei, Israel’s Sagi Muki, Matthias Casse, ” Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, IRNA, ”, International Judo Federation, International Chess Federation, FIDE, Iranian Chess Federation Locations: Abu Dhabi, Iranian, Poland, Israel, Iran, Belgium, Germany

☆ Escaped bear delays flight in Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —A bear being transported on an Iraqi Airways flight from Baghdad to Dubai Friday caused delays after it escaped from a crate in the cargo hold. The bear was sedated by a specialist team in Dubai and taken off the plane, Iraqi Airways said in a statement shared with CNN. The airline issued an apology on Saturday, saying the bear had escaped the crate “upon arrival to Dubai Airport.”“The company apologizes to the passengers on the flight from Baghdad International Airport to Dubai Airport for reasons beyond the control of the company,” it said. “Upon arrival to Dubai Airport, the animal escaped the crate specified for its shipment,” the airline said, adding that it was being transported in line with international animal welfare guidelines. “Two small, endangered bears were shipped from Baghdad, and when the flight arrived in Dubai, one of the bears broke his cage, forcing health and environment authorities at Dubai airport to sedate it,” the statement said.

Persons: Mohammed Shia Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Iraqi Airways, ”, CNN, Dubai Airport, United Arab Locations: Abu Dhabi, Baghdad, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

☆ Al Ain Adventure: Abu Dhabi has built a white water river in the middle of a scorching desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Bijan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Al Ain, Abu Dhabi CNN —“Back! Al Ain Adventure ParkAl Ain Adventure Park has gained international recognition as a hub for sports professionals seeking to hone their skills in various disciplines. Al Ain Adventure ParkMaintaining a water park in the middle of a desert environment poses unique challenges that require meticulous upkeep and careful management. Al Ain Adventure Park reopened in December 2022 after a three-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Al Ain Adventure Park aims to offer a unique experience where action-packed water sports can coexist in the UAE’s harsh desert climate.

Persons: Al, ” Shrestha, ”, Shrestha, He’s Organizations: CNN, Abu Dhabi CNN, Al, Al Ain Adventure, International, Federation, Ain Adventure Locations: Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi’s Jebel Hafeet, Abu, Abu Dhabi’s, Nepal, Japan, India, UAE, Ain, Europe, Russia, Ras Al Khaimah

Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi CNN —Textbooks in Saudi Arabia have been changing. On Israel and the Palestinians, IMPACT-se found moderation, but not yet full acceptance of Israel. “Some in Israel want to see normalization with Saudi so badly that any interaction about Israel will be framed as something positive towards normalization,” he said. In Saudi Arabia, support for normalization stood at 5%. But Podeh and the other experts all agreed: public perceptions of Israel will be shaped by much more than textbooks.

Persons: ”, Mira Al Hussein, Kristin Diwan, Islam Aziz Alghashian, ” Alghashian, Israel, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Elie Podeh, “ It’s, ” Podeh, It’s, Diwan Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, Monitoring, School Education, IMPACT, Zionism, United, United Arab Emirates ’, University of Edinburgh, ISIS, Muslim Brotherhood, CNN, Saudi Center, International Communication, Ministry, Education, Gulf States Institute, Saudi, Abraham Accords, Arab Center Washington DC, Department of Islamic, Eastern, Hebrew University Locations: Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, United States, Israel, London, Saudi, Palestine, United Arab, Scotland, “, al Qaeda, Washington

☆ Saudi Arabia and US announce a 24-hour ceasefire in Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Celine Alkhaldi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Saudi Arabia and the United States announced a 24-hour ceasefire starting Saturday between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. The ceasefire is effective starting 6:00AM Khartoum time [12:00a ET Friday], the statement said. The two warring factions agreed to allow for the movement of humanitarian aid all throughout Sudan, the statement said. “Saudi Arabia and the US join the Sudanese people in their frustration over the non-commitment of the previous truces,” the statement said. Sudan’s foreign ministry did not clarify in the statement the reason behind the declaration.

Persons: Volker Perthes, ”, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, Perthes, ” Perthes, Omar al, Bashir, Weeks, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Organizations: Abu Dhabi CNN, United States, Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces, Saudi Foreign Ministry, United Nations, UN, Reuters, UN Security Council, UN Security, Support Forces Locations: Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Khartoum, Sudan, Republic of Sudan, Perthes

☆ Arab nations set to rehabilitate Syria’s pariah president in defiance of US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Officials and analysts have said that Syria’s re-admission into the Arab League, while symbolic, comes with the hope that it could pave the way for President Bashar Al Assad’s rehabilitation internationally, and potentially the removal of crippling sanctions against his regime. Arab states have argued that the status quo in Syria is untenable and has caused them a headache at home. Syria has over the past decade turned into a narco-state, exporting highly addictive amphetamines across the border to Jordan and to Saudi Arabia. It’s unclear if the US will stand in the way of Arab states’ efforts to bring Syria back into the regional fold. “The US will not impose a veto on their allies when it comes to normalization with Assad,” said Hellyer.

☆ Gulf states have given billions in aid to Egypt. Now they want to see returns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He was referring to the tens of billions of dollars in bailouts his country has received from the wealthy Gulf monarchies over the past decade. Many of those assets have long been under the control of Egypt’s military, an economic behemoth and the backbone of Sisi’s power. This time, however, Gulf Arab allies – especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – want to see returns. Last year alone, Gulf states pledged $22 billion to Egypt as it faced an economic crisis caused partly by the fallout from the Ukraine war, Reuters reported. Analysts say that Egypt was pushed by Gulf states to accept the IMF’s conditions, especially those on privatization.

☆ Why Egypt is asking its people to eat chicken feet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —Egypt’s economic situation is so dire that the government is asking people to eat chicken feet. In Egypt, chicken feet are seen as the cheapest of meat items, considered by most as animal waste rather than food. After the recommendation to switch to chicken feet, the price of one kilogram of the product reportedly doubled to 20 Egyptian pounds ($0.67). But those firms don’t operate like private companies, enjoying special privileges without disclosing their financial data to the public. Experts have questioned why international creditors had not leveraged their loans to drive Egypt’s military out of the economy.

London/Abu Dhabi CNN —Dubai has scrapped a 30% tax on alcohol and will no longer charge tourists or expats for permits to buy alcoholic drinks as the emirate tries to attract more foreign workers and visitors in the face of growing regional competition. Two major retailers in the city, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said they had slashed their prices to reflect the tax cut. MMI, one of Dubai’s biggest alcohol retailers and a subsidiary of the state-owned Emirates group, has 21 stores across the city, according to its website. Muslims are prohibited from acquiring licenses for purchase of alcohol in Dubai. The sale of alcohol in the UAE is already more liberalized compared to neighboring Gulf countries.

☆ 5 key takeaways from Xi’s trip to Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are five key takeaways from Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Press Agency//ReutersDuring Xi’s visit, Saudi Arabia and China released a nearly 4,000-word joint statement outlining their alignment on a swathe of political issues, and promising deeper cooperation on scores of others. China is the world’s biggest buyer of oil, with Saudi Arabia being its top supplier. China is also keen to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on security and defense, an important field once reserved for the kingdom’s American ally. Saudi Arabia was, however, keen to reject notions of polarization, deeming it unhelpful.

☆ Gulf Arab states can’t give up oil. But they can slash their emissions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Abu Dhabi CNN —As Western states try to wean themselves off their addiction to hydrocarbons, Gulf oil nations have been pushing back hard, warning that a hasty transition away from fossil fuels will be counterproductive. According to the World Bank, Qatar had the highest carbon emissions per capita as of 2019, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. So, investment in clean energy projects and renewables “makes very good business sense and PR sense for the Gulf,” he said. Gulf petro-states are warning against a quick transition away from hydrocarbons, with the UAE calling for a “mixed energy” approach that minimizes emissions without cutting hydrocarbons. Much of the hydrocarbons exported by Gulf states go to some of the world’s biggest consumers and polluters, including China and India.

“All of the members are committed to net zero, particularly many developing countries who certainly have a lot of issues to deal with. But all of them are committed,” Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an interview Tuesday at UN climate summit COP27. China is the world’s largest carbon emitter of fossil fuels, but has committed to net zero goals by 2060. He did not mention China’s coal sector, which produces much of the country’s methane emissions, in addition to carbon dioxide emissions. China produces the most methane emissions from coal mines in the world, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

☆ Gulf states use new oil riches to gain regional influence
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Money talks,” Michael Maduell, president of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute in Las Vegas, told CNN. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, last week announced that the nation’s wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is establishing five regional companies worth $24 billion across the Middle East. One of the key regional investment destinations for both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh has been Egypt. Once a regional rival, Turkey is now an economic ally of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Despite a political thaw, Gulf investments in Iran and Syria are unlikely for the time being, say analysts.

On Wednesday, OPEC+, the oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, agreed to slash production by 2 million barrels per day, twice as much as analysts had predicted, in the biggest cut since the Covid-19 pandemic. “Saudi Arabia is looking to head off a repeat of 2008 when the market crash sent the global economy into a recession and oil prices suddenly plummeted, requiring emergency action by OPEC,” said Wald. Analysts also say Saudi Arabia cannot afford to let oil prices go below a certain level for budgetary reasons. For its budget to break even, global oil prices must be at around $79 a barrel, according to the International Monetary Fund. That was a warning sign for Saudi Arabia and other oil exporters, who depend on oil for a majority of their revenue.

☆ The forest growing in the world’s hottest sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-04 | by ( Barry Neild | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Jubail Mangrove Park is a green expanse of gray mangrove trees on the northeastern edge of Abu Dhabi’s Al Jubail island, where shallow tidal waterways spill out into the clear blue Arabian Sea. It’s a tranquil world away from the shimmering skyscrapers and heat-hazed hustle of downtown Abu Dhabi, albeit just a short drive away. Dreamlike destinationThe Jubail Mangrove Park is an unexpected green escape from the deserts of Abu Dhabi. And observing those genes in action in Abu Dhabi could be a good sign. “It is the only place in Abu Dhabi where you can see so much green.”

Search resuls for: "Abu Dhabi CNN"

23 mentions found