DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ OKX crypto exchange seeks Dubai regulation with eye on Middle East expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Lisa Barrington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, June 15 (Reuters) - OKX, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, is seeking regulatory approval to operate in Dubai as it plans to expand the company's Middle East operations, an executive told Reuters on Thursday. Regulation is an industry trend, OKX Global Head of Government Relations Tim Byun said. Byun said he believed the SEC's move would push more applicants towards innovative regulators like Dubai's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA). OKX is regulated in the Bahamas and currently does not allow customers from the United States to use its platform due to regulatory issues. OKX plans to apply for such a licence, Byun said.

Persons: Tim Byun, Binance, Byun, VARA, Lisa Barrington, Yousef Saba, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Reuters, Government, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Regulatory, Dubai World Trade Center, United, United Arab Emirates, Dubai International Financial, UAE, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, VARA, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bahamas, United States

☆ How torture, inaction underpin UAE's thriving sex trafficking industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

“The suffering was too much.”In a statement to the court after she was charged, Gold denied that she and her brother were sex traffickers. Emirati authorities do little to protect these women, according to anti-trafficking activists, Nigerian authorities and interviews with trafficked women. Human traffickers keep African women in sexual slavery by playing on their financial desperation and creating webs of manipulation and coercion, the reporting shows. This article is part of a reporting collaboration led by ICIJ, Trafficking Inc., which is examining sex trafficking and labor trafficking in many parts of the globe. The UAE made sex trafficking a crime in 2006 and has established an interagency anti-trafficking panel and opened shelters for survivors.

Persons: Christy Gold’s, Gold, Christiana Jacob Uadiale –, they’d, “, ”, ICIJ, Fatima Waziri, NAPTIP, Angus Thomas Organizations: United Arab, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Reuters, UAE, Gold, Emirates, NBC, Investigative Journalism, Dubai, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s National Agency for, U.S . State Department Locations: Nigerian, Nigeria, Dubai, British, United Arab Emirates, Gulf, UAE, “, ”, Ghana, Gold, Europe, South Asia, Africa, Abu Dhabi

☆ Dubai ruler announces plan for mothballed second palm-shaped island
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 31 (Reuters) - Dubai’s ruler on Wednesday announced a new plan for the Palm Jebel Ali, a man-made palm-shaped island that has been dormant since 2009 following a real estate crash, and is double the size of the functioning Palm Jumeirah. State-owned company Nakheel, which was taken over by the government in 2011 as part of a $16 billion (10 billion pounds) rescue plan in the aftermath of Dubai’s 2009-2010 real estate crash, is the developer of the islands. Nakheel in November secured 17 billion dirhams ($4.63 billion) in financing as it accelerates plans for new waterfront projects including Dubai Islands, another man-made island project formerly known as Deira Islands. The real estate market in Dubai, the Middle East's financial and tourism hub, began its recovery in early 2021 as the government moved to quickly reopen its economy and airports. Reporting by Yousef Saba; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Yousef Saba, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Wednesday, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Jebel Ali, UAE, Dubai, Ukraine, Nakheel, Deira

☆ At least three killed in clash on Iran-Afghan border
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, May 27 (Reuters) - Two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter were killed after shooting broke out near a border post between Iran and Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman and Iran's state media said on Saturday. "Today, in Nimroz province, Iranian border forces fired toward Afghanistan, which was met with a counter-reaction," spokesman for the Taliban-run interior ministry, Abdul Nafi Takor, said in a statement. He said one person had been killed on each side and several injured, though Iran's official IRNA news agency later said two Iranian border guards had been killed and two Iranian civilians injured. Following the clash, Iranian authorities closed the Milak – Zaranj border post, a major commercial crossing - and not the site of the clash - until further notice, IRNA said. Iran's border guards said in a statement they had "used their superior heavy fire to inflict casualties and serious damage", IRNA reported, without giving details.

☆ The Taliban promised to provide security to Afghans. New data shows threat from ISIS is growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Eliza Mackintosh Ehsan Popalzai Antonio Jarne Lou Robinson | Eliza Mackintosh | Ehsan Popalzai | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

“Currently we don’t have security in Afghanistan at all, whenever we go out we don’t know if we will come home alive or not,” he added. Taliban security forces guard a checkpoint near the foreign ministry in Kabul on March 27, after an ISIS-K suicide bomber struck the site. The data, which is available in a live map, includes 367 pieces of open-source evidence — largely videos and images shared on social media — about 70 ISIS-K attacks since August 2021. As the Taliban try to minimize the threat ISIS-K poses, attacks on civilians continue. Taliban security forces have been waging ongoing operations and night raids against ISIS-K.

☆ NASA researchers will spend a year living in a simulated Mars habitat
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Bill Stafford/NASAAiming for fidelity has resulted in a habitat that could feasibly built on Mars, Smith adds. MARK FELIX/AFP/AFP /AFP via Getty ImagesNASA is attempting to fill in what it calls “Strategic Knowledge Gaps,” that currently make a manned Mars mission too risky. A manned Mars mission will ship food to the planet in advance of humans, which means it will need a long shelf-life. Intended as a location for the emirate to develop technology for an eventual Mars mission, it was also designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, with 3D-printed buildings. Thankfully the crew entering CHAPEA in June will not have to concern themselves with that potentially deadly element of a Mars mission.

☆ Dubai DXB airport Q1 passenger traffic reaches 96% of pre-pandemic level
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 9 (Reuters) - Dubai's main airport registered a 55.8% increase in passenger traffic in the first quarter of this year compared to last year, reaching 95.6% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels, operator Dubai Airports said on Tuesday. Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world's busiest international hub, welcomed around 21.3 million passengers in the first three months of 2023, Dubai Airports said. Dubai International registered 66 million passengers in 2022. Dubai Airports has revised its 2023 forecast upwards to 83.6 million passengers, bringing it within "striking distance" of 2019 annual traffic, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said. DXB is connected to 234 destinations, with India, Saudi Arabia and Britain the top three countries by passenger numbers this quarter, Dubai Airports said.

☆ Dubai to build world's first 3D-printed mosque
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —In recent years, 3D-printing has been used to build everything from homes to businesses and even bridges. Now, Dubai is set to construct the world’s first 3D-printed mosque. A rendering of the 3D-printed mosque, which will be built in Bur Dubai. By 2019 it held the world record for the largest 3D-printed structure – the Dubai Municipality building (standing 9.5 meters tall with an area of 640 square meters) – as well as being home to the world’s first 3D-printed office, and a 3D-printed drone research laboratory. He believes that a project like Dubai’s proposed mosque is the next phase in 3D-printed architectural design, but anticipates it will face challenges.

☆ Dubai crypto regulator awards first broker-dealer MVP operational license
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 1 (Reuters) - BitOasis, a Middle East-focused crypto exchange based in the United Arab Emirates, has received the first broker-dealer minimum viable product operational license from Dubai's crypto regulator, the company said on Monday. BitOasis, which received provisional approval to start the licensing process in March 2022, is the first broker-dealer to complete the minimum viable product (MVP) stage. No firm has yet been licensed under the full market product (FMP) stage, according to VARA's website. BitOasis can now provide broker-dealer services to qualified retail and institutional investors from its headquarters in Dubai under the VARA's regulatory regime, the company said in a statement. Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dubai ruler appoints new second deputy - Dubai Media office
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum on Friday appointed another of his sons as a deputy ruler of the emirate, following the death of his brother and long-serving deputy ruler Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2021. Dubai now has first and second deputy rulers, the decree published by the Dubai Media Office said. The decree appointed as first deputy ruler Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, one of Sheikh Mohammed's sons who has been a deputy ruler since 2008 and is currently the United Arab Emirates' finance minister. Newly appointed to the role of second deputy ruler is Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, another of Sheikh Mohammed's sons and the chairman of the Dubai Media Council. Reporting by Yomna Ehab; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Foster + Partners has designed a flying taxi 'vertiport' for Dubai
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Flo Cornall | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The design was developed in collaboration with advanced air mobility (AAM) company Skyports Infrastructure, and endorsed by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, according to Foster + Partners. It would be located next to Dubai International Airport (DXB) and integrate with existing airport networks, as well as surrounding transport hubs. Foster + PartnersSky-bound taxisSheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted in February that air taxi stations will start operating in Dubai within the next three years. The Emirate has long planned for a flying taxi service. RELATED: Driverless flying taxi service set to launch in DubaiIn 2022, the Chinese XPeng X2 successfully completed the first public test flight of its two-seater flying car at Dubai’s GITEX technology expo.

☆ Shares of family-owned UAE exchange Al Ansari Financial Services surge in Dubai trading debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Emma Graham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Al Ansari Financial Services made its trading debut on the Dubai Financial Market Thursday. Shares surged over 17% for the family-owned remittances and money exchange firm, which marks the first IPO for Dubai this year. The Al Ansari family sold 750 million shares in the offering, which is equal to a 10% stake in the company. Al Ansari Financial Services' Group CEO Rashed Ali Al Ansari told CNBC's Dan Murphy the sheer size of the organization pushed the company to decide to list publicly. In 2021, Dubai announced a listing of 10 state entities which aims to double the size of the Emirate's capital market to $817 billion.

☆ Iran appoints first UAE ambassador since 2016 as Gulf relations improve
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, April 4 (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it had appointed an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates for the first time since 2016, amid a realignment of relations between Gulf states and Iran. The move comes after the UAE in August moved to upgrade ties and said it was returning its ambassador to Tehran. The UAE downgraded relations with Iran after Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran following Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric. The UAE, which has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, started re-engaging with Tehran in 2019 after attacks in Gulf waters and on Saudi energy sites. Iran's newly appointed ambassador Reza Ameri had served as the director general of the Iranian expatriates office in the foreign ministry, Iranian state media said.

☆ UAE cancels licence for Russia's sanctioned MTS bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, March 31 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' central bank on Friday said it will cancel the licence it granted last year to Russia's MTS bank, which was placed under British and U.S. sanctions in February. Operations at the bank's UAE branch, which is licensed in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, will be wound down within six months under central bank supervision. "This decision comes after considering the available options regarding the new status of the MTS Bank and taking into account the sanctions risks associated with the bank," the UAE central bank's statement said. U.S. officials have visited the UAE to discuss with regulators including the central bank the importance of clamping down on sanctions evasion. MTS Bank, a fintech unit of Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTSS.MM), was part of a broader sanctions package against 200 entities and individuals announced in February on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

☆ UAE leader breaks with tradition, appoints son as crown prince
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE leader's eldest son, is now the oil-rich Middle Eastern country's crown prince, effectively next in line for its leadership. Sheikh Tahnoon was already named chair of the $790 billion Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the emirate's main sovereign wealth fund, earlier in March. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He described the decision as "formalizing the leverage Abu Dhabi has over Dubai, and how little Dubai will be allowed to say in foreign policy." Prime Minister and Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum attends the Global Women's Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 16, 2020.

Sheikh Mohammed, who became president and Abu Dhabi ruler last year after running the U.S.-allied OPEC oil producer for years, named his brother Sheikh Mansour as UAE vice president, alongside Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This appeared to further centralise power in Abu Dhabi, which is the political capital by virtue of its immense oil wealth, of the UAE federation of seven emirates. Abu Dhabi has held the presidency since the founding of the UAE federation by Sheikh Mohammed's father in 1971. Sheikh Mohammed, known as MbZ, had been grooming his son in positions of authority in security - including intelligence - economy and governance, analysts say. Earlier this month, Sheikh Tahnoun was named chair of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, among the world's largest sovereign wealth funds.

☆ Abu Dhabi's Presight AI soars on market debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, March 27 (Reuters) - Shares in Abu Dhabi big data analytics company Presight AI climbed as much as 176% on their stock market debut after raising 1.82 billion dirhams ($495.6 million) in an initial public offering (IPO) for almost a third of the business. Presight's shares rose as high as 3.70 dirhams on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange before retreating a little to 3.40 dirhams. The company is majority owned by G42, controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Sheikh Tahnoon is the UAE's national security adviser and has acted as a foreign policy troubleshooter for his brother, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. He was also recently named chair of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the emirate's largest sovereign wealth fund, and was already chair of smaller wealth fund ADQ.

☆ Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim cuts 105 jobs as new CEO makes mark
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, March 16 (Reuters) - Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) has cut 105 jobs out of its total staff of 46,000, the Middle Eastern shopping mall developer and operator told Reuters, as its new CEO seeks to boost returns. Three sources familiar with the move said it was part of a restructuring following the abrupt removal of former chief executive Alain Bejjani in January. "These measured actions and continuous business-as-usual reviews enable Majid Al Futtaim to deliver competitive returns to our shareholders while maximising opportunities for value accretive, profitable and sustainable growth," it added. MAF was founded by Emirati businessman Majid Al Futtaim, whose death at the end of 2021 was announced by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who paid tribute to him as one of the emirate's pioneers. Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by David Goodman and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iran's top security official to visit the UAE amid regional rapprochement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, March 15 (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, Nour News, which is affiliated with the Iranian top security body, reported. His visit to Abu Dhabi comes at a time of growing rapprochement between Iran and Gulf countries. News of the visit came as Saudi Arabia's finance minister, Mohammed al-Jadaan, said that Saudi investment in Iran could happen "very quickly" following last week's agreement. "Top economic, banking and security officials will accompany the Supreme National Security Council secretary to the UAE," it added. The UAE has business and trade ties with Iran stretching back more than a century, with the Dubai emirate long being one of Iran's main links to the outside world.

☆ A 50% rent increase? Record property demand in Dubai is creating a nightmare for some residents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Beyond the property market, Dubai's economic boom is evident in everyday life. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the Burj Khalifa in the backdrop, Sept. 16, 2022. Property prices have, too — CBRE says that selling prices are up 11.5% on average in the year to February 2023. Christopher Pike | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesAccording to CBRE's research, in the year through February 2023, average Dubai rents increased by 27.7%. In the meantime, no one expects property prices to ease up anytime soon.

☆ Businessman accused by Trafigura living in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah-court document
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - Indian businessman Prateek Gupta, whom commodity trader Trafigura has accused of "systematic fraud" regarding nickel shipments, is living in the sought-after Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai, London court documents said. A London High Court judge agreed to impose a $625 million freezing order on assets controlled by Gupta and companies linked to him, which included a villa in Palm Jumeirah, the freezing order document said. A spokesperson for Gupta has said he plans to challenge the freezing order. Palm Jumeirah is a man-made island shaped like a palm and regarded as one of the most sought-after areas of Dubai. "Trafigura does not know whether Mr Gupta is the beneficial owner of this property," said an affidavit by Joseph O'Keeffe, a lawyer representing Trafigura.

☆ Inside the germy, sneeze-filled meeting between Morgan Stanley's CEO and the Saudi crown prince at the onset of COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Liz Hoffman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

James Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley, met with the Saudi crown prince at the onset of the pandemic. The young royal kept sneezing during the meeting — and Gorman's fear of a deadly pathogen began to grow. He was in the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, seated to the right of the country's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Given their recent experience with a deadly virus, Gorman took the caution of his Kuwaiti hosts as a sign that the West was underestimating the dangers of this one. And now, as Gorman chatted with the controversial 34-year-old crown prince about ways Saudi Arabia could diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on oil, the young royal kept sneezing.

☆ Uber-backed ride hailing app Careem is halting its operations in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Emma Graham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Careem ride-hailing app on a phone outside the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, United Arab Emirate. Uber-backed ride hailing service Careem announced on Tuesday an end to its operations in Qatar. While regulatory approvals in other countries were obtained, unfortunately, this did not happen in Qatar," Uber told CNBC. Careem told CNBC it "will no longer provide ride hailing services in the country as of 28 February 2023." Dubai-based Careem, which in other markets across the region offers its "Super App," initially ran a ride-only platform in Qatar, but launched food delivery in Qatar last February.

☆ Dubai could get a 93-kilometer indoor cycling super highway
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Nadia Leigh-Hewitson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The 93 kilometer-cycle highway would allow people to get around the city of Dubai without using fossil fuels. Bagherian says that a visit to the Agri Hub would help guests to understand and engage more in sustainable practices. Visitors to the Agri Hub could learn about sustainability and enjoy environmentally-friendly tourism offerings such as farm-to-table cafes and restaurants. URB says the projects will be funded by private investors and that it is currently undertaking feasibility studies to establish the best site for the development of the Agri Hub. Bagherian hopes construction of the Agri Hub will begin in 2024.

☆ Taliban administration to send earthquake aid to Turkey, Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People look on as the search for survivors continues in the aftermath of an earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib SalemKABUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban administration will send around $165,000 in aid to Turkey and Syria to help the response to a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck this week, according to a foreign ministry statement. The Taliban took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, sparking enforcement of sanctions on its banking sector, and no capital has formally recognised its government. Many aid groups have partially suspended operations due to a Taliban administration ruling that most female NGO workers could not work, leaving agencies unable to operate many programmes in the conservative country. Western diplomats have said they will not consider formally recognising the administration unless it changes course on women's rights.

Search resuls for: "Emirate"

25 mentions found