OpenAI halts GPT-6.1 Astra release over safety concerns
The decision comes before OpenAI’s annual developer conference, where the company is expected to face scrutiny over AI safety.
Business
Sharjah Islamic Bank raises $500 million through five-year Sukuk
Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) has issued $500 million of five-year Sukuk, attracting orders worth $1.3 billion, or 2.6 times the...
Business
Saudi POS transactions fall to $3.8 billion in week ended Aug 15
Dubai, UAE -- Point-of-sale transactions in Saudi Arabia fell to nearly $3.79 billion in the week ended Aug. 15, from...
- Food and beverage purchases represented 15.5% of weekly spending, while restaurants and cafes accounted for another 12.9%.
- Electronic payments represented 85% of individual payments last year, exceeding the Financial Sector Development Program’s 70% target.
Business
Dubai Chambers, NASSCOM to expand cooperation on Agentic AI
Dubai Chambers has signed a memorandum of understanding with India's National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) to expand...
- NASSCOM represents more than 3,500 Indian technology companies, spanning startups and multinational corporations across the country’s technology sector.
- Dubai Chambers’ Agentic AI committee will oversee training, incubators and company development to accelerate private-sector adoption of emerging technologies.
Business
Foreign buyers, expats account for bulk of Abu Dhabi’s $19.2bn H1 home sales
Off-plan deals dominated residential activity, while rising prices, strong rental demand and significant future deliveries pointed to continued momentum across...
- Emirati buyers more than doubled commitments from a year earlier, while foreign buyers represented most residential sales value.
- Retail and office markets maintained high occupancy, with new lease prices rising nine percent and 13 percent respectively.
Geostrategy
Trump says no Iran talks as Israeli strikes on Syria draw condemnation
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran was seeking an end to the war and rejected the idea of a...
- Turkey and Egypt reject Israel’s justification for the strikes, while the United Nations urges an immediate end to attacks.
- Hormuz traffic falls further as Iran maintains demands for lifting sanctions and blockade before the waterway can reopen.
Geostrategy
UAE defense ministry says ‘missile threat towards country’ detected
The Ministry said if any sounds are heard, they are the result of air defense interceptions and "affirmed its full...
- The ministry urged the people to "kindly follow warnings and updates issued through official channels".
- Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed the Strait of Hormuz as American territory as peace talks with Iran falter.
Business
Middle East Energy expects 1,528 exhibitors for 50th Dubai edition
Middle East Energy will host its 50th edition in Dubai next month with 1,528 global energy companies confirmed to exhibit,...
- The exhibition will run from Sept. 1 to 3 at Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
- Buyers participating in the event's Energy Club have more than $98 billion in live energy projects across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, organisers said.
Business
Ajman rental contracts reach $792 million in first half
Dubai, UAE -- The total value of rental contracts registered in Ajman reached approximately AED2.91 billion during the first half...
- The emirate recorded 73,472 registered rental contracts as authorities highlighted sustained demand for housing and investment during the period.
- Officials linked the activity to Ajman’s efforts to strengthen infrastructure, smart services, legislation and its broader investment environment.
Geostrategy
Trump rejects Iran deal extension as regional tensions mount
The US president says Iran will not make the deal he considers necessary, while Washington declines to extend the expired...
- Tehran condemns a drone attack in Iraqi Kurdistan, warns companies supporting US operations and faces renewed tensions around Hormuz.
- US envoy Kushner said his meeting with Hamas had been “very cordial” and that the group could begin disarming soon.
Business
Masdar, ScottishPower complete foundations at East Anglia THREE
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) and ScottishPower Renewables have completed installation of all 95 foundations at the £4...
- The project has completed its foundation phase as turbine installation passes halfway, with construction continuing toward a planned end-2026 operation.
- The development is supporting thousands of construction jobs and has directed almost £2 billion toward Britain's domestic renewable-energy supply chain.
Economy
70% Saudization for project management jobs from February 2027
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), in partnership with the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing (MOMAH),...
- The decision covers private-sector establishments employing at least three workers in targeted project management professions.
- Support includes recruitment, training, qualification, job retention and priority access to Saudization programs for covered employers.
OpenAI halts GPT-6.1 Astra release over safety concerns
The decision comes before OpenAI’s annual developer conference, where the company is expected to face scrutiny over AI safety.
Business
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Trump says US nearing end of Iran war
Geostrategy
Qatar launches platform to manage wealth fund domestic portfolio
Qatar’s new investment platform will manage the wealth fund’s domestic portfolio as Doha targets $60 billion in infrastructure and private...
Business
Iran war cost Arab economies $150bn in the first month alone, UN official says
Meanwhile, Trump says: “Do I want to go in and annihilate them, or do I not? It’s a big decision....
Geostrategy
Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, WEF sign water partnership
The Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative and the World Economic Forum have signed a partnership to accelerate water innovation and...
Business
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Geostrategy
GISEC 2026 opens with focus on AI threats, cyber resilience
Global cybersecurity experts converged in Dubai as GISEC 2026 opened, warning that AI is reshaping both cyberattacks and national defense...
- UAE Cybersecurity Council chief Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti said cybersecurity culture is everyone's responsibility amid growing AI threats.
- Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kelly warned that AI deepfakes threaten personal identity, demanding stronger verification, consent and likeness control.
Geostrategy
Gaza death toll since ceasefire rises to 1,375 as settler violence surges
The ministry said three Palestinians were killed and at least 27 injured during the 24 hours covered by its latest...
- Palestinian Civil Defence teams were searching for people trapped beneath a collapsed residential building west of Gaza City.
- Two homes were demolished in Beit Hanina, while eight residential and agricultural structures were demolished in Hizma, in the occupied West Bank.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia calls Makkah security ‘Red Line’ after Houthi drone intercepted
Hormuz shipping traffic meanwhile fell to four, while US lawmakers again seek to curb military action as Iran war costs...
- OIC condemned attacks targeting the kingdom’s holy sites.
- The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the conflict had cost the United States more than $38 billion over its first six months.