Dubai RTA awards US$95m contract to upgrade ticketing system  Â
DUBAI, UAE - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract to upgrade the existing nol (card-based ticketing...
Business
Mac computers could reach new glory due to AI
SAN FRANCISCO, US - Forty years after igniting a PC revolution, Apple's Mac is stronger than ever and could reach new...
Business
Business
Space tourism: What’s on offer for those who can pay?
The era of space tourism comes with many options: a few minutes of weightlessness, or a few days or a...
- SpaceX's INSPIRATION4 set this week is the first orbital mission involving four non-professional astronauts.
- A trip in a module of Space Perspective, hoisted by a space balloon the size of a football stadium costs $125,000.
Business
WhatsApp users may encrypt backups
FB was recently accused of breaching WhatsApp users’ privacy.
- Mark Zuckerberg has announced that WhatsApp will let users encrypt chats they choose to back up
- The facility will be available for users of devices that can run Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android
Research
Saudis count the cost of technology overuse
As the use of the modern technology deepens in Saudi Arabia, its adverse effects are being felt across the gender...
- Ithra program sounds alarm on sleep loss amid warnings of tech overuse
- The initiative comes as digital overuse and screen addiction are blamed for problems ranging from behavioral disorders in children to insomnia in adults
Business
Amazon Web Services will help firms drive innovation: Dubai FDI
DUBAI: The Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), the investment promotion agency of Dubai Economy, has said Amazon Web Services’...
- AWS plans to open data centers in the UAE in 2022.
- The new AWS Middle East (UAE) Region will consist of three Availability Zones and become AWS’s second region in the Middle East.
Business
True Global Ventures closes blockchain fund at $100m
The TGV 4 Plus fund, which has been oversubscribed, focuses on blockchain firms primarily in late-stage equity funding Series B...
- TGV is funded by 40 partners who contribute 27%, along with a number of entrepreneurs, business angels, family offices and institutional investors
- Many limited partners of True Global Ventures are based in the Middle East
Business
Now website owners may apply for ‘.abudhabi’ domain names
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Support has announced ‘.abudhabi’ as the official internet TLD name for the emirate.
- The domain name is accessible to all citizens, residents, and employers working inside and outside the emirate
- More than 550 uniform resource locators or URLs have been registered to the ‘.abudhabi’ domain name to date
Research
Gartner predicts IT spending to touch $557bn in 2022
Countries across the world are expected to be spending some $557 billion in 2022, up by 6.5 percent compared to...
- Most of the spending will be on IT services and software
- The COVID-19 pandemic sped up the digital transformation across government and private sectors last year, as consumers around the world shifted to remote channels
Analysis
UAE platforms lead GCC crypto market
Even as the GCC countries dither to embrace cryptocurrencies, the UAE has made some significant strides in this regard.
- The United Arab Emirates already boasts about some of the biggest crypto exchange platforms in the GCC region
- However, it is yet to warm up to crypto ATMs, a field where the United States rules the roost
Business
Fintech creams off most in $2.1bn funding
The fintech sector has attracted nearly 30 percent of all the funding raised during the year, with one in four...
- Fintech stood out above other sectors on funding volume and value
- RedSeer said financial free zones such as the Abu Dhabi Global Market and the Dubai International Financial Center have contributed to this growth
Analysis
GCC cautious, but optimistic about crypto
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have already formed policies to regulate cryptocurrencies, while Bahrain has given an official stamp on...
- US investors made $4.1 billion from Bitcoin in 2020
- However, a UAE resident lost AED15,000 (a little more than $4,000) after investing in DubaiCoin
Dubai RTA awards US$95m contract to upgrade ticketing system  Â
DUBAI, UAE - Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a contract to upgrade the existing nol (card-based ticketing...
Business
Company News
Ant Group to buyback shares
Business
Latest News
QFMA launches single window e-portal for listing in Qatari financial markets
DOHA, QATAR - Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) announced the launch of a single window e-portal, which aims to facilitate...
Business
Abu Dhabi plans to launch English newspaper as part of media network revamp
Abu Dhabi, UAE - Abu Dhabi Media Network is all set to launch an English edition of its existing Al...
Google’s AI chatbot goes personal tapping into Gmail, YouTube
Google has for years discreetly developed AI powers but was caught off guard when OpenAI late last year released ChatGPT...
Business
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Business
AI ‘no substitute’ for fashion designers’ creativity
Fashion innovator Calvin Wong, who has developed the world's first designer-led AI system, says 'we must treasure the designer's original...
- The Interactive Design Assistant for Fashion (AiDA) uses image-recognition technology to speed up the time it takes for a design to go from a first sketch to the catwalk.
- Wong said AiDA's particular strength was its ability to present "all the possible combinations" for a designer to consider, something he said was impossible currently.
Geostrategy
Europe’s tussle with Big Tech involves dominance, data, disinformation
Paris, France - Irish regulators on Friday handed out a 345-million-euro ($369-million) fine to TikTok over data breaches, part of a...
- Ireland issues the most stringent fines on this front as Dublin hosts the European offices of several big tech firms and data privacy is enforced by local regulators.
- The EU has had little success in getting tech companies to pay more taxes in Europe, where they are accused of funneling profits into low-tax economies.
Economy
Nearly two-thirds of Saudi Arabian employees lack enhanced digital skillsÂ
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A substantial 62% of employees in Saudi Arabia are eager to acquire improved digital skills in...
- The findings also exposed a troubling trend, with 45% of respondents expressing concerns about job security due to their perceived lack of IT competencies
- The survey also highlighted a specific group within the workforce most apprehensive about job security – department heads and top managers