Author: Editorial team

At school, Asaad Touqan was so shy that he could barely raise his head to have any sort of conversation with his classmates. “I was scared to talk to girls and to people in general,” Touqan recalled.“I had social anxiety and was never able to connect with other kids. I was a bit of a weird kid.”That ‘weird kid’ eventually felt a beautiful connection with combat sports. He excelled initially in kickboxing and Muay Thai, winning multiple medals at national and international levels before shifting his focus to boxing.Driven by the desire to be a trailblazer, the Dubai pugilist worked…

ABU DHABI, 22nd October, 2026 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, has attended a wedding reception hosted by Ahmed Abdullah Al Junaibi to celebrate the marriage of his two sons: Sultan to the daughter of Omar Ahmed Al Hashemi, and Abdullah to the daughter of Ali Khamis Al Shamsi. H.H. Sheikh Hamdan extended his sincere congratulations to both grooms and their families, wishing the newlyweds a happy and prosperous married life. The reception, held at Erth Abu Dhabi Hotel, was attended by several officials, relatives and…

ADDIS ABABA, 22nd October, 2026 (WAM) –Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), represented by Sharjah Export Development Centre (SEDC), organised the Sharjah–Ethiopia Business Forum in Addis Ababa, as part of its trade mission to Ethiopia, bringing together Emirati delegates and Ethiopian business representatives to explore trade and investment opportunities. Held under the theme “Fostering New Partnerships and Driving the Future Together”, the forum aimed to strengthen economic ties between Sharjah and Ethiopia, identify new avenues for bilateral cooperation, and strengthen partnerships that support trade and investment growth in both markets. The forum was attended by Abdallah Sultan Al Owais,…

DUBAI, 22nd October, 2026 (WAM) — The UAE accounted for approximately 61% of sustainable debt issuance across the Gulf region in all currencies during the first nine months of 2026, according to a senior Fitch Ratings official. Bashar Al Natoor, Managing Director and Global Head of Islamic Finance at Fitch Ratings, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai that the Gulf region accounted for approximately 40% of US dollar-denominated sustainable debt issuance in emerging markets, excluding China, during the same period. Al Natoor highlighted the growing importance of sustainable finance…

SHARJAH, 22nd October, 2026 (WAM) — Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone (SPC Free Zone) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beehive, a digital financing provider specialising in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to expand businesses’ access to financing within the free zone. Beehive, a subsidiary of Etisalat operating in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, will provide businesses referred by SPC Free Zone with a direct channel to connect with investors via its digital platform, along with an exclusive 15% discount on transaction fees. The agreement also includes dedicated follow-up support to streamline procedures and facilitate coordination with…

Dubai Municipality has put 675 personnel and 1,100 machines on standby, while preparing emergency water-collection sites to ease pressure on drainage networks during expected heavy rain. The authority announced it has cleaned more than 70,000 drainage inlets and readied 10 temporary water-collection lakes as part of an emirate-wide plan to deal with rainwater accumulation during unsettled weather. A 675-member rapid-response team, including engineers, supervisors, drivers and field workers, will be available round the clock to attend to emergencies. The team will be supported by around 1,100 specialised vehicles, pumps, machinery and other equipment. Stay up to date with the latest…

DUBAI, 22nd October, 2026 (WAM) — The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) continues to develop its regulatory framework by adopting a proactive, data-driven approach that leverages modern technologies and risk-based oversight. These efforts contribute to protecting students’ rights, strengthening the compliance of higher education institutions, technical and vocational education and training institutions, and training centres with approved requirements and regulations and enhancing the quality and competitiveness of the UAE’s higher education system. The results recorded in 2025 and 2026 reflect the evolution of the Ministry’s regulatory role from a focus on identifying violations to an integrated system…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already helping employees across the Gulf complete tasks faster and save hours each week. But despite its growing use, many workers still lack the confidence and training needed to make the most of the technology.A new Al-Futtaim study has found that 82 per cent of surveyed professionals in the GCC’s consumer economy use AI daily or weekly, yet only 39 per cent feel very or extremely confident using it.The findings were presented at the Unlocking AI for the GCC Workforce event on Thursday in Dubai, where business and technology leaders discussed why introducing AI tools alone is not…

Singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh’s fans may have to wait longer to see him perform in India, as the Delhi Police have denied permission for his scheduled October 30 concert at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium due to security concerns.The singer’s show, part of his Aura India Tour, reportedly did not receive security clearance after police reviewed the request to organise the event. According to a letter reportedly addressed to ticketing platform BookMyShow by the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Delhi, the request could not be approved due to threat-related inputs, security requirements during the festive season and other law and order…

Social media abuse was directed at over 85% of men’s tennis players attracting engagement online in the past year, with the ATP blocking some 234,000 comments from reaching them or fans, the governing body said on Thursday.The ATP based the findings on an analysis of more than 3.7 million comments across ATP and player social media channels by its Safe Sport initiative, which uses AI-enabled moderation and specialist threat assessment.It said more than 284,000 abusive comments were identified, and over 82% of them were removed in real time. During its first year, the programme identified and hid upwards of 162,000…