Nearly eight out of 10 Emirati consumers (77%) stated a preference for a gift card over a traditional gift, with 64% indicating a stronger inclination for an eGift card (digital gift card) over a physical one. YOUGotaGift, the leading marketplace for digital gift cards in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), partnered with YouGov, an international online research data and analytics technology group, to conduct an online survey with over 1,000 UAE respondents. The survey reveals that nearly three out of five UAE consumers (62%) favoured receiving gift cards from a preferred brand over trad ..read more

Italian beauty brands have firmly entrenched themselves in the UAE’s beauty and personal care market, one of the country’s fastest-growing consumer sectors. Distinguished by their innovative products, premium quality ingredients and attractive designs, Italy now holds over 7% of the market share in the UAE beauty sector. This achievement positions Italy as the 4th largest cosmetics exporter to the UAE, following France, India and the USA.  Italian Beauty Event, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) in collaboration with Cosmetica Italia and Cosmoprof, convened industry le ..read more

دبي، المدينة المشهورة بسماءها الساحرة، ونمط حياتها الفاخر، وطموحها الفائق، تمتد رفاهيتها إلى عوالم العجائب السياراتية. ثقافة السيارات النابضة بالحياة في المدينة مزيج متنوع من سيارات السباق الفاخرة، والسيدانات الكلاسيكية، والمركبات الكهربائية الحديثة، مما يجعلها منظرًا مثيرًا للغاية لعشاق السيارات والمقيمين الأجانب والمتعلمين على حد سواء. سواء كنت تتنقل في الشوارع المزدحمة للمرة الأولى أو تبحث عن ترقية سيارتك لتتناسب مع روح المدينة، فإن فهم تفاصيل العثور على السيارة المثالية في دبي أمر أساسي. يشمل ذلك الاعتراف بأهمية امتلاك International driver’s license ..read more

Majid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has announced an overwhelming response to its pioneering food rescue programme ‘Feed the Future’ for Ramadan, with more than 12,000 meals donated during the Holy Month with the support of its 27 corporate partners. Teaming up with technology platform Replate, restaurant partners at Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls, and other Majid Al Futtaim businesses including Carrefour, VOX Cinemas and Crate and Barrel – the ‘Feed the Future’ initiative seeks to reduce food waste and ..read more

Emirates Islamic, one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has announced the successful conclusion of its debut USD 500 million syndicated Financing Facility. The landmark three-year term financing facility is the first of its kind raised by a Shariah-compliant financial institution. Structured as a Commodity Murabaha term financing facility in compliance with Shariah principles set out by the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), the proceeds will be used for Shariah-compliant general corporate funding purposes. The new fi ..read more

In Dubai, a city known for its opulence and creativity, residents are adopting the latest in smart home technology. Picture coming home to a comfortably chilled atmosphere after a hot day in the desert. You can adjust your lights, music, and security system with just a tap or a voice command. Home automation turns your Dubai home into a place of ease and customized luxury. By choosing to incorporate home automation, you’re not only introducing technology into your living space; you’re enhancing your daily routine with convenience, security, and energy efficiency. Working alongside a smart hom ..read more

The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has announced that weather patterns across the UAE will fluctuate over the next few days. On Sunday, the NCM reported light to moderate rain in some parts of the Al Ain and Al Dhafra region. A surface low-pressure system persisted until Monday morning, anticipating intermittent rainfall in coastal and southern regions throughout the day. Between Tuesday night until Wednesday morning, the UAE will experience heightened surface and upper air low pressures. These patterns will intensify instability across the country, which is fuelled by the increased hum ..read more

Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the MENAT (Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye) region, has introduced the ‘Priority Banking Visa Infinite Credit Card’, an offering tailored to meet the exclusive lifestyle needs of its affluent Priority Banking clientele. The proposition, launched in collaboration with Visa, a world leader in digital payments, offers a superior banking experience and enhanced value that matches the specific lifestyle needs of high-net-worth customers maintaining an average balance of AED 500,000 and above across deposits and investments. The new proposition offers ..read more

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) continuously develops a customer’s journey by utilising digital solutions and AI in all its services and operations. DEWA aims to provide proactive, advanced, seamless, and integrated digital services through shared channels to meet customers’ needs and exceed their expectations. It is also committed to supporting sustainability efforts and reducing its carbon footprint. It implements the “Services 360” policy by analysing and measuring service maturity levels over a three-year plan (2023-2025) aligning with the master plan of the General Secretari ..read more

The UAE has long been a hub for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Middle East. However, thanks to ongoing investment and plans to diversify away from an oil-based economy, it looks set to become a global player in ICT. According to a report by Global Data, the UAE’s ICT market was worth $36.1 billion in 2022. Analysts expect that market to grow by 12.77% by 2027, making it a $65.90 billion entity. All Middle Eastern ICT Trends Lead to HTML The market’s recent growth has led to a surge of job opportunities across the country. Indeed, a simple search for ICT-related jo ..read more