Accor, a world-leading hospitality group, in partnership with Alesayi Holding, a leader in the Saudi Arabian real estate market with a diverse portfolio of residential and commercial units, has announced plans for the opening of a new hotel and residences development, Abraj Omar Hotel & Residences Makkah – MGallery Collection. Nestled in the bustling heart of Makkah, this hotel serves as a harmonious urban oasis, paying tribute to Makkah’s celestial heritage while drawing inspiration from the rich symbolism of Islamic gardens. The hotel will provide a sanctuary for serenity, spiritual refl ..read more

The American University of Bahrain (AUBH) has signed a partnership deal with Premo Group (Premo), a leading company in the design and manufacture of innovative solutions for electronic components. This partnership is aimed at cultivating the next generation of engineering leaders, through the offering of international scholarships to two AUBH engineering graduates, annually. This collaboration brings together two companies from the portfolio of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is in line with Mumtalakat’s efforts to enhan ..read more

Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, is exploring the formation of a joint venture in the Saudi Aramco Jubail Refinery Company (SASREF) with Chinese partner Rongsheng Petrochemical (Rongsheng). According to the statement, “Aramco is also discussing significant investments in the Saudi and Chinese petrochemical sectors, in partnership with Rongsheng.” Recently, the company signed a cooperation framework agreement that envisions Rongsheng’s potential acquisition of a 50 percent stake in SASREF. The agreement also lays the groundwork for the development of ..read more

Doha Bank, a leading financial institution, has secured the esteemed ‘Market Leader’ rating in the domain of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from Euromoney, a renowned international magazine specializing in banking affairs and global financial markets. This recognition further solidifies Doha Bank’s prominent standing among the leading financial institutions regionally and globally. Euromoney’s evaluation for the year 2023 bestowed Doha Bank with the highest rating, affirming its market leadership in Corporate social responsibility. The international magazine also praised the bank’s acco ..read more

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has announced the approval of approximately $418 million to fund new development projects in Tajikistan, Benin, Cote ‘d Ivoire, and Turkey. The board approved four projects focusing on socio-economic development and sustainability during IsDB’s 355th meeting, which is chaired by its President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser This meeting took place today in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, coinciding with the first day of the 2024 IsDB Group Annual Meetings and the Golden Jubilee marking the Bank’s 50th Anniversary. Tajikistan received $150 million for the constructio ..read more

Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Tiit Riisalo, Estonia’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology, have discussed ways to further develop the trade and investment relationship between the two countries. The discussions centered on identifying sectors of particular promise, with a focus on increased collaboration in digitization, advanced technologies, AI, and health-tech. The meeting between Al Zeyoudi and Riisalo provided an opportunity to discuss how to build on this momentum and reaffirm both nations’ commitment to stronger, deeper economic t ..read more

Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), a subsidiary of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), has announced an initiative to support businesses affected by the recent adverse weather. It will provide financial assistance through new interest-free loans, as well as grace and postponement periods for existing loans taken by Emiratis who own small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This initiative is aimed at further enhancing recovery efforts that are underway to support and stabilize businesses affected by the adverse weather co ..read more

The General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs, in cooperation and coordination with its partners, has organized a dialogue session on intellectual property laws, copyright, and related rights in sustaining poetic works with the poet Sheikh Majid bin Sultan Al Khatri. This was part of Abu Dhabi Customs’ Intellectual Property Week being held from 22nd to 30th April, in celebration of World Intellectual Property Day, which falls on 26th April each year, and aligned with this year’s theme: “Intellectual Property and Sustainable Development Goals: Building Our Shared Future with Innovation and Cr ..read more

The tech giant Google and Samsung have collaborated to develop and deploy new artificial intelligence (AI) experiences for Android and Galaxy smartphones. The two tech giants first joined hands for AI with Circle to Search. The visual lookup feature allows users to draw on the screen to run a Google search. While it was developed by Google, it launched on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series ahead of the Pixel 8 series. Now, the two companies have confirmed that they will be working together to build new AI features for the ecosystem. Rick Osterloh, the Senior Vice President, Platforms & Devices ..read more

People who take acid-reducing drugs may have a higher risk of migraine and other severe headache than people who do not take these medications, according to a study published in the online issue of Neurology Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.  The acid-reducing drugs include proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole and esomeprazole, histamine H2-receptor antagonists, or H2 blockers, such as cimetidine and famotidine, and antacid supplements. Notably, The study does not prove that acid-reducing drugs cause migraine, it only shows an associati ..read more