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…
Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has upgraded Mahboub, its virtual assistant, using Agentic AI technology to simplify the customer journey and facilitate the completion of RTA services through a unified conversational experience. The enhanced version is being prepared for public rollout as part of RTA’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2030. Mahboub uses Agentic AI to coordinate and execute services involving interconnected steps, in addition to the information and services it currently provides. Depending on each customer’s request, the system activates specialised Agentic AI to coordinate and carry out the required procedures, such as paying vehicle fines and then renewing…
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates has achieved a new strategic milestone that embodies the efficiency of its economic approach and consolidates its global competitiveness, by advancing to the 10th place globally in the Government Support Index for 2026, one of the indicators included in the World Competitiveness Yearbook issued by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). This is compared to the 16th place globally in 2025, thus recording a progress of six places and achieving the target set for 2026 to enter the list of the top 10 countries globally. The Government Support Index is measured by the value…
Dubai: Apple will begin offering its new iPhone Duo in the UAE markets on Friday. It is the company’s first foldable phone, with prices ranging from AED8,499 to AED13,599, in a move that represents a major shift in the company’s strategy to enter the foldable phone market, amid exceptional demand for pre-orders. The iPhone’s launch comes after the initial quantities available for online reservations ran out within minutes of pre-orders opening on October 16. This led to the extension of delivery dates for some new orders in the UAE to January 2027. Apple confirmed that its stores in the UAE…
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,…
Oil prices climbed about 2% to a five-month high on Thursday after Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns of further disruption to energy supplies from the key exporting region.Brent futures rose $2.42, or 2.2%, to $111.24 a barrel at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.14, or 1.2%, to $98.29.That drove Brent into technically overbought territory for a third time in a week and set for its highest close since May 18.Saudi Aramco has told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran on the Gulf near Bahrain, Reuters reported, as fighting between…
The much-awaited trailer of Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte starrer ‘Akka’ is finally out, offering a glimpse into the rivalry between two “female gangsters” to protect their reign. Produced by YRF Entertainment and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, the trailer takes viewers into the kingdom of Pernuru and its powerful houses. It teases a world where women lead from the front and fiercely guard what is theirs.Keerthy Suresh, portraying the role of an impeccable leader and fighter, faces the challenge from Radhika Apte who wishes to challenge the legacy that has long ruled Pernuru. The trailer is full of action scenes and…
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…
Dubai: The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) spearheaded the city’s presence at SIAL Paris 2026, showcasing Dubai-based food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers on a major international platform to support their global expansion. Held from 17 to 21 October, the exhibition enabled manufacturers to connect with international buyers, importers and distributors as part of wider efforts to expand Dubai’s export base and strengthen the emirate’s position as a global hub for F&B manufacturing and trade.The 30 manufacturers joining DET represented a broad range of F&B categories, including confectionery, beverages, tea and coffee, dairy products, ready-to-eat foods and snacks, sauces…
Eastern Province: The Court of Appeal granted a woman an irrevocable divorce from her husband on the grounds of harm, ending a 17-year marriage in which the couple had two daughters. The court overturned an earlier ruling that had rejected the wife’s request for divorce after accepting witness testimony that she had been subjected to verbal abuse by her husband. Her sister testified that she heard the husband say during a phone call: “Your sister is stupid… take her away and raise her again.” The husband was given an opportunity to call witnesses in support of his defence but ultimately…