Good morning, friends. The weekend could not have come sooner for everyone who has been homebound and struggling with the aftermath of the storm — we hope you’ve all stayed safe and can enjoy what’s expected to be a warm, sunny, and dry weekend.

Yes, the weather is back to normal: Dubai is expected to see sunny 30°Chighs over the weekend — reaching 31°C on Sunday — and overnight lows of 19°C. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi will see a similar 30°C high and lows of 21°C.

The situation at DXB is also expected to be back to normal over the weekend: Dubai International Airport (DXB) will resume normal operations today, DXB COO Majed Al Joker said, according to Wam. The airport had already begun resuming inbound flights at Terminal 1 yesterday, it said on X.

Airlines are also easing back into normalcy: Check-ins for Dubai’s airline Emirates and budget carrier flydubai at DXB’s Terminal 3 were also resumed, the airport said, cautioning passengers that they should only go to the terminal if they have received a departure confirmation from their airlines. Air Arabia also resumed its scheduled flights from Sharjah International Airport as of 4am yesterday. Additionally, Egyptian airline EgyptAir resumed its flights between Cairo and Dubai after a one-day halt.

DATA POINT- The floods resulted in the cancellation of over 1.2k flights at DXB, while 61 flights were redirected to nearby airports, a DXB spokesperson told Gulf News.

Courier firm Aramex partially resumed its operations yesterday in areas where roads were cleared, Aramex Express COO Alaa Saoudi told AlKhaleej, adding that the firm aims to clear its backlog over the weekend.

Roads in Dubai are starting to clear up: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) issued a list with several roads that are now accessible for travel, albeit with minor delays on roads that have not been fully drained. You can find the full list here.

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Besides news of the storm, the big stories here at home included Abu Dhabi National Ins. Company’s completion of an acquisition of a majority stake in Riyadh-based Allianz SF; Binance getting a VASP license; and news of real estate sales in Dubai climbing to AED 109.8 bn in the first quarter of the year.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT-

You can now pay fines for late renewal of health ins. through TAMM, the unified digital platform for Abu Dhabi Government services, Wam reports. You can find out your reference number from your accredited health ins. company and access the service via the TAMM online portal or app.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of its 1.5 GW Khazna solar farm in Abu Dhabi, according to a press release. Ewec invited developers to submit expressions of interest for the development of Khazna last year.

The details: The selected developer will construct, finance, operate, and maintain the plant, of which it will own 40%, with the rest to be owned by the Abu Dhabi government. The developer will also enter a long-term power purchase agreement with Ewec. Responses to the RFP are expected in 3Q 2024, followed by a public event to confirm proposal submissions.

We know one consortium who is interested: Korea Western Power (Kowepco) and EDF Renewables signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to bid on the project last month. The two companies were tapped by Ewec in February to develop the 1.5 GW Al Ajban solar project for an estimated investment ticket of USD 748 mn.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Travel and tourism in the UAE grew by 26% y-o-y in 2023, accounting for 11.7% of the country’s GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. The 2023 figures surpass the previous record established in 2019 by around 15%.

The tourism sector is poised to surpass AED 236 bn in its contribution to GDP, with jobs expected to rise by 23k to reach 833k. International visitor spending is expected to climb by about 10%, reaching AED 192 bn, while domestic spending is forecasted to rise by 4.3%, reaching nearly AED 58 bn.

#2- Dubai International Airport has been named seventh best airport in the world in London-based research firm Skytrax’s World Airport Awards, climbing 10 places from last year.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- It’s day two of the Token2049 conference — heralded as the largest gathering of crypto experts in the world — at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The event brings together over 10k attendees from more than 5k companies, featuring over 200 speakers and more than 150 exhibitors.

#2-The Global Summit on Innovations in Cancer Care will kick off today and run until next Sunday at the Four Seasons Hotel, Abu Dhabi. The summit, hosted by Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, will cover topics like cancer screening, surgical oncology, and global oncology challenges.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s a relatively slow newsday in the foreign press this morning, with only a few stories gaining traction.

#1- The US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have given Palestine full UN membership. Twelve of the 15 members of the council voted in favor, while the UK and Switzerland abstained. (FT | Reuters | NYT)

#2- Donald Trump’s hush-money trial is still getting attention, after Trump’s lawyers selected 12 jurors that will judge his innocence over the coming weeks, Reuters reports.

IN BUSINESS NEWS-

#3- Google has shaken up its AI leadership in a bid to catch up with competitors. The tech giant unified its AI departments under DeepMind division, run by Demis Hassabis (LinkedIn).

#4- Netflix’s income surged in 1Q 2024 to USD 2.3 bn, following measures including a password-sharing crackdown and ad-supported plans. We have more on this in Planet Finance, below.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier 2024 is set in Abu Dhabi and kicks off next Sunday, 21 April and runs through 7 May, hosted by Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub, according to an Abu Dhabi Media Office statement. Featuring 10 teams including UAE, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uganda, US, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe, it comprises 32 matches climaxing at Zayed Cricket Stadium. This qualifier determines two slots for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh.

The AVPN Global Conference 2024 is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi from next Tuesday to Thursday, 23-25 April at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas. The event aims to bring together more than 1.5k leaders in global social investment to advance humanitarian efforts in Asia, according to an Abu Dhabi Media Office statement.

The National Forum for Small and Medium Enterprises: Government Procurements will take place next Tuesday, 23 April, at Dubai’s Emirates Towers. Organized by the Ministry of Economy, the forum welcomes Emirati entrepreneurs to explore and compete for available tenders and contracts on its digital procurement platform.

Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference will take place from next Tuesday to Thursday, 23-25 April at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event will gather hundreds of cybersecurity firms, government officials, and cyber experts from 130 countries. You can book your ticket here.

Carpet and flooring industry event Domotex Middle East 2024 is scheduled on next Tuesday to Thursday 23-25 April at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event brings together industry leaders like Merinos, Oriental Weavers, Solomon Carpets, and Al Abdullatif, as well as brands like Azim Silk.

The World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development is scheduled for 28-29 April in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The two-day meeting addresses global challenges in economic development, including energy transitions and geopolitical tensions.

It will feature over 700 participants, including Economy Minister Abdulla Bin Touq, who will sit on a panel covering the rise of the tourism sector, and Majid Al Futtaim Holding CEO Ahmed Galal Ismail, who is participating in a panel on MENA economic perspectives.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is set to take place from 29 April to 5 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), with Egypt as the guest of honor and Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz as the focus personality.

The Arabian Travel Market is taking place from 6-9 May at DWTC Dubai under the theme Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship. The event will focus on issues relating to entrepreneurial strategies.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2024) is set to take place from 29 April to 5 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the Department of Culture and Tourism. The fair will host 1,350 publishers from 90 countries and 375 local exhibitors presenting over 2k activities.

The Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress is scheduled to be held on 7-9 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Gathering senior government officials and industry experts, the summit will focus on exploring means of strengthening the economy under the theme Resilient, Sustainable Economic Growth – Creating a Healthy and Prospective Investment through FDI and FPI.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

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