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LOGISTICS-
First green methanol-enabled vessel lands at Jebel Ali: DP World welcomed Ane Maersk — Maersk’s first large green methanol-enabled vessel — at its flagship Jebel Ali port on Wednesday, according to a statement. Ane Maersk is the first of 18 large vessels, each with a capacity of some 16k twenty-foot equivalent units, fitted with dual-fuel engines that can be powered by methanol, biodiesel, and conventional bunker fuel. The move comes in a bid to curb emissions as part of the carrier’s drive to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2040.
BANKING-
Adib joins Buna: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (Adib) joined UAE-based cross-border payment system Buna, enabling its customers to send and receive payments in different Arab and international currencies, according to a press release. The collaboration aims to “maximize operational efficiency for the bank, in compliance with the highest international standards… [and] provide seamless cross-border payments that support the growth of trade and remittances in the Arab world,” Buna’s strategy and development chief Faisal Al Hijawi said.
LAW-
DPP + e& to enhance judicial procedures: The Dubai Public Prosecution (DPP) inked a partnership agreement with e& Enterprise to develop a digital platform aimed at streamlining remote investigation processes and judicial procedures in the emirate, according to a statement from Dubai Media Office. The unified platform will be managed by DPP and will connect Dubai Courts, Dubai Police, and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs to facilitate communication between the entities.
Slated for completion by 2026, the platform will feature “centralized storage, archiving capabilities, and the capacity to schedule remote interviews and reserve spaces in multiple locations including police stations, prisons, courts, and DPP investigation rooms.”
AVIATION-
Emirates teams up with Expedia, Huawei & Tap Payments: Emirates inked three partnership agreements with each of tech solutions providers Huawei and Tap Payments, as well as travel group Expedia, according to a press release.
#1- The airline expanded its partnership with Expedia to promote select destinations across Emirates’ network on Expedia’s platform. The two firms agreed to launch joint advertising campaigns to increase user engagement for the national carrier on Expedia’s websites.
#2- Emirates also signed an MoU with Tap Payments to allow Tap’s rewards program members to convert and transfer their points from the Tap Payments Rewards program to Emirates Business Rewards.
#3- Under their expanded partnership, Huawei will advertise Emirates’ services in China through tailored promotional campaigns aimed at increasing user engagement with Emirates.
Emirates also renewed its partnership with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and inked an MoU with the Uganda Tourism Board on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market, aiming to ramp up inbound tourism to both countries, Wam reports.
GREENENERGY-
Amea Power breaks ground on solar plant in Tunisia: Dubai-based Amea Power began construction of a TND 300 mn (AED 351.5 mn) solar power plant in Tunisia’s Kairouan on Wednesday, according to Tunisian news agency Tap. The plant will have a production capacity of 100 MW and will save TND 300 mn (AED 351.1 mn) in energy costs, Secretary of State to the Industry, Mines, and Energy Minister, Wael Chouchane, said. The Ministry had launched the tender back in 2019.
TRANSPORT-
Abu Dhabi-based Multi Level Group has carried out the first test flights for passenger-carrying drones in the Middle East during the Abu Dhabi Mobility Week, Abu Dhabi’s media office said in a statement. The company conducted the two flight trials, showcasing two eVTOLs: the first, a five-seater with a 25 km travel capacity, and the second, a small-sized drone with a 35 km travel capacity.
INVESTMENT-
Sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and the Emirates Council for Rural Development inked a AED 73.5 mn agreement aimed at funding the council’s projects and programs, Wam reports. The agreement comes as one of several the council has inked to help fund its Emirates Villages project, which aims to improve aesthetic appearance of villages, implement sustainable development projects, boost tourism, and support small and medium enterprises in villages across the country.
FINTECH-
FinMaze launches DIFC techhub: Abu Dhabi-based AI asset manager FinMaze has set up FinMaze Technologies, its new technology hub in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), to offer tailored asset management services for investors using its AI model, the wealth manager said in a press release. The move comes as part of its business plan to shift to a B2B and B2B2C model, providing customers with a “more personalized approach,” FinMaze CEO Mehddi Fichtali said.
