Author: Jochebed Menon

In line with the commitment to continuously expand strategic partnerships, Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance PSC. H.E. Eng. Ali AlSuwaidi, Director General of AFZ, and H.E. Abdulla Al Nuaimi, CEO of Dubai Insurance and Reinsurance, signed the agreement in a ceremony attended by several officials from both sides. The MoU reflects the free zone’s approach to grow its offered value-added solutions and build a unified platform for investors and companies to have easy access to various service providers. Through this platform, investors and businesses in the free zone…

The Middle East’s automotive aftermarket industry is bracing for change over the next five years, according to the newly released Automechanika Market Outlook 2021 – the third in the annual survey series conducted by GRS Explori. Commissioned by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, organiser of Automechanika Dubai, the Middle East’s largest international automotive aftermarket industry trade show, which opens tomorrow (14 December) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the report reflects findings from a survey of nearly 1,000 sector players globally. More than half the Middle East respondents (58%) said they had been negatively, or very negatively, impacted by the…

Luxury home solutions retailer, Casa Milano, opened its doors to the people of Abu Dhabi on 12 December, a couple of months after celebrating two successful years of inception. What started as luxury sanitaryware and tiles brand has now diversified to complete home solutions by beautifying the outdoor spaces with landscaping and pools solution, creating unique indoor spaces with parquet, and designer kitchens making it a destination for designers and for those planning to build/refurbish their homes. The outlet is offering an exclusive assortment of designed counter bowls, showers, faucets, tiles and slabs, and solid surfaces manufactured by over 40…

Stefano Sanchini, Regional Managing Director, Bridgestone writes about the rise of digitally enabled solutions in urban mobility The rapid industrialisation and urbanisation worldwide have brought about major challenges to urban mobility. In the Middle East, the scene is no different with urban mobility concerns continuing to be at the core of regional transport and infrastructure development discussions and policies. With the region steadily moving towards its vision of sustainable and connected cities, developing a holistic model for mobility enhancement has become even more imperative. Some countries in the region, particularly the Gulf states, have implemented multi-faceted transportation and mobility management…

The CEO of Pakistan’s fastest growing logistics start up, Muhammad Uns, talks about what makes Swyft a success and of the country’s budding eCommerce potential Tell us about your business model and what Swyft Logistics aims to achieve? Swyft is the first, technology and data-driven last-mile delivery service in Pakistan. We aspire to reinvent logistics in Pakistan by staying a step ahead of our competition. By employing a system different from the contemporaries in the industry, Swyft provides a better, quick, and efficient flow of goods. We make sure that both vendors and consumers have access to real time tracking…

JLG Industries, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company and a global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers, announced the release of a conversion kit for its 660SJ model, replacing the engine with a zero-emissions battery solution. In response to the increasingly urgent and growing demand for electric access equipment to work on low or zero-emission job sites, JLG has created a conversion kit for selected diesel models. This is a cost-efficient and convenient solution for rental companies seeking to extend the lifetime of their existing fleet by converting it to emission-free equipment. Converting diesel-powered machines to electric battery power…

Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) and Roborace, the world’s first global championship for full-size electric powered autonomous racecars, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive innovation in the mobility sector as well as at the crossroads between physical and virtual reality and esports in Abu Dhabi. Under the agreement, ADIO, Mubadala and Roborace will explore the development of innovative products based on autonomous technologies and Roborace metaverse infrastructure to facilitate faster and wider adoption of autonomous vehicle technology, with a focus on sustainability. Roborace will review the opportunity to establish its regional HQ in…

The number of companies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry have increased by 35.5% since 2018. This was revealed by the Dubai Chamber Chairman H.E. Abdulaziz Al Ghurair at the inaugural Global Business Forum (GBF) ASEAN, which launched at Expo 2020 Dubai on 8 December 2021. As the latest addition to Dubai Chamber’s Global Business Forum series, GBF ASEAN aims to foster trade and dialogue between business leaders in Dubai and the ASEAN region. In his keynote address for the event, Al Ghurair noted that there are now a…

Emirates Post Group’s (EPG) GCEO Abdulla Mohamed Alashram welcomed the first cohort of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence’s (MBZUAI) Executive Programme led by Professor Eric Xing, President of MBZUAI, during a visit at EPG’s headquarters on December 7, 2021. The visit provided an opportunity for EPG to showcase the developments and latest digital technology applications in the postal and logistics industry. During the sessions, Alashram shared how EPG aims to leverage artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other leading technologies to enhance efficiency and advance its business offerings and operations, especially within Emirates Post, its postal and express business…

Since the launch of DP World’s eCommerce platform DUBUY.com in April, the B2B marketplace has seen exponential growth. We sit with Mahmood Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer at DT World – DP World to tell us more Africa has always been a strategic market for DP World, the Emirati multinational logistics company has been investing in the continent for a few years now. Earlier this year in April, it announced the launch of DUBUY.com, a global wholesale eCommerce platform, available first in Rwanda and Ethiopia with plans to expand across Africa and eventually around the world. DUBUY.com adds digital trading…