Author: Editorial Team

KYRGYZSTAN, 2nd August, 2026 (WAM) — Victory Team’s Shaun Torrente won the Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, holding off Erik Stark by 0.047 seconds after a race that swung from a commanding lead to a nine-boat scrap in the space of one yellow flag. The main race of the World Championship stage of water motor “Formula 1” (F1H2O) – the Grand Prix of the Kyrgyz Republic 2026 – has concluded at Issyk-Kul. In the final of the competition, first place was taken by Torrente. The result also does something the race itself didn’t quite manage to settle on the…

DUBAI 3rd August, 2026 (WAM) — Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Football Association (UAEFA), welcomed the decision by FIFA President Gianni Infantino not to proceed with the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. Sheikh Hamdan said that discontinuing the proposal serves the best interests of the global football family and helps preserve the unity of the international football ecosystem. He called for all proposals to be carefully considered with wisdom to safeguard the interests of the game, its fans, and the wider football community. He affirmed that the UAE Football Association supports initiatives and proposals…

DUBAI, 2nd August, 2026 (WAM) — Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police General Headquarters, and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai, in collaboration with Careem, have announced the launch of the ‘Al Freej Gardener’ initiative, a digital community platform designed to regulate the provision of home gardening and landscaping services across Dubai. The initiative will provide residents with access to qualified and licensed professionals through a regulated digital platform, helping enhance service quality while reinforcing security and safety standards across Dubai’s neighbourhoods, and complementing their appearance and attractiveness. Al Freej Gardener reflects the collaboration between government entities and…

CAIRO, 2nd August, 2026 (WAM) — Emirates NBD Egypt S.A.E., a 100% owned subsidiary of Emirates NBD Bank (P.J.S.C.), today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire the retail banking business of HSBC Bank Egypt S.A.E., an indirect subsidiary of HSBC Holdings PLC. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions. As part of the transaction, Emirates NBD Egypt will acquire HSBC Egypt’s retail banking portfolio along with the associated branch and ATM network, customer base and relevant employee base. The transaction is expected to enhance Emirates NBD Egypt’s market positioning as a leading retail…

Saudi Arabia’s national health regulator has approved the registration of Foundayo (orforglipron) on Sunday, August 2, 2026, to help reduce excess body weight, as oral medications to fight obesity gain more popularity in the Gulf region. In a statement, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) stated that the decision improves the quality of healthcare in the Kingdom in alignment with the goals of the Health Sector Transformation Programme, one of the key initiatives of Saudi Vision 2030. According to the latest data shared by the Saudi Ministry of Health, the obesity rate among adults in the Kingdom (18 years…

Abu Dhabi-based healthcare group PureHealth reported a 20 per cent increase in net profits to Dh1.2 billion in the first half of 2026, driven primarily by its Dh3.3 billion (€800 million) acquisition of Greek-based Hellenic Healthcare Group (HHG). Group revenue increased 9 per cent to Dh14.9 billion, while EBITDA increased 24 per cent to Dh2.9 billion due to its growing contributions from higher-margin international operations, which accounted for 33 per cent of the group’s revenues. In its international care portfolio, revenue increased 56 per cent to Dh5.0 billion in this period, primarily due to the Dh3.3 billion (€800 million) consolidation…

ABU DHABI, 2nd August, 2026 (WAM) — The inaugural Al Wathba Dates festival will be held from 3rd to 9th August 2026 as part of the Sheikh Zayed Summer Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival will feature 18 competitions offering 240 prizes worth a total of AED5.677 million. The authority announced the event’s details during a press conference held at the Al Ain Dates Festival (Rutab) in the…

SHARJAH, 2nd August, 2026 (WAM) — The Sharjah Cultural Chess Club concluded its “A Holiday Reimagined 2026” summer programme, organised by the Sharjah Sports Council in cooperation with several government and private entities. The four-week programme attracted 140 boys aged 7 to 12, offering a wide range of educational, cultural, sporting, and recreational activities. The programme was organised around four main themes: Family Week, Artificial Intelligence Week, Sharjah Week, and Sports Week, offering participants a comprehensive experience that combined learning, culture, sport, and entertainment. It also featured specialised workshops on future skills and artificial intelligence, aimed at developing participants’ abilities…

Hundreds of residents gathered at Dubai Frame on Saturday evening, August 1, as Spider-Man descended one of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks in a live stunt celebrating International Spider-Man Day. Organised by VOX Cinemas, the event saw a professional stunt performer dressed as the Marvel superhero abseil from the top of the 150-metre-tall Dubai Frame, drawing cheers from families, moviegoers and fans who had gathered below. As Spider-Man made his way down the landmark, spectators watched from the Dubai Frame parking area, many filming the stunt on their phones before the performer greeted the crowd. Stay up to date with the…

DUBAI, 2nd August, 2026 (WAM) — Dubai’s public transport network, shared mobility services and taxis carried around 348.1 million riders during the first half of 2026, with average daily ridership reaching nearly 1.9 million, according to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The figures cover Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, public buses, marine transport, taxis and shared mobility services, including app-based vehicles, hourly rentals and bus-on-demand. Limousines separately carried 5.7 million riders during the same period. Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said the figures reflect the success of Dubai’s vision to…