Author: Emirates Insight
The landscape of enterprise AI adoption is changing rapidly. Across regions, the Middle East stands out as one of the fastest-growing enterprise AI markets, underpinned by ambitious national AI strategies in countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The region’s executives are highly bullish on GenAI: in the GCC, close to nine in ten CEOs report using GenAI in some form, and more than two-thirds of organisations expect to increase AI investment, seeing it as critical for productivity and new business models. HCLTech’s multi-year partnership with OpenAI is at the forefront of this transformation. This large-scale, multi-year initiative…
ADNOC has signed a US$2 billion green financing agreement to fund lower-carbon projects across its operations. Announced during the visit of Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO to South Korea, the deal is backed by Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE). This marks ADNOC’s first green financing facility backed by a Korean export credit agency (ECA), following a US$3 billion (AED11 billion) transaction with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 2024. Together, these deals bring ADNOC’s total green funding to US$5 billion in just 18 months, strengthening its…
CoinGecko reports meme coins surged past $150B after the U.S. election, then plunged nearly 70% within a year. The collective value of meme-inspired cryptocurrencies went past $150 billion in December 2024, driven by a wave of political-themed tokens following the U.S. election. This record-breaking peak, documented in CoinGecko’s newly released 2025 State of Meme Coins report, was followed by a steep 69% decline within a year, illustrating the extreme volatility and sentiment-driven nature of this asset class. The 2025 Memecoin Rollercoaster The meme coin sector experienced a historic climb and a dramatic fall in a short period, with CoinGecko’s…
Dubai is known for its iconic attractions, but beyond the famous landmarks lies a collection of hidden gems that reveal a more authentic and intimate side of the city. These lesser-known spots offer unique experiences, quieter environments, and a deeper connection to local culture. One such gem is Alserkal Avenue, a creative district tucked away in Al Quoz. What appears from the outside to be a cluster of warehouses transforms inside into a vibrant hub of art galleries, concept stores, and independent cafés. It is a place where artists, designers, and thinkers come together, making it ideal for visitors who…
AI coding assistant Cursor announced that it has acquired Graphite, a startup that uses AI to review and debug code. Although the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Axios reported that Cursor paid “way over” Graphite’s last valuation of $290 million, which was set when the five-year-old company raised a $52 million Series B earlier this year. The tie-up makes strategic sense. The output of code generated by AI is often buggy, forcing engineers to spend a lot of time on corrections. Even though Cursor offers AI-powered code review through its Bugbot product, Graphite’s specialized toolset provides a distinct…
Miral, the developer and asset manager of Yas Island, and owner and operator of its theme parks, has launched the Miral Impact Fund to deliver measurable social and environmental impact across Abu Dhabi. The fund is in partnership with the Authority of Social Contribution – Ma’an. Dr Mohammad Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral, commented: “Launching the Miral Impact Fund marks a defining moment in our journey to shape not only destinations, but a lasting positive legacy. “Over the years, we have embedded social responsibility within our business, and this fund is the natural next step in turning our CSR…
As the highly anticipated celebrations for New Year’s Eve draw closer, Dubai residents and tourists seeking a truly unique way to bring in 2026 that also offers value for money, should look no further than The Fort – Lisaili. The multi-experience desert offering by the team at Arabian Adventures is located away from the city crowds in the village of Lisaili, just a 45-minute drive from Downtown Dubai. At a typically expensive time of year, tickets for its NYE celebrations on December 31, running from 5pm to 1am and inclusive of a BBQ feast, fire show, live DJ sets, and…
CC and UNI are also substantial gainers. Despite the improving inflation data in the United States, bitcoin’s price has failed to capitalize and was stopped at $89,500 on Thursday. Most altcoins have turned green today. Ethereum has neared $3,000, while XRP has bounced above the crucial $1.90 support. More gains are evident from the likes of ZEC, HYPE, CRO, UNI, and CC. BTC Defends $88K Support Following the two consecutive rejections at $94,500 last week, bitcoin’s price started to correct almost immediately, dropping to $90,000 over the previous weekend. Although it remained there for nearly 48 hours, the bears…
Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) launches a citywide programme of sporting events taking place throughout December and January, spanning elite competition, community participation, endurance challenges and outdoor fitness. From professional basketball and baseball fixtures to polo tournaments, half marathons, and horse racing, the festival brings together athletes, families and spectators for a dynamic winter season of sport. The diverse line-up strengthens DSF’s role in supporting Dubai’s active lifestyle, showcasing world-class sporting venues and encouraging community engagement during the city’s peak outdoor season. Key sporting events taking place during DSF: Basketball Dubai Basketball at Coca-Cola Arena Horse Racing Dubai Racing Carnival Race…
Building in regulated industries adds a massive hurdle to the already challenging journey of building a startup. And this week on Build Mode, Startup Battlefield editor Isabelle Johannessen spoke to two founders who are working to make progress in industries ripe for disruption, despite the regulatory headaches that might have deterred many other people. In this episode, we’re talking about life and death and how regulatory clearance doesn’t have to be a damper on innovation but it will elongate timelines and require careful planning from the jump. Isabelle is first joined by Gabriel Sanchez, the CEO and co-founder of Enspectra Health. The company has built a device that aims to do away with the need for dermatologist skin biopsies. Sanchez breaks down his decade-long journey to receiving FDA…