Author: Mahdeehassan

As part of its ongoing efforts to regulate and develop a thriving coastal tourism sector, the Saudi Red Sea Authority SRSA has issued a maritime tourism agent license to Maritime Solutions Company, based in Jeddah. This step reflects SRSA’s commitment to organizing and enhancing coastal tourism activities, and to fostering an attractive environment for tourists, investors, and maritime operators across the Red Sea. It also aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to position the Red Sea as a leading global destination. Issuing such licenses is a key function of the SRSA, which is responsible for regulating coastal tourism…

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, led an economic delegation of leading national companies from the food and agriculture sectors to Switzerland. The visit aimed to explore global best practices in building food innovation ecosystems, developing food clusters, and promoting research, development, and the adoption of sustainable solutions in the food sector. As part of the visit, the delegation participated in an event titled ‘Empowering Innovation in the Food Sector and Building Food Clusters for a Sustainable Economic Future,’ held at the headquarters of Bühler Group, a global leader in industrial and food solutions based…

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: ROSHN Group, Saudi Arabia’s leading multi-asset real estate developer and a Public Investment Fund (PIF) company, joins LIV Golf as Global Pillar Partner for 19 international tour stops during the 2025 and 2026 seasons. As the two entities work together to modernize golf and accelerate the sport’s adoption, ROSHN Group and LIV Golf will champion youth access to golf and promote golf and education talent development. These initiatives will be delivered as a central part of Potential Unleashed, LIV Golf’s sustainability and community engagement program in collaboration with ROSHN Group’s YUHYEEK CSR program. At LIV Golf Andalucía, this…

Fremont, CA/Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Water Harvesting Inc. (WaHa) announced the close of an $8 million Series A-1 financing and corporate reorganization. The round was led by Chairman Mike Phillips and Board member Christian Thirion, with participation from WaHa’s largest noteholders and investors including Berkeley Catalyst Fund, Anthropocene Institute, Vestafund, and Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd. This financing eliminates all debt, simplifies WaHa’s cap table, and provides capital for the company to achieve its next major commercial milestones and close its next funding round. It also supports a growing pipeline of qualified sales opportunities across the UAE and GCC,…

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:The International University of Sarajevo (IUS), in strategic partnership with the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) and in collaboration with esteemed institutions including the University of Dundee (UK), Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (Türkiye), INCEIF University (Malaysia), and the Center for Advanced Studies (Bosnia and Herzegovina), successfully hosted the international conference “Values for Impact: Ethical Finance, Innovation, and Sustainable Growth.” The event, held at the IUS Campus in Sarajevo from 18-19 June 2025, was supported by platinum sponsor Kuveyt Türk Katılım Bankası and BH Telecom, which sponsored a key panel on artificial intelligence. The conference was inaugurated…

SBC Summit Tbilisi 2025 will return to Georgia’s capital on 15-16 October, bringing together 2,000 senior industry professionals and 40+ exhibitors to exchange expertise and discover the brands leading the way in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Co-hosted with SMH Global—a Georgia-founded company operating at the intersection of sports, sports media, and iGaming across Eurasia and beyond, and a longtime SBC partner in the region—the event will take place at the 5-star Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace. By bringing together key stakeholders in a regionally rooted setting, the event will open direct access to high-growth markets including Georgia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Armenia—territories…

Dubai, UAE: The Dubai real estate market recorded a landmark first half of 2025, as population growth, capital value appreciation, and a surge in off-plan investments pushed property transactions to a historic high. According to a recent ValuStrat report analysed by real estate developer DURAR Group, total residential sales soared to AED 326.7 billion across nearly 99,000 transactions – signalling unprecedented momentum and investor confidence. This half-year marks a defining chapter. The influx of nearly 90,000 new residents in just the first quarter has added significant pressure to an already supply-constrained housing market. With only 12,000 homes delivered so far this…

Abu Dhabi, UAE: Q Mobility has announced the activation of Mawaqif in several sectors within Abu Dhabi Island, as part of its ongoing efforts to regulate vehicle movement and enhance the efficiency of public parking usage across the emirate. In this regard, Q Mobility stated that the activation covers Eastern Mangroves, Dolphin Park, and three sectors along Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street — specifically at Al Khaleej Al Arabi Park 1, 2, 4, and 5, as well as Al Qurm Plaza. Mawaqif will be applied in accordance with the regulations in force across the emirate, starting Thursday, July 10th, 2025. The…

Manama – Kingdom of Bahrain: Bahrain has been ranked as the most cost-competitive location to operate a financial services firm with a tech hub within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with a 48% cost advantage, in the ‘Cost of Doing Business in the GCC’ financial services sector report published by Ernst & Young LLP’s United States office. In view of the growing importance of technology and innovation in developing the financial services industry in the GCC region, the in-depth study analysed key data, factoring in direct and indirect annual costs associated with yearly operating costs. The categories benchmarked included office…

Dubai, UAE – PRYPCO Blocks, the Dubai-based real estate fractional ownership platform, has successfully concluded its first Exit Window, setting a new benchmark for exit opportunities within the fractional real estate space. Investor response reflected both growing confidence and a clear appetite for income-generating assets with built-in liquidity. During the two-week Exit Window, which was open from 24th June 2025 to 7th July 2025, more than 2,800 Blocks, each representing a fraction of underlying property ownership, were exchanged across 211 transactions, with the total transaction value approaching AED 300,000. The window featured the first three properties originally funded through the platform, all…