Author: Arabian Media staff

Image credit: Saudi Press Agency /Website In a major step toward modernising the visitor experience and ensuring the safety of millions of pilgrims, the Grand Mosque in Makkah has unveiled a series of integrated services designed to enhance security, accessibility, and convenience. From child safety initiatives to real-time crowd management systems, these measures aim to provide a seamless, well-organised environment for worshippers performing Umrah and Hajj rituals. A key highlight of the new initiatives is the launch of identification bracelets for children, introduced by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s…

Image: Dubai Media Office Emirates will deploy retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft featuring Premium Economy cabins on select routes to Beirut and Beijing from early 2026, expanding the rollout of its latest onboard products across the Middle East and Asia. From 6 January 2026, Emirates’ upgraded Boeing 777s will operate flights EK953/954 between Dubai and Beirut, marking the first time travellers on the route will experience the airline’s Premium Economy cabin alongside its new Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration. From 1 February 2026, the refurbished aircraft will also serve flights EK306/307 between Dubai and Beijing, making the Chinese capital…

Marley Alles started out in accounting.   She thought that her dream was to work at a big company. “And then once I got there, I was like ‘oh, that’s it,” she told TechCrunch.   Alles began fostering other passions and found herself curious about the world of startups. She would listen to every podcast and read each book, taking notes on topics that interested her.   She didn’t think much of it until one summer when so many of her friends got married, that she found herself spending thousands of dollars on bridesmaid dresses and bachelorette looks. One day, someone approached her and asked to borrow one of her dresses. “I was like ‘yeah, for sure, take it,’”…

Image: Supplied Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions, has formalised its long-standing collaboration with Dubai Municipality through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Under the agreement, Ecolab and Dubai Municipality will work together to enhance the safety of water and food systems across Dubai through technical programmes, specialised training, and expert consultation. The collaboration also extends to strengthening the safety oversight of consumer products, including biocides. The MoU establishes a broader framework for cooperation on initiatives that promote sustainability, support the development of regulatory systems, and encourage the adoption of innovative approaches…

Digantara, an Indian space surveillance startup, has raised $50 million in a new funding round as it moves beyond space situational awareness into missile tracking, citing growing demand from governments for space-based defence capabilities. The all-equity Series B round included new investors such as 360 ONE Asset and SBI Investments of Japan, as well as serial entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, with existing backers Peak XV Partners and Kalaari Capital also participating. The funding comes more than two years after the startup’s $10 million Series A1 round, bringing its total capital raised to $64.5 million. Globally, governments are investing more heavily in…

Image: Getty Images India’s exports leapt in November in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs, providing fresh leverage in ongoing trade talks with Washington and easing pressure on New Delhi to strike a quick deal. Shipments to the United States rose more than 22 per cent in November from a year earlier, outpacing India’s overall export growth of more than 19 per cent, which lifted total goods exports to $38.13bn, government trade data released on Monday showed. Goods exports were the highest for any November in a decade. Robust shipments have tempered fears of a prolonged tariff-led slump after…

Credit for images: Supplied photos WeFi’s co-founder and group CEO Maksym Sakharov has positioned himself at the centre of a financial shift that is starting to reshape how money moves, how value is stored, and who gets real control over their wealth. Leading the world’s first deobank, he sits at the intersection of traditional finance, blockchain, and global regulation, arguing that the next big leap in banking won’t come from sleeker apps or faster KYC, but from rebuilding the system on-chain. In this conversation with Read more-Experts outline next phase of digital finance at Bitcoin MENA Gulf Business, he breaks…

Image: Getty Images Kaspersky Threat Research has uncovered a new malware campaign targeting macOS users, exploiting paid Google search ads and shared conversations on the official ChatGPT website to distribute the AMOS (Atomic macOS Stealer) infostealer along with a persistent backdoor. According to Kaspersky, attackers are purchasing sponsored search ads linked to queries such as “chatgpt atlas” and redirecting users to what appears to be an installation guide for “ChatGPT Atlas for macOS”. The page is hosted on chatgpt.com and presented as a shared ChatGPT conversation. In reality, the content has been generated through prompt engineering and stripped down to…

Image: Supplied Address Downtown has become one of the first hotels in Dubai to introduce a fully integrated Digital Check-In Experience, aligning with the city’s broader vision to set new benchmarks for smart hospitality services. The new system allows guests to complete pre-arrival verification remotely, enabling faster, more seamless arrivals and allowing hotel teams to personalise services in advance. Upon arrival, guests can transition directly into their stay with minimal administrative interaction, reducing waiting times while maintaining a high-touch hospitality experience. The launch supports Dubai’s wider digital transformation agenda, which focuses on improving service efficiency while enhancing convenience for residents…

Anastasia Popova, head of the business tourism development department at the Moscow City Tourism Committee/Image: Supplied As Moscow prepares to host the Meet Global MICE Congress (MGMC) 2025 on December 17–18, the city is accelerating its push to position itself as one of the world’s most distinctive destinations for business events. With a growing focus on partnerships across the Gulf, BRICS and Global South markets, Moscow is leveraging culture, technology and large-scale infrastructure to redefine its role in the global MICE ecosystem. Speaking to Gulf Business, Anastasia Popova, head of the business tourism development department at the Moscow City Tourism…