Author: Stuart

Submissions close Saturday at midnight. That’s the deadline facing Malayalam singers across the UAE who want their shot at performing on the Star Singer Season 10 set in Kochi, in front of playback legends K.S. Chithra, Sithara, and Vidhu Prathap. Asianet ME launched its latest Star Singer UAE Talent Hunt on 6th February, giving vocalists aged 18 and above a narrow window to upload a two-minute video of themselves singing a Malayalam song. The prize? An all-expenses-paid trip to Kerala, a backstage pass to one of Malayalam television’s most-watched music shows, and a live performance slot. For diaspora singers, that’s…

Order an Iftar box at 4pm. Someone in need receives it by 4:15pm. That’s the promise Amazon.ae made on Thursday when it launched its Ramadan sale, running until February 14th across the Emirates. The e-commerce giant isn’t just discounting kitchen appliances and groceries this year—it’s turned its Amazon Now service into a charity distribution channel, letting customers send pre-packed Iftar meals to families across the UAE within minutes of ordering. The logistics play out through the Amazon app or www.amazon.ae/now. Customers select an Iftar box, punch in a delivery address—their own or someone else’s—and Amazon’s existing rapid-delivery network handles the…

New project launches in Dubai have plunged 47% compared to the same period last year, whilst half a million homes remain under construction—the largest pipeline the emirate has ever carried simultaneously. The collision between record land prices and slowing sales velocity has pushed developers into a corner. By early February 2026, the economic calculus behind launching new projects had fundamentally shifted. Firas Al Msaddi, chief executive of fäm Properties, sees the year ahead as decisive. The market faces a fork in the road: either land prices must fall to restore viability at current off-plan pricing, or off-plan prices must climb…

While Dubai’s restaurants stock up on tiramisu and load Valentine’s menus with Italian classics, VAGA is pushing grilled Chilean seabass and wagyu beef instead. The Bluewaters Island venue rolls out its four-course Armenian-Middle Eastern fusion menu on 14 February, priced at AED 499 per couple. The setting sits directly beneath Ain Dubai, framed by the Dubai Marina skyline. Signature dishes anchor the sharing-style evening alongside the seabass and wagyu mains, building toward a dessert designed for two. Soft drinks come included in the price. A live singer performs throughout service, threading entertainment between courses from the opening toast through to…

London, 07:40. No entourage. Enzo Zelocchi clears City Airport and heads east toward EC2. The 9 a.m. is a working session, not a photo op. Governance first, then economics. Who sits on the board? What voting thresholds apply? What triggers a call option? The room notices: he leads with structure, not sizzle. That’s the tell. Zelocchi’s advantage isn’t volume. It’s discipline. In Geneva, Dubai, New York, the pattern repeats: smaller tables, tighter agendas, fewer adjectives. He doesn’t sell “vision” for an hour and jam terms in the last five minutes. He flips it. Start with the instrument, then the story.…

Azizi Developments, one of the UAE’s leading private developers, has announced a strategic collaboration with Prime A/C Industries LLC, a well-established UAE-based provider of HVAC solutions, to supply LTI Singapore-branded ventilation fans. Under this partnership, Prime A/C Industries LLC will provide axial smoke fans and axial inline fans to deliver efficient ventilation and smoke-control solutions across Azizi’s residential and mixed-use projects in Dubai. Founded in the UAE, Prime A/C Industries LLC has grown into a leading regional manufacturer and supplier of heating, ventilation, and cooling systems, designed specifically for large-scale construction projects. The company’s axial smoke fans and axial inline…

Dine with Purpose, Celebrate with Compassion Central Hotels & Resorts, one of the UAE’s fastest-growing homegrown hospitality groups, has launched a far-reaching Breast Cancer Awareness campaign that combines culinary innovation with a meaningful cause. Partnering with MROD Healthcare, the group is rolling out a month-long programme across its properties dedicated to raising awareness, encouraging prevention, and supporting those affected by breast cancer. Guests can look forward to a variety of experiences thoughtfully designed to unite dining and community engagement, including pink-inspired menus and expert-led health education sessions that underscore the brand’s commitment to hospitality with heart. “As a homegrown brand…

On 20 November 2025, Jaime Castañeda completed a merger that shifted control of 99 Sushi Bar & Restaurant from its Spanish founders to his Abu Dhabi-based investment firm. Three months later, the brand will open its first London restaurant in Mayfair. The transaction unified operations under Ninety Nine SB Investment L.L.C., relocating headquarters from Spain to the UAE. What began in 2005 as a family project by brothers Pedro and Fernando de León has transformed into a 10-restaurant operation spanning four countries, employing roughly 400 people. The Abu Dhabi flagship at Four Seasons Al Maryah Island has held a Michelin…

The rapid expansion of the PropTech industry is set to play a crucial role in strengthening the UAE’s position as a global centre for innovation, real estate, and smart urban development. By embracing cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR), the nation aims to enhance efficiency, transparency, and the customer experience across the property sector. According to insights from the market research and analysis firm ‘Research and Markets’¹, the UAE’s PropTech sector, valued at AED 2.24 billion in 2024, is forecast to nearly triple and reach AED…

Six-week Sikka Platform initiative cultivated expertise in stop-motion animation and visual storytelling The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) has successfully concluded the Harakat Sikka training programme, an initiative aimed at enhancing participants’ skills in short-form stop-motion animation and advancing their visual storytelling capabilities. Supported by the Sikka Platform and aligned with the Dubai Quality of Life Strategy, this six-week programme underscores the Authority’s commitment to empowering emerging talent with opportunities to experiment, learn, and produce original creative projects—further cementing Dubai’s reputation as a global centre for culture, an incubator of creativity, and a thriving hub for talent. The…