Author: Sam Allcock

BlueFive Capital has been appointed as General Partner of a new Fund of Funds established by CICC Capital and HBIS Group. The appointment makes BlueFive Capital the first GP of the platform. The fund will invest through a mix of fund commitments and direct investments. Its strategy aligns with HBIS Group’s industrial focus, covering established sectors as well as growth areas such as advanced materials, new energy, and next-generation information technology. The fund targets total commitments of RMB32 billion, equivalent to about $4.58 billion, and will operate over a 15-year term. It will also support cross-border investment activity. The structure…

flyadeal has started the New Year by launching five new routes from Madinah, its newest operational base in the Kingdom. The expansion includes one international service and four domestic routes, strengthening the airline’s presence in the Holy City. The new services connect Madinah with Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul, alongside domestic flights to Abha, Al Hofuf, Jazan, and Tabuk. This expansion increases the number of flyadeal destinations served from Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport from three to eight. Until now, the airline operated flights from Madinah to Dammam, Riyadh, and Cairo. The added capacity represents a 40 per cent…

GEMS Education has appointed Ann Haydon MBE as Principal of GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail (WEK). She will take up the role on 2 January 2026 and brings more than 25 years of senior leadership experience from leading UK and international schools. Ann Haydon joins WEK following her role as Head of Harrow International School Hong Kong, a position she has held since 2017. She was the first female Head in Harrow’s global network. During her tenure, the school achieved strong academic outcomes, with more than 70% of A Level grades consistently at A*–A. Her leadership also focused on…

DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai – Jumeirah Beach has appointed Neelam Bhika as General Manager. She brings close to 20 years of experience in the hospitality sector, with a strong background in hotel operations, commercial strategy, and guest service. Neelam joins the hotel after holding senior leadership roles across Hilton and other international hotel brands in Dubai and Doha. Her most recent position was Director of Operations at Hilton Doha. She also served as Cluster Commercial Director at Aleph Doha Residences, Curio Collection by Hilton. During her career, she has managed both resort and city hotels, supported revenue growth, and played…

Hala has recorded a strong increase in ride-hailing demand across Dubai on New Year’s Eve 2025, reflecting high visitor numbers and widespread celebrations across the city. Data from the night shows demand began to rise from around 8.00pm and stayed high until 4.00am. The busiest periods aligned with fireworks displays and major public events. High-demand locations included Dubai Harbour, Global Village, Dubai Frame, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Festival City Mall, and Kite Beach. Longer journeys were most common from Global Village, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Al Wasl, and Deira, showing how people travelled between districts. Most trips during the night…

Cultural Foundation, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, will present a wide programme of performances, exhibitions, and public activities from January to May 2026. The season continues the Foundation’s role in shaping Abu Dhabi’s cultural offer. The programme includes ballet, theatre, music, film, and Emirati productions. It also features a major new exhibition, a mid-career retrospective of artist Shezad Dawood, and a full calendar of learning programmes. Community activities, art studios, and children’s services remain central to the Foundation’s work. Performances The season opens in January with two productions by the Russian State Ballet Mari…

Experience Abu Dhabi’s Kayan Wellness Festival will return for its second year from 6 to 8 February 2026. The event will take place on the shores of Fahid Island, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s ambition to grow as a centre for wellbeing, sustainability, and quality of life. The festival brings together international wellness speakers, practitioners, and teachers for a three-day programme that combines talks, movement sessions, mindfulness, and healing practices. Experiences are structured around three core themes: mind, body, and soul. The programme supports Abu Dhabi’s wider focus on mindful living and preventative health. The 2026 edition offers a broad range of…

Paris Saint‑Germain has confirmed a new global partnership with BEYOND Developments, a UAE-based property developer founded in Dubai. Under the multi-year agreement, BEYOND becomes the Club’s Premium Sleeve Partner through to 2029. The partnership brings together two international brands with a shared interest in sport, design, and modern lifestyle. The BEYOND logo appeared for the first time on the Paris Saint-Germain shirt during the recent domestic fixture against Paris FC. A partnership shaped by shared outlooks Paris Saint-Germain and BEYOND Developments come together through a shared view that culture shapes experience. Both brands extend beyond their core sectors and engage…

The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has released Falcon H1R 7B, a new artificial intelligence model designed to deliver strong reasoning ability in a smaller and more efficient format. Falcon H1R 7B uses 7 billion parameters and is built to balance performance with speed and lower computing demands. Despite its size, the model matches or exceeds the performance of much larger open-source models, including Microsoft’s Phi 4 Reasoning Plus 14B, Alibaba’s Qwen3 32B, and NVIDIA’s Nemotron H 47B. The release highlights TII’s focus on efficient model design and supports…

Dubai Police have issued a public warning about work visa scams that target job seekers. The Anti-Fraud Centre at the General Department of Criminal Investigation says fraudsters are using false claims of employment and visa sponsorship that have no legal standing. Police say these scams often rely on false assurances and pressure to make quick payments. As part of the ongoing #BewareOfFraud campaign, Dubai Police have reminded the public that visas can only be obtained through official government systems and licensed recruitment agencies. Steps to Stay Safe Dubai Police advise members of the public to take the following steps to…