Wasl breaks ground on decarbonized GigaFarm project at Dubai’s Food Tech Valley

AGRICULTURE-

Dubai-based developer Wasl broke ground on the decarbonized GigaFarm project at Dubai’s Food Tech Valley, according to a press release. The 900k sq ft vertical farm is set to be operational by 2025, with a capacity to roll out over 3 mn kg of produce annually using Intelligent Growth Solutions ’ AI-powered vertical farming tech. The farm will divert over 50k tons of food waste from landfills each year.

AVIATION-

#1- flydubai partnered with Batik Air Malaysia to allow its customers to access over 40 destinations in Southeast Asia within the Malaysian airline’s network, including Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Osaka, and Sydney, according to the Dubai Media Office. The interline agreement will also give Batik Air Malaysia’s customers access to over 38 destinations from flydubai's network.

#2- Emirates launches its travel services store in Africa: Emirates opened its flagship travel services store, Emirates World, in Nairobi, Kenya, its first in Africa, the airline said in a statement. The store offers travel advice through dedicated consultants and self-service technology, allowing customers to explore travel destinations through interactive maps and selfies which puts them against scenic backdrops. They also allow customers to step on virtual aircraft cabins using VR technology.

LOGISTICS-

AD Ports Group + Pakistan ink several logistics MoUs: AD Ports Group has inked MoUs with Pakistan to boost the nation’s maritime, rail, airport, customs, and logistics infrastructure, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The port operator signed MoUs with Pakistan’s Federal Revenue Board, Railways Ministry, National Shipping Corporation, Karachi Port Trust, and Pakistan Airports Authority.

FINTECH-

Zand Bank taps Alibaba Cloud, Ant Digital to implement new banking solutions: Dubai-based all-digital lender Zand Bank partnered with Alibaba Cloud and Ant Digital Technologies to use their generative AI, blockchain, and payment technologies to develop new banking products, according to a press release. The agreement also includes the development of an AI agent platform to enhance customer support productivity.

INVESTMENT-

Dubai-based private equity firm EightClouds pledged a USD 10 mn investment to hostel brand Next’House to fund its upcoming development in Dubai, among other expansion plans, according to a press release. The new beachfront hostel aims to attract “digital nomads” and remote workers.

TOURISM-

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism signed agreements with nine travel operators — primarily from the UK — to develop joint marketing programs in a bid to attract more tourists to Abu Dhabi’s hotels, according to news reports (here and here).

The companies involved in the agreements are UK-based Best At Travel, Destination2, Travel Republic, Luxury Holidays, Kenwood Travel, Southall Travel, Trailfinders, and We Love Holidays, in addition to Indian MakeMyTrip.

SPACE-

The Climate Change and Environment Ministry inked an MoU with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre to use its geospatial mapping systems for managing environmental data, according to a press release. The agreement outlines plans for joint research to develop real-time and historical geospatial data, focusing on areas such as wildlife, marine life, agriculture, air quality, and seawater quality.

REAL ESTATE-

The first phase of Sobha Realty’s USD 5 bn Siniya Island luxury residential project in Umm Al Quwain is set to attract 25k residents across 8k units upon completion, Managing Director Francis Alfred told Khaleej Times. Onsite infrastructure work is set to begin this quarter, with building works scheduled to start in 2Q 2025. The phase is expected to be completed by December 2027.