REAL ESTATE-

The Dubai International Financial Center launched a new API-based real estate data solution, with proptech company Keyper becoming the first user and launching a DIFC-focused real estate data platform, according to a Dubai Media Office statement. The platform will offer real-time insights into property values, rental yields, and transaction histories — with plans to introduce predictive analytics and financial modeling tools — in a bid to boost transparency and data accessibility. It aims to support Dubai’s broader push for digitalization and investment growth, focusing on the property sector.

TRANSPORT-

Volar Air to manufacture electric aircraft in Abu Dhabi: Hong Kong-based air mobility firm Volar Air plans to produce its RX4E fixed-wing electric aircraft in Abu Dhabi with the aim of supplying the UAE market and exporting to the Middle East and North Africa, The National quotes Volar Air Chairman Hooi Hing Lee as saying. The RX4E is an electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft that can be used for eco-tourism, pilot training, medical evacuations, and border surveillance.With a 300 km range, the aircraft are intended for domestic routes.

The company partnered with Abu Dhabi-based Inovartic Investment to set up a UAE production facility, with operations scheduled to launch in early 2026. Volar Air will initially assemble 30 aircraft imported from China and scale up to 200 units over five years at a facility likely in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi. The company is working toward regulatory approval from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, which it expects to receive in 4Q 2025.

AGRICULTURE-

PCFC and Cordiant Capital collaborate to boost Dubai’s food supply chain: The Ports, Customs, and Freezone Corporation (PCFC) inked an MoU with Canadian investment firm Cordiant Capital at the World Governments Summit to enhance Dubai’s agricultural value chains and strengthen its food security initiatives, state news agency Wam reports.

The details: Under the partnership, PCFC and Cordiant Capital will invest in infrastructure projects that improve food distribution networks, reduce waste, and ensure efficient farm-to-table supply chains. The agreement will focus on developing advanced cold-chain logistics, optimizing trade corridors, and deploying supply chain technologies such as IoT sensors and AI-powered analytics.

ICYMI- The Dubai Government and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) inked an agreement to improve food safety and reduce food waste and loss at the summit on Tuesday.

EDUCATION-

Abu Dhabi to get first Harrow school: Taaleem signed a Musataha land lease agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Education and Knowledge Department to launch the first Harrow International School in the emirate, it said in a disclosure (pdf) to the DFM. The Harrow International School Abu Dhabi will be established over a 70.4k sqm plot of land on Saadiyat Island, and will offer a British-style curriculum on the campus. Enrollment for the new school, operating under the brand of the original UK institution, is set to open next year, as is another Harrow International School in Dubai, Taaleem told EnterpriseAM UAE in response to emailed questions.

ICYMI- The UAE-based education provider secured the rights to own and operate the Harrow International School brand in the GCC last summer. It also previously earmarked AED 750 mn to build schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The development comes amid rising demand for international and private schools in the Gulf market.

AVIATION-

#1- UAE state-owned defense giant EDGE Group has launched Powertech, a company specializing in the development and production of high-performance aero engines and propulsion systems for both civil aerospace and defense applications, it said in a press release.

#2- UAE budget-airline Flydubai has inked a services agreement with Boeing to boost its fleet operations, according to a statement. Boeing will make its tailored parts package available to maintain flydubai’s fleet and will provide quick engine change (QEC) kits for the airline’s 737 Max fleet to cut down on costs and schedule impacts during engine removals. Boeing will also launch its tailored flight optimization solution Jeppesen FliteDeck Advisor on FlyDubai’s fleet to improve flight profiles, reduce fuel consumption, and streamline flight schedules.

DEBT-

Somalia settles debt with ADFD: The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has finalized a USD 257.3 mn (AED 944.8 mn) settlement agreement with the Somali government at the World Governmens Summit, clearing financial obligations related to the Juba Sugar Factory project, Somali National News Agency reports. The settlement agreement marks a “milestone in Somalia’s economic development” and recovery, Somalia’s Finance Minister Bihi Egeh said on X.

A look back: The Juba Sugar Project project started in 1978, with financing secured through a loan agreement signed in 1980, according to World Bank data (pdf). The loan involved contributions from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), and the OPEC Special Fund. The project aimed to develop an 8k hectare sugar estate in the Juba River valley, along with a mill capable of producing 70k tons of white sugar and 30k tons of molasses annually. The initial foreign loan amounted to USD 213 mn. However, due to challenges in loan servicing, only USD 190 mn were disbursed.

MANUFACTURING-

AquaChemie launched AquaChemie Global Chemicals, a USD 25 mn specialty chemical manufacturing facility at Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi, with the aim of localizing production and reducing reliance on imports, according to a press release. The plant will serve Adnoc, oilfield service companies, and industries like coatings and construction.

CUSTOMS-

AD Ports Group secured a contract to manage Jordan’s 1.3 mn sqm Al Madouneh Customs Center under a new agreement with the Jordan Customs Department, according to a press release. The facility, launched in June 2024, uses AI, blockchain, and IoT technologies for logistics optimization.

TECH-

The Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and global IT company IBM signed an MoU to develop sovereign cloud capabilities and AI innovation centers in Dubai, Wam reports.

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