EDUCATION-

Gems’ advisory arm to set up int’l school in Cyprus: Gems SchoolManagement (GSM) — the advisory and operations arm of Gems Education — plans to establish a new international school in Limassol, Cyprus, in partnership with Cypriot real estate firm CoolSide Development, according to a press release (pdf). The two companies have signed a non-binding agreement under which CoolSide will hold the majority stake, while GSM will oversee operational leadership, management, and curriculum delivery.

The details: The school will be located in Pyrgos, a fast-growing eastern district of Limassol, and integrated into a larger residential project developed with Cypriot firm Property Gallery. The school aims to cater to rising demand from both local and expatriate families, as most existing international schools in Limassol are operating near full capacity.

TRANSPORT-

#1- Geely-backed CaoCao to set up regional HQ in Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) has partnered with Chinese Geely-backed mobility tech company CaoCao to set up its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi — marking its entry into the Middle East, according to a press release. The agreement was signed during the DriftX summit.

Under the partnership, CaoCao and Adio will work on autonomous and green mobility pilots in Abu Dhabi, including trials for robotaxi operations and battery-swap electric vehicles. The two will also work with local government entities to integrate battery-swap EVs into Abu Dhabi’s clean energy network.

#2- AutoGo partners with Apollo Go on driverless fleet expansion: Abu Dhabi-based mobility tech firm K2 subsidiary AutoGo inked an agreement with Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing arm Apollo Go to expand its autonomous fleet to hundreds of vehicles by 2026, state news agency Wam reports.

MEDIA-

T-VFX opens Middle East HQ in Abu Dhabi: Visual effects and post-production studio T-VFX established its Middle East headquarters on Yas Island, aiming to support the expansion of the region’s film production and creative ecosystem, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Abu Dhabi’s Creative Media Authority will provide T-VFX with studios, editing suites, a volume stage, as well as training and workshops to strengthen future talent.

REMEMBER- Abu Dhabi’s been making a filmmaking push: Abu Dhabi has been making a push into the filmmaking industry, with an incentive program for filmmakers including higher rebates — up to 35% as of this year — and investments in production facilities. The emirate also saw its first film financing firm, Sherborne Media, open earlier this year.

REAL ESTATE-

#1- SmartCrowd launches first crowdfunded property in Abu Dhabi: Dubai-based SmartCrowd, the UAE’s first regulated real estate crowdfunding platform, launched the first crowdfunded property in Abu Dhabi, marking its expansion beyond Dubai, according to a press release. The debut asset — a studio on Yas Island valued at AED 1.2 mn — lets investors buy fractional stakes starting from AED 500.

More to come: The DFSA-regulated platform said it plans to expand listings across the northern emirates to widen investor access and portfolio diversification. The move follows Egypt-based proptech Nawy’s recent majority acquisition of SmartCrowd, aimed at driving regional growth and advancing its property tokenization plans, which CEO Riz Ahmed previously said are underway. SmartCrowd has facilitated over AED 290 mn in investments, primarily across Dubai properties.

#2- Asset-backed DESK Token to launch in the UAE: Dubai-based coworking space network Hotdesk, Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank), virtual asset firm Emirates Coin Investment (EmCoin), and blockchain incubator Singularity partnered to launch DESK Token, described as the world’s first asset-backed hybrid token, according to a press release. The token is set to debut in 2Q 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

How it works: DESK holders will earn yields in stablecoins or banknotes and can use the token to book offices and coworking spaces across 2.3k+ Hotdesk locations in 81 countries. Minimum investments will start from USD 1, aiming to make commercial real estate exposure more accessible to retail investors.

AGRICULTURE-

Emirates Rawabi + Refarm partner on circular agriculture: Integrated agrifood group Emirates Rawabi is partnering with Refarm Global Investments to work on pilot projects for circular agriculture — ranging from water valorization to regenerative water and soil systems — across the UAE, according to a press release.

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