Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The weekend is within reach, and we’re starting to see the tell-tale signs of that end-of-year slowdown, bringing us a calmer Thursday.
THE BIG STORY HERE AT HOME is PureHealth seeing its shares jump 84% on its first day of trading on the ADX, after reeling in massive investor demand during the bookbuilding process. We have the details in this morning’s news well, below.
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GDRFA crackdown on illegal immigration: The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) has arrested an international criminal group for facilitating illicit immigration to some European countries, Gulf News reports. The GDRFA used surveillance methods and high-tech tracking to reveal the organization’s illegal activities and expose the entire network.
You can now seek out digitized settlement and mediation services through ADGM’s newly launched dispute resolution website, ODR@ADGM, according to a press release. People from around the world can resolve disputes through self-guided negotiations or mediation with accredited mediators. Streamlining the dispute resolution, and giving the end user control over the process.
PSA- Steer clear of Al Hisn street: Al Hisn Street towards the Abu Dhabi Corniche will be closed until Tuesday 6 February 2024, causing some traffic congestion, according to the Integrated Transport Centre.
DATA POINT- Investor Day at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Innovation Hub wrapped up with over USD 600 mn secured in funding, reports Wam. The event saw 500 investors, including Dubai Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, and Emirates NBD. Nineteen fintech startups — of 700 applicants — graduated from the program’s last cohort, adding to its portfolio of 200 alum startups.
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY
Scimitar-horned oryx removed from the Endangered list: The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD)’s successful reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx in Chad has led to the reclassification of the species on the IUCN Red List, according to an Abu Dhabi Media Office statement. The oryx, previously categorized as Extinct in the Wild, is now categorized as Endangered. Since the initiative’s launch in 2014, EAD has reintroduced 285 oryx into Chad, increasing wild herd numbers to over 600 by 2023, surpassing the initial target of 500.
KUDOS
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) and Mubadala are partnering up for an inclusivity and sustainability initiative. The first project under this initiative, the Beach Accessibility Project, introduces sea elevators and guided track access to the water through the SEATRAC system to ease beach access for individuals with mobility restrictions, Gulf Today reports. The project will be launched across six beaches in the emirate, including Corniche Sahil Beach, Corniche Public Beach, Corniche Family Beach, Al Bahr Public Beach, and Al Bateen Public Beach. The two entities will also develop 26 modern freshwater drinking fountains in parks across Abu Dhabi, to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles.
THE BIG STORY ABROAD-
No single story is dominating the global business press this morning. Reuters is out with an investigation looking at Tesla failures. The US press is obsessed with Agent Orange’s legal woes and how they could impact the 2024 race for the presidency.
Can AI own patent rights? The UK Supreme Court doesn’t think so, ruling against a bid put forward by a computer scientist to register patents for inventions created by his AI system, Reuters reported.
Seven European nations pledge to have emission-free electricity by 2035: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, and non-EU member Switzerland have all pledged to cut CO2 from their power grids by 2035 — around five years earlier than the rest of the EU’s target. (Bloomberg | Reuters)
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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-
This Week: Chris Brown and Sean Kingston will be hitting Dubai’s Coca Cola Arena tomorrow.
On the weekend: The World Tennis league is coming to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena from today through to Sunday. Men’s World No 3 Daniil Medvedev and Women’s World No 1 Iga Swiatek head up an impressive draw.
If tennis isn’t for you, the event will see performances from major music stars, including Neo, Akon, and 50 Cent.
Head to Ras Al Khaimah for the longest chain of beachfront fireworks this NYE: The emirate is set to break two Guinness World Records on New Year’s Eve with an eight-minute firework display featuring over 1k straight-line flying drones and a blanket of aquatic floating fireworks. The show will span 4.5 km of water from Al Marjan Island to Al Hamra Village and is complementary to the Soundfest music festival with international artists. You can RSVP here.
Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

