Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates has been awarded the “Best Airport at Arrivals Globally” title by the Airports Council International at the 2023 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards.

The ASQ Award winners are selected based on the feedback provided by passengers in close to 600,000 surveys, making them the world’s best airports for customer experience.

Elena Sorlini, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Zayed International Airport, expressed her gratitude for the recognition and highlighted the honor of being chosen by the passengers.

She thanked the airport’s team for their work in ensuring the passenger’s comfort and satisfaction.

The airport’s new terminal has been designed to provide a seamless and enjoyable experience to every visitor.

The passengers’ appreciation of the efforts taken by the airport team to enhance their experience makes them immensely proud, she added.

Luis Felipe de Oliveira, the ACI World Director General, congratulated the team at Zayed International Airport for their success in the Airport Service Quality Awards.

He emphasized that the airport’s dedication to providing an excellent customer experience sets a benchmark for airports worldwide.

He also acknowledged that the airport journey isn’t just a transit at this airport but an experience crafted with care.

The ASQ initiative is the sole global benchmarking program in the airport industry that focuses on gauging passenger satisfaction during their time at the airport.

It operates across more than 400 airports globally and delivers an assessment of the quality of the customer service experience.

This program allows for a comprehensive analysis of the customer service experience at each participating airport.

Rudy Daniello, Amadeus EVP Airport & Airline Operations, suggested that airports have been using technologies like self-service and biometrics to improve the passenger experience across key airport touchpoints.

He added that the industry is now focusing on working collaboratively with airlines and other partners to manage the impact of disruption better, which is a defining issue for passengers.

He looks forward to working closely with the industry as it develops new approaches that deliver improved outcomes for passengers.

The post Zayed International Airport Received the ASQ awards. appeared first on ByMENA.

The Ministry of Economy (MoEc) held a media briefing at its headquarters in Dubai on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, to outline its plan to supervise the prices of products and services in the country’s markets during Ramadan 2024.

The goal is to ensure that consumer rights are protected within a comprehensive and leading consumer ecosystem that is in line with global standards.

This will maintain a balanced trade-consumer relationship in the UAE.

Through this plan, the Ministry aims to strengthen its collaboration with partners in enforcing consumer protection laws and regulations in the country.

It also seeks to educate consumers about the country’s legislative framework for consumer protection, pricing policies for essential goods, and promote consumer knowledge and awareness of their rights and responsibilities when making purchases. This will guide them toward making informed consumption choices.

H.E. Abdullah Sultan Al Fan Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Monitoring & Follow Up Sector at the Ministry of Economy, emphasized that the UAE is moving forward in establishing a comprehensive regulatory and legal framework to safeguard consumers and guarantee their rights.

The initiatives The Ministry of Economy took include:

He pointed out that the Ministry of Economy consistently works in cooperation with relevant government bodies at the federal and local levels, particularly through the Supreme Committee for Consumer Protection.

The Ministry engages and coordinates with the cooperative sector, private sector, and stakeholders to create a safe and favorable environment for consumers when buying products or using services.

Al Shamsi stated that the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry organized over 26 meetings with suppliers of essential goods in the country in 2023.

These meetings were aimed at ensuring the adequate availability of products to meet consumer needs during Ramadan 2024.

The essential goods included cooking oil, eggs, dairy products, rice, sugar, poultry, legumes, bread, and wheat.

In a recent meeting, H.E. discussed new initiatives aimed at strengthening consumer protection in collaboration with relevant federal and local authorities and economic development departments.

These initiatives will create a safe environment for consumers in the country and improve its competitiveness and prosperity.

Establishing a national team to monitor the prices of essential consumer goods and products, promulgating a code of conduct to strengthen the contractual relationship between outlets and suppliers in the country’s markets, and overseeing retailers’ adherence to unit prices while monitoring and taking appropriate action on any irregularities regarding the obligation of not raising the prices of essential consumer goods.

The post Ministry of Economy in the UAE to protect Ramadan consumer rights. appeared first on ByMENA.

It has been announced that fertilizers, building materials, and packaging have contributed to USD34.13 billion in non-oil exports from Saudi Arabia to 55 African countries between 2019 and 2023.

The Saudi Press Agency has released a statement highlighting the significance of trade with the continent for the Kingdom, which aims to diversify its economy as part of the Vision2030 strategy.

The African market is considered an important destination for Saudi Arabia in its efforts to establish itself in the global trade market, with a potential economy size of $3 trillion.

“The Saudi Export Development Authority (Saudi Exports) has embarked on a path towards the African continent, responding to the needs of its diverse markets and future aspirations,” stated SPA.

According to the release, the chemicals and polymers sector topped the list in terms of export value, exceeding SR83 billion (USD23.7 billion) between 2019 and November 2023.

The building materials sector came second, with exports exceeding SR10 billion (USD2.67 billion), followed by the packaging industry with a value of SR9 billion (USD2.4 billion).

The top three products exported by Saudi Arabia are polypropylene, polyethylene, and fertilizers.

African countries such as Egypt, Algeria, and South Africa are the main importers of Saudi products, followed by Morocco, Sudan, Kenya, and Nigeria.

It’s worth noting that Saudi Arabia’s exports reached up to 55 African countries.

Saudi experts intend to participate in events taking place on the continent, such as the African Food Exhibition in 2024, the pack process Middle East and Africa Exhibition in 2024, The African Construction Exhibition 2024 in Kenya and the GITEX Africa Exhibition 2024 in Morocco.

The post Saudi Arabia aims to build a $34 Billion non-oil trade with Africa. appeared first on ByMENA.

Amana, a neo-broker launched an incentivizing offer to promote MENA stocks and introduce the people of the region to the stock market.

The offer includes no commission fees on over 1,000 stocks that originate from the Middle East and North Africa up to the first 100,000 investment capital.

This approach resembles the Robinhood model in the USA and UK which attracted more customers than any other previous method did in the last decade.

Amana aims to capitalize on the USD4 trillion market the region has attracted by the IPOs which are one of the highest in the world.

Only 5% of the region is involved in the stock market which is way below the average of major investment countries like the USA, UK and Canada.

Amana deals with clients from over 80 countries with access to the global financial markets.

Local stocks aside Amana also offers no commission fees on US stocks, gold, commodities, currencies, crypto and indices.

As a neo-broker, Amana functions mostly online, offering ease of use and access to investors.

QUOTES by Amana:

CEO of Amana, Muhammad Rasoul said Our initiative will provide more investors and traders across MENA access to local equity markets – in a cost-effective, fractionalized method, for everyone. We believe the MENA opportunity is big, and everyone should be able to participate in that growth opportunity.”

He added “This move exemplifies Amana’s core values. As a locally built broker, our mission extends beyond being a part of this emerging region’s growth; it’s about ensuring that as many people as possible can share in the economic potential of this once-in-a-generation regional transformation.”

The post Amana offers no commission fees on all MENA stocks. appeared first on ByMENA.

Residential transactions (transferal of ownership) in Riyadh and Jeddah, which account for 59% of all real estate deals by value, saw 150,000 sales between January and November of 2023, a 16% decrease.

Saudi Arabia is seeing a nationwide decrease in real estate transactions, the number of transactions dropped by 17% while the total value of transactions dropped by 9% in 2023, amounting to a total value of almost $53 billion.

Faisal Durrani, Partner – Head of Research, MENA, said: “The residential market has experienced phenomenal price growth over the last two to three years, with prices in Riyadh, for instance, continuing to climb into record-high territory. Unsurprisingly, the high home values have contributed to growing affordability issues, which have been further exacerbated by the rising cost of borrowing. Indeed, interest rates have jumped from around 0.8% in January 2021 to 6% at the end of last year”.

The Value of mortgage issues saw a big increase from 2018 to 2021 then started to decline again, going from an all-time high of almost USD37.3 billion to USD21.3 billion.

Real estate prices were retained in Riyadh, unlike the rest of the kingdom, apartment prices increased by 4.5% while villa prices increased by 0.5%.

The number of transactions rose by 7% while other cities saw drops in transactions.

Knight frank:

Knight Frank, which is a global real estate consultancy and real estate agency in London with more than 488 offices stated that the total number of mortgages issued between January to November of 2023 decreased by 35%, which is 13% more than last year.

The post Saudi Arabia’s Real Estate market sees a decline during 2023. appeared first on ByMENA.

The world’s first mobile floating fire station has been launched by Dubai Civil Defence, showcasing their different approach to firefighting.

This will enable faster and more effective responses to emergencies on water, guaranteeing the safety of individuals and properties.
It has been designed to enhance efficiency in safeguarding marine activities and transform maritime emergency response mechanisms in Dubai.
Dubai Civil Defence claims it to be 70% more cost-effective than traditional marine fire stations The floating structure is the first of its kind to be sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The mobile structure can house up to 16 people, and its eco-friendly design makes it stand out. It operates as a mobile marine station and eliminates the need for land space, resulting in cost savings and a significant reduction in carbon footprint. This also helps in preserving green spaces.

Dubai Civil Defence also added that the marine station can traverse at a speed of 17.7 kilometers per hour.
The average boat speed of that size has a top speed below the fire station while being much lighter.

Lieutenant General Expert Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director General of Dubai Civil Defense, said: “The deployment of the mobile floating fire station marks a significant step forward in our journey towards achieving global leadership in safety and security. The inauguration of this station not only demonstrates our dedication to generating innovative safety solutions but also aligns with our commitment to contributing to enhancing Dubai’s overall infrastructure and services. A significant enhancement to our marine firefighting capabilities, this facility makes Dubai a frontrunner in reducing response times to maritime incidents, with a target response time of just four minutes.”

The post Dubai Civil Defence has announced the launch of the world’s first mobile floating fire station. appeared first on ByMENA.

Emirates Stallions Group, an engineering and construction company based in the UAE and owned by International Holding Company (IHC) in Abu Dhabi, has reported a year-on-year increase in net profit of 316% for FY 2023. The company’s net profit has reached AED687 million ($187 million).

Emirates Stallions Group has announced the results for the 12 months ending on December 31, 2023.
the company managed to increase its revenue to AED609 million, with a focus on high-value projects that contributed to the revenue stream, this has resulted in a yearly increase.

ESG is a company that provides manpower supply, workers and staff accommodation solutions, as well as landscaping and agriculture, real estate development, engineering project management and associated services to construction, development and hospitality.

In addition to its net profit, ESG reported a gross profit of AED168 million, which is a 99% increase over the previous year.

The group’s financial position of its stakeholders received a boost, as ESG’s total equity surged to AED2.29 billion, a growth of 202% as compared to December 2022.

Additionally, the company’s book value per share witnessed increases, reaching AED9.1, which is a year-on-year increase of 202%.

Ali Khorma, CEO at ESG Emirates Stallion Group said: “At ESG, we are not just focused on expanding our portfolio but are deeply committed to operational profitability within our existing as well as newly introduced verticals. Our strategy is to leverage our strengths, innovate continuously, and deliver superior value to our stakeholders. This approach has been instrumental in our ability to achieve such significant milestones.”

He also noted that: “Looking ahead, ESG remains committed to building on its current momentum, with a focus on sustainable growth, operational excellence, and strategic expansion to continue delivering exceptional value to both its shareholders and clients alike,”

The post Emirates Stallions Group reports a 316% increase in net profits. appeared first on ByMENA.

The Iraqi government, led by Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani is aiming to build about 300,000 housing units in the outer parts of Baghdad, it will also include hospitals, schools, universities and commercial centers.

The process will be handled by the East China Engineering Science and Technology Company, China National Chemical Engineering Company and Shams Al-Binaa after they were partnered for the $2 billion project on the 29^th of December.

In 2019, Baghdad and Beijing signed a contract for 20 years to supply the Chinese firms with 100,00 barrels per day of Iraqi crude oil, while China would handle development projects in Iraq with the revenue.

Since the contract was signed, China has built 1,000 schools, installed power plants, developed city airports and several other projects.

China is attempting to maintain stability in West Asia, to secure the future energy market for Beijing and the shipment of manufactured goods.

Contracts to build 4 more cities and 10 more contracts will be revealed in the year 2024, all to be completed after 4 to 5 years of their starting date.

This is all increasing China’s investment in the Middle East and South Asia in part of their Belt and Road (BRI) Plan that was announced in 2013 (the New Silk Road) which is a trans-continental passage that links Beijing with southeast Asia, south Asia, central Asia, Russia and Europe by land, which has a targeted completion date of 2049.

The BRI has helped lift nearly 40 million people out of poverty and continued to improve the living location and income of people affected.

The post China is building the city that connects the new Silk Road in Iraq. appeared first on ByMENA.

Google has announced the release of a new and improved version of their chatbot Bard which utilizes the advanced features of their multimodal AI model, Bard Gemini Pro.

The Gemini Pro model is an upgrade that offers a text-to-image feature called imagen2. It is equipped with safety measures and ethical considerations, including SynthID watermarks that distinguish between AI-created and human-made digital artwork. These watermarks come with guidelines set by Google for explicit creations.

Initially available only in English, Gemini Pro is now accessible in over 230 countries and supports 40 languages. The new language support enhances diversity and breaks down language barriers.

In addition, Google has expanded its AI capabilities with ImageFX and MusicFX. ImageFX allows users to transform text into visual art, while MusicFX leverages Google’s MusicLM AI model to turn user text prompts into musical tracks. Both features include the SynthID watermarking system.

The double-check feature has been updated and is now available in more languages, including Arabic. This feature is designed to verify the accuracy and reliability of the information provided by the Bard Chatbot. It is expected to improve the user experience and increase users’ trust in the chatbot.

Google has also pointed out that the Chatbot will continue to be worked on and updated to enhance its features to meet the demands of its users, this is pointed out by the frequent updates the chatbot has been getting including some quality-of-life features, more can be found on Google’s official update notes.

The post Google Bard Gemini Pro launches in the Mena Region appeared first on ByMENA.

Vilal Housing, a trademark specializing in developing residential homes in the UAE, has revealed its plans to construct 50 residential villas. The villas are expected to be delivered by 2024.
Vilal Housing notes that the delivery of these villas to its UAE clients is crucial in addressing the increasing demand for housing in the country.

The company claims to offer designs and construction services to their clients retaining high quality and competitive prices while noting that the time to complete the projects will take at most 15 months.
The company employs a specialized team for construction auditing, supervision and on-site inspection while it is also contracted with certified engineering offices, which allows it to stick to specified requirements, designs, prices and schedules agreed upon by both parties.

Vilal Housing provides project management services for housing projects, catering to UAE citizens who acquired residential plots, the company constructs homes on those allocated lands, adding luxurious designs and ensuring cost-effectiveness.
The “Shareek” platform which was introduced by Vilal Housing to strengthen partnerships and enhance performance enables suppliers and service providers to present their services to Vilal Housing’s clients and take advantage of the opportunity available on the platform.

Gaith Al Hashemi, Manager of the Customer Relations Center at ‘Vilal Housing’ emphasized that the delivery of 50 villas underscores the company’s dedication to delivering top-quality services at competitive rates, aligning with the visionary leadership’s goal of enabling Emirati families to attain suitable housing.
He also stated that they take pride in successfully executing the initial phase of homes for UAE citizens, adhering to the standards and timelines specified.

The post Vilal Housing schedules 50 residential villas to be delivered in 2024 appeared first on ByMENA.