Gulf Business

Welcome to the Wrap-Up – your summary of the day's top news and talking points, curated by LinkedIn News Middle East. Check out the slideshow below and click or swipe to view the next item. 💡 Share your views on today's topics in the comments below. 👉 aramco to sponsor FIFA World Cup – Gulf Business  https://lnkd.in/e4taM6g4 👉 UAE and Oman flooding made worse by climate change – Bloomberg News https://lnkd.in/eEq2CcKn 👉 Navigating obstacles holding you back at work – Amanda Davies 💛 Davies/LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/eTgJ5ca7    👉 Today's debate: Does the end justify the means? Asks Gaj Ravichandra https://lnkd.in/eRvYZmNc 🗳️ Poll of the Week: Beyond job performance, what is key for career growth? Check out the results: https://lnkd.in/ertjn34G #TheWrapUp

The UAE was hit by record rains on April 16, the worst storm since record-keeping began in the country with more than a year’s worth of rain falling over the course of 24 hours. The exceptional weather conditions brought the country to a standstill due to road closures and caused millions worth of damage to infrastructure and property. Several construction projects in the UAE will be affected, with huge potential for delays and damage to ongoing works. Parties to construction contracts must carefully consider their respective positions under their contract. What happens next largely depends on how these contracts have been drafted and their subsequent interpretation. Christopher Edwards | Joy-Emma Martin | #Dubaifloods | #Construction

Flying taxi maker Archer Aviation has signed a multi-million dollar framework agreement to accelerate its planned commercial air taxi operations in the UAE. The framework agreement, which includes in-country manufacturing, operations and training across the region, cements Abu Dhabi’s position as one of the world’s leaders in promoting urban air mobility ahead of the launch of air taxi services with Archer’s Midnight aircraft next year. Archer will collaborate with ADIO to construct vertiports, operational enablement for air taxis in the UAE, and in-country manufacturing of Midnight aircraft. Archer | Abu Dhabi Investment Office | #Urbanmobility | #AbuDhabi

Saudi Aramco has signed a four-year worldwide partnership deal with the world soccer governing body, FIFA, making the state-energy giant a partner including in major tournaments such as the World Cup 2026 and the Women’s World Cup 2027. “This partnership will assist FIFA to successfully deliver its flagship tournaments over the next four years and, as is the case with all our commercial agreements, enable us to provide enhanced support to our 211 FIFA member associations across the globe,” Gianni Infantino, FIFA president said in a statement. Aramco said it plans to work with FIFA to drive innovation, identifying opportunities to deploy the company’s expertise and technologies in the delivery of football events globally. This includes initiatives that seek to provide new and innovative ways for football fans to engage with FIFA’s events. FIFA | aramco | #Sponsorship

Bird flu, officially called highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), has increasingly spread to mammals, raising concern of human transmission. The US government said it will require dairy cattle moving between states to be tested for bird flu starting on Monday, as federal officials ramp up their response to an outbreak that has bled over into the US milk supply. The measures aim to contain the spread of bird flu, which has been reported in eight states and 33 dairy herds since it was first detected in late March in Texas. A person exposed to cattle tested positive for the disease and suffered conjunctivitis. #BirdFlu #H5N1 #AvianInfluenza

Statevolt, a US headquartered green industrialisation company, announced plans earlier this month to construct a new state-of-the-art, technology-agnostic battery cell gigafactory in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah. This ambitious project, with a site spanning 60 hectares in RAKEZ, is anticipated to generate up to 2,500 direct job opportunities, fostering economic development in Ras Al Khaimah and the surrounding region. #GulfBusiness talks to Lars Carlstrom, founder and CEO of Statevolt Emirates. #statevolt #batterystorage #gigafactory

Yemen’s Houthis said they targeted the MSC Darwin ship in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, as the group resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea region in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Earlier on Thursday, a ship’s captain reported hearing a loud bang and seeing a splash and smoke coming from the sea on Thursday around 15 nautical miles southwest of the Yemeni port of Aden, Britain’s maritime agency said. #yemen #redsea #GulfofAden https://lnkd.in/d9NhgkFW

Chinese food delivery giant Meituan is seeking to hire staff for at least eight positions based in Riyadh, in a sign it may be looking to Saudi Arabia to further its global expansion ambitions. Since expanding to Hong Kong in May 2023, Meituan’s first foray outside of mainland China, speculation has persisted that its overseas march would continue as the firm searches for growth opportunities, with the Middle East rumoured since last year to be one area of possible expansion. “We are actively evaluating opportunities in other markets,” Meituan’s chief executive Wang Xing said during a post-earnings call with analysts last month. Meituan | KeeTa #fooddelivery #quickservice #deliveryapp

While parts of the country are set to receive light showers on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27, the weather agency has predicted heavier rain and thunderstorms for the beginning of May. #may2024 #uaerains #weather

The industry data was released ahead of the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia (FSH), scheduled to be held from April 29 to May 1. Future Hospitality Summit I #saudiarabia #hospitality #fhs #hotels #tourism #futurehospitalitysummit