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Oman real estate transactions hit $2.17bn by April 2025, showing 9.7% growth

Oman real estate transactions hit $2.17bn by April 2025, showing 9.7% growth

The total value of real estate transactions in Oman reached RO 833.9 million ($2.2bn) by the end of April 2025, reflecting a 9.7 per cent increase compared to OR760.2m ($1.98bn) during the same period in 2024, according to the latest data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Key highlights from the data include:
Fees collected from all legal transactions rose by 18.4 per cent, reaching OR24.3m ($63.1m), up from OR20.5m ($53.3m) in April 2024
The traded value of sales contracts increased by 13.7 per cent, amounting to OR408.5m ($1.06b), compared to OR359.4m ($934m) in April 2024. Despite this rise, the number of sales contracts fell by 1.4 per cent, with 21,087 contracts compared to 21,385 in the same period last year
Mortgage contracts saw a 6.1 per cent increase, totalling OR421.5m ($1.09bn) across 7,164 contracts, compared to OR397.2m ($1.03bn) for 6,482 contracts in April 2024
Exchange contracts showed a slight decrease in volume, with 436 contracts worth OR3.9m ($10.1m), compared to 465 contracts worth OR3.6m ($9.4m) during the same period in 2024
Additionally, the number of issued property deeds increased by 1.7 per cent, reaching 73,432 by the end of April 2025, compared to 72,181 in the previous year.
Oman real estate growth
However, property deeds issued to GCC nationals dropped by 3.9 per cent, totalling 394 compared to 410 in April 2024.

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K.I.T. Group and GD+ announce a strategic joint venture to enhance conference and event services in the Middle East
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K.I.T. Group and GD+ announce a strategic joint venture to enhance conference and event services in the Middle East

Post Views: 45 K.I.T. Group announced a strategic joint venture with GD+, a leading integrated communications and event management agency based in Dubai, operating as a division of Gulf Dunes. Through this alliance, K.I.T. Group will enhance its operational presence in the Middle East, delivering services through GD+'s extensive network of offices in the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah), Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Jordan, as well as in Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. GD+, with 30 years of regional expertise will expand its portfolio of international conferences by leveraging K.I.T. Group's PCO services, including delegate services, scientific content management and industry sales. This partnership combines K.I.T. Group's international expertise, technological tools, and global client network with GD+'s in-depth local market knowledge, cultural fluency, robust infrastructure, and multilingual staffing capabilities. The joint venture is poised to offer comprehensive solutions for conferences and events, ensuring seamless experiences for clients and delegates alike. This collaboration, operating under the joint brand name 'K.I.T. Group by GD+,' was officially unveiled at IMEX Frankfurt 2025, a leading global exhibition for meeting and event professionals. The partnership aims to deliver exceptional conference and event services across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The global sales team at K.I.T. Group will collaborate closely with GD+ to target the GCC market, sharing valuable business leads and jointly deciding on event bids. This cooperative approach aims to secure new business opportunities and deliver high-quality events that meet international standards while catering to regional nuances. K.I.T. Group will focus on its core PCO competencies, such as managing services like registration, scientific content management and exhibition/sponsorship sales, while GD+ will concentrate on delivering specialized production and hospitality management services. This clear division of responsibilities ensures clients receive expert, efficient service tailored to their needs. Furthermore, K.I.T. Group's partnership with GD+, supported by their connections with local Convention Bureaus, enhances their presence in the GCC market, creating a strong foundation for collaborative success. The joint venture underscores a commitment to transparency and mutual growth. Its profit-sharing model reflects both parties' contributions. Additionally, both companies have agreed to promote the joint brand actively during client interactions, proposals, and industry networking opportunities. This strategic alliance marks a significant milestone for both K.I.T. Group and GD+. Combining their strengths will provide unparalleled conference and event services in the Middle East.

Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity: savior or saboteur?
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Artificial Intelligence in cybersecurity: savior or saboteur?

Artificial intelligence has rapidly emerged as both a cornerstone of innovation and a ticking time bomb in the realm of cybersecurity. Once viewed predominantly as a force for good, enabling smarter threat detection, automating incident responses, and predicting attacks before they happen — AI has now taken on a double-edged role. The very capabilities that make it invaluable to cybersecurity professionals are now being exploited by cybercriminals to launch faster, more convincing, and more damaging attacks. From phishing emails indistinguishable from real business correspondence to deepfake videos that impersonate CEOs and public figures with chilling accuracy, AI is arming attackers with tools that were previously the stuff of science fiction. And as large language models (LLMs), generative AI, and deep learning evolve, the tactics used by bad actors are becoming more scalable, precise, and difficult to detect. 'The threat landscape is fundamentally shifting,' says Sergey Lozhkin, Head of the Global Research & Analysis Team for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa at Kaspersky. 'From the outset, cybercriminals began using large language models to craft highly convincing phishing emails. Poor grammar and awkward phrasing — once dead giveaways are disappearing. Today's scams can perfectly mimic tone, structure, and professional language.' But the misuse doesn't stop at email. Attackers are now using AI to create fake websites, generate deceptive images, and even produce deepfake audio and video to impersonate trusted figures. In some cases, these tactics have tricked victims into transferring large sums of money or divulging sensitive data. According to Roland Daccache, Senior Manager – Sales Engineering at CrowdStrike MEA, AI is now being used across the entire attack chain. 'Generative models are fueling more convincing phishing lures, deepfake-based social engineering, and faster malware creation. For example, DPRK-nexus adversary Famous Chollima used genAI to create fake LinkedIn profiles and résumé content to infiltrate organisations as IT workers. In another case, attackers used AI-generated voice and video deepfakes to impersonate executives for high-value business email compromise (BEC) schemes.' The cybercrime community is also openly discussing how to weaponize LLMs for writing exploits, shell commands, and malware scripts on dark web forums, further lowering the barrier of entry for would-be hackers. This democratisation of hacking tools means that even novice cybercriminals can now orchestrate sophisticated attacks with minimal effort. Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder of CertiK, a leading blockchain cybersecurity firm, highlights how AI is empowering attackers to scale and personalize their strategies. 'AI-generated phishing that mirrors human tone, deepfake technology for social engineering, and adaptive tools that bypass detection are allowing even low-skill threat actors to act with precision. For advanced groups, AI brings greater automation and effectiveness.' On the technical front, Janne Hirvimies, Chief Technology Officer of QuantumGate, notes a growing use of AI in reconnaissance and brute-force tactics. 'Threat actors use AI to automate phishing, conduct rapid data scraping, and craft malware that adapts in real time. Techniques like reinforcement learning are being explored for lateral movement and exploit optimisation, making attacks faster and more adaptive.' Fortifying Cyber Defenses To outsmart AI-enabled attackers, enterprises must embed AI not just as a support mechanism, but as a central system in their cybersecurity strategy. 'AI has been a core part of our operations for over two decades,' says Lozhkin. 'Without it, security operations center (SOC) analysts can be overwhelmed by alert fatigue and miss critical threats.' Kaspersky's approach focuses on AI-powered alert triage and prioritisation through advanced machine learning, which filters noise and surfaces the most pressing threats. 'It's not just about automation — it's about augmentation,' Lozhkin explains. 'Our AI Technology Research Centre ensures we pair this power with human oversight. That combination of cutting-edge analytics and skilled professionals enables us to detect over 450,000 malicious objects every day.' But the AI evolution doesn't stop at smarter alerts. According to Daccache, the next frontier is agentic AI — a system that can autonomously detect, analyze, and respond to threats in real time. 'Traditional automation tools can only go so far,' Daccache says. 'What's needed is AI that thinks and acts — what we call agentic capabilities. This transforms AI from a passive observer into a frontline responder.' CrowdStrike's Charlotte AI, integrated within its Falcon platform, embodies this vision. It understands security telemetry in context, prioritises critical incidents, and initiates immediate countermeasures, reducing analyst workload and eliminating delays during high-stakes incidents. 'That's what gives defenders the speed and consistency needed to combat fast-moving, AI-enabled threats,' Daccache adds. Gu believes AI's strength lies in its ability to analyze massive volumes of data and identify nuanced threat patterns that traditional tools overlook. 'AI-powered threat detection doesn't replace human decision-making — it amplifies it,' Gu explains. 'With intelligent triage and dynamic anomaly detection, AI reduces response time and makes threat detection more proactive.' He also stresses the importance of training AI models on real-world, diverse datasets to ensure adaptability. 'The threat landscape is not static. Your AI defenses shouldn't be either,' Gu adds. At the core of any robust AI integration strategy lies data — lots of it. Hirvimies advocates for deploying machine learning models across SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) and SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) platforms. 'These systems can correlate real-time threat intelligence, behavioral anomalies, and system events to deliver faster, more precise responses,' he says. 'Especially when it comes to detecting novel or stealthy attack patterns, machine learning makes the difference between catching a threat and becoming a headline.' Balancing Innovation with Integrity While AI can supercharge threat detection, response times, and threat simulations, it also brings with it the potential for misuse, collateral damage, and the erosion of privacy. 'Ethical AI use demands transparency, clear boundaries, and responsible data handling,' says Lozhkin.'Organisations must also ensure that employees are properly trained in the safe use of AI tools to avoid misuse or unintended exposure to threats.' He highlights Kaspersky's Automated Security Awareness Platform, which now includes dedicated sections on AI-assisted threats and responsible usage, reflecting the company's commitment to proactive education. When AI is deployed in red teaming or simulated cyberattacks, the risk matrix expands. Gu warns that AI systems, if left unchecked, can make decisions devoid of human context, potentially leading to unintended and widespread consequences. 'Ethical AI governance, robust testing environments, and clearly defined boundaries are essential,' he says, underlining the delicate balance required to simulate threats without crossing into unethical territory. Daccache emphasises the importance of a privacy-first, security-first approach. 'AI must be developed and operated with Privacy-by-Design and Secure-by-Design principles,' he explains. 'This extends to protecting the AI systems themselves — including their training data, operational logic, and outputs—from adversarial manipulation.' Daccache also points to the need for securing both AI-generated queries and outputs, especially in sensitive operations like red teaming. Without such safeguards, there's a real danger of data leakage or misuse. 'Transparency, accountability, and documentation of AI's capabilities and limitations are vital, not just to build trust, but to meet regulatory and ethical standards,' he adds. Despite AI's growing autonomy, human oversight remains non-negotiable. 'While AI can accelerate simulations and threat detection, it must be guided by skilled professionals who can interpret its actions with context and responsibility,' says Daccache. This human-AI collaboration ensures that the tools remain aligned with organisational values and ethical norms. Hirvimies rounds out the conversation with additional cautionary notes: 'Privacy violations, data misuse, bias in training datasets, and the misuse of offensive tools are pressing concerns. Transparent governance and strict ethical guidelines aren't optional, they're essential.' Balancing the Equation While AI promises speed, scale, and smarter defense mechanisms, experts caution that an over-reliance on these systems, especially when deployed without proper calibration and oversight — could expose organisations to new forms of risk. 'Absolutely, over-reliance on AI can backfire if systems are not properly calibrated or monitored,' says Lozhkin. 'Adversarial attacks where threat actors feed manipulated data to mislead AI are a growing concern. Additionally, AI can generate false positives, which can overwhelm security teams and lead to alert fatigue. To avoid this, companies should use a layered defence strategy, retrain models frequently, and maintain human oversight to validate AI-driven alerts and decisions.' This warning resonates across the cybersecurity landscape. Daccache echoes the concern, emphasising the need for transparency and control. 'Over-relying on AI, especially when treated as a black box, carries real risks. Adversaries are already targeting AI systems — from poisoning training data to crafting inputs that exploit model blind spots,' he explains. 'Without the right guardrails, AI can produce false positives or inconsistent decisions that erode trust and delay response.' Daccache stresses that AI must remain a tool that complements — not replaces—human decision-making. 'AI should be an extension of human judgement. That requires transparency, control, and context at every layer of deployment. High-quality data is essential, but so is ensuring outcomes are explainable, repeatable and operationally sound,' he says. 'Organisations should adopt AI systems that accelerate outcomes and are verifiable, auditable and secure by design.' Gu adds that blind spots in AI models can lead to serious lapses. 'AI systems are not infallible,' he says. 'Over-reliance can lead to susceptibility to adversarial inputs or overwhelming volumes of false positives that strain human analysts. To mitigate this, organizations should adopt a human-in-the-loop approach, combine AI insights with contextual human judgment, and routinely stress-test models against adversarial tactics.' Gu also warns about the evolving tactics of bad actors. 'An AI provider might block certain prompts to prevent misuse, but attackers are constantly finding clever ways to circumvent these restrictions. This makes human intervention all the more important in companies' mitigation strategies.' Governing the Double-Edged Sword As AI continues to embed itself deeper into global digital infrastructure, the question of governance looms large: will we soon see regulations or international frameworks guiding how AI is used in both cyber defense and offense? Lozhkin underscores the urgency of proactive regulation. 'Yes, there should definitely be an international framework. AI technologies offer incredible efficiency and progress, but like any innovation, they carry their fair share of risks,' he says. 'At Kaspersky, we believe new technologies should be embraced, not feared. The key is to fully understand their threats and build strong, proactive security solutions that address those risks while enabling safe and responsible innovation.' For Daccache, the focus is not just on speculative regulation, but on instilling foundational principles in AI systems from the start. 'As AI becomes more embedded in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure, questions around governance, risk, and accountability are drawing increased attention,' he explains. 'Frameworks like the GDPR already mandate technology-neutral protections, meaning what matters most is how organizations manage risk not whether AI is used.' Daccache emphasises that embedding Privacy-by-Design and Secure-by-Design into AI development is paramount. 'To support this approach, CrowdStrike offers AI Red Teaming Services, helping organisations proactively test and secure their AI systems against misuse and adversarial threats. It's one example of how we're enabling customers to adopt AI with confidence and a security-first mindset.' On the other hand, Gu highlights how AI is not only transforming defensive mechanisms but is also fuelling new forms of offensive capabilities. 'As AI becomes integral to both defence and offense in cyberspace, regulatory frameworks will be necessary to establish norms, ensure transparency, and prevent misuse. We expect to see both national guidelines and international cooperation similar to existing cybercrime treaties emerge to govern AI applications, particularly in areas involving privacy, surveillance, and offensive capabilities.' Echoing this sentiment, Hirvimies concludes by saying that developments are already underway. 'Yes. Regulations like the EU AI Act and global cyber norms are evolving to address dual-use AI,' he says. 'We can expect more international frameworks focused on responsible AI use in cyber defence, limits on offensive AI capabilities, and cross-border incident response cooperation. At QuantumGate, we've designed our products to support this shift and facilitate compliance with the country's cryptography regulations.'

Pakistan govt begins cancelling passports of deportees
Pakistan govt begins cancelling passports of deportees

Khaleej Times

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Pakistan's government has initiated cancelling the passports of deportees due to fake documents and beggary to discourage such practices. Data released by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development showed that over 7,800 Pakistanis were deported from 2019 to 2025 for different charges, including beggary. All of these deportees' passports are being cancelled, the Pakistani media reported. Most of these deportees are from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which house a higher number of South Asian diaspora. As reported by Khaleej Times last month, the South Asian government stated that all deportees' passports will be cancelled upon arrival in the country and a first information report (FIR) will be filed against them for illegal practices. In addition, the government also announced that the deportees will be placed on the passport control list, ensuring that they don't travel abroad for five years. The Ministry of Interior has started placing these deportees' names on the passport control list to ensure that they don't travel abroad. The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources earlier this week discussed the matter of deportees and discussed steps taken to prevent such incidents. Millions of skilled Pakistani workers are employed in various countries, contributing immensely to the country's foreign exchange reserves. More than 5.5 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE and other neighbouring Gulf countries. Millions of South Asian nationals visit Dubai, UAE and other regional countries for tourism. Pakistanis in the UAE have welcomed the government's decision to cancel the passports of deportees and put them on the passport control list for illegal practices because these initiatives will ease travel and visa restrictions for genuine visitors. The Senate Standing Committee recommended that the ministry initiate criminal proceedings against agencies for their involvement in sending deportees abroad. However, the question of legality of cancelling passports for crimes committed in foreign countries was also raised by a senator during the meeting.

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