Latest news with #MadinatJumeirah
Zawya
29-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai's Meraas awards main contract worth $82mln for Elara Phase 7
Meraas, a part of Dubai Holding Real Estate, has awarded the main construction contract for Elara, Phase 7 of the Madinat Jumeirah Living master plan in Dubai The contract, worth over 300 million UAE dirhams ($82 million), was awarded to Al Sahel Contracting Company. The contractor had previously delivered first four phases of the project, and is currently developing the fifth phase of the project, now in its final stages of completion. Phase 7 features three residential towers offering 234 apartments and is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026. Last week, the developer had awarded a contract worth over AED 690 million to Bhatia General Contracting Company for Phase 4 of Nad Al Sheba Gardens. (Writing by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) (
Zawya
26-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit 2025 advances vision for intelligent & sustainable digital transformation
Dubai, UAE: With the chief patronage of the TDRA-UAE, the SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit 2025 was held today in Dubai with a renewed call for accelerating transformation across technologies, communications networks, and digital economies, with unified digital action across the South Asia–Middle East–North Africa region at large. Organized by the SAMENA Telecommunications Council, the Summit gathered a high-profile community of global policymakers, regional regulators, technology firms, and digital ecosystem enablers from across the globe at Madinat Jumeirah, to identify and address real-world imperatives of building intelligent, inclusive, and sustainable digital economies, especially in the 5G-Advanced and AI digital environment. Held under the theme 'Intelligent & Sustainable Transformation of Digital Economies', this year's Summit arrived at a critical moment—when the first operational wave of agentic AI, intelligent networks, and data-driven policy is demanding new forms of collaboration, infrastructure planning, network monetization, app-ecosystem advancements, and regulatory foresight. With 2025 marking a historic inflection point in digital enablement, especially in view of UN Sustainable Development Agenda, the Summit's agenda was designed to align on the priorities, technologies, networks, as well as business and governance models that will define the region's next chapter in the region's digital transformation. Following a high-level Opening Ceremony, which included keynotes from TDRA, Huawei, ITU, DCDT (South Africa), DCO, WBBA, and ZTE, and an MoU signing ceremony between the WBBA and the SAMENA Council, the Leaders' Summit 2025 welcomed the Guest of Honor, H.E. Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, who delivered a powerful keynote message for the ICT industry. Throughout the day, the Summit served as a strategic platform for deep exploration across critical domains. The 'Space & Digital Connectivity' session discussed the growing role of Mobile Satellite Services and non-terrestrial networks in expanding regional reach and resilience, particularly in anticipation of WRC-27 as well as ongoing priority issues in space development and sustainability. In parallel, the TDRA-chaired Multi-TRA Digital Transformation Forum brought together regional regulators as well as UAE government entities to explore digital service transformation and improved delivery of citizen-centric services by leveraging the 5G and 5G-A infrastructure. Key stakeholder deliberation sessions also included a preparatory informal G20-centric roundtable among private and government-sector stakeholders from the G20 and non-G20 member countries. The roundtable was convened with the primary objective to facilitating an exchange of insights in view of South Africa's presidency of the G20 summit, which will take place in November 2025. The evolution of next-generation networks, which has mandated telecom operators to transform their business models, was in sharp focus at dedicated business-centric sessions, including the Techco Transformation session and the 5G-Advanced Leaders' Forum, where participants examined how AI-powered, experience-centric services are redefining monetization strategies and elevating network value. Conversations moved beyond connectivity to addressing how operators must now lead in curating intelligent, adaptive digital experiences. Further roundtable sessions on Smarter Cyberspace and Digital Enablement delved into emerging governance challenges in AI, Fiber connectivity, cybersecurity imperatives for telecom operators as well as governments and other ecosystem partners. Discussions also focused on identifying practical, strategic pathways for driving affordability, accessibility, growth, and openness, in digital innovation, with the aim to new end-user experiences, sustainable ecosystem and competition-centric considerations, and ways to make the data-driven economy sustainable as well. These topics also came into discussion at the last panel of the day, which built on the Summit's first panel on revenue growth opportunities for telecom operators, including through 'super apps'. The 9th Global ICT Energy Efficiency Summit, hosted within the broader SAMENA Leaders' Summit, pushed the conversation toward climate-aware digital growth. With rising energy consumption from expanding digital infrastructure, speakers called for scalable, green design principles and renewed commitments from both public and private stakeholders. Energy efficiency is now a core requirement for long-term viability, as is the safety of power solutions, including lithium batteries. Beyond the formal sessions, the Leaders' Summit 2025 also operated as a powerful networking and visibility arena, showcasing region-led digital breakthroughs and connecting global best practices with local execution. It was a space where digital policies met engineering realities—and where strategic dialogue evolved into tangible partnership pathways. In his keynote remarks, Bocar A. BA, CEO of SAMENA Telecommunications Council, spoke candidly about the transition the region is navigating: 'We are in the age of intelligent connectivity and operate in a landscape where infrastructure is no longer just about coverage—it is about cognition, energy discipline, and service relevance. In this context, the SAMENA Council Leaders' Summit is not simply an event. It is a mechanism for regional coordination, for responsible innovation, and for establishing the shared direction we need. We cannot afford to be fragmented, neither in vision nor in execution.' The Summit's success was made possible by a coalition of trusted partners and institutions whose commitment to the SAMENA platform signals confidence in the power of regional cooperation. SAMENA Council extended special thanks to the ITU leadership for the UN agency's ongoing collaboration and guidance, which continues to reinforce the principle of global policy alignment in an increasingly complex digital environment. DCO leadership was thanked for the message on fostering digital cooperation. SAMENA Council also extended appreciation to DCDT South Africa for leadership collaboration on creating an engagement exercise during the Leaders' Summit 2025 to exchange cross-regional and cross-sector insights. Acknowledgment was also given to the Summit's industry partners: Chair Sponsor stc, Host Sponsor Huawei, Platinum Sponsor Mobily, Gold Sponsor ZTE, Industry Development Partner the World Broadband Association, and Strategic Partner 7Generation. Their engagement reflects a shared belief in the Summit's mission and in the importance of sustained public-private coordination across the region. As the event drew to a close, a clear recognition emerged that, to deliver on the promise of digital transformation, the region must operationalize its ambitions with shared strategies, bold governance, and inclusive innovation at every level, and that ecosystem partners should be working closely together, and Operators should recognize that the best way forward is to become technology companies or 'techcos' by making use of intelligence on their networks operating in the 5G/5G-A environment. 'The future of our digital societies is not being written by technology alone,' Bocar A. BA concluded. 'It will be written by how wisely we govern, how inclusively we build, and how effectively we lead. That is the spirit of the SAMENA Leaders' Summit—and the legacy we are committed to building together, with the support of all of you. And once again SAMENA Council would like to thank our chief patron and partners in the Leaders' Summit for their active support to building a legacy of industry collaboration.' For more information, please contact: Urvashi Kadam, urashi@
Globe and Mail
15-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Alona Shevtsova of Sends Highlights the Future of Responsible AI at Dubai FinTech Summit 2025
London, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - May 15, 2025) - Sends, a British payment provider, participated in Dubai FinTech Summit 2025, which occurred on May 12-13 at Madinat Jumeirah. Organised by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the event draws over 9,000 attendees from 120+ countries, including top investors, founders, regulators, and fintech leaders. Sends To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Representing Sends, CEO Alona Shevtsova participated in a discussion on How regulators are shaping the future of AI in finance. The session addressed the balance between innovation and oversight in a rapidly evolving tech-driven industry. "Responsible AI is the future of finance. As AI rapidly transforms the financial sector, the role of regulators becomes crucial in setting ethical, transparent, and innovation-friendly frameworks. Clear and adaptive regulation protects consumers and market integrity and gives fintechs the confidence to build AI-driven solutions responsibly. Collaboration between innovators and regulators is the key to unlocking AI's full potential in finance," said Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends. This year's "FinTech for All" summit spotlights key topics such as AI, blockchain, digital economies, and sustainable finance. Sends showcases its latest innovations in cross-border payments, regulatory technology, and embedded financial infrastructure, underscoring its commitment to building a transparent, secure, and inclusive financial system. Given the growing influence of the Dubai Fintech Summit and the strategic role of Dubai as a fintech hub, it is expected to continue as an annual event, fostering innovation and collaboration in the financial technology sector. Sends is a valuable financial tool for both business and personal use. This spring, the company launched a zero-fee personal account opening offer. Learn more
Arab News
09-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
HODL Summit: Dubai to host longest-running crypto & Web3 gathering
Dubai is set to host the 30th global edition of the HODL Summit, the world's longest-running crypto and Web3 summit series, on May 14–15 at Madinat Jumeirah. Formerly known as the World Blockchain Summit, HODL Summit has become a premier platform for blockchain and Web3 innovation. Organized by Trescon, this flagship event will bring together over 5,000 Web3 innovators, investors, and industry leaders from 60+ countries to explore the future of blockchain, decentralized finance, and digital assets. With the Web3 ecosystem rapidly evolving, HODL has emerged as a powerful launchpad for next-generation blockchain solutions, policy discussions, and cross-border investments. The summit will feature a rich agenda of panel discussions, startup showcases, closed-door investor roundtables, and networking zones aimed at catalyzing business outcomes. The 2025 edition will feature over 40 sessions and a distinguished lineup of 50+ speakers, including Corbin Fraser, CEO of Nils Andersen-Röed, global head of FIU of Binance, Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, Rifad Mahasneh, CEO MENA of OKX, and Hasan Fardan Al-Fardan, CEO of Al Fardan Exchange. These industry leaders will share insights on topics such as real-world asset tokenization, AI integration, Layer-2 solutions, modular blockchain architectures, next-gen DeFi models, NFTs, and the expanding role of blockchain in enterprise innovation. The exhibition arena will feature leading blockchain and Web3 companies showcasing cutting-edge solutions across DeFi, digital assets, infrastructure, security, and enterprise tech. From product launches to live demos, the exhibition offers attendees direct access to the latest innovations shaping the decentralized economy. One of the key highlights of HODL 2025 is the UAE Regional Round of the Startup World Cup, held in partnership with Pegasus Tech Ventures, where startups will present their ideas to a curated audience of investors, venture capital firms, and accelerators and compete for a $1 million investment. Attendees can look forward to engaging in collaborative discussions on governance, tokenization, and interoperability, gaining practical insights to address real-world challenges in the blockchain space. HODL's track record speaks for itself. Since its inception in 2017, the summit has hosted 29 global editions in cities including Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok, building a legacy of connecting startups with capital, governments with policy ideas, and enterprises with innovation partners. As Dubai continues to establish itself as a global hub for digital assets and blockchain regulation, HODL 2025 further cements the city's position as a magnet for transformative tech and capital. With its strategic location, world-class infrastructure, and progressive regulatory environment, Dubai offers the ideal setting for global blockchain leaders to chart the next chapter in Web3.
Arabian Business
08-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai to host HODL Summit 2025
In a year defined by acceleration across decentralised technologies, Dubai is once again stepping forward – not just as a host city, but as a proving ground. On 14–15 May 2025, the emirate will welcome over 5,000 innovators to HODL Summit 2025, the 30 th global edition of the world's longest-running Web3 and crypto summit. Held at Madinat Jumeirah and organised by Trescon, the flagship event will bring together the ecosystem's brightest minds to examine the frontiers of blockchain, DeFi, digital assets, and more. Formerly known as the World Blockchain Summit, HODL has evolved into more than a conference – it's a marketplace of ideas, capital, and connection. Over two packed days, attendees from more than 60 countries will engage in over 40 curated sessions featuring 50+ speakers at the forefront of the decentralised economy. A high-level agenda built for builders Expect deep dives into the technology and policy shaping tomorrow's decentralised world. Confirmed speakers include Corbin Fraser (CEO, Nils Andersen-Röed (Global Head of FIU, Binance), Gracy Chen (CEO, Bitget), Rifad Mahasneh (CEO MENA, OKX), and Hasan Fardan Al Fardan (CEO, Al Fardan Exchange). From real-world asset tokenisation and modular blockchains to next-gen DeFi and enterprise-grade NFTs, the summit's themes go beyond the buzzwords and into the infrastructure of digital transformation. The exhibition floor will spotlight the latest solutions in DeFi, security, infrastructure, and AI-integrated Web3 systems. Live demos, new product launches, and start-up showcases will offer investors and enterprises direct access to what's next. The $1 million moment A standout moment of HODL 2025 will be the UAE Regional Round of the Start-Up World Cup, hosted in partnership with Pegasus Tech Ventures. Promising start-ups from across the region will pitch their projects to an audience of VCs, accelerators, and global investors, competing for a chance at a $1 million investment. It's a rare moment where real innovation meets real capital. A legacy of outcomes Since launching in 2017, HODL has staged 29 global editions – from Dubai to Singapore to Bangkok – fuelling connections between governments, investors, start-ups, and Fortune 500s. And in 2025, as the global conversation around blockchain governance, interoperability, and AI convergence intensifies, HODL's role as a forum for clarity and collaboration has never been more relevant. Why Dubai, why now? Dubai isn't just the venue. It's part of the story. With a regulatory framework that's become a benchmark for digital asset governance – and an ecosystem that includes major crypto players and sovereign-level innovation initiatives – Dubai is fast becoming the capital of the decentralised future. HODL Summit 2025 is more than a tech event. It's a signal: that the future of blockchain, crypto, and Web3 is global – and that Dubai is where the next chapter begins.
