Latest news with #Noon
Dubai Eye
13-07-2025
- Business
- Dubai Eye
SpaceX to invest $2 billion in Musk's xAI startup, WSJ reports
Coming Up on Dubai Eye The Music Mix 11:00pm - 6:00am Enjoy your favourite music back to back commercial free, tune in to the Music Mix everyday from 1 until 2 for the music you love and the news updates you need The Business Breakfast 6:00am - 10:00am The Business Breakfast is the day's must listen for the UAE's business leaders, and those who aspire to be. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to the USA UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to the US to boost economic and technology ties including AI. New iPhone Launch - Too Soon For Apple? Apple Inc. shares fell Monday after a closely followed analyst warned that demand for the firm's new iPhone 16 Pro model has been lower than expected. Is this a sign that the AI software just isn't ready? Working From Home or Hardly Working? Does working from home kill productivity or can it benefit staff by giving them more flexibility and a better work/life balance? On Dubai Eye Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE Dubai's current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market? Noon's First Female Delivery Driver Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon's first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!
Entrepreneur
10-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Revealed: First Picture of Cover of Mohamed Alabbar's New Autobiography
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. It has been five years in the making – but the wait is nearly over for the release of Mohamed Alabbar's long awaited autobiography. Called "For the love of the craft", sources say the book will be released in August – as seen in the leaked pictures of the cover. It is understood to be several hundred pages long, and covers every detail of the Emaar founder's life story. "He shares everything – the early days growing up in Dubai, family, the launch of Emaar, Noon, the building of the Burj Khalifa. But most of all, it is also very much a book of advice – how to build and run an empire," says a source close to Alabbar. The cover suggests the first run of the book will be in English, and available across the Arab world, Europe, Asia and USA – with an Arabic version also believed to be in the works. Alabbar is now a global entrepreneur with interests in real estate, retail, hospitality, e-commerce, technology, logistics, F&B, and venture capital. A graduate in Finance and Business Administration from Seattle University in the United States, Alabbar also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Seattle University, an Honorary Doctorate from London School of Economics, and a Political Science Honorary Doctorate from Sun Moon University in South Korea. The book, written in the first person, is understood to delve into all aspects of his life. "Every high and every low is in there, no stone has been left unturned," says a source.
Syyaha
07-07-2025
- Business
- Syyaha
RedBox Celebrates 10 Million Deliveries and Unveils Ambitious Expansion Plans Across Saudi Arabia and Beyond
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 07 July 2025: RedBox, the leading smart package delivery solutions provider in Saudi Arabia, has proudly announced the successful delivery of over 10 million parcels, marking a major milestone in its mission to redefine the last-mile experience through innovation and technology. Founded in 2019, RedBox has rapidly grown into Saudi Arabia's largest smart delivery points network, operating over 1,800 delivery points, including smart lockers and direct pickup counters across 81 cities. With plans to double this figure to 3,000 lockers by the end of 2025, the company is solidifying its role as a critical enabler of digital logistics in the Kingdom. Thamer Al-Tuwaiyan, CEO of RedBox, stated: 'This milestone reflects the trust of our customers and partners, and the efforts of a talented team driven by innovation and excellence. RedBox is more than a logistics company, it's a platform empowering the digital economy and supports the goals of Vision 2030, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, focusing on digital transformation and sustainability as essential pillars of the Kingdom's prosperous future.' This milestone is also in line with the Kingdom's ongoing efforts under the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) — one of the key Vision 2030 programs. NIDLP aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub and an industrial powerhouse by integrating and developing the sectors of industry, mining, energy, and logistics. As a national player in the smart delivery ecosystem, RedBox actively contributes to realizing these ambitions through its innovative, sustainable last-mile delivery solutions. RedBox's unique value proposition lies in its smart and technology-driven solutions, 24/7 accessible smart locker solutions that provide contactless, flexible parcel delivery eliminating the frustration of missed deliveries for both customers and couriers. RedBox also provides its solutions at competitive rates, which makes its services affordable for a wide segment of users. This efficiency is also eco-conscious: RedBox has achieved up to 75% reduction in last-mile emissions through consolidated drop-offs and optimized delivery routes. RedBox collaborates with top e-commerce platforms and logistics providers, including Noon, IHerb, NiceOne, Temu, DHL, Aramex, Al Majed for Oud, and Brands for Less, making it a trusted partner in Saudi Arabia's growing digital commerce ecosystem. In 2025 alone, RedBox expanded into 35 new cities, with a clear vision to achieve full national coverage. The company is also gearing up for regional expansion, with Bahrain, the UAE and Gulf countries as the next target markets, replicating its successful Saudi model to address growing demand for smart logistics in the wider GCC and MENA regions. Altuwaiyan added: 'Over the next five years, we aim to expand our network to over 10,000 lockers across the region, introduce real-time locker-to-locker transfer capabilities, and become the preferred last-mile delivery partner for e-commerce and retail brands across the MENA region'. Altuwaiyan explained that the company also aims to double its shipment volume, which stands at 10 million, over the next three years by accelerating the rollout of safes, deepening their market reach, and expanding into new sectors and geographies. With over 1,800 retail partners and host locations, RedBox continues to invest heavily in R&D, digital infrastructure, and Saudi talent, reinforcing its leadership in smart logistics and its alignment with Vision 2030's pillars of innovation and sustainability under the leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. By replacing traditional door-to-door delivery with smart lockers, RedBox is not only revolutionizing convenience but also helping eliminate millions of kilometers in courier travel, contributing to cleaner, less congested cities and a smarter, more sustainable logistics future.
Khaleej Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Spotted: Some UAE brands roll out new dirham symbol on apps, store signs
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) unveiled the new symbol for the UAE's national currency, the dirham, in March this year. The new dirham symbol signifies more than just financial value — it embodies heritage, ambition, and the nation's forward-looking vision. The symbol was derived from the English name of the dirham to serve as an international symbol representing the nation's currency, incorporating two horizontal lines that embody the stability of the UAE dirham and inspired by the UAE flag. The symbol has now started appearing on certain online shopping apps and in department stores like and Carrefour. The symbol's choice shows the national currency's global reach, openness to a more prosperous future and commitment to developing an innovative local financial ecosystem with a global perspective. Where should it be used? Alongwith the new symbol the authorities had also released a set of do's and don'ts about where and how the currency symbol can be used, to ensure consistent application across both physical and digital platforms. Should be used: On physical currency On cheques, invoices, receipts In POS systems, ATMs Online and in-store price displays In financial apps, accounting systems, UI fields Should not be used: As a logo or branding element On splash screens or headers In place of 'Dirhams' when writing out words How it should be used Keyboard Appears on number 6 key Placement: Single-language: Centred Dual-language: Top-left corner Minimum 2mm clear space around symbol Cheque book In 'amount in figures' field: Symbol before numeric value, same size/weight In 'amount in words' field: Use 'Dirhams', not the symbol Receipts Symbol before numeric value Same font, size, and weight Text should be in English and right-aligned with spacing Price tags Symbol directly before numeric value Same font, size, and weight Use either the symbol or "AED", not both Maintain clarity, especially in retail environments Dos and Don'ts Dos: Maintain symbol shape and direction with text Ensure proportional spacing and size relative to numerals Use sufficient contrast Use either the symbol or 'AED', not both Position symbol to the left of numerals Maintain clearspace and geometry Don'ts:
Express Tribune
29-06-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
From hospital wards to AI hubs
It's a flaw that has quietly cost lives: pulse oximeters, the fingertip devices used to measure oxygen levels, often give falsely reassuring readings in patients with darker skin. In hospitals around the world, including Pakistan, this subtle error means critical cases get missed, interventions come late, and outcomes worsen. The machine doesn't discriminate, but the data does. Not many noticed. Fewer still tried to fix it. At the Annual MIT Policy Hackathon, a young public health student from Pakistan stood up and proposed a solution. Later, at Harvard, he went on to build an AI model that eliminated the racial bias in pulse oximetry readings altogether. 'That moment reminded me,' says Dr. Muhammad Jawad Noon, 'I'm here to build systems that see and serve everyone.' A medical doctor by training, and now a data scientist and AI researcher by practice, Dr. Noon works at the intersection of medicine, technology, and public health policy. His work doesn't sit in one lab or clinic, it moves between hospitals and hackathons, between academic journals and national strategy rooms. From building tools that fix racial bias in devices to creating policy frameworks that guide how countries adopt AI in healthcare, Dr. Noon is part of a new generation trying to redesign the system from the inside out. Dr. Noon didn't arrive at that point through a clean epiphany or some cinematic turning point. 'There wasn't a single lightning strike. It was slow fire,' he says. His shift from clinical medicine to systems thinking began years earlier, in the wards of teaching hospitals where patients would quietly walk away from care they couldn't afford, or stay behind, only to be told no treatment existed at all. 'That helplessness stayed with me,' he says. 'That's when I stopped asking what I could do as a doctor, and started asking what I could change as a human being.' For him, the connection between medicine and technology was never abstract. It was right there in front of him, in X-rays, in ventilators, in every life saved or lost depending on a machine. 'Modern medicine depends on technology,' he says. 'I saw how machines helped detect what the human eye could miss, how they guided decisions when seconds mattered. They became essential partners in delivering safer, timely care.' But technology, like medicine, is only as equitable as the systems behind it. And that's where his work begins. Early roots and turning points Before Dr. Noon began shaping systems, he had to move through a few of his own. 'Each city gave me something essential,' he says, thinking back on the arc that took him from Bahawalpur to Lahore and eventually Islamabad. 'Bahawalpur gave me discipline and a strong educational foundation. Lahore expanded my ambition and taught me to dream big. Islamabad connected me to the resources and networks that made execution possible.' But long before strategy and systems came into view, it was illness that shaped his earliest sense of purpose, the kind he witnessed up close, again and again. People in pain. Families waiting on answers that didn't come. 'I saw the human cost of broken systems,' he says. 'I didn't want to be a spectator to suffering. I wanted to fight it.' That clarity only sharpened in medical school, though not in a single flash. It happened gradually, as mentors chipped away at what he thought was possible. 'Each of them cracked a wall open in my mind, until I saw the world not as it is, but as it could be,' he says. He names them without hesitation, Dr. Sajida Naseem, Dr. Aisha Mohyuddin, Dr. Saeed Akhtar, Maj Gen (R) Dr. Muhammad Aslam, Dr. Ali Yawar Alam, Dr. Waqas Ahmed, each of them a nudge forward. And then came the pivot point. Clinical rotations at Johns Hopkins in the United States. 'It wasn't just about clinical excellence,' says Dr. Noon. 'It was about unlocking potential.' What surprised him wasn't the brilliance of the people around him, he expected that, but how those same people made space for him. 'They believed in me not just as a student, but as someone who could lead. That belief stayed with me.' He still carries the advice of two mentors from that time. From Dr. William B. Greenough III, who said, 'Be meticulously curious. Pursue answers with precision. Never settle for less than excellence.' And from Dr. Thomas E. Finucane, who said, 'Don't idolize individuals. Find the best qualities in everyone you meet and integrate those into your own character.' That mindset, he says, changed everything. 'No matter how small I seemed in the world's hierarchy, my potential was limitless. And with that, came responsibility.' Interdisciplinary shift: Oxford, Harvard, and AI Dr. Noon didn't arrive at Oxford chasing prestige. He arrived with questions. 'I went to Oxford to understand why good evidence so often fails to drive good policy,' he says. 'I wanted to study rigorous research methods and learn how policy is made, how decisions are shaped, why the gap between research and implementation exists, and how we can improve the policymaking process to be more responsive, inclusive, and effective. At the core of it, I believed, and still believe, that well-designed policy has the power to drive lasting, positive change in the world.' What he discovered wasn't just technical know-how, but a reckoning with the complexity beneath seemingly clear decisions. 'Beneath every guideline are hard choices, trade-offs, and human stories,' he says. 'The deeper you go, the more complex it becomes. But it's in that complexity that real change lives. Policy is where idealism meets reality. It's messy. Political. But it's also the place where change becomes real. I learned that systems are like living organisms. And they need care, too.' That shift, from treating patients to shaping systems, deepened further at Harvard, where Dr. Noon's curiosity met a different kind of frontier – artificial intelligence. 'AI, when done right, has the potential to transform lives on a global scale. But very few truly understand it end-to-end. I wanted to be one of them. I didn't want to be the doctor who barely understood the algorithm or the engineer who didn't understand the human context. I came to Harvard to help shape the field, not just follow it, ' shared Dr. Noon. As he immersed himself in AI's possibilities and blind spots, he began to notice a recurring gap. 'Most technologists may not experience the gravity of holding a life in their hands, the emotional weight of every clinical decision,' he says. 'And most doctors aren't trained to grasp the algorithms and mathematics behind AI, the risks, the potential, or how to use it responsibly. We need both the heart of medicine and the precision of technology at the same table. That disconnect can be dangerous. Bridging it is essential.' It was this convergence of insight and urgency that led him to build the AI Policy Benchmarking Tool, one of his most significant contributions so far. 'The tool began with a sense of urgency,' he says. 'Too many countries lacked clear, accountable AI strategies, and that absence isn't just a policy gap; it's a risk to people's rights and safety. I built this tool to help address that challenge. It draws from a wide range of global frameworks, policy documents, and expert recommendations, offering a structured, evidence-based guide for governments and institutions.' He's quick to clarify that it's not a legal framework or prescriptive checklist. 'It's a foundation. A starting point. In an AI landscape evolving this rapidly, we need tools that help policy keep pace, responsibly, transparently, and with people at the center. It's adaptable to local realities, but grounded in global best practices.' And like much of his work, it's rooted in one core principle: policy, when designed well, isn't just paperwork, it's protection. Speaking with purpose Dr. Noon doesn't believe that science speaks for itself. 'People need to understand the truth behind research and policy decisions that shape their lives,' he says. 'I've seen how even well-intentioned experts can misinterpret evidence, especially as medicine and science have become deeply interdisciplinary. Our education systems haven't fully kept pace with that shift, and the consequences can be serious, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.' His choice to write publicly, in journals like Nature, The Lancet, and media platforms such as Fortune and CNN, isn't about professional visibility. It's about bridging a communication gap that can have real-life consequences. 'Having an interdisciplinary background puts me in a position to bridge that gap,' he says. 'I share my work publicly not for visibility, but to help ensure that accurate, actionable knowledge reaches those who need it most.' That sense of responsibility only deepens when the conversation turns to recognition. Over the years, Dr. Noon has been named among the 40 Under 40 Public Health Catalysts, received the German Medical Award, and earned the European Award in Medicine. But none of these sit on a pedestal. 'Leadership at a young age is a responsibility I carry with deep humility and a strong sense of accountability,' he says. 'Every recognition is not a celebration of what I've done, but a call to do more, to be mindful in my words, intentional in my actions, and rooted in service to others. These honors aren't about visibility or titles; they're about what I'm being entrusted to build. I strive each day to be worthy of that trust, to open doors, shift mindsets, and show every person watching that they, too, belong in the rooms where change begins. That's the responsibility I wake up with every day.' He reserves his strongest words for the generation coming up behind him, one he considers not just future leaders, but present ones. 'Young people are not just the future of global health, they are its present,' he says. 'They are not waiting to lead someday; they are needed now.' He went on saying that in every corner of the world, even the smallest act, a clinic started, a voice raised, a truth spoken, can create ripples that save lives. 'They must write their own story, not wait for someone else to script it. You don't need permission to begin. You don't need a title to lead. What you need is conviction, courage, and the belief that your background is not a barrier, it's your power,' he said added that global health is not someone else's job, it belongs to all of us. And the youth must rise, not just as participants, but as architects of a healthier, more just world. When asked if the weight of expectation ever feels like a burden, he doesn't flinch. 'I don't feel pressure,' he says. 'I feel purpose. Expectations don't weigh me down; they remind me that people believe in something good in me, and that's a gift I hold with gratitude. I know I'm not perfect and I won't always get it right, no one does.' 'But I pray that I remain a source of khayr and that I never lose the tawakkul that keeps me anchored. It's not about living up to titles. It's about showing up with sincerity, serving with integrity, and becoming a vessel for something greater than myself.' Beyond the horizon Dr. Noon doesn't talk about the future in vague terms. He talks about windows, narrow, fleeting, and full of possibility. 'I'm certain AI will transform healthcare across the world, and Pakistan is no exception,' he says. 'In fact, Pakistan has a small but critical window to act swiftly and seize this moment to become a leader in the field.' With a healthcare system already stretched thin, not enough hospitals, not enough doctors, he sees AI as more than a technical fix. It's a way to extend care where it doesn't reach, to automate what shouldn't require human hands, to lower costs without lowering quality. But he's not naïve to the risks. 'Without a strong national strategy and responsible regulation, we risk deploying biased algorithms, mishandling sensitive data, deepening existing disparities and compromising patient safety,' he says. 'AI, if led with integrity, vision and care, can become the backbone of a healthier, more resilient Pakistan.' For Dr. Noon, the opportunity goes beyond medicine. 'AI is not just a tool for healthcare. It's a lever for economic transformation,' he says. 'With focused investment and policy, Pakistan could become a hub for ethical, homegrown AI innovation and an exporter of AI systems, services, and solutions. I believe we can lead the region in ethical, people-centered innovation, and I would be honored to contribute wherever my expertise can be of service.' His advice to his younger self, the boy walking the grounds of Sadiq Public School in Bahawalpur, is less about steps and more about spirit. He reaches for Iqbal: 'Uqaabi rooh jab bedar hoti hai jawanon mein, nazar aati hai unko apni manzil aasmanon mein.' 'There's a universe within you,' he says. 'Vast, untamed, waiting to be awakened. Don't underestimate your capacity to grow, to rise, to transform. Explore the edges of your potential. The sky is not your limit, it's where your journey begins.' When asked about legacy, he doesn't hesitate. 'I'm not hoping to build a legacy. I'm not hungry for recognition. I don't want my name carved in marble. I want it whispered in prayers,' he says. What he wants instead is quiet and simple. For him what matters is knowing he did everything in his power to make this world more just, more kind, and more humane. 'I don't seek to be celebrated. I seek to be useful and compassionate, in line with the values of my faith.'
