Author: Arabian Media staff
Arabian Automobiles Company (AAC), part of AW Rostamani Group and the exclusive Nissan dealer for Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates, has launched Urventures, a new mobility solutions platform designed to support startups in the UAE. The platform marks a significant shift in the company’s business model, moving beyond traditional automotive sales to become a direct investor in small businesses. Urventures is the first program of its kind in the regional automotive sector. Instead of offering traditional funding, it provides commercial vehicles to startups in exchange for a minimal stake in the business’s future equity. Hussam Baghdadi, Senior Director of…
Israel’s government has publicly dismissed warnings of extreme food shortages after it blocked aid deliveries, but an internal analysis concluded that a crisis looms if food supplies are not restored. Source link
An innovation hub in the UAE is inviting sports entrepreneurs and startup businesses to join its incubator program to receive funding support and advice. Ethara 1TW Innovation Hub (E1H), the region’s first dedicated sports and entertainment innovation hub, has opened applications for its incubator programme. E1H, based in Abu Dhabi and launched in December 2024 by event management and venue operator Ethara, in collaboration with sports investment specialists OnetoWatch (1TW), is designed to fast-track talented entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses. UAE sport business incubator Given the exponential rise in global sports and entertainment investment in the MENA region, E1H was created…
The Saudi crown prince gave President Trump a warm and opulent welcome, reflecting the amity between a royal family and presidential family with diplomatic and business alliances. Source link
BRKZ, a leading Saudi B2B managed marketplace, announced the completion of its $17 million Series A funding round. The funding includes an $8 million Series A2 round closed in January 2025, $1 million in venture debt from Capifly and the initial $8 million Series A1 round in December 2023, the company said. All existing investors such as BECO Capital, Aramco’s Waed, 9900 Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, RZM Investment, Class 5 Global, MISY Ventures, Knollwood Investment Advisory, and Fluent Ventures participated in the funding, it said. The latest investment takes the total funding to $22.5 million and will be deployed to scale…
Iranian officials said their foreign minister had proposed a joint nuclear-enrichment venture, involving Arab countries and American investment. Source link
The Abu Dhabi Registration and Licensing Authority (ADRA) revealed significant growth in business licences and compliance indicators in the Emirate’s mainland and non-financial economic free zones during 2024. The number of new economic licences in the Emirate’s mainland increased by 16 per cent compared to 2023, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s attractiveness as a destination for local and international businesses and investments due to its business-friendly ecosystem and world-class transparency and governance standards. Additionally, Abu Dhabi witnessed a remarkable growth of 22 per cent of active licences in the non-financial economic free zones. Abu Dhabi business growth The number of “Real beneficiary”…
President Trump’s four-day trip yielded a remarkable turnabout with Syria and announcements of multibillion-dollar deals for U.S. firms. Source link
Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, named 27 startups as part of Cohort 16 across Hub71’s three programmes – Access, Hub71+, ClimateTech and Hub71+ Digital Assets. This new addition increases the total number of ventures supported by Hub71 to 357. The latest cohort includes startups across key priority sectors. Cohort 16 was selected from over 1,300 applications, with 63 per cent of chosen startups headquartered in leading technology markets such as the USA, UK and Germany. Collectively, Cohort 16 startups have raised over $145 million (AED 532 million) in funding, averaging $4.9 million (AED 18 million) per startup. By joining…
Many Saudis say they are big fans of President Trump, calling him a “straight shooter” who shares their values. Others were not impressed. Source link