
Aldar Breaks Ground on a Custom Designed Cold Store Facility for Emirates Snack Foods
© 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
Signal PressWire is the world's largest independent Middle East PR distribution service.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Bawaba
18 minutes ago
- Al Bawaba
United Arab Bank Partners with UAE Fintech Lune to Deliver AI-Powered, Personalised Banking Experiences
United Arab Bank (UAB) has announced a strategic partnership with Lune, a leading UAE-based fintech company specialising in AI-driven transaction enrichment and financial data analytics solutions. This collaboration is set to enhance UAB's upcoming mobile banking experience by delivering smarter, data-driven, and hyper-personalised customer journeys—further positioning the bank as innovation-led and signing ceremony was attended by Emre Yalcin, Head of Retail Banking at UAB, Helal Tariq Lootah, and Alexandre Soued Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Lune, along with senior executives from both Lune's technology, UAB will enrich and transform raw transaction data into meaningful financial insights through a user-friendly interface—empowering customers with enhanced transparency and informed financial decision-making. The solution will also drive intelligent digital engagement, including personalized recommendations, contextual offers, and advanced financial planning features—all delivered through conversational digital Yalcin, Head of Retail Banking at United Arab Bank, commented: "While the underlying technologies have existed for some time, we at UAB were not entirely convinced about the maturity of the outcomes—until now. Partnering with Lune, a homegrown fintech with deep expertise in the UAE's payment ecosystem and cutting-edge technologies, gives us confidence in delivering the enriched digital experience our customers expect. This partnership enables us to offer context-rich financial insights, unlocking new opportunities for customer engagement, operational efficiency, and long-term growth.'Helal Tariq Lootah, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Lune, said: 'We're delighted to be working with United Arab Bank. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to innovation, customer empowerment, and building a stronger, data-driven financial future. Together, we look forward to delivering meaningful impact and value to the market.' The partnership reflects UAB's ongoing commitment to digital transformation and reaffirms its strategic focus on leveraging fintech collaboration to deliver superior customer experiences.


Al Bawaba
35 minutes ago
- Al Bawaba
Shariah Stocks Turn UAE Markets into the Year's Hottest Trade
The UAE's local equity markets have delivered standout returns over the past year, cementing the country's position as one of the world's best-performing investment destinations. Dubai's equity benchmark, the DFM General Index, surged more than 27% in 2024 and is up a further 18% year-to-date in 2025. This broad-based rally spans financials, real estate, and newly listed infrastructure companies, with Shariah-compliant stocks featuring prominently among the top performers. According to Josh Gilbert, Market Analyst at eToro, this momentum reflects growing investor demand for high-growth opportunities in ethically screened assets. "Shariah-compliant stocks in the UAE have become a strong draw for both regional and international investors looking to combine financial returns with responsible investing principles," he said. Standout names include Salik, Dubai's exclusive toll-gate operator, whose shares have soared approximately 80%, including dividends, over the last 12 months. Parkin, the city's public parking operator, has seen its stock price surge over 200% including dividends since its IPO last year, as investors respond positively to its stable, defensive revenue model. The financial services sector has also played a key role in driving market performance. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), the UAE's second-largest Islamic bank, has posted gains of over 98% including dividends in the last 12 months. Strong digital transformation, rising profit margins, and growing demand for Shariah-compliant financial services have underpinned this growth. Similarly, Amlak Finance, a key Islamic home financing provider, has seen its stock more than double in value over the past year, boosted by Dubai's thriving property market. In the real estate sector, Union Properties has emerged as one of the top performers of 2025, with shares rising over 100% year-to-date. Its successful restructuring and the broader real estate upcycle have positioned it just behind Amlak Finance as one of the best-performing stocks on the DFM Index this year. These exceptional performances reflect renewed investor confidence in UAE equities. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals — including a projected real GDP growth of 4.4% in 2025 and 5.4% in 2026 — are helping to sustain momentum. High-profile IPOs like Parkin have further energized market participation, creating fresh investment opportunities and affirming global interest in the UAE's capital markets. Today, both the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) host a robust lineup of Shariah-screened stocks, with a large portion of all listed companies adhering to Islamic investment principles. The UAE's status as a global Islamic finance hub continues to attract capital from both Shariah-compliant and conventional investors looking to tap into the region's dynamic growth story. A compelling combination of market-beating returns, solid fundamentals, and ethical investment appeal is making UAE equities — particularly Shariah-compliant stocks — an increasingly attractive destination for regional and international capital. As the country continues to diversify its economy and bring more companies to market, investor interest in these instruments is likely to deepen further.


Al Bawaba
an hour ago
- Al Bawaba
Union Coop and Positive Zero Launch one of the Middle East's Largest Retail Solar Energy Projects
Union Coop (UNIONCOOP:DFM), the largest consumer cooperative in the UAE, in partnership with Positive Zero, a leading provider of decentralized clean energy solutions, has launched one of the Middle East's largest solar energy projects in the retail sector. The long-term agreement will see the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs and parking areas across Union Coop locations, aimed at significantly reducing carbon emissions and supporting the UAE's net-zero agreement was signed at Union Coop's headquarters in Al Warqa City Mall, Dubai in the presence of Mr. Mohamed Al Hashemi, CEO of Union Coop; Mr. Mohammed Abdulghaffar Hussain, Chairman of Positive Zero; Mr. Ahmed Al Zarooni, Chief Real Estate Officer of Union Coop; Mr. David Auriau, CEO of Positive Zero; and Mr. Laurent Longuet, CEO of Positive Zero's Generation business, along with other distinguished attendees. Scheduled for completion by mid-2026, the project will cover up to 30 Union Coop sites across Dubai and the Umm Al Quwain Coop headquarters (managed by Union Coop). With an installed capacity of 17.3 megawatts, the system is expected to produce approximately 29.23 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually—enough to power over 4,000 initiative will reduce carbon emissions by up to 21,650 tons each year, the equivalent environmental benefit of planting approximately 325,000 trees. It aligns with the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to raise clean energy's share to 30% of the national energy mix by on the milestone, Mohamed Al Hashemi, CEO of Union Coop, said: "Today marks a landmark moment in Union Coop's journey to become a leader in sustainability. By integrating clean energy solutions into our daily operations, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the UAE's vision for a net-zero future by 2050. Union Coop aims to serve as a role model in the retail sector by adopting innovative practices that reduce carbon emissions and create lasting environmental impact.""Our responsibility as a cooperative goes beyond serving the people, as we are equally committed to protecting the environment and embedding sustainable practices that ensure a brighter future for generations to come."For his part, Mohammed Abdulghaffar Hussain, Chairman of Positive Zero, added: 'Union Coop has an important heritage, serving the UAE community for decades. This project represents one of the largest retail chain solar agreements ever signed in the Middle East and Positive Zero's most extensive generation undertaking for the retail sector in the UAE to date. We look forward to a long, successful partnership with Union Coop and delivering major environmental benefits from this renewable energy mission.'Echoing similar sentiments, David Auriau, CEO of Positive Zero, stated: 'Union Coop is making a major step forward in its sustainability journey with this distributed solar project. Our teams are already working together on the first phase, and by this time next year, we expect clean, renewable energy to be powering all agreed sites. Collaboratively, we will drive greater operational, economic and environmental sustainability and identify the potential for further clean energy innovations.' Union Coop continues to champion sustainability through impactful initiatives, including banning single-use plastic bags, adopting eco-friendly packaging, and collaborating with public and private sectors to reduce supply chain emissions.