Latest news with #Municipal
Arab Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Now, Saudi Arabia Will Allow Expats To Own Properties
RIYADH, July 11: In a landmark policy shift aimed at boosting foreign investment, Saudi Arabia will permit non-Saudis to own real estate in designated areas across the Kingdom beginning January 2026. The move comes under a newly approved property ownership law, marking a significant milestone in the country's broader strategy to diversify its economy and strengthen the real estate sector. The decision was endorsed by the Saudi Cabinet and announced by Majed Al-Hogail, Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing and Chairman of the Real Estate General Authority, who described the legislation as a cornerstone of the Kingdom's ongoing real estate reform program. Under the new framework, foreign nationals will be permitted to purchase property in specific zones, primarily in Riyadh and Jeddah, while ownership in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina will be subject to stringent regulatory conditions and additional oversight. 'The updated law is designed to expand the real estate supply, attract international investors and developers, and stimulate foreign direct investment in the Saudi market,' Al-Hogail said, adding that the legislation includes procedural safeguards to protect national interests and ensure the integrity of the housing sector. The Real Estate General Authority will play a central role in implementing the law. It will define the geographical zones open to foreign buyers and draft the accompanying executive regulations. These regulations will be made available for public consultation via the 'Istitlaa' platform within 180 days of the law's publication in the official gazette. The guidelines will detail eligibility requirements, application procedures, and compliance mechanisms, ensuring a balanced approach to economic liberalization and social responsibility. The law complements existing frameworks such as the Premium Residency Law and property ownership rights extended to GCC citizens, further reinforcing Saudi Arabia's commitment to regulatory modernization under the Vision 2030 transformation plan. By opening its property market to global investors, the Kingdom seeks to position itself as a competitive real estate destination while addressing domestic housing demand and fueling long-term economic growth.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Major Augusta golf project showing significant signs of progress
Although it's been three months since Rory McIlroy captured his career Grand Slam by winning the 2025 Masters, there's plenty of excitement in Augusta, Georgia, on the golf front these days. Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley announced in 2023 that the club was creating a partnership with Augusta Municipal Golf Course, First Tee of Augusta and Augusta Tech to strengthen public golf in the community. Ridley then followed with an announcement at the 2025 Masters that the club is partnering with five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods to design a nine-hole short course as part of the renovation of the muni lovingly referred to as "The Patch." Woods' non-profit, the TGR Foundation, will also construct a TGR Learning Lab in Augusta. A new video released by the course shows that sod is being laid and the renovations are beginning to take shape. It was previously announced that Augusta Tech would relocate its golf course management program to The Patch, creating a living classroom environment. The course, which is being handled by design teams from Tom Fazio and Beau Welling, is expected to be completed in April 2026. Woods, who has worked with Welling in the past, visited the site in late June with Ridley.
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Mark Wahlberg And Municipal Plan Performance Footwear Expansion
The Municipal Origin was the first footwear launch from the brand. Mark Wahlberg tells me he's not really a patient person. But he wasn't about to rush the technology that defines his Municipal brand's footwear: 'When I say it took years to get right, I'm not kidding,' he says, adding that he knows it takes time to build something special. 'I personally must've tested at least 10 versions of it myself, but it's about having a mentality that isn't satisfied until you reach the vision you set out.' As Municipal—a brand co-founded by Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Harry Arnett—has crafted apparel and footwear to 'inspire people to get out there and start making it happen,' the brand has used the technology in its Origin premium trainer and All-Terrain Golf shoes, with plans to expand into additional performance categories over the next 24 months. The technology within the Origin trainer marks a comfort-focused technology from Municipal. 'We want to make the most comfortable performance footwear. Period,' Wahlberg says. ' combines layers of premium materials to create that feeling where you're almost sad to have to take them off at night. And then taking that technology across the new and different franchises we have and have on the way, again, never satisfied.' Arnett, Municipal CEO, tells me that when the Origin launched in November 2023 it was an entire line of a single silhouette, six colors 'straddling the fence of lifestyle and performance.' Less than 12 months later, they launched the golf shoe and now footwear is 30% of Municipal's business. 'We are incredibly bullish about the category,' Arnett says. 'We think we have the chops to really compete in a unique way, doing our own thing.' Arnett believes people are drawn to the style because of Municipal's technology. Calling a system, the tech features five layers of multi-density materials interacting with a supercritical foam for a 'luxury comfort, style experience.' Municipal plans a footwear expansion over the next 24 months that includes a mix of performance ... More models. The comfort value was the key. 'We were focused on occupying the comfort lane so when people think of Municipal.,' Arnett says, 'they think of comfort, performance and style coming together in a clean, elegant way.' The success breeds more silhouettes, with the next 24 months including a relaunch of the Origin and three new models: a trainer, a court shoe and a performance runner. 'There is a lot of technology work we are doing that is more advanced than in the past,' Arnett says, 'with carbon fiber and supercritical foam. We feel we have the product market fit box checked and are ready to put the pedal down.' The ownership group wants to attack the footwear category as an outsider. Wahlberg believes the mix of founders helps with that. 'That's our biggest strength,' Wahlberg says. 'We come from entertainment, sports, business, branding and we all bring something different to the table. That mix of perspectives helps us create a dynamic and well-rounded brand, and incredibly well-made products that not only perform but also deeply connect to real life. You know when something makes it as an actual product, it went through a lot of debate and collaboration to get there.' The Municipal Origin. Wahlberg is hands-on. 'Every day is something new, both exciting and challenging,' he says. 'I talk with Harry multiple times a day on anything from product ideas, business development, things I'm seeing, opportunities, long-term vision. The energy and the passion that goes on behind-the-scenes is what I love. Everyone looks at the finished product as being the goal, and that's true, but the community we're building is probably the most exciting part of the whole experience. When people come up to me and say they love the brand and everything it stands for, that's really gratifying.' As the young brand looks to evolve, Wahlberg says they remain focused on connecting with people who want to make a commitment to getting better every day. 'That's really why we started,' he says, 'to inspire people to get out there and start making it happen. It's an authentic mindset we all share.' Municipal began in 2019 and launched product in the middle of 2020. Built from scratch with the three co-founders, they saw an opportunity to combine the best elements of athleisure, health and wellness, street style with luxury underpinnings for both men and women living the type of life that starts and sometimes ends in the gym. Finding limitations with the brands already on the market, the group decided to build what they wanted themselves, calling it a 'sport utility performance' design. 'Municipal is the brand and gear for modern ambition,' Arnett says. Footwear now makes up roughly 30% of the Municipal business. Arnett says one of the cool parts has been the range of demographics drawn to it. The core group of young professionals, both men and women aged 25-35, is joined by the next gen category of those age 18-24, now about a quarter of the business. Also in the mix is the 36- to 54-year-old segment. 'We are kinda the favorite brand of old dudes like me and the high school and college kids who love the brand and love the style,' Arnett says. 'In that segment, they are not used to the quality being accessible to them.' With the community growing, the launch of shoes happened earlier than expected, giving the brand the head-to-toe solution it knew it wanted. The move into footwear for Municipal was natural, especially for Wahlberg who has a well-known love of shoes. But it was having true innovation in the footwear—and not just a fashion style with the brand name on it—that was going to be the first to release from the brand. 'It had to have world-class level of comfort you couldn't find with other brands,' Wahlberg says. Engineers worked with the layers of materials to interact with each other in a way that 'when people try it on, they have an immediate wow factor.' Municipal aims to broaden its appeal. 'There's a healthy degree of outsiders' perspective that drives the innovation and experience,' Arnett says. 'We are bringing a new approach to this type of category we felt like hasn't existed before.' MORE: On's The Roger Footwear Line Modernizing And Growing MORE: Lululemon Brings Brand's Approach To Wildfeel Trail Shoes
IOL News
20-06-2025
- IOL News
How a man impersonated an eThekwini employee in a R78,000-a-day fuel theft scheme
A man impersonating an eThekwini Municipality employee was caught fraudulently filling diesel. Image: Supplied A man posing as an eThekwini Municipality employee has been arrested in connection with a large-scale diesel theft operation that is believed to have cost Durban hundreds of thousands of rands. The arrest followed a tip-off about suspicious fuel activity involving Municipal vehicles, which prompted an internal investigation. According to the eThekwini Municipality, forensic investigators from the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate uncovered the scam after receiving reports from the City Fleet Directorate about Municipal vehicles filling diesel more than 10 times a day at petrol stations used by the City's official fleet. The suspect was found using a fuel master card assigned to a Water and Sanitation vehicle that had long been out of service and marked for disposal. Investigators discovered that privately owned vehicles were fraudulently using the card to siphon diesel. In a bid to avoid detection, the suspect duplicated number plates and branded the doors of his vehicles to resemble authentic Municipal fleet cars. These vehicles were used to stockpile diesel, which was later resold. 'The culprit had four vehicles fitted with a 750-litre fuel tank at the base of each single cab van. The diesel was stored in these tanks and resold. Each vehicle generated about R78 000 a day,' said Jimmy Ngcobo, Director of the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate. Ngcobo stated that it was an organised crime and must be treated as such. He further stated that the municipality has suffered serious financial losses. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The suspect, who admitted he does not work for the Municipality, was dressed in an eThekwini uniform at the time of his arrest. He claimed to be employed by a private individual and received R2,000 per day for his role. His daily routine included visiting over 15 petrol stations across Durban to fill up the tanks. He was caught red-handed with assistance from Metro Police and Reaction Unit South Africa. The man has since appeared in court on charges of fraud and corruption. The matter has been remanded until August. IOL NEWS
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
'Before it's too late': HC orders Thane commissioner to survey and take actions against illegal constructions across wards
Expressing 'shock' over proliferation of illegal constructions and delay in actions, the Bombay High Court has directed the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) Commissioner to conduct a survey of all illegal structures across its wards including developing areas and green zones and act against them 'before it is too late.' The HC on Thursday warned the civic body that if illegalities continue and it is unable to take action against the same, the court will have to consider whether the TMC would be required to be governed by a 'different/separate machinery' under Municipal laws. A bench of Justices Girish S Kulkarni and Arif S Doctor ordered immediate inspection of seventeen unauthorised structures/buildings in TMC area by the court-appointed officer and separate inquiry into the role of errant municipal officers in aiding such constructions. 'The situation is so serious that it would be difficult to believe that there is at all any rule of law when it comes to illegal constructions and whether the TMC is at all alive to what is happening under its feet and under the blessings of its officers,' the HC noted. The HC was hearing a plea by one Subhadra Ramchandra Takle, a senior citizen, who, through advocates A H Modi and Shafik Ahmed, claimed that her nearly five-and-half acre land in Mumbra area was grabbed by 'land mafia or sharks' without any permission from planning authority and 17 unauthorised structures were erected on it. 'Such construction could not have come up except with the blessings of the government and municipal officers. It is also shocking that the persons who have rampantly undertaken such construction could spend such huge amounts in undertaking such brazen illegal construction and ultimately to defraud innocent flat purchasers to purchase flats/tenements in such construction,' the bench noted. 'We may observe that those who purchase tenements in illegal construction are greedy purchasers, who are a different category of citizens as opposed to those citizens who would purchase tenements which are lawfully constructed, they cannot assert rights in regard to illegal construction,' the HC added. The court expressed 'shock' over TMC's reply and questioned why the civic body was delaying action despite being aware of illegalities on petitioner's land. The bench said the matter was 'serious' as it was 'clear case of land grabbing' with complaints 'having fallen to the deaf ears of municipal officers.' The court said it 'cannot overlook complete abdication of petitioner to the rule of law, at the hands of municipal authorities and citizens taking law into their hands' to put up illegal constructions. The HC directed the court-appointed officer to conduct immediate inspection of petitioner's land in presence of TMC commissioner with police protection and submit a report before next hearing on June 19. The bench further ordered a senior judicial officer to inquire into the role of all municipal officers responsible for such constructions and an inquiry report be produced before the court within six weeks. The court will pass orders on the outcome of both the reports. It added that the green zones and areas within which no construction is permissible ought to be safeguarded and if illegal structures come up on such lands, the same should be immediately removed as per law. The bench sounded a 'note of caution' that if 'gross illegality wantonly persists,' it will have to consider whether the corporation is functioning as per law. In such event, if TMC fails to follow its duties and obligations, the HC went on to note, 'the TMC would be required to be governed by a different/separate machinery which has also been provided under the provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, for which the state government would be required to be directed to take appropriate steps if the need so arises.'
