Facebook to charge $11.99/month for this service

Meta, owner of Facebook, is currenty experimenting with limiting non-verified users to just two organic posts with external links per month. Beyond that, users may have to pay a fee. Starting December 16, “Meta Verified” subscription is require for unlimited sharing. Q: What is ‘Meta Verified’? Meta Verified is a paid subscription service on Meta platforms […]

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi and Emirates Society of Ophthalmology Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement

Abu Dhabi, UAE – December 18, 2025: In a warm and forward-looking ceremony at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi, leaders from the Emirates Society of Ophthalmology (ESO) and Bascom Palmer gathered to sign a landmark Memorandum of Understanding. The event marked not just a formal agreement, but the beginning of a collaborative effort to […]

UAE hotel occupancy rates among world’s highest

Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy & Tourism, said that hotel occupancy rates in the UAE reached 79.3 percent during the first ten months of 2025, up from 78 percent last year, ranking among the highest regionally and globally. In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the launch […]

UAE boosts leadership in protecting intangible cultural heritage with four new UNESCO inscriptions

In a cultural achievement that adds to the United Arab Emirates’ list of accomplishments, the nation successfully secured the inscription of four new elements onto UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A milestone that further reaffirms the nation’s leading position in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. This occurred during the 20th session […]

Snow possible in northern Saudi Arabia; experts say it is not unusual

Snow was already reported in the Tabuk region, where mountains were blanketed in white Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology has forecast a high probability of snowfall on Thursday across parts of the Kingdom’s north, including the Qassim region and elevated areas of Tabuk and Hail, as an intense weather system continues to affect large […]

Saudi Arabia imposes SR100,000 fines for Hajj transport violations

Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Mecca and the Holy Sites has released draft regulations outlining a new framework for governing transportation services during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, a move aimed at tightening oversight of one of the world’s largest and most complex mass-mobility operations. Under the proposed rules, according to Okaz newspaper, individuals or companies […]

4.3-magnitude earthquake hits Saudi Arabia

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern province of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) reported. The quake occurred at 2:11am UAE time, with a depth of 50 kilometers, according to the NCM. The tremor was not felt in the UAE and had no impact on the country, the NCM confirmed. STORY […]

Saudi Arabia to build 40m-passenger terminal at King Salman Airport

Saudi Arabia is moving ahead with major expansion plans for King Salman International Airport (KSIA), with work set to begin next year on a new passenger terminal capable of accommodating 40 million travellers annually. In a statement to Al Eqtisadiah Arabic daily newspaper,  KSIA’s acting CEO Marco Mejia said that the new terminal forms part […]

Saudi regulator grants Jetex licence for Red Sea airport

Jetex secured a license from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation to provide ground handling and business aviation services at Red Sea International Airport. The approval, announced with Red Sea International Airport during the Supply Chain & Logistics Conference 2025 in Riyadh. The license lets Jetex roll out full private aviation support at the gateway to the […]

Ousmane Dembélé wins FIFA The Best award for 2025

French star Ousmane Dembélé was crowned winner of the FIFA The Best award for 2025 during the official ceremony held this evening in the Qatari capital, Doha. Dembélé’s win capped an exceptional season with Paris Saint-Germain, as he added the FIFA The Best award to the Ballon d’Or he received last September. He led his […]