Abu Dhabi-based KBBO Group recently made the largest investment in an Egyptian technology startup to date with a $2.7 million investment in Yaoota.com, money, says CEO and cofounder Sherif ElRakabawy, that will be partially used to expand to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, capitalizing on the fact that the small emirate has the best infrastructure in place for the market with the highest Internet, mobile device and payment card penetration.  Read More »

A study conducted by MoveSouq.com and RSA Insurance found that 61 percent of Dubai homes are uninsured. While health and car policies remain at the highest level of penetration, most people forgo personal property coverage. Gulf News Journal sat down with RSA's David Harris to find out why residents aren’t buying rental insurance despite high rates of fire and water damage. Read More »

Qatar-based Silatech and Dubai-based start-up Nabbesh recently joined forces to connect university graduates in Palestine with flexible telecommuting opportunities in the region through a first-of-its kind campaign called Fursati. Read More »

Hive Energy, one of the United Kingdom’s leading solar-power developers, recently opened its first international office in Dubai. The company's first representative office outside of the U.K. will participate in the building of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's (DEWA) 1,000-megawatt Al Maktoum Solar Park, just south of Dubai, and plans to begin solar rooftop projects in the Emirate. Read More »

Augmented reality may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s as close as your smartphone. For Daniel Gudkov, CEO of RealEye Studio, an augmented reality (AR) and digital design firm in Dubai, the new technology is poised to change the way we see new places. Read More »

Jawhara Group of Hotels & Apartments, an Islamic-based hospitality service, discussed the expansion of the Al Jawhara brand to Oman and Saudi Arabia. The move comes in the wake of Crescent Rating, the world’s leading authority on halal-friendly travel, announcing that four Gulf Cooperation Council countries have secured a spot in the 10 top destinations for Muslim travelers. Read More »

Dubai-based ENSHAA has sold over 97 percent of its D1 Tower Apartments in one of Dubai’s latest mega-projects, Cultural Village, and has begun the handover of the 80-floor, 518-apartment skyscraper. “There has been an undoubted softening in the market in the past 18 months and like all responsible developers, we adjust our positioning accordingly,” ENSHAA CEO Raza Jafar said. Read More »

Carpool Arabia, Dubai’s first private ride-sharing company, has secured its first round of funding and will use a $350,000 investment to create a mobile application. “We launched the platform and after a few months, 95 percent of the traffic was coming from people who want to commute from home to the office,” Benjamin de Terssac, co-founder of Carpool Arabia, said. Read More »

The Muslim population is rapidly increasing, and is expected to grow to 26.5 percent of the global population by 2030. This population segment offers one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Gulf News Journal spoke with Anas Kasak, chief marketing officer at CrescentRating, to find out more about the Muslim travel industry and its potential for the Gulf region. Read More »

Crowdfunding has become a popular way for new businesses to show proof of concept and garner community support for their product, but the service doesn’t work as well for small and medium enterprises. We sat with Eureeca co-founder Sam Quawasm to talk to him about the value of crowd investing, and what it means for the startup community in the Gulf region. Read More »

A new report published by Euromonitor International for The Leisure Show Dubai 2015 forecasts that theme park revenue in the United Arab Emirates will almost double by 2019 from $470 million to $837 million. Gulf News Journal sat with Phil Taylor, managing director of Dubai-based consultancy Team Leisure LLC, who will discuss “Dubai Theme Parks: Boom or Bust?” Read More »

Award Deli, Dubai’s latest online grocer, attempts to take the guesswork out of buying new products with a delivery concept that only deals in award-winning products. According to its founder, UAE residents waste an incredible amount just trying products. Read More »

Launched in 2014, Dubai-based website provides contact information for and ratings of home service providers in the region. The site's owners recently found an investor in Amjad Ahmad, the former NBK Capital Partners CEO, who shared a similar idea. Read More »

Survey revealed that most residents have issues with air conditioning units, sewage, electricity, thin walls and defective water heaters. The study also found that only 50 percent of landlords in Dubai pay for their tenants' maintenance services. Read More »

With big name retail customers such as Chevrolet, Givenchy, and Crate and Barrel, Iconiction has created campaigns that are both targeted and informative. Hyperlocal advertising has proven extremely successful for the company, which was founded in 2014. Read More »

As part of the United Arab Emirate's plan to reducing energy by 30 percent by 2030, Honeywell has customized it VisionPRO 8000 thermostat to better serve the large spaces of mosques and the need for better ventilation during five daily prayer times. Read More »

The world’s first online interactive tour Dubai 360 recently added more than 140 nighttime panoramas of the city and skyline to their already robust site. Read More »

UAE-based JunkBot joins 85 companies that have been chosen out of more than 1,800 applications by Start-up Chile. Read More »

Musafir.com, the United Arab Emirates' first premium experience travel website, recently announced a partnership with Dubai Tourism to promote Dubai to Indian travelers. Gulf News Journal spoke with Sachin Gadoyah, managing director of Musafir.com. Read More »

Gulf News Journal spoke with Philip Shepherd, a partner from PriceWaterhouse, about the company's recent  “UAE’s Transformation into a World-Class Leisure and Entertainment Destination" report to learn more about the country’s strengths and challenges. Read More »