Author: Mahdeehassan

June 2025, Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Something special is rising at ME by Meliá Dubai this month. For one morning only, on June 17th, the hotel’s signature venue, Central Restaurant, will host an exclusive breakfast experience that brings together two celebrated culinary talents, Chef Bruno Dinel, founder of the award-winning French bakery Au Pain de Mon Grand-Père, and ME by Meliá Dubai’s Executive Chef Biljana Nava Villarreal, the creative force behind ME Dubai’s refined dining offerings. The one-day-only menu brings together buttery brioches, rustic sourdoughs, and freshly baked French baguettes crafted by Chef Dinel, alongside a vibrant lineup of signature dishes curated…

Lottery.com has signed a $2.5 million agreement to acquire a 90% stake in Nook Holdings, a sports and wellness incubator based in Dubai, founded by Ravi Bhusari. The deal will see Nook rebranded as part of the Sports.com platform, serving as Lottery.com’s MENA base. The acquisition is part of Lottery.com’s modular global expansion model focused on acquiring high-potential, cash-generating businesses in the sports, health, and entertainment sectors. Press release: Lottery.com has announced it has signed an amended stock purchase agreement to acquire 90% of Nook Holdings, a UAE-based sports and wellness incubator, for $2.5 million in cash. The deal is expected to…

Betsson, Soft2Bet, and Novibet were among the standout winners at last night’s inaugural SBC Awards Europe ceremony. The prestigious ceremony took place on the evening of Thursday, 12th June at the Hilton Malta in Saint Julian’s. The evening brought the industry together to recognise the people and companies driving progress and setting new standards in sports betting and gaming across Europe. The evening was hosted by globally recognised sports broadcaster and football presenter, Alison Bender, who presented 34 distinct awards honouring the industry’s leading operators, affiliates, and suppliers, in front of an audience of 400 industry stakeholders. Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “We launched SBC Summit Malta…

UAE-based healthtech SANTECHTURE has secured a “strategic” investment from US-based CorroHealth. Founded in 2019 by Anas Batikhi, SANTECHTURE, which now operates in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, India and Egypt, offers technology solutions to healthcare providers to enhance the overall experience for providers and patients. The investment formalises a two-year collaboration between the two companies, which have jointly piloted AI-driven RCM innovations for regional clients and co-hosted industry events, such as the Arab Health 2025 reception. In 2023, SANTECHTURE raised another investment from Gulf Capital (GC) and Shorooq Partners. Press release: Global healthcare technology company CorroHealth has made a strategic investment into Dubai-based pioneering revenue…

UAE-based regtech Qanooni has raised $2 million in a pre-seed round led by Village Global, Oryx Fund by Salica Investments, TA Ventures, and strategic angels. Founded in 2024 by Anuscha Iqbal, Ziyaad Ahmed, and Karim Shiyab, Qanooni is building a seamless AI-powered legal platform that integrates into Microsoft Outlook and Word, enabling lawyers to draft, review, and manage documents using AI that adapts to their writing style and internal standards. The new funding will fuel Qanooni’s expansion across the UAE and UK, and enhance its proprietary legal AI engine, reinforcing its role in driving the future of legal automation across MENA and…

This collaboration will enable enterprises to automate voice interactions in Arabic dialects, streamlining tasks like booking confirmations and service inquiries. Dubai, UAE – June 11, 2025 – CNTXT AI, a Data and AI enabler driving AI readiness in the region, has partnered with Actualize, a leader in real-time voice automation, to launch a next-generation Arabic AI voice agent that understands and responds to regional dialects in real time, enhancing customer engagement across key service touchpoints. The collaboration addresses persistent challenges in Arabic voice technology — from underrepresentation of regional dialects to the need for privacy-compliant, locally hosted deployments. With the…

Belkin, a leading consumer electronics brand for over 40 years, today announced its entry into the gaming accessories space with the launch of a new lineup designed to be compatible with the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2. Built on decades of experience in power, connectivity and device protection, and released under Belkin’s innovation-focused Future Ventures category, this marks the company’s first collection of products tailored specifically for the gaming community. Belkin is “Leveling up your play” – bringing a new level of reliability to the gaming ecosystem that differentiates through premium materials, timeless design, and in-house engineering. The new range includes elevated…

To prepare for this year’s Hajj season, the Saudi Roads General Authority (RGA) has launched the largest and most advanced AI-powered road inspection fleet in the world. This fleet consists of 18 high-tech units utilising five state-of-the-art technologies, all aimed at improving road safety, enhancing quality, and ensuring an exceptional experience for pilgrims. The fleet includes specialized equipment for scanning surface damage, measuring the International Roughness Index (IRI), assessing pavement layer thickness, evaluating structural deflection, and testing skid resistance. Among the highlights are seven surface damage scanners equipped with high-resolution cameras, laser units, GPS, and data storage systems for precise…

Riyadh, June 2025: In a move set to deepen economic insight and advisory services across Saudi Arabia, Oxford Business Group (OBG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Strategic Gears, a Saudi-based management consulting firm, to jointly produce high-impact research and advisory content supporting the Kingdom’s economic transformation under Vision 2030. The two-year agreement formalises a strategic collaboration aimed at fostering knowledge exchange, policy analysis and investment insight through joint publications, advisory projects and thought leadership initiatives. It underscores a shared commitment to delivering relevant, data-driven economic intelligence that reflects Saudi Arabia’s evolving priorities. Strategic Gears will contribute its…

Stride Ventures, a global venture debt firm, has announced the expansion of its operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Saudi Arabia at the heart of its growth strategy. The move includes opening a second regional office and doubling its local team, alongside the release of the inaugural Global Venture Debt Report 2025, produced in collaboration with Kearney. The report highlights a 54% CAGR for the GCC venture debt market—four times the global average—reaching $500 million in 2024, up from just $60 million in 2020. Stride aims to triple its GCC assets under management (AUM) by 2026, targeting $500 million…