All posts tagged: dubai

Daniel Kinahan arrested in Dubai over alleged links to ‘international organised crime’ | UK News

Daniel Kinahan arrested in Dubai over alleged links to ‘international organised crime’ | UK News

Irish national Daniel Kinahan has been arrested in Dubai over alleged links to an “international organised crime network”. He was detained after a court in Ireland issued an arrest warrant Dubai authorities said they received a judicial file and “immediately launched intensive search and surveillance operations, leading to the suspect’s capture” within 48 hours. They said the “Irish fugitive” was detained on 15 April over his “alleged role in an international organised crime network”. Dublin’s high court previously named Kinahan as a senior figure in a crime gang involved in international drug trafficking operations and firearm offences. In 2022, US authorities issued a reward of up to $5m for his arrest. Kinahan was previously linked to the boxing world and co-founded a well-known management and promotions company – which later shut down. In 2016, a bloody feud with the rival Hutch gang led to an attempt on his life when men disguised as armed police opened fire at a boxing weigh-in at a Dublin hotel. Kinahan managed to escape but gang member David Byrne was …

Art Dubai 2026 Special Edition Exhibitors Announced

Art Dubai 2026 Special Edition Exhibitors Announced

Art Dubai has released the exhibitor list for its 2026 “special edition,” a scaled-back fair that will run May 15–17 at Madinat Jumeirah, with a VIP preview on May 14, bringing together roughly 75 presentations across galleries, institutions, and partners.  The revised format, announced amid ongoing regional instability and rising costs across the fair circuit, places a tighter focus on galleries with longstanding ties to the region: roughly 60 percent of participants in this edition hail from the Gulf and Southwest Asia, alongside a smaller contingent of international players. Related Articles The exhibitor list reflects that balance. Regional mainstays such as The Third Line, Lawrie Shabibi, Carbon 12, Ayyam Gallery, and Tabari Artspace will be joined by international galleries including Perrotin, Galleria Continua, Waddington Custot, and Galerie Frank Elbaz.  In contrast to the larger editions that have defined the fair in recent years, this version is deliberately compact. Organizers have emphasized a more “focused program” with presentations ranging from contemporary, modern, and digital practices, alongside a broader mix of institutional collaborations and commissioned works.  The …

Major Dubai tourist attraction closing as statement issued – in business since 1999 | World | News

Major Dubai tourist attraction closing as statement issued – in business since 1999 | World | News

A Dubai hotel has announced a temporary 18-month closure as they plan a “carefully phased” refurbishment. The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai published a statement on its website that read: “Jumeirah Burj Al Arab is currently undergoing a carefully phased restoration programme designed to refresh and upgrade the hotel’s iconic décor while preserving its distinctive character. “The programme has been developed through long-term planning, following more than 25 years of continuous operation. We would be pleased to assist with an alternative reservation in one of our Jumeirah properties in town.” Jumeirah did not mention the war on Iran in its statement, but Middle East Eye (MEE) said in an article that “it is thought that Iran’s strikes on the UAE and other Gulf states that host US bases has sparked an exodus of foreign expats and tourists from the region”. The same publication said that since the beginning of the conflict, more than $120bn was reportedly wiped from market capitalisation on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchanges, while over 18,400 flights were …

Alserkal Art Month Expands Dubai Art Week Ahead of Rescheduled Art Dubai

Alserkal Art Month Expands Dubai Art Week Ahead of Rescheduled Art Dubai

Alserkal Avenue will stretch its usual Art Week into a five-week “Art Month” from April 18 to May 18, adding grants, temporary warehouse space for collectives, and a commercially focused group show organized with 12 galleries from around the United Arab Emirates. The extension is an effort to keep exhibitions and sales moving at a moment when pressure is building across the market and the global stage.  The initiative broadens what was once a tightly packed week of openings into a more distributed model: 16 gallery exhibitions, public art commissions, and more than 100 talks, performances, and events unfolding over five weekends. Among the opening shows are Green Art Gallery’s group exhibition “All the Lands from Sunrise to Sunset” that examines the persistence of imperial power through work by artists like Michael Rakowitz, while Efie Gallery will debut a public-facing viewing room with art by El Anatsui and Aïda Muluneh, among others.  Related Articles At The Third Line, Sara Naim’s solo exhibition will feature paintings that move between figuration and abstraction and will be paired with a video …

Uber increases stake in WeRide as robotaxi partnership ramps up in Dubai

Uber increases stake in WeRide as robotaxi partnership ramps up in Dubai

Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle company WeRide have launched robotaxi operations without a human safety operator in Dubai as part of a broader expansion in the Middle East. Riders can now book the vehicles through Uber’s app, with operations in commercial and industrial districts like Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Investment Park Second, and Jabal Ali Industrial First, as well as suburban areas and the maritime trading hub Al Hamriya Port. The service is operated locally by Tawasul, a mobility and fleet operator in the United Arab Emirates. The companies first introduced robotaxis to Dubai in December under a pilot program, but didn’t charge for rides and still had a human safety operator on board. The government’s Roads and Transport Authority issued a driverless vehicle trial permit to the companies last month. The deployment signals an escalation in WeRide’s robotaxi operations in the region. It also coincides with Uber’s increased stake in the company. Uber now holds a 5.82% stake in WeRide, according to documents filed Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The equity stake …

War puts the Gulf’s once‑packed conference calendar on hold

War puts the Gulf’s once‑packed conference calendar on hold

Before the Middle East war, the Gulf had positioned itself to become one of the world’s busiest hubs for conferences, exhibitions, and high‑level events. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have each worked hard to be seen as the crossroads for business, politics and innovation, hosting global sporting events from Formula 1 to high-stakes boxing championships and top-tier golf tournaments. The Gulf has also welcomed global CEOs, home to major business gatherings like the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Web Summit in Doha and Abu Dhabi Finance Week. A delegate arrives at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum. Fayez Nureldine | Afp | Getty Images Now, as war grounds flights and threatens to destabilize the region’s carefully built future, events from cultural to crypto have been quietly rescheduled. Several high‑profile gatherings across the Middle East scheduled from March to May are being postponed, rescheduled or placed under review as organizers assess the impact of the current regional conflict, underscoring how geopolitical …

Emirates issue major update as flights disrupted from UK to Dubai | World | News

Emirates issue major update as flights disrupted from UK to Dubai | World | News

Emirates has warned its passengers they may face disruption as they continue to fly a limited number of flights from the UK to Dubai, and vice versa. The airline has warned it will carry on “a reduced flight schedule” following the closure of the United Arab Emirates airspace after a series of drone attacks by Iran. Several other major airlines, including British Airways, have cancelled all flights into Dubai, with the airline continuing to cancel flights to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha and Tel Aviv. However, choosing to carry on Dubai routes, Emirates issued an update on its website. The statement reads: “Following the partial reopening of regional airspace, Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule. Ensure our latest news headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. “You can check our latest flight schedules for upcoming flights and book seats to travel. We continue to monitor the situation, and we will …

Art Dubai Postpones Fair to May Amid Wider Middle East Conflict

Art Dubai Postpones Fair to May Amid Wider Middle East Conflict

Art Dubai is the latest fair to be upended by the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. With Iran continuing to stirke the United Arab Emirates, leading to eight dead and 157 injured and damage to Dubai International Airport, the emirate’s leading art fair announced that its upcoming ediiton will not be held as planned in April. Instead, the fair said in a statement Thursday that it will be moving foward in an “adapted format” on May 14 to May 17 at the resort Madinat Jumeirah, its longtime venue. Related Articles “Following our last communication, we have remained in close dialogue with all our stakeholders and across these discussions, there remains a clear sense that maintaining the platform that Art Dubai represents is important for the wider cultural ecosystem,” the statement reads, before announcing the new dates. “This edition will take the form of a more focused and flexible format, bringing together galleries, artists and institutions through a combination of presentations, collaborations and public programming.” In a separate email attributed to Dunja Gottweiss, …