1 year ago

Aldar Expands Education Investments in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain

Aldar Properties has announced its expansion of investment in the education sector across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. This includes the acquisition of Kent College Dubai and Virginia International Private School, Abu Dhabi. The group announced a commitment of AED1 billion in 2022 and the new announcement adds a further AED350 million to the investment portfolio. Aldar Education’s plan includes the establishment of Cranleigh Bahrain, the first branded premium school in the country to offer a British International Curriculum. Acquisitions in UAE include Kent College Dubai and Virginia International Private School in Abu Dhabi with the Kent College acquisition subject to customary approvals, set to be the firm’s entry into the city. Click Here to Read More.

1 year ago

UAE Announces New School Ratings, Only 1 School Rated ‘Outstanding’

New UAE school ratings have been released to give an indication of the quality of education in the country. Sharjah’s Itqan program was launched to rate schools in the emirate and the results were announced at an event organised by the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), at University City Hall. 110 schools were reviewed across ten curricula and served more than 181,000 students. The study found 54 schools out of 110, representing 49 per cent of those evaluated, provide good or better education. The breakdown of the results revealed: One outstanding schoolNine very good schools44 good schools53 acceptable” schoolsThree weak schools.No school was ranked very weak. Click Here to Read More.

2 years ago

Dubai: Sheikh Mohammed Announces New Law for Self-Driving Cars

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has issued a new law in Dubai for self-driving or autonomous vehicles operating in the emirate. Law No. (9) of 2023, outlines the regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles operating in the city, and aims to accelerate Dubai’s smart mobility transformation and attract investments in the sector, as per a statement by the office of Sheikh Mohammed. Under the new law, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will be responsible to develop strategic plans and policies to improve the operations of autonomous vehicles in the emirate. The law mandates that a license issued by the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA is mandatory for conducting any activity related to autonomous vehicles. Click Here to Read More.

2 years ago

UAE: IIT To Open in Abu Dhabi Next Year

India’s renowned college Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is expected to open its first overseas campus in Abu Dhabi next year. This was confirmed by Sunjay Sudhir, Indian ambassador to the UAE, who said it would be a “significant move”. “We are expecting the sessions to start next year,” he said. He also confirmed that the finer details are still being finalised. “Currently discussions are on between ADEK and IIT Delhi on concrete things like where to set up, the course curriculum, the student body and the business model.” According to Sudhir, the institute will provide high level education to its prospective students. “Details about faculty is still under discussion,” he said. “But the education will be of very high quality. The quality that IIT is known for.” In November, a high-level team from IIT Delhi concluded a visit to the UAE capital and held extensive discussions with the Department of Education and Knowledge Abu Dhabi (ADEK) officials and other stakeholders in the UAE. Presently, there are 23 IITs in India, which are located in various regions of the country offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate level programmes. The institute is considered to be one among the best engineering colleges in […]

2 years ago

An Interview With The Award-Winning Team Of Bait Maryam, Dubai

Bait Maryam, a Dubai-based restaurant specializing in Levantine cuisine recently became the recipient of a Michelin Star Guide award. The Bib Gourmand Award for high-quality food at low prices was awarded to 14 restaurants featured in the comprehensive manual exploring the best eateries in Dubai. Inspired by her mother’s relationship with the community, Chef Salam Daqqaq established Bait Maryam, providing a homely experience for those visiting the Levantine restaurant. We recently had an opportunity to interview Nada Darraj, General Manager at Bait Maryam to know more about the restaurant. You are one of 14 restaurants in Dubai to receive the prestigious Bib Gourmand Award. How will this recognition affect your business? The award will positively affect the business in terms of worldwide exposure. A Palestinian-owned restaurant and chef achieving a prestigious award like this one is a matter of great pride for us! We are grateful to have been recognized in a city that brims with F&B options. What is the bestselling item off your menu? What makes it special? Our best seller is the Fatet mouskhan and what makes it so special is that my mother, Chef Salam Daqqaq created it inspired by the famous Mouskhan in Levantine cuisine. […]

2 years ago

A long Dubai weekend with a McLaren 720s Spider

Gulf Insider spends time with what’s been called “the world’s greatest supercar”. By Charlie Cooksey I remember visiting McLaren’s factory in Woking back in the summer of 2015 and being impressed with its beauty – spacious modern architecture on the edge of a lake set within the rolling hills of the English countryside. Everything was state of the art and spotlessly clean – you could, as the saying goes, ‘eat your lunch off the floor’. I felt the pride and innovation of the McLaren workforce and the great lengths the engineers go to improve every product for speed, lightness, safety, and to make the world’s finest performance machines.  I have kept good relations ever since, to the extent McLaren kindly offered me a striking bright orange 720s Spider to use as my personal transport when they learned I’d be visiting the UAE over a four-day long weekend last month. It would have been rude to have turned down such an enticing offer so on arriving in Dubai, I went and collected this thrilling machine from the Dubai Autodrome. Getting into the 720s, silly me had forgotten this car doesn’t do ‘normal doors’ – it sports the gull-wing doors. Getting in […]

2 years ago

A Dubai weekend in “affordable” Ferraris – Part I | The Roma

In the battle of the “affordable” Ferraris, which wins – Roma or Portofino M? Gulf Insider seeks to find out. By Charlie Cooksey Which is the best “affordable” Ferrari, the Roma or the Portofino M? I had the opportunity last month to drive and spend time with both. Okay, let’s be honest, neither of these entry-level Ferraris can really be called affordable, with starting prices of around BHD 95,000. But, in the world of luxury supercars, they qualify. Both are stunning, immensely powerful, and in the very top echelon of sports cars. I contacted an influencer friend in Dubai, Nadia Sultan, and asked if she’d like to collaborate with us to create some glamorous Ferrari content – turns out she’s always loved the Ferrari brand and jumped at the chance. I mean, who doesn’t love Ferraris? Nadia (@nadiasultanx) is a growing influencer and TikToker based in Dubai who I’d been following for a while and creates fun, authentic yet glamorous content. A great fit for the job. We decided to create content with Nadia for the Portofino M – she suited the Portofino M since it was a convertible so we could get some wind-swept shots with the roof retracted. […]

3 years ago

How are women changing science in the MENA region?

Gulf Insider interviews the 14 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East winners. The L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Ceremony was held at Expo 2020 Dubai, honoring 14 women from the MENA region for their remarkable discoveries in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). For over 20 years, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have worked together to empower female scientists to achieve scientific excellence and to support them during their thesis or post-doctoral studies. With over 50 programmes including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science, they support over 250 female researchers per year. Post-doctorate Researcher Category Nura Adam Mohamed (Qatar) What is the focus of your research and the purpose behind it? My research focus is in the nanomedicine field, a promising area that is attracting national and international interest, especially as the world is moving towards developing targeted therapeutics and personalized medicine. Particularly, I am focused on nanoparticles that have cardio-protective effects to be used as an advanced treatment method for cardiovascular diseases/complications associated with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders in Qatar, the Gulf region and the world, and cardiovascular complications are the most common complications of diabetes. Studies have shown […]

3 years ago

BMW Group: Sustainability, inclusivity, and social responsibilities

Charlie Cooksey of Gulf Insider attends a roundtable by Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Labour Relations Director, and patron of the Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) as she speaks about BMW and the IIA. The BMW Group is an international, intercultural company operating in 140 countries and has production operations in over 30 countries. Intercultural, mutual understanding, and respect are their key drivers for future cooperation, as well as climate change with their sustainability strategies and social responsibilities. The BMW Group and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) awarded ten organizations from ten countries with the Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) at the Germman Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai. The award honoured people and projects that promote diversity, tolerance, and inclusion in a creative way. Over 1,100 organizations from 120 countries applied for the award. Why hold the IIA in Dubai? Coinciding with the themed week on Tolerance and Inclusivity, and the International Day of Tolerance, it was the perfect place. I really liked the motto of the of the expo – “connecting minds creating future”. If you want to connect minds, you need to respect one another, therefore, I think it’s […]

3 years ago

First Ever “Icons of Porsche” Festival in Dubai

Gulf Insider’s Charlie Cooksey attends the region’s largest “car culture gatherings” in Dubai. By Charlie Cooksey Last month, I was lucky enough to attend the biggest public event held by any automotive manufacturer in the Middle East and the first of its kind in the region – a very special two-day event on November 19th and 20th at The Slab in Dubai Design District. When I entered the sea of cars, I was so totally in awe of what I saw around that I actually stopped listening to what the person I was with was saying to me and had to ask them to repeat themselves (sorry Anja). So, what was “Icons of Porsche”? Well, there were more than 1,000, mostly classic Porsches on show. Hundreds of classic car owners from across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Oman made the journey to Dubai to display their own beloved – sometimes rare and customized – cars. Porsche also brought over many special models from their museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Some of the cars on display included Le Mans-winning racing icons such as the 911 GT1 or the 917 KH which celebrated the brand’s history of success in motorsports. […]

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