Skip to main content

icnlive

Adnan Al-Jaziri

Writer,

icn.live

Follow

Adnan Al-Jaziri brings nearly a decade of reporting on the economy sector in the Gulf, contributing features to Arab News MENA and The Gulf Today in Business. His background in communication has shaped a career focused on explaining finance’s role in economic transformation. He studied Media and Communication at University in Dubai.
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy supported the launch of 32 new mobile applications this year. The achievement came through the Create Apps Accelerator Programme, a focused support track for founders. This programme sits within the wider Create Apps in Dubai initiative led by the chamber. If you follow regional tech news, you know Dubai keeps pushing app innovation forward. The accelerator ran as a 45-day sprint built for high-potential startup teams and founders. Participants came from 22 countries and worked across 13 different business and technology sectors.

Artificial intelligence powered 60 percent of the applications launched through this accelerator programme this year. These AI tools help founders build faster and smarter products for real market needs today. Your favourite apps often start with this kind of structured mentorship and hands-on guidance. Many founders used AI to speed up testing, design choices, and early product decisions.

How Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy backs new founders

The programme delivered more than 170 hours of one-on-one mentoring and practical guidance overall. Experts also led six specialized workshops covering design, market positioning, compliance, and app scaling. Workshops gave teams direct feedback on real products and growth problems they often faced. Last year, the same programme gave 140 mentoring hours to a group of 24 teams. Teams built working app prototypes for iOS and Android before their public store launches. Such hands-on work helps founders avoid many common mistakes before a busy launch week. Growing mobile app development in Dubai talent helped founders reach App Store and Google Play listings.

Mentorship turning ideas into market-ready apps

Saeed AlGergawi, Vice President of the chamber, welcomed the strong results from this programme edition. He said, “The launch of the 32 apps reflects the impact of these efforts.” Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy views these launches as proof of strong global appeal. The 32 launched applications cover a wide and diverse range of practical digital solutions. Education led the sectors here, followed closely by healthcare and longevity-focused wellbeing applications overall. Other strong sectors included fintech, AI, social media, plus real estate digital products this round. Founders here represented countries like the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, India, Yemen, and Jordan.

Why Dubai digital economy startups keep growing

Dubai digital economy startups gain real momentum from focused programmes like this accelerator track. The accelerator supports founders who did not reach the final Create Apps Championship stages. These founders still receive training and guidance to launch their projects to the market. Good guidance early on saves founders time, money, and real stress during product launches. The Create Apps in Dubai initiative continues to attract thousands of new applications regularly. This effort supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and its goals for digital growth. From my standpoint, this model gives early founders a clear and practical path forward.

You can see how steady support shapes confidence among investors, founders, and digital partners. Investors watch these numbers closely because they signal long-term strength across the digital sector. Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy plans to keep widening this support for future founders. Each new edition shows stronger numbers, deeper mentorship, and wider reach across global markets. The results give you a clear view of where Dubai’s digital ambitions head next.

Dhabi Bank launch

Dhabi Bank launch gives you a new way to manage money across many global markets. Finance House Group announced the new bank inside the Abu Dhabi Global Market this week. The bank wants to serve people and firms who work and live across borders. Its digital tools let you open accounts, save funds, and send money with ease. Dhabi Bank ADGM operates as the first full bank built inside this financial free zone.

You gain access to current accounts, savings products, and fixed deposits in one place. Both individuals and businesses can build their wealth through a single connected banking platform. Finance House Group has worked in the UAE financial sector for more than two decades. The group brings strong infrastructure and proven systems to support this new banking brand. Still, the bank follows an independent path with its own clear goals and vision. Digital banking UAE customers want speed, safety, and full control over each daily transaction.

Dhabi answers this demand with secure tools built around trust, safety, and full transparency. You can manage, transfer, and grow your funds from almost anywhere in the world.

Why the Dhabi Bank launch matters for you

The Dhabi Bank launch arrives as global financial needs shift with greater worker mobility. More people now live, work, and earn across several different countries during their careers. Traditional banks often struggle to serve clients who hold money across many global markets. This Abu Dhabi Global Market bank targets exactly these modern and cross-border banking needs today. From my standpoint, this model fits how people now earn and spend their income.

Each account stays connected, so you watch your full balance in one simple view. Mohamed Abdullah Alqubaisi chairs the new bank and founded Finance House Group many years ago. “We built a platform for those who see opportunity across the world,” Alqubaisi said. Alqubaisi added that the bank sets a new benchmark for borderless banking from Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi keeps growing as a strong global financial and business center each year. The bank blends global ambition with strong regional links across nearby high-growth markets. Its leaders focus on you, the customer, within every product and service design decision.

A board of experienced leaders now guides the bank during its early setup phase. These specialists come from many sectors and help shape the long-term strategic direction together.

Strong leadership behind the Abu Dhabi Global Market bank

A skilled management team supports the board and runs daily operations across the bank. They work to deliver the full vision through fresh banking products and smart services. For you, the Dhabi Bank launch means simpler control over money across many borders. Each service builds on trust, security, and clear transparency for every single account holder. The Dhabi Bank launch gives the UAE a fresh model for borderless personal finance.

You now have a banking option built for life and work without fixed borders. The bank plans to grow its products as customer needs change over the coming years. Watching its next moves will help you judge its value for your own goals.

QatarEnergy shared new oil discovery

QatarEnergy shared new oil discovery results from the Merlin-1X well offshore Namibia this week. The well sits inside Petroleum Exploration License 39, a block in the Orange Basin. Engineers found good reservoir quality, light oil, and limited associated gas at the site. These early signs point to the strongest subsurface results recorded under this license yet. For energy markets, this result reshapes how you read Namibia’s oil exploration prospects today.

What is the Merlin-1X well found in Namibia

Merlin-1X became the tenth well drilled under this license since the program began here. The well started drilling in April 2026 and reached the deeper Coniacian rock play. Light oil with limited gas signals a cleaner, more valuable target for future development. Shell operates the block and shares ownership with QatarEnergy and the state firm NAMCOR. QatarEnergy holds a 45 percent stake, while Shell holds 45 percent and NAMCOR takes 10. Eugene Okpere, a senior Shell executive, welcomed the results, adding fresh insight into the basin. He said the team follows a disciplined, data-led approach to test real commercial value. Okpere even called the outcome “encouraging” for the broader Orange Basin Namibia exploration effort.

QatarEnergy shared a new oil discovery as Orange Basin hopes grow

When QatarEnergy shared new oil discovery details, attention turned to the basin’s rising potential. This new find follows Graff-1, Venus-1X, and Jonker-1X, three earlier wins in the region. Analysts now compare the Orange Basin to the early oil success seen in Guyana waters. Reported resources across the basin now run into billions of barrels, analysts estimate today. Deep water defines this offshore Namibia oil zone, with depths reaching nearly 3,000 meters. Such depth raises drilling costs, yet strong reservoir quality can offset some of those risks. Supermajors keep moving into the region as fresh results lift overall confidence each year. As I see it, this run of finds turns Namibia into a serious oil contender.

What this result means for you

QatarEnergy shared new oil discovery news while building a wide position across Namibia’s offshore acreage. The company holds stakes in PEL 0039, PEL 0056, PEL 0091, and PEL 0090. Those four licenses together cover close to 34,000 square kilometers of seabed off Namibia. PEL 0039 carries its largest stake and has produced the strongest results so far. Shell plans more drilling in PEL 0039 later in 2026 under a broader appraisal campaign. For you as a reader, these steps signal real momentum behind Namibia’s oil exploration. Commercial output still depends on appraisal wells, drilling costs, and final investment decisions ahead. QatarEnergy has not yet released a public resource estimate for the Merlin-1X exploration well. Investors will watch the next wells before judging the full scale of this find.

The QatarEnergy oil discovery at Merlin-1X strengthens the case for more deep offshore work. Namibia stands to gain jobs, revenue, and a stronger role in global energy supply. Your view of African oil supply should now include this fast-growing Orange Basin story. When QatarEnergy shared new oil discovery results, it added weight to a growing trend. The coming months will test whether these barrels reach real and profitable production levels. For now, the well counts as a clear win for QatarEnergy and Shell together. Watching the next drilling phase will tell you how large this prize truly becomes.