News Bites

Real Estate

• YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO GUESS WHAT THEY’RE BUILDING IN DUBAI MARINA!!!! yup you guessed it, more buildings! A 2 Billion AED, 436 units massive tower is about to be completed and will be another addition to Dubai’s generously populated skyline 🏙️

• Have you ever sold something that was never yours to sell in the first place? Looks like Israel is furthering its occupation by selling land to real estate developers in North America…for the occupied West Bank

• Studies show a tight supply and lack of options will contribute to a strong UAE real estate yield for the year in 2024. The planned construction in the UAE topping $400 Billion is almost a quarter of all real estate development in the GCC! 💰💰💰

Economy

• Here’s a blast from the past! Dubai Taxi revenue was up 11% at the close of 2023. Long wait times with ride-sharing apps could be part of the reason, but the main drive is likely an increase in tourism 🚕

• Looks like young people are playing an ever greater role in the changing Middle Eastern economic landscape as per a CNN report. Guess Mama and Baba are gonna have to start letting us out after curfew now? #NoWay 🩴

• Egypt’s received another support package from the Big Brother (IMF). An $8 Billion loan in exchange for an increase in interest rates and a free-floating currency. Will this bode well for Egypt in the long run? We all know an IMF loan comes with serious baggage…🏦 ☠️

Arts and Culture

• Imagine writing a song that wins you a GRAMMY 🏆 Now imagine that same song gets you a prison sentence ☠️ Shervin Hajipour got the award for his anthem supporting protests over Mahsa Amini’s death, but the Iranian govt has given him 3 years and 8 months of jail time for “propaganda against the system”

• Need a book recommendation? Famed CNN anchor, Hala Gorani, has her memoir out: “But You Don’t Look Arab” - if you totally relate to that feeling of belonging and unbelonging, pick up your copy now (any confused third culture kids out there? this one’s for you)

• Ramadan is right around the corner brothers and sisters 🌙 We know for those late nights, sometimes you need some tea, cards and a cozy tent over your heads. If you’re in the UAE, you can check these ones out ✨

Technology

1. Zayed International Airport achieved a landmark in air travel technology by revolutionizing the passenger experience through the implementation of IDEMIA's biometric solutions, processing over 1 million passengers. It’s like a fingerprint reader, but for your passport and travel history (unfortunately, some of us can’t use it since a Pakistani passport needs a visa to visit a grocery store) 🤷🏻‍♀️

2. Are we living in the past or the future? Dubai is set to host the Future Festival 2024 on April 24th and 25th at Expo City Dubai, bringing together innovators to explore revolutionary advancements. Hopefully, we’ll get to see some flying cars and laser robots there. PEW PEW 🤖 🚀

3. Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing them of breaching a contract. Papa Musk alleges that OpenAI violated the agreement by prioritizing profits and commercial interests over its original mission - claiming the altruistic robot is now hungry for financial gains (that’s kinda rich coming from a real-life Lex Luther, who’s been a little unhinged lately) P.S. anybody notice FB/IG crash on Wednesday?? We panicked too 🤯

✨ akhbaar Spotlight ✨

As elections loom for the big old puppet master, the US, we gotta give the floor to reps stepping up and making a difference. Aiyash was the first Arab American House majority leader at 28 last year - a historic feat! He’s now vocal against the Biden admin renewing their lease at the White House and even more vocal about the Palestinian cause

Our American friends - make sure to vote vote vote!!

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