Author: Mohan Nasre

Travel across Dubai and the broader Middle East is once again in uncertain territory. Renewed tensions between the United States and Iran have put airlines and aviation authorities on alert, and while most flights are continuing to operate, the situation is being watched closely enough that passengers need to be paying attention before they head to the airport. The latest escalation followed US President Donald Trump declaring the ceasefire with Iran “over” after fresh attacks in the region and retaliatory military action. The concern for aviation is specific — routes that pass through parts of the Gulf, particularly near the…

Dubai has introduced the Smart Medical Visa to make life considerably easier for international patients who need to travel to the emirate for medical treatment. The digital visa system cuts through the paperwork that has traditionally made medical travel more complicated than it needs to be, offering a faster, more organised route from application to arrival. The process works through approved healthcare providers rather than requiring patients to navigate government systems independently — a practical design choice that makes sense given that most patients are already in contact with a hospital or clinic before they think about the visa. The…

Dubai has never been shy about embracing what’s next, and the real estate sector is making that point clearly right now. Developers across the city are embedding smart home technology into residential projects at a pace that has moved the conversation well beyond novelty — connected living is fast becoming an expectation rather than a selling point. From luxury apartments in Downtown Dubai to family villas in newer communities further out, buyers are actively seeking homes with intelligent automation built in. That demand shift is pushing developers to treat smart technology as standard rather than optional, and it’s doing something…

Dubai Taxi Company has closed one of the biggest deals in the city’s transport sector in years. The company has officially completed its acquisition of rival operator National Taxi for approximately $395 million (around AED 1.45 billion) — a transaction that significantly reshapes the landscape of taxi services across the emirate. The move is a clear statement of intent from Dubai Taxi Company. As Dubai’s population keeps growing and tourism numbers climb, the pressure on urban transport services only increases. This acquisition is a direct response to that reality — expanding operational capacity in one transaction rather than building it…

Dubai has set itself a specific and ambitious target: 90% of all transactions across both the public and private sectors completed digitally by the end of 2026. That number, sitting at the heart of the Dubai Cashless Strategy, signals just how seriously the emirate is treating this shift — not as a gradual preference for digital payments, but as a fundamental change to how the city operates economically. The strategy fits within Dubai’s broader drive to cement its position as a global technology and financial hub. The argument from authorities is straightforward — more digital payments means more convenience, more…