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Ecologically Balanced World is a Shared Responsibility

“Sustainable and ecologically balanced world is a shared responsibility,” Amadou Diallo, CEO – MEA, DHL Global Forwarding, firmly points out as the most pressing need of the hour. The statement underpins the vision defined for The Integrator’s August issue.
Notably, it is a collective success of modern thinking and universal acknowledgment, based on the “UN Paris Accord (2015),” that we got over 190 countries to agree on the framework to battle against global climate change and increasing emissions. Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries are enthusiastically committed to science-based target initiatives and strive to succeed with good results. Arthur D. Little’s recent report highlights GCC’s top performance across telecom, logistics, real estate, and financial industries in conducting sustainable initiatives and reducing carbon footprint.
Construction & architecture, energy & natural resources, packaging & consumer goods, and industrial manufacturing are highly responsible industries for sustainability. Focusing on ecological balance, each of their efforts creates a big impact.
In addition to a cover story on “sustainable logistics,” The Integrator brings in several perspectives from construction, financials, and IT on the subject. Check it out here: https://issuu.com/varmea/docs/the_integrator_-_august_2022
We are happy to announce the launch of the “LEADER” segment that features high-profile personalities on the magazine’s cover with an exclusive interview on the inside pages. The publication is open to influential figures across the diverse arena of IT, ICT, BFSI, logistics, and hospitality industries.
Similarly, the ICT Champion Awards 2022, our prestigious awards event, is scheduled to conduct on October 10, 2022 – on the sidelines of GITEX. It will recognize MEA’s leading ICT Vendors, Distributors, Resellers, and eminent personalities in 30+ categories and we seek your full support to make it a huge success!
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Thank you!
Murali Margassery
Assistant Editor
Tech News
Nothing Raises $200M Series C to Power the Next Phase of Consumer AI

Today, we’re announcing new funding––USD $200M in our Series C round at a USD $1.3B valuation. This milestone marks the start of our next phase: From being the only independent smartphone company to emerge in the last decade, towards building an AI-native platform in which hardware and software converge into a single intelligent system.

Building the foundations for the future
When we started Nothing, we had a thesis that if we could build a smartphone business at scale and own the last-mile distribution point in consumer tech, we would be well-positioned for the next technology shift. Although we didn’t know what that would look like at the time, the opportunity is now crystal clear.
From the start, we knew that the foundation had to be an end-to-end value chain
capable of delivering products at speed, scale, and quality. As we’ve seen from many others that have tried, building a hardware company is hard. There are many potential failure points and almost no room for error. For us, it required assembling a team that balanced a pragmatic approach of rapidly launching products, with an innovative mindset to deliver experiences that our community would immediately love.
Today, the foundations are firmly in place. From award-winning design, to our global manufacturing and supply chain network built for quality and cost. In four years, we have shipped millions of devices, began 2025 crossing $1B+ in total sales, while growing 150% in 2024.
Building this infrastructure has been the hardest and most valuable thing we’ve done so far. With the support of our community, we’re fortunate to have made it here. Today, we’re in a position that will be very hard to copy: The ability to launch any consumer hardware product from start to finish within months, go-to-market operations that can ship and service worldwide, a global user community that co-creates with us, all without the innovator’s dilemma or bureaucratic constraints that the incumbents face. On to chapter 2.
Operating systems, evolved
In the last 18 years, the smartphone became ubiquitous. It is the primary personal computing tool to manage the countless tasks of daily life. Beyond its distribution scale, what makes the smartphone the most powerful consumer device in the market is its unmatched access to contextual information and user knowledge. For this reason, I believe the smartphone will remain one of the most important devices in the AI era.
On the other hand, while AI has made revolutionary progress in the last three years, the smartphone experience has barely evolved. Most of the innovation has been underwhelming, limited to incremental improvements in photo editing, translations, and assistant features that barely work.
For AI to reach its full potential, consumer hardware must reinvent itself alongside it. This is the opportunity we see for Nothing. We see a future where operating systems are significantly different from the ones today. Each system will know its user deeply, and be hyper-personalised to each individual. Interfaces will adapt to our context and needs. Suggestions will surface naturally, and once we confirm an intent, agents will execute on our behalf. The system will handle the non-essential for us, allowing us to focus on what truly matters, which will be different for every person. Unlike today’s one-size-fits-all solution, a billion different operating systems will be rendered for a billion different people.
Over time, this OS will be transversal across all form factors: We’re starting with smartphones, audio products and smart watches, devices that people already use every day. In the future, our OS will carry into smart glasses, humanoid robots, EVs, and whatever comes next.
Why we are uniquely-positioned to create this future: Owning the last-mile distribution point with all its contextual and user knowledge is essential to developing an OS that will help people in their daily lives. An AI OS that doesn’t know its user and isn’t ever-present can’t deliver a hyper-personalised experience. This is the next chapter for Nothing, integrating an AI experience into our hardware devices to reinvent how technology amplifies us.
The next billion unit scale product
In the near-term, we believe that the smartphone will remain the only device shipping at billion-unit scale each year. But soon, we’ll all be carrying an additional device that will be just as important. In the coming years, we’ll learn that the more context we can feed our AI, the more useful it becomes. The smartphone, while powerful, can’t always be there for us. Sometimes it’s in our pocket, or we might be on the move with our hands full.
A new class of AI-native devices will emerge. Products that are available to the user at the moment of need, paired with intelligence that turns understanding into action. This is a very exciting time, imagining devices that capture context across modalities and generate interfaces on demand, shaped by what the user is trying to accomplish.
We have been hard at work imagining what this future could look like, and can’t wait to launch some of our first AI-native devices next year.
Our Series C capital raise
This funding round allows us to execute on this vision by accelerating our innovation roadmap and further scaling our distribution. Our round was led by Tiger Global, with significant support from existing shareholders GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF, and Tapestry, alongside new strategic backing from Nikhil Kamath and Qualcomm Ventures.
Alongside this Series C, we’re also preparing to launch our next Community round giving our supporters another opportunity to become part of Nothing’s journey. More details will be shared soon.
As we continue our journey, we do so with huge gratitude to our community, our team, and our partners. This next chapter is only possible because of you.
Carl, CEO and Co-founder of Nothing
Hospitality
Dave’s Hot Chicken Lands in Abu Dhabi!

Dave’s Hot Chicken, the cult-favorite LA-born brand known for its Nashville-style hot chicken, has officially landed in Abu Dhabi with the grand opening of its newest branch at Marina Mall. This highly anticipated launch marks the brand’s debut in the capital, bringing its bold flavors and signature heat to one of the UAE’s most vibrant culinary hubs.
Walid Hajj, CEO of Lavoya Group, stated: “We’re incredibly excited to open our doors in Abu Dhabi, especially in a landmark location like Marina Mall. This marks our first location in the capital, and it’s a significant milestone for the brand’s journey in the UAE. The response to Dave’s Hot Chicken across the UAE has been overwhelming, and expanding into the capital is a natural next step in regional growth. We’re here to bring fans our crave-worthy menu, while also introducing new audiences to the bold experience that defines Dave’s Hot Chicken.”
The Abu Dhabi launch reinforces Lavoya Group’s commitment to catering to its growing fan base across the UAE and expanding its presence in key markets. With a continued focus on accessibility and innovation, the new Marina Mall branch is strategically positioned to serve both residents and tourists in the heart of the city.
Known for its Hot Chicken Sliders, Tenders and Dave’s Bites, the brand offers a build-your-own-heat experience with seven spice levels, from No Spice to the infamous Reaper, a fiery challenge that even comes with a signed waiver. Sides like creamy Mac & Cheese, fresh Kale Slaw, Top-Loaded Fries, and loaded milkshakes round out the menu, making it a destination for flavor seekers of all kinds!
The Marina Mall branch delivers the unmistakable Dave’s Hot Chicken vibe. Designed to welcome both groups and solo diners, the space offers energetic indoor seating alongside a relaxed outdoor area, perfect for everything from weekend hangouts to mid-shopping fuel-ups. This opening marks another milestone in the brand’s UAE journey, with more exciting expansions on the horizon, including a second Abu Dhabi location set to open soon in Yas Mall.
Home Integrator
LUMENA by OMNIYAT Sets a New Benchmark with Business Bay’s Highest Sales Value and Complete Sell-Out

OMNIYAT, the leading developer in Dubai’s luxury real estate landscape, has announced that LUMENA by OMNIYAT is now fully sold out. Unveiled on June 18, 2025, the ultra-luxury commercial development, located on Sheikh Zayed Road in the Burj Khalifa district, completed the sale of its last available space within just two months of launch.
With this impressive sales success, OMNIYAT has established its leadership in the ultra-luxury commercial real estate sector, as this latest milestone follows the recent success of ENARA by OMNIYAT, which is also fully sold out following its launch in Q2 2025. With ENARA establishing a benchmark, LUMENA has elevated expectations even further, setting a new standard for commercial luxury in Dubai.
At its initial launch, LUMENA by OMNIYAT, the ultra-luxury commercial office tower achieved Business Bay’s highest total sales value at AED 3.4 billion, underscoring the robust demand for premium workspaces in Dubai as UHNWIs from across the world continue to relocate to the city for its prosperous, business-friendly economy and elevated lifestyle offering.
Sitting at the intersection of Business Bay and Downtown Dubai, LUMENA by OMNIYAT is a work of architectural mastery, boasting signature features such as the never-before-seen Sky Theatre, and unparalleled amenities catering to the needs and desires of UHNWIs. The 48-storey tower will set a new benchmark for workplace environments in the region upon its completion in Q4 2029.
Mahdi Amjad, Founder and Executive Chairman at OMNIYAT, said: “As Dubai emerges as a global hub for the world’s elite, the success of LUMENA validates our vision to offer breathtaking spaces that raise the bar for what our clients can expect from their working and living environments. This exceptional project reflects OMNIYAT’s ongoing commitment to shaping the commercial landmarks of tomorrow, with more milestones to come.
Unparallelled amenities, five-star service
As part of OMNIYAT’s portfolio of luxury residential, commercial and hospitality properties, superior service is built into the core experience. A full suite of service offerings includes a dedicated concierge, reception, meeting room management, spa and wellness coordination, lifestyle bookings, personal services, and bespoke experiences, such as event planning, luxury travel arrangements, and private shopping. These services are managed by OMNIYAT and draw from the brand’s experience in delivering high-touch hospitality across its award-winning commercial towers, residences and hotels, including ENARA by OMNIYAT, and The Opus by OMNIYAT.
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