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Internet of Things World Forum Showcases Smart City Technologies in Dubai at 3rdAnnual Conference
As the host city of the third annual Internet of Things World Forum (IoTWF) industry event, taking place December 6-8, Dubai will be a showcase for more than 20 digital city and connected industry solution deployments made possible by Cisco and the IoT industry.
Through a series of smart city experience tours, IoTWF attendees will see why Dubai is touted as one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world. To expand upon last year’s IoTWF in Chicago, Dubai is featuring twice as many solutions than were featured at the 2014 event.
The deployments featured in the tours will include services such as connected parking, connected lighting and waste management, alongside other vertical industries. More importantly, attendees will have the opportunity to visualize these solutions as not only connected but interconnected and able to share data.
In Dubai’s Command and Control Center, nearly all the solutions are integrated into a digital platform as part of Cisco Smart+Connected Communities. The digital platform can aggregate data from various sensors, solutions, and partner applications; conduct advanced data analytics; and supports a wide spectrum of urban services.
Beyond Dubai, utilizing the digital platform in conjunction with the portfolio of Smart+Connected Communities solutions are helping cities being to achieve their digital transformation goals. For instance, a number of cities have made strides in reaching their COP21 climate goals by reducing traffic, encouraging greater use of public transit and streamlining the delivery of services to citizens.
Kansas City, MO in the US, Adelaide in Australia, Hamburg, Germany and Bangalore in India, for instance, have already begun using a single digital data platform for managing their urban services.
Now more than ever, cities are required to capture and analyze data coming from the many sensors, cameras and mobile devices in use. They are employing new analytics techniques, such as fog computing, that is able to gather, process, and conduct analysis right at the edge of a network, where it can be acted upon more immediately.
To accelerate the deployment of fog technologies, a coalition of Internet of Things leaders recently announced the formation of the OpenFog Consortium. It aims to enable end-to-end technology scenarios for the Internet of Things through the development of an open architecture, core technologies including the capabilities of distributed computing, networking, and storage as well as the leadership needed to realize the full potential of IoT.
Cisco is a founding member of the newly formed consortium.
John Chambers, Executive Chairman of Cisco, will deliver a keynote at the IoTWF on how the Internet of Things is creating a new world of possibilities through digitization. As we move into this new digital era, organizations across both the private and public sectors are already beginning to rethink how they will approach the shift in infrastructures, processes and outcomes on a grand scale. It is likely to disrupt every area of society and redefine sustainability. Digitization has the potential to create a revolution in how we use resources, how we communicate, how we get work done and what we come to know about communities, ourselves and the world.
Dr. Sebastian Saxe, Chief Information Officer, Hamburg Port Authority:
“The reality is this: The reason we would look for a holistic model is that we have all this business going through the city, but it impacts the citizens. To create a model where we are able to do this without negatively impacting the citizens and the city itself is our goal.”
Mohammad Saeed Al Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer, Dubai Design District (d3):
“We, at Dubai Design District (d3), are very proud to be showcasing some of the real-time Smart initiatives that are being deployed at d3, during the Cisco Internet of Things World Forum. Our aim is to select and implement those Smart solutions that will bring significant benefits to business partners, visitors and management – and, importantly, to Dubai as a Smart City. Through these unique and technologically-enhanced initiatives, d3’s creative tenants will benefit by saving on utility consumption, they will receive an enriched customer experience, improved safety standards, and they will be able to tap into effective, real time data analytics that help drive their business forward.
The d3 Smart City platform is a showcase of how government entities and business associates can collaborate to provide the best services and applications for the population visiting and working at d3.”
Ms. Rama N.S., CEO of Bangalore’s Electronic City Industries Association (ELCIA):
“ELCIA has had an opportunity to study the data collected from the city digital platform lighting and parking use cases that were deployed in Bangalore Electronics City in Feb 2015 by the Cisco Smart+Connected Communities team and this data is proving to be very useful in helping ELCIA understand the energy consumed by public street lighting as well as the usage of on-street parking at the ELCIA campus. We are now beginning to socialize this data with other sensor devices / applications development companies in ELCIA so that they can manufacture, test and deploy new types of sensors and applications in the Living Lab that has been set up in partnership with Cisco.”
Jane Booth, General Manager City and Organisational Development Adelaide City Council:
“Adelaide City Council is committed to increasing the number of people who come to live, work, study, do business, relax and enjoy our City. Our Smart City pilots will help us demonstrate the value of a sensor-connected infrastructure to deliver new and improved citizen experiences. We want to empower and engage our residents, to deliver new City experiences, to share and optimize our City data to support new business development and entrepreneurs and to attract new investment into the City.Becoming a smart, connected and networked city will deliver this ambition.”
Anil Menon, President, Smart+Connected Communities, Cisco:
“We have passed the incubation phase, now IoT/smart city solutions are ready to be scaled. Cities who scale first will be the winners in an increasingly competitive environment. As host to the 2015 IoTWF, Dubai is rapidly transforming into becoming one of the smartest digital cities in the world connecting the unconnected through the power of intelligent networks.”
Financial
Dhruva to Rebrand as Ryan Across the Middle East, Signaling Unified Global Brand
Dhruva will adopt the Ryan brand across the UAE and Saudi Arabia by the end of 2026, uniting the practice with Ryan’s global identity and international platform.
Dhruva, a leading tax consultancy firm in the Middle East, and Ryan, a leading global tax services and software provider, today announced that Dhruva will transition to the Ryan brand across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The rebranding will be completed by the end of 2026, bringing the practice under Ryan’s global identity and reinforcing its position as part of the world’s leading global-scale specialist in business tax.
The transition marks the next phase of the strategic joint venture announced in 2025 and reflects the continued integration of Dhruva’s regional capabilities with Ryan’s global platform, technology, and international resources. Clients across the Middle East will continue to benefit from the same trusted advisory teams, enhanced by access to Ryan’s worldwide expertise and service capabilities.
“The Middle East has been a strategic growth market for us for many years, and we have built a strong advisory practice founded on deep client relationships, technical excellence, and local market understanding,” said Dinesh Kanabar, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Dhruva Advisors and Vice Chairman, Ryan.
“The transition to the Ryan brand marks a significant milestone in our journey and reflects the strength of our partnership. By combining our regional expertise with Ryan’s global scale, technology, and international capabilities, we are creating an even stronger platform to support clients across the region as they navigate an increasingly dynamic and evolving tax landscape.”
“The Middle East is one of the most important growth markets for tax advisory services globally, and we are investing in the region with a long-term view,” said Tom Shave, President of Ryan’s European and Asia-Pacific Operations. “Uniting under the Ryan brand strengthens how we serve clients across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Europe—bringing seamless access to our global expertise, technology, and international resources through one trusted platform. This transition marks an important milestone in our integration and reinforces our commitment to the region’s future.”
Ryan will continue to invest in its Middle East operations, expanding its team, capabilities, and regional presence across key markets, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. The practice provides comprehensive tax advisory services spanning corporate tax, value-added tax (VAT) and indirect tax, transfer pricing, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) tax structuring, research and development (R&D), and cross-border compliance.
“The response from our clients over the past year has been the clearest validation of this partnership,” said Nimish Goel, Leader, Middle East, Dhruva, a Ryan Affiliate. “From the outset, our teams have been integrating Ryan’s global capabilities in technology, specialized expertise, and best practices into the work we already lead in the region. Adopting the Ryan brand is the natural next step. It is the same people and the same trusted relationships, now carrying the name of the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes.”
The rebranding will be implemented in phases during the second half of 2026, with signage, visual identity, and digital properties transitioning to the Ryan brand across the region.
News
GFH Partners Manrre REIT (CEIC) PLC and Palmon Group unveil new temperature-controlled chemical warehouse in JAFZA
GFH Partners Manrre REIT (CEIC) PLC (“Manrre” or “the Fund”), managed by GFH Partners Ltd. (“GFH Partners”), together with its development manager Palmon Group FZCO (“Palmon Group”), today announced the opening of a specialised temperature-controlled chemical warehouse in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), further expanding the Fund’s Grade A logistics portfolio.
The inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of Mr Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO and Managing Director, DP World GC, alongside senior officials and dignitaries from Jebel Ali Free Zone, GFH Partners, and Palmon Group.
Purpose-built and developed by Palmon Group to meet stringent international safety and compliance standards, the new facility reflects the rising regional demand for certified chemical storage infrastructure that supports manufacturing, energy, industrial services, and third-party logistics. The warehouse is situated on a 180,000sq ft plot with a built-up area of 112,000 sq ft, divided into three temperature-controlled chambers that reach a maximum height of 13 metres. The warehouse has been designed with advanced Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR), and in-rack sprinkler systems to ensure safety and resilience across all operations.
The facility’s layout allows storage of a diverse range of hazard-classified chemicals. One chamber is configured for UN Class 3 and 4 chemicals, a second accommodates UN Class 5 chemicals, while the third has been developed for UN Class 6, 8, 9 and non-regulated materials. The warehouse offers capacity for 17,400 pallets and includes nine loading docks and three loading bays. The office space has been intentionally limited to three percent of the total built-up area, maximising operational efficiency and warehouse utility.
Speaking on the launch, Kunal Lahori, CEO of Palmon Group and Board Member of Manrre, said: “This new facility brings together precision engineering, regulatory compliance, and long-term value creation. Specialised chemical storage requires a high degree of control and risk management, and we have developed this warehouse to meet those expectations while offering flexibility and scalability for tenants. As one of the earliest developers in Jafza, Palmon Group remains committed to supporting the UAE’s logistics and industrial growth.”
Mohamed Ali, Head of GCC at GFH Partners, said: “The opening of this warehouse marks another important milestone in the expansion of the GFH Partners Manrre REIT portfolio, particularly in mission-critical industrial and logistics assets that serve high-growth sectors. The UAE continues to see strong demand for specialised storage solutions, and this facility reinforces our strategy to develop resilient, future-ready assets that deliver long-term value for our investors.”
The logistics hub is now fully operational and is leased to Safe Logistics. The new facility is expected to play a significant role in strengthening regulated supply chains and supporting Dubai’s position as one of the region’s foremost logistics and industrial hubs.
News
Big Ticket joins DP World ILT20 Season 4 as Official Partner
Big Ticket, the largest and longest-running guaranteed raffle draw in the Middle East (known for cash prizes, dream luxury cars, gold bars and coins) has joined the DP World International League T20 Season 4 as an Official Partner.
In recent years, Big Ticket has become more than just a raffle, it has gained the reputation of being a brand built around rewarding dreams and celebrating ambition, growing into one of the region’s largest and one of the most anticipated monthly draws in the UAE.
DP World ILT20 – the 34-match cricketing extravaganza – the biggest T20 tournament in the region featuring some of the most renowned global cricket stars is currently being played at the Dubai International Stadium, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

DP World ILT20 Head of Partnerships Ishan Chopra: “We are delighted to welcome a UAE born raffle giant like Big Ticket as an Official Partner of the DP World ILT20. Their legacy of helping dreams come true aligns perfectly with our vision of delivering unforgettable, fan-first experiences across the league. This partnership strengthens our commitment to creating moments of excitement both on and off the field, and we look forward to elevating Season 4 together. With a household name like Big Ticket on board, we are confident of unlocking even more opportunities for fans to engage, celebrate and go All In for Cricket.”
Meanwhile, DP World ILT20 match tickets across all categories are available for the remaining tournament matches. Various spectator stand tickets start at AED 20 and hospitality packages start from AED 325. Fans can also book the new Sixes Lounge experience for AED 395, which includes unlimited food and beverages. Tickets can be purchased by visiting tickets.ilt20.ae or Virgin Megastores.
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