Exclsuive interview with Dr. Dragana Spica, Specialist Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeon, Aesthetics by King’s College Hospital London – Dubai

When patients talk about wanting to look more refreshed or rejuvenated, how important is skin quality and tightening alongside changes to facial volume and shape?

Looking refreshed is about much more than restoring volume or enhancing facial contours. Skin quality plays a central role in how youthful and healthy a person appears. Even when volume loss is addressed with fillers or fat transfer, poor skin texture, laxity, pigmentation, or reduced collagen can still contribute to a tired appearance.

A comprehensive rejuvenation approach combines attention to facial structure with treatments that improve skin quality and firmness. Technologies that stimulate collagen production, skin tightening procedures, and regenerative treatments can significantly enhance results. When healthy, firm skin is combined with balanced facial proportions, patients tend to achieve a more natural and refreshed appearance rather than an over-treated look.

When it comes to body transformation, what are the most common concerns patients are looking to address through contouring and sculpting?

Most patients are not necessarily looking for dramatic weight loss. Instead, they want to improve body proportions and address stubborn areas that do not respond to diet and exercise. Common concerns include excess fat deposits, loose skin following weight loss or pregnancy, and a lack of definition in certain areas of the body.

Many patients seek contouring to create a smoother silhouette, improve waist definition, refine body balance, or restore confidence in their appearance. Increasingly, body contouring is viewed as a way to enhance overall shape and harmony rather than simply reduce body size.

What are some of the most common concerns patients come to you with when it comes to skin laxity, body contouring and overall body shape?

Skin laxity is one of the most frequent concerns, particularly after significant weight loss, pregnancy, or as part of the natural ageing process. Patients often report loose skin around the abdomen, upper arms, thighs, neck, or lower face. In terms of body contouring, many individuals are concerned about localized fat deposits that persist despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Others are seeking improved body proportions, whether through waist contouring, abdominal refinement, thigh reshaping, or enhancement of areas that have lost volume over time. Ultimately, most patients want results that look natural and complement their unique body structure rather than conforming to a single aesthetic ideal.

Body contouring has become an increasingly important part of aesthetic care. Which areas of the body are patients most interested in sculpting and refining?

The abdomen remains one of the most commonly requested areas for contouring and sculpting, followed closely by the waist and flanks. Patients are also frequently interested in refining the thighs, upper arms, back, and under-chin area.

There has also been growing interest in body-shaping procedures that enhance overall proportions, such as creating a more defined waistline or improving the contour of the hips and buttocks. What is particularly notable today is that patients increasingly view the body as a whole, seeking balanced and harmonious results rather than focusing on a single area in isolation.

How has the conversation around targeted fat reduction evolved, particularly among patients who are looking for definition rather than significant weight loss?

The conversation has shifted considerably over the past few years. Patients are now much more informed and understand that body contouring is not a substitute for weight loss. Instead, they are seeking targeted refinement and improved definition.

Many patients are already close to their ideal weight and simply want to address stubborn pockets of fat that obscure muscle definition or affect body proportions. The focus has moved toward precision, customization, and natural-looking outcomes. Today’s patients often ask how they can achieve a more sculpted appearance while maintaining a healthy, authentic look, and treatment plans are increasingly tailored to support those goals.

In modern aesthetic practice, body contouring is less about reducing size and more about enhancing shape, proportion, and confidence through personalized treatment strategies.

The survey, conducted across 44 countries, also highlights the depth of the UAE’s digital engagement, with the country ranking first globally in government digital service usage at 53%. More than three-quarters (76%) of UAE respondents say their latest online government transaction delivered a better experience than their typical private-sector interaction, reinforcing the strength of the country’s digital government ecosystem.

This strong digital foundation is increasingly extending into AI adoption, where 82% of UAE respondents reported using AI weekly. High levels of usage are accompanied by relatively positive attitudes toward AI in government, with 53% of UAE respondents believing its benefits outweigh the risks, compared with 49% across the GCC and 36% globally. At the same time, greater exposure to AI is bringing a broader set of considerations into focus for citizens. While GCC citizens remain more optimistic about AI in government than their global peers, overall optimism has declined by 21% since 2024.

This evolution points toward a more hybrid model of service delivery. GCC citizens increasingly favor AI for simpler services while retaining human involvement for more complex interactions, which assures a shift that reflects greater awareness of both the opportunities and considerations associated with AI. At the same time, only around 4% of GCC respondents prefer human-only services with no AI support, compared with almost one in ten globally.

“The UAE’s strong digital government experience reflects years of investment in making public services more accessible, seamless, and responsive to citizens’ needs,” said Rami Mourtada, Partner & Director, Digital Transformation, BCG. “As AI becomes more embedded in public services, governments have an opportunity to build on this foundation with more AI-enabled experiences and process re-engineering to continue focusing on quality and convenience. This next phase will be about deploying AI where it creates clear value, while maintaining human expertise for more complex citizen needs.”

GCC Citizens Embrace the Next Generation of AI-Enabled Services

The BCG report also reveals strong appetite among GCC citizens for the next generation of AI-enabled government services. The region is the most AI-receptive globally, with 79% of citizens open to AI-centered government interactions, compared with 66% globally. Notably, three of the four most strongly supported AI applications in government are agentic use cases, signaling a healthy launchpad for governments to explore services that can move beyond providing information to supporting or completing actions on citizens’ behalf.

This openness is already evident across practical applications: 82% are comfortable with AI providing 24/7 access to information and services; 81% with AI supporting government customer-service agents; 79% with AI detecting fraud and automatically following up; and 78% with AI identifying services citizens qualify for and taking action on their behalf. [SM3] [GU4] Yet citizens are not calling for AI alone. Preference for “AI for simple services, people for complex ones” has risen nine percentage points to 50% over the past two years, reinforcing a hybrid model that combines AI-enabled speed and availability with human judgment for more complex or higher-stakes interactions.

This opportunity builds on a strong track record in digital government service quality. In 2026, the GCC remained the only surveyed region where a majority of citizens rated government digital services above those of the private sector, at 72%. However, private-sector experiences are gaining ground: the net share of GCC respondents rating government services above private-sector services declined from 75% in 2024 to 69% in 2026. The shift creates both a learning opportunity and an impetus for governments to continue innovating as citizen expectations evolve.

As governments move toward more advanced AI-enabled services, citizen AI literacy will be equally important. GCC respondents with expert-level AI proficiency are around four times more likely than those without AI experience to believe that the benefits of AI in government outweigh the risks.  At the same time, greater familiarity with AI is sharpening citizens’ expectations around how it is deployed. Job loss (33%) and accuracy (28%) now rank as the leading concerns, underscoring the importance of pairing AI literacy with safeguards that are visible and relevant to citizens.

“The GCC has a strong opportunity to translate its digital leadership into the next generation of AI-enabled government services,” said Dr. Lars Littig, Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG. “As citizens become more familiar with AI, building literacy and trust will be critical to sustained adoption. The opportunity is to move forward with AI in ways that reflect how citizens want to engage, expanding automation and agentic capabilities where they create value, while retaining human judgment and embedding responsible safeguards where they matter most.”

Six Priorities for the Next Generation of Digital Government

To build on the region’s digital progress and maximize the potential of AI in government services, BCG’s report outlines six priorities for GCC governments:

1. Rethink core services with AI, redesigning them end to end rather than layering AI onto existing processes.
2. Learn from private-sector innovation as digital experiences improve and citizen expectations evolve.
3. Embed responsible AI through governance, testing, and safeguards that strengthen citizen trust.
4. Build the hybrid model citizens want, using AI for simpler interactions while retaining human expertise for complex or high-stakes needs.
5. Expand agentic AI services beyond information toward services that can support complete journeys and act on citizens’ behalf.
6. Advance AI literacy to build citizen understanding, confidence, and informed adoption.

Together, these priorities can help GCC governments build on a decade of digital progress and translate citizens’ openness to AI into the next generation of public services. By combining strong digital foundations with responsible AI adoption and continued access to human expertise, the region is well positioned to deliver services that are more proactive, personalized, and responsive to citizens’ evolving needs — while sustaining the trust that will be critical to long-term adoption

To access the full BCG Digital Government Citizen Survey2026, visit the link here.

For decades, the financial industry has managed to replace banknotes and coins with “invisible” assets through different technological implementations. However, innovation in the sector has generally moved at a slow pace when dealing with something as sensitive as people’s finances. In 2026, the black swan is beginning to emerge: the first steps of AI agents that will redefine the industry (as they will many others). The financial black swan is not a crisis: it is a huge change. Across the Middle East and Africa, where a convergence of government-backed modernization agendas, digitally native consumers, and institutional ambition is accelerating the timeline for transformation.

The first step has been the use of Gen AI without the customer perceiving it. Coding, fraud prevention, phishing detection, and credit assessment are some of its tasks. But it is now beginning to become a tool for managing users’ finances. In the MENA region, this shift is already visible at the institutional level. Across the 25 MEA banks benchmarked by the Evident AI Index (June 2026), the established leaders are no longer running pilots, they are directing investment toward high-friction processes where AI can materially reshape productivity, scalability, and competitiveness. UAE-based banks and fintechs are already validating agent-initiated transaction pipelines in production environments. These are some of the examples, but there are more.

In July 2026, the revealing Mills Review, published by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), the UK’s official financial regulator, pointed out that AI agents will become the new financial interface. Essentially, an AI assistant will manage budgets, answer queries, generate reports on demand, and move money between accounts. How much was spent on a vacation in total, how a stock portfolio performed over the past month, or canceling an annual subscription will be as easy as making a query to ChatGPT today. For MENA consumers, who have in many cases leapfrogged legacy banking behaviors entirely, this vision is the baseline expectation.

The Mills Review also argues that Open Banking will evolve toward a model in which AI agents will have access to a broader range of financial products to enable intelligent decisions across different areas, and highlighted that this will lead to an evolution in regulation. In the GCC, this evolution is being actively shaped by regulators and governments alike, with initiatives such as Dubai’s target of 90%+ digital transactions by 2026 signaling not just ambition, but structural commitment to a cashless, AI-enabled financial ecosystem.

The agentic AI opportunity in the region is real, but it remains underexploited. According to EY-Parthenon’s 2025 Generative AI in Banking Survey, 99% of respondents are familiar with agentic AI,  yet only 31% have pursued implementation, with a further 46% expressing interest. Awareness, in other words, has raced ahead of execution. This gap between recognition and production-grade deployment is precisely where the competitive battle will be won or lost.

This represents a major shift in the industry, where historically the leading banks have, for the most part, remained the same. Differentiation can now change everything, and it would not be surprising if new players manage to break into the ranks of the world’s most important financial institutions. In the Middle East, the region’s financial landscape already includes a new generation of digital-first challengers sitting alongside heritage institutions, all of which are now actively exploring or deploying agentic capabilities. The reason sounds obvious when explained: if the experience with an AI assistant can manage customers’ money better, it will prevail. This is not an exaggeration: just four years ago, nobody knew ChatGPT, and now we have become so accustomed to it that we all ask ourselves: why shouldn’t I manage my assets with a chatbot that can provide reports and recommendations? A study by JPMorgan found that half of Gen Z wanted to use them to manage their finances.

The infrastructure for agentic commerce is also being built in real time across the GCC. Mastercard has conducted regional pilots in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim, enabling consumers to search, select, and purchase VOX Cinema tickets programmatically through an integrated AI assistant. In May 2026, Visa launched its global Agentic Ready program in the UAE, with early adopters including ADCB, ADIB, Emirates NBD, Mashreq, Tabby, Wio, and Ziina already validating agent-initiated transaction pipelines in production.

We are living in a time of change. In its 2026 report on the financial sector, the World Economic Forum urged organizations to move with “urgency” and “discipline”. The greatest benefits, it stated, will go to those working on a holistic redesign of workflows and technology architecture. In the MENA region, the conditions for genuine transformation are already in place: strong institutional will, government-aligned modernization agendas, and a consumer base that has leapfrogged legacy behaviors entirely.

One of the major questions is why, if the financial sector has such a strong technological tradition, the emergence of AI Agents represents a black swan. There are several reasons. First, historically, customers used banks to execute transactions; therefore, in the executive conversations avoiding risk was prioritized over innovation. This is changing with the emergence of digital banks, which are generally more inclined toward disruption, and shifts in consumer habits. In the GCC specifically, consumers who bypassed branch banking and moved directly to mobile-first financial services are now primed to embrace AI-managed financial experiences with little friction. The challenge of the future is not to provide a tool, but to redesign experiences to address this transition comprehensively. AI has the potential to resolve the technological debt involved in migrating traditional banks, which have historically struggled the most with this transition.

The second reason is the technical debt banks have demonstrated in dealing with change. This has also occurred in other industries, but the idea of paying for a premium license for every employee and expecting immediate returns only leads to frustration. There is significant resistance when it becomes clear that certain tasks and workflows will inevitably be different from what has been established. In the Middle East, where several national banks have invested heavily in core banking modernization programs over the past decade, the foundations are more favorable than in many Western markets, but the final leap from modernized infrastructure to genuinely agentic deployment still requires focused capability and deliberate execution.

The third reason is regulation. Technology companies, banks, and authorities will need to maintain an ongoing dialogue to ensure that innovation and integrations do not affect users’ personal data or security, while ensuring that restrictions do not become a barrier to progress. One of the most valuable lessons from the banking sector’s legacy is the importance of being extremely careful when dealing with something as sensitive as people’s money.

For many years, the impact of AI was often explained as something that belonged to a distant future. In the financial sector, it is already a reality: it is part of multiple tasks and is beginning to become an asset in the customer proposition. With AI Agents, innovation can no longer, and should no longer, go unnoticed. New habits require the redesign of customer journeys, and this could represent a revolution for the sector. For Middle East banks, the opportunity is particularly compelling: a region where government will, consumer readiness, regulatory pragmatism, and institutional investment have aligned at the same moment. What is required now is the execution capability to convert that alignment into production-grade deployment. What is at stake is no small matter: the management of millions of people’s money and a battle for the competitiveness of banks on a scale rarely seen before.  For those that move with urgency and discipline, the financial black swan is a transformation to be led.

Awards included 56 Distinctions in School Mathematics, 27 in National Competition and 17 in International Competition; 16 students received MathFit Rising Star special mentions for effort and progress.

Achievements spanned school examinations, national assessments, the UK Junior Mathematical Challenge, SOF International Mathematics Olympiad, Math Kangaroo, World Maths Championship and Germany’s Mathematik-Olympiade.

Grade 4 Revaan Birla ranked first worldwide in SOF’s Olympiad, reaching 99,499 registered schools across 72 countries. Grade 6 Maahi Batra secured national gold and first place at Germany’s Mathematik-Olympiade, competing in German despite it not being her first language. Grade 7 Hritika Somani secured two golds at the Mathematik-Olympiade in Frankfurt; Grade 4 Krishiv Binoi Nair won Math Kangaroo gold, among over six million participants across 90 countries.

Manan Khurma, Founder and CEO of Cuemath, said: “Parent Summit celebrates what we call being ‘MathFit’ — developing a child’s ability to reason, persevere, and feel genuinely at ease with numbers. True mathematical capability isn’t just about speed or memorisation; it is about building the mental stamina to tackle unfamiliar challenges with confidence.

“Seeing so many of our UAE students excel across school, national and global stages proves that when effort and curiosity are nurtured, mathematical potential is truly limit-free.”

Pooja Purohit, Cuemath tutor, said: “Online learning involves weeks of consistent, quiet focus from a child. The Parent Summit is meaningful because it brings that journey into the light. Hearing their name recognised in front of their families validates those hours of perseverance and builds a proud, confident mindset.”

Cuemath’s pre-event “Teach-It-Back” contest invited all summit participants to explain any maths concept in a two-minute video, emphasising teaching as a sign of being MathFit. Winners received AED 1,000 in cash prizes, announced at the summit.

“This event celebrated our students’ achievements and how engaging mathematics develops skills beyond the classroom. Seeing the enthusiasm of the students and the pride of their families was incredibly rewarding,” said Asma Mohamed, Partnerships & Community Engagement Manager, Cuemath Middle East.

Shalav Kumar, parent of Nevaeh Halder Kumar, who placed first among 67 students from KG to Grade 10, said: “It was wonderful to see an event that made math so engaging and hands-on for kids of every age — a truly well-organized experience that brought out the best in every young presenter.”

Nevaeh added: “It was so much fun teaching everyone about data and graphs — I can’t wait to be part of this contest next year!”

By Dr Ryan Copeland, Regional Medical Director, Middle East, International SOS

As traffic volumes continue to rise across Dubai and the UAE, particularly along heavily congested commuter corridors, employers face a growing responsibility to address one of the most underestimated workplace risks: driver fatigue. Recent reports of significant congestion on key routes connecting Dubai and Sharjah serve as a timely reminder that many employees are spending longer periods behind the wheel each day. For organisations whose employees drive for work, whether visiting clients, transporting goods, responding to emergencies, or travelling between sites, fatigue can significantly impair performance and increase the likelihood of serious road traffic incidents.

While organisations often focus on vehicle safety, defensive driving, and compliance measures, fatigue management should be viewed as a critical component of any duty of care programme. Unlike mechanical failures, fatigue can be difficult to recognise, yet its effects on concentration, reaction time, decision-making, and situational awareness can be profound.

Fatigue: More Than Just Feeling Tired

Fatigue is a physical and mental state that reduces a person’s ability to perform tasks safely and effectively. It may result from insufficient sleep, long working hours, stress, illness, dehydration, poor nutrition, or prolonged periods spent driving in congested traffic.

Long commutes, early starts, and frequent travel between emirates can contribute to chronic sleep debt, often before employees recognise its impact on performance.

Common warning signs include:

• Frequent yawning or heavy eyelids
• Difficulty concentrating or maintaining attention
• Missing road signs or navigation instructions
• Drifting within a lane
• Delayed reaction times
• Increased irritability or mood changes

Employers should educate both drivers and line managers to recognise these signs before fatigue becomes a serious safety risk.

Building Fatigue Awareness into Journey Risk Management

Driver fatigue should form part of every organisation’s journey risk assessment process. Managers should evaluate not only the distance being travelled but also the employee’s fitness to drive.

Key considerations include:

• Has the employee had adequate sleep in the previous 24 to 48 hours?
• Are they undertaking an early morning or late-night journey?
• Have they worked a prolonged shift before driving?
• Are they feeling unwell or taking medication that may affect alertness?
• Is the journey likely to involve extended periods in heavy traffic?

Organisations should avoid schedules that encourage rushed journeys, excessive driving hours, or inadequate rest. Where practical, virtual meetings, overnight stays, or alternative transport arrangements may offer safer options than long-distance road travel.

Sleep: The Foundation of Driver Safety

Good-quality sleep remains the most effective defence against fatigue.

Most adults require seven to nine hours of sleep each night to maintain alertness, concentration, and decision-making ability. Chronic sleep deprivation can significantly increase the risk of driving-related incidents.

Employers can support healthy sleep habits by encouraging employees to:

• Maintain consistent sleep and wake times
• Create a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment
• Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime
• Limit caffeine intake later in the day
• Reduce screen exposure before sleep
• Seek medical advice for persistent sleep problems, snoring, or suspected sleep apnoea

Hydration and Nutrition Matter

The Gulf climate presents additional challenges for drivers. Even mild dehydration can contribute to headaches, poor concentration, fatigue, and reduced mental performance.

Employees should be encouraged to:

• Drink water regularly throughout the day
• Carry water during journeys
• Increase fluid intake during hot weather or after physical activity
• Limit excessive consumption of energy drinks and highly caffeinated beverages

Nutrition also influences alertness. Heavy meals can contribute to sluggishness, particularly during afternoon driving periods.

To help maintain concentration, drivers should aim for:

• Balanced meals containing lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
• Healthy snacks such as nuts, yoghurt, or fresh fruit
• Regular meal timing to maintain stable energy levels
• Reduced reliance on sugary snacks that can lead to energy crashes

While caffeine may provide a temporary boost, it should never be viewed as a substitute for adequate sleep.

Practical Steps During Peak Traffic Periods

As congestion increases, employers should reinforce practical fatigue-mitigation measures:

• Encourage regular breaks during longer journeys
• Rotate driving responsibilities where possible
• Avoid scheduling consecutive high-mileage driving days
• Plan journeys outside peak traffic periods when feasible
• Use telematics and journey management tools to identify excessive driving exposure
• Include fatigue awareness in routine safety briefings

Drivers should also be reminded that opening a window, turning up the music, or consuming caffeine offers only temporary relief. If fatigue develops while driving, the safest option is to stop in a safe location and rest.

A Shared Responsibility

Managing driver fatigue is not solely the responsibility of the individual behind the wheel. It requires a coordinated approach involving employers, managers, occupational health teams, and employees.

By promoting healthy sleep habits, supporting hydration and nutrition, recognising warning signs, and embedding fatigue awareness into journey planning, organisations can significantly reduce fatigue-related driving risks.

As traffic volumes continue to increase during peak periods, companies that proactively address fatigue as part of their duty of care strategy will not only enhance road safety but also protect employee wellbeing, productivity, and organisational resilience. Ultimately, safer and healthier drivers contribute to safer roads for everyone.

Through the Technology Partner track, ISVs and startups can bring their solutions to Core42 Sovereign Enabled Public Cloud and build with Microsoft Azure services. Core42 Insight provides the data residency, governance, monitoring and security controls around those deployments, while Core42 teams work directly with partners on architecture, compliance documentation and taking the solution to market.

Through the Channel Partner track, resellers and solution providers can sell Core42 cloud and AI solutions to customers with specific data residency, control, security and compliance requirements. Core42 supports them with sales training, technical expertise and go-to-market support to help develop opportunities and grow their business.

Depending on their track and eligibility, partners can work with Core42 sales teams on qualified opportunities and access technical support including architecture reviews and sandbox environments. Selected partners may also receive Compass token credits, support from Core42 solution architects, joint marketing opportunities and co-investment funding for priority customer projects. Channel partners can bring eligible Core42 solutions to customers through Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

“Government and regulated industries need greater choice in the cloud and AI solutions available to them, while retaining clarity over where their data sits, how their environment is governed and which controls apply to each workload,” said Ahmed Labib, VP Partnerships and Ecosystems, Core42. “The Core42 Partner Program brings more technology companies into our ecosystem and helps them build around those requirements. For customers, that means access to a broader range of solutions. For our partners, it creates new opportunities to build, sell and grow in the UAE.”

The launch strengthens Core42’s partner-first ecosystem model, which spans silicon leaders, hosting providers, ISVs, and model providers, and builds on the company’s strategic collaboration with Microsoft for sovereign cloud delivery. Core42 Sovereign Enabled Public Cloud combines Microsoft Azure services with UAE-specific data residency, governance, monitoring and security controls managed through Core42 Insight. Partners can design solutions around the requirements of a particular customer and the relevant workload classification.

The suitability of each solution depends on its workload classification, customer requirements and applicable regulatory framework. Core42 works with partners to identify the relevant technical and governance controls, while partners and customers remain responsible for obtaining any required regulatory or sector-specific approvals.

Joining the program takes three steps: partners apply, describing how they want to build or sell with Core42; onboard with the resources, training, and support they need; then launch solutions, register opportunities, and scale their business.

The two-day congress, organized by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres & Retailers (MECSR) is taking place on 5^th-6^th October under the theme ‘Level Up: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today’.

The opening featured a series of keynote sessions, panel discussion and thought-provoking industry conversations focused on leadership, innovation, technology and the evolving expectations of today’s consumers and their impact on the retail market.

The event began with the opening remarks by David Macadam, CEO, MECSR; Richard Dean, Master of Ceremonies followed by Dr. Younis Al Mulla, Chairman, MECSR and Ayman Alburti, Board President, MECSR; CEO, Azad Properties, MECSR / Azad Properties.

The event kicked off with an insightful session titled ‘Dubai’s Retail and Tourism Agenda: The View from the City’ featuring Mohammed Feras Arayqat, Vice President, Retail Calendar and Promotions, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE).

Arayqat discussed how Dubai’s retail sector and tourism economy have evolved alongside each other over the past two decades, and how the city’s continued growth in visitors and residents demanding are influencing the way retail destinations are planned, leased and programmed. He also highlighted the role of Dubai’s retail calendar and major campaigns in driving footfall and shaping the city’s retail landscape in the years ahead.

Another key session ‘The Human Future: AI, Happiness and How We Will Live, Work and Gather’ by Mo Gawdat, Former Chief Business Officer, Google [X] and Founder, One Billion Happy in discussion with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR.

The conversations focussed on the growing impact of artificial intelligence on business, the workplace and human behaviour. Gawdat with Macadam outlined how AI could reshape the way people work, shop and interact. He emphasised the need for leaders to navigate technological change with a greater focus on people’s wellbeing and confidence. The also highlighted the growing importance of employee and consumer wellbeing as businesses adapt to rapid technological change.

 In the next session ‘NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities’ featuring Alain Bejjani the author of NEXT | Leading Through the New Realities and former Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Holding, was in

conversation with Richard Dean, Master of Ceremonies. The discussion explored how the conditions that shaped the Gulf’s retail and real estate sector over the past two decades are changing. The speaker further examined what these shifts mean for regional leaders and operators and how leadership must evolve to respond to new market realities. He highlighted the importance of recognising change early and enabling organisations to remain decisive and adaptable as the business environment continues to shift.

Another insightful session was ‘Capital and Confidence: Navigating the Region’s Next Chapter ‘featuring Gogi George, Director, Asset Management, Lulu International Holdings Ltd accompanied by Shane Eldstrom, Chief Executive Officer, United Developers (Place Vendôme); Duaij Al Rumaihi, Chief Commercial Officer, Seef Properties; Richard Dean, Master of Ceremonies and Tarik Abdullah Alaklan, Director Of Luxury Accounts, Cenomi Centers.

The speakers discussed how regional owners and developers are assessing a changing market environment, including evolving approaches to risk and return. They shared their perspectives on the current operating landscape and how businesses are navigating market shifts while positioning themselves for the region’s next phase of growth.

‘Brand Retail in the Gulf: Sustaining Growth in a More Demanding Market’ featuring John Hadden, · Chief Executive Officer, Alshaya Group in conversation with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR was focussed on rising consumer expectation across the Gulf and the convergence of shopping and entertainment.

Hadden also outlined how physical and online retail are increasingly aligning and what the region must do to maintain its position as a leading centre for brand retail.

The event continued with ‘Right in the Heart: Reinventing a Legacy Mall for Modern Retail’ featuring Mary Del Dosso, Mall Director, BurJuman and Reef Malls, Al Ghurair Group in talk with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR. Del Dosso discussed the repositioning of BurJuman, one of Dubai’s landmark shopping centres, including its evolving tenant mix, food, community and brand decisions shaping its future.

Day one concluded with a key session ‘AI in Retail: Levelling Up the Operation’ held by Baiju Pappachan, Founder and Managing Director, Raffle_Tech & BUZ Marketing LLC; Nevzat Yavan, Chief Operating Officer, ESAS Properties and Hamdi Kulahcioglu, Senior Partner, Akerio in conversation with David Macadam, CEO, MECSR.

The session focused on the growing use of artificial intelligence across retail operations, from shopping centre platforms to pricing, customer engagement and relationship and brand management. The speakers share their

experiences of implementing AI, its impact on customers and teams, and the opportunities they see for further adoption.

Day two will open with “The Road to Jeddah,” featuring David Macadam, Ayman Alburti (Azad Properties) and Thamer AlAboud, Chairman of the Tourism and Culture Council at Jeddah Chamber, previewing MECSR’s Saudi expansion.

Further sessions include “The Leadership Conversation: What It Takes to Lead Retail at Scale,” featuring Nasser Alajmi (AWJ Real Estate), Neeraj Teckchandani, CEO of Apparel Group, and Nada Ghaoui Abousaab (FIKRA Consultants) as moderator.

“Betting Big on the Gulf: Brands, Markets and the Plans,” featuring Kapil Sethi (GMG) and Majid Algothmi (RED Malls/Azad Properties). “The Holy Cities Opportunity,” featuring Konrad Kolankiewicz (Knowledge Economic City) and Mohammad Iqbal Alawi (Alsarah Holding), with Nada Ghaoui Abousaab (FIKRA Consultants) as moderator and “The Operator’s Playbook: Unlocking the Full Potential of Every Asset,” featuring Jihad Dirani (Abdullah Al Othaim Investment Co); Khaled Abuhamdeh (Al-Futtaim Group); Khalid Aljanahi (Cenomi Centers) and Rony Mourani, CEO of Mall of Qatar, with Richard Dean as moderator.

The programme will close with “The Next Wave: Retail, Dining and Destinations Reshaping the Mall,” featuring Ahmad Alkashakri (Restaurants & Cafés Owners Association) and Todd Pilgreen (Gensler), with David Macadam as moderator, followed by his closing keynote address.

Exhibition and Awards

Alongside the conference, the Retail Congress MENA exhibition will showcase destination malls, retail concepts, real estate developments and specialist services. The programme also features the MECSR Shopping Centre & Retailer MENA Awards, recognising outstanding assets, initiatives and teams across the region.

The MECSR Awards 2026 finalists have been announced, recognising outstanding achievements across the region’s retail and shopping centre industry. For the full list of finalists, please click here MECSR_Awards_Finalists and to attend the Gala Awards, please register at retailcongress.me.

Strong Industry Support

Retail Congress MENA 2026 is supported by leading developers, retail organisations, technology companies and industry partners from across the region.

The event is supported by four Diamond Sponsors: Cenomi Centers, Unified Real Estate Development, Azad Properties | RED Malls, and Al Othaim Investment, alongside Platinum Sponsors Knowledge Economic City Co. and Red Sea Mall. Danah Real Estate and Dalma Mall are Gold Sponsors, while Yardi Systems and Champion Group are Silver Sponsors. MRI Real Estate Software, Giftstarr, BurJuman, Kingdom Centre, and Ground Control Entertainment are Bronze Sponsors.

The event also features Awwal Events and Amusement Services International LLC as Exhibitors. AI Solutions LLC, Chris G Studios, Crystal House Sharjah, Dhamani, Artex, Eleva AI, Fairplatz and Premagic are Support Partners, while Eye of Dubai, Eye of Riyadh, Experience Abu Dhabi and Yardstick Marketing are Media Partners.

The acquisition is expected to expand Vertiv’s global thermal management services capabilities into Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and advance its strategy to support customers across the thermal chain. KES adds specialized fluid management, commissioning and load-testing capabilities spanning system preparation, performance validation, monitoring, maintenance and lifecycle optimization. 

The transaction builds on Vertiv’s established North American fluid management presence, including its 2025 acquisition of PurgeRite, and represents the next step in expanding its global thermal and fluid management services platform. By combining KES’s regional field expertise and load-testing capabilities with Vertiv’s broader services portfolio, the company expects to provide more comprehensive support as customers deploy and operate complex AI and high-density infrastructure with greater reliability, efficiency and accountability.

“As computing density increases, the performance of cooling and power infrastructure will depend as much on execution in the field as on engineering and system design,” said Gio Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “Our acquisition of PurgeRite, in December of 2025, established an important fluid management foundation in North America, and KES is expected to build on that foundation in EMEA. Together, these acquisitions advance our strategy to provide the specialized expertise and disciplined execution customers need as they deploy increasingly complex infrastructure at scale.”

That need for disciplined execution is particularly important as high-performance computing and AI workloads increase heat densities and accelerate the adoption of liquid cooling. In these systems, fluid quality is critical to uptime, thermal performance and equipment life. Contamination, trapped air, corrosion, improper chemistry and flow imbalances can reduce heat-transfer efficiency, contribute to equipment degradation and create commissioning and operational risks. Beyond initial commissioning, customers need lifecycle fluid management services to support system availability, thermal performance, equipment longevity and operational economics.

KES has built a strong reputation in Europe based on its technical specialization, experienced field teams, established operating infrastructure and safety culture. Its capabilities include fluid-system preparation, flushing, filtration, water treatment, commissioning and performance validation. KES also provides thermal load testing for liquid cooling infrastructure and electrical load testing for critical power systems.

Together, Vertiv and KES are expected to deliver significant customer benefits from an expanded set of capabilities designed to:

• Reduce operational complexity through a single accountable partner for commissioning, testing, fluid management and ongoing operations;
• Improve cooling system performance with clean, balanced and validated fluid systems that support optimal heat transfer and equipment efficiency;
• Maintain compliance with regional fluid handling, treatment and disposal requirements; and
• Increase confidence in infrastructure readiness through thermal load testing before facilities enter operation.

KES is headquartered near Dublin, Ireland, and serves customers across the EMEA region. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. The financial terms were not disclosed and are not expected to be material to Vertiv’s financial results.

For more information about Vertiv’s portfolio of power and thermal management products, infrastructure solutions, IT systems and services for critical digital applications, visit Vertiv.com.

“U by Emaar”, Emaar’s lifestyle loyalty programme, announces its expansion into Egypt, bringing its rewarding experiences to Marassi and marking the latest chapter in the programme’s continued international growth.

The expansion welcomes five distinctive hotels in Marassi to the U by Emaar portfolio: Address Marassi Golf Resort, Address Beach Resort Marassi, Palace Beach Resort, Vida Marina Resort Marassi and Al Alamein Hotel. The addition gives members more opportunities to earn and redeem UPoints while experiencing one of Egypt’s most sought-after destinations.

A New Destination for U by Emaar

U by Emaar brings together hospitality, dining, wellness, entertainment, shopping and fitness through one integrated loyalty programme, rewarding members across the experiences they enjoy.

The arrival of U by Emaar in Egypt extends this experience to a new destination, giving members more places to enjoy the benefits of their membership while discovering the distinctive hospitality and lifestyle experiences of Marassi.

From beachfront stays and memorable dining to wellness and relaxation along Egypt’s North Coast, members can now experience more of Marassi while earning and redeeming UPoints along the way.

Experience Marassi with U by Emaar

Set along Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline, Marassi brings together hospitality, residences, dining, beaches and leisure experiences within one vibrant destination.

With U by Emaar, members can discover Marassi through five distinctive hotels, each offering its own interpretation of contemporary hospitality.

Address Marassi Golf Resort offers an elegant retreat surrounded by landscaped fairways, combining contemporary luxury with the signature service of Address Hotels + Resorts.

Address Beach Resort Marassi brings sophisticated beachfront living to Egypt’s North Coast, creating a relaxed Mediterranean escape complemented by dining and leisure experiences.

Palace Beach Resort offers an intimate beachfront experience defined by understated elegance, warm hospitality and the natural beauty of the Mediterranean coast.

Vida Marina Resort Marassi brings Vida’s contemporary and social approach to the heart of Marassi Marina, offering a vibrant base from which to experience the destination.

Al Alamein Hotel completes the portfolio with a distinctive beachfront retreat that celebrates the character, heritage and enduring appeal of Egypt’s North Coast.

Together, the five participating hotels create more opportunities for U by Emaar members to Stay, Dine and Relax, while earning and redeeming UPoints throughout their experience.

Growing the U by Emaar Experience

The expansion into Egypt reflects the continued evolution of U by Emaar and its commitment to creating a more connected loyalty experience across Emaar destinations internationally.

As the programme continues to grow, members can enjoy the familiarity of their U by Emaar membership across more destinations, with greater choice and more opportunities to be recognised and rewarded wherever their journeys take them.

Hakan Keskin, Head of Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality Group said: “Egypt is an exciting addition to the growing U by Emaar portfolio. Bringing the programme to Marassi allows us to give our members even greater choice, while connecting them with five distinctive hospitality experiences along Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. As U by Emaar continues to expand, our focus remains on creating meaningful experiences, recognising our members and making every journey with Emaar more rewarding.”

More Places. More Experiences. More Reasons to Be Rewarded.

The addition of Marassi strengthens U by Emaar’s international portfolio while staying true to the programme’s core promise: rewarding members across the experiences they enjoy.

Whether escaping to the Mediterranean, discovering a new dining experience or taking time to unwind, members can enjoy more opportunities to earn and redeem UPoints across participating venues in Marassi.

With Egypt joining the U by Emaar network, the programme continues to bring together more destinations and experiences under one rewarding membership.

Running from 9am to 9pm, the Halloween celebration will turn Stomping Grounds into a family-friendly destination where dogs, kids and adults can all get involved in the festivities, with a costume competition open to all three. 

A Costume Competition for the Whole Family

Rather than limiting the Halloween fun to pets, Stomping Grounds is opening its costume competition to dogs, children and adults, with prizes awarded across three categories:

• Best Dog Costume — Halloween plushie
• Best Kids Costume — Halloween plushie
• Best Adult Costume — AED 200 Stomping Grounds dining voucher for two

Halloween Treats for Costumed Guests

The Halloween celebration will come with a few extras for guests who arrive in costume.

Costumed adults will receive one complimentary espresso-based coffee, while costumed children will receive one complimentary babyccino or kids’ hot chocolate, plus a chocolate goodie bag.

Adults can also receive a complimentary gooey chocolate cookie or muffin with their coffee when they share a photo taken at Stomping Grounds on Instagram and tag @stompinggroundsdxb. Guests simply need to show the tagged post or Story to the team to redeem.

Halloween Specials on the Menu

Alongside the regular Stomping Grounds menu, guests can enjoy a selection of Halloween specials from 9am to 4pm, including:

• BBQ Brekkie — AED 101
• Steak Sandwich — AED 99

A DIY Halloween Photo Corner

Adding to the atmosphere will be a simple DIY Halloween photo area within the venue, designed as an easy spot for families, kids and dogs to capture their costumes and create their own Halloween content.

With activities and offers designed to include the entire family, Stomping Grounds’ Halloween celebration aims to make the occasion as much about spending time together as it is about dressing up.

Details: 

Location: Villa 98, 12D Street (corner of 51st Street), Jumeirah 1, Dubai

Phone: +97143444451

Instagram: instagram.com/stompinggroundsdxb 

Website: stompinggrounds.me