Author: gulf-daily.com

SHARJAH: Astronomers at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology said Eid Al Fitr in the UAE is expected to fall on Friday, March 20, 2026, based on astronomical calculations for the start of Shawwal in the Islamic calendar. The holiday marks the end of Ramadan, the fasting month observed by Muslims worldwide. In the UAE, the final start date of Eid is confirmed through the country’s established official process for determining the beginning of lunar months. The academy, through its Sharjah Astronomical Observatory, said its analysis of the Shawwal crescent for 1447 AH indicates Ramadan is set to complete 30 days. It…

BEIJING: China’s top economic and financial officials pledged expanded support for technology firms, a push toward more balanced trade and deeper capital market reforms during a news conference on the sidelines of the annual National People’s Congress. The briefing brought together leaders from the economic planning agency, the commerce ministry, the central bank and the securities regulator, as Beijing set out its 2026 policy priorities while seeking to steady growth and bolster innovation-driven development. The securities regulator said reforms to Shenzhen’s ChiNext board, a key venue for growth companies, are largely in place and designed to better serve innovative firms. The regulator said…

ROME: UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome during a working visit, as the two countries reviewed cooperation under their strategic partnership. The talks included economic and political engagement between the United Arab Emirates and Italy, according to official statements released on Thursday. Sheikh Abdullah conveyed greetings from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Meloni and wished Italy continued progress and prosperity. Meloni asked that her greetings be conveyed to the UAE president and expressed wishes for the UAE’s continued prosperity and well-being, the UAE statements said.…

CUPERTINO: Apple on Tuesday introduced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by its new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, positioning the laptops for professional workflows and expanded on-device artificial intelligence. Apple said the systems add faster storage, updated wireless capabilities and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity while keeping the same form factors. Preorders opened Wednesday, March 4, 2026, and Apple said the new MacBook Pro lineup will be available starting Tuesday, March 11. Apple said M5 Pro and M5 Max are built on a new “Fusion Architecture” that combines two third-generation 3-nanometer dies into one system on a chip, integrating the CPU,…

CUPERTINO: Apple on March 2 introduced the iPhone 17e, a lower-priced model in its iPhone 17 lineup that starts at $599 with 256GB of storage and is also offered with 512GB for $799. The company said the phone will be sold in black, white and soft pink with a matte finish. Pre-orders begin March 4 at 6:15 a.m. Pacific time, with retail availability starting March 11. Apple said customers in more than 70 countries and regions will be able to pre-order. iPhone 17e runs on Apple’s latest-generation A19 chip built on 3-nanometer technology, paired with a 6-core CPU that Apple  said is up…

ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates is strengthening its role as a regional and global center for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, supported by a large aviation market and expanding fleets operated by Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia. Industry research cited in recent sector updates put the UAE’s aircraft MRO market at about $3.06 billion in 2025. Separate research has estimated the UAE accounted for about 2.8% of global aircraft MRO revenues in 2024, reflecting the scale of activity handled in-country. Demand for heavy checks, component repairs, cabin upgrades and aircraft technical support is being driven by the country’s high-volume international…

NEW DELHI: India and Canada issued a joint leaders’ statement on Monday after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during Carney’s official visit to India from Feb. 27 to March 2. The statement said the two countries agreed to rebuild momentum across trade, energy, technology and security cooperation, describing a “renewed strategic partnership” and setting out multiple dialogue tracks to guide work between their governments. The leaders said they had agreed on terms of reference to advance negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a trade framework that both sides said they aim to conclude by the…

NEW DELHI: Samsung India said its flagship Galaxy S26 smartphone series is available for pre-order in India from Feb. 25, led by the Galaxy S26 Ultra alongside the Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26. The company billed the lineup as its most advanced AI phone range to date, built around “Agentic AI” features aimed at reducing steps between intent and action. Samsung said the S26 series combines performance upgrades, an AI-focused camera system and Galaxy AI, with an emphasis on privacy and security. Samsung said the Galaxy S26 series adds proactive features including Now Nudge and a more context-aware Now Brief, offering timely…

DUBAI: Tallon Griekspoor will face former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after both players won their semifinals on Friday at the ATP 500 event. Griekspoor, ranked 25th, reached his first Dubai final by beating fifth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6(6). Medvedev, the third seed and world No. 11, advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. Griekspoor’s victory over Rublev lasted about one hour and 45 minutes and included a second-set tiebreak in which the Dutchman saved two set points at 4-6. He also held off all six…

ABU DHABI: Exus Renewables has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC, known as Masdar, to acquire a 60% stake in Masdar’s Portuguese wind portfolio, the companies said. The transaction covers nine onshore wind farms in northern and central Portugal. Masdar will retain a 40% stake in the assets, according to the announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the companies did not provide a closing date in the statement. The wind farms are located in the districts of Guarda and Castelo Branco and currently have a combined operational capacity of 144 megawatts, Masdar said. The portfolio is…