Young Arabs find much of the Arabic content available to them dated compared with its English-language equivalent, according to new research examining how the language is used across the region.The Congress ACI Arab Youth Pulse Survey 2025 found that 71 per cent of respondents prefer media in Arabic, while 67 per cent believe Arabic content feels outdated.Selected findings were discussed during the fifth Congress of Arabic and Creative Industries, held at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, where there were discussions on topics including publishing, artificial intelligence, film, music and intellectual property.The survey, conducted by Ipsos and the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, questioned 4,092 people aged between 18 and 25 across Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE.The survey also found that Arabic remains central to the personal lives of young people, with 91 per cent using it at home and 85 per cent with friends. That figure falls to 64 per cent at school, university or work and 60 per cent when studying online. English use increases in those settings, with 77 per cent of respondents saying it is essential to achieving their goals.Ali Bin Tamim, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said the findings should prompt institutions to examine whether young people see Arabic as part of their professional f...
Read briefing The value of goods transiting through Sharjah and Oman logistics corridor has jumped more than 66 per cent in the first three months of operations as shippers looks to avoid the turbulent Strait of Hormuz amid the continuing Iran war. Goods worth Dh1.7 billion ($463.21 million) have been traded since May 17, when the corridor was launched to allow shipments to cross borders seamlessly into the Sultanate’s ports.Launched by Sharjah Ports, Customs and Free Zones Authority with Oman Customs, the dedicated corridor reflects the success of an “integrated sea–land logistics model that supports smoother trade flows and improves supply chain efficiency”, Sharjah Customs said in a statement on Sunday. The initiative allows importers, exporters, freight companies and logistics service providers with “more flexible and competitive logistics solutions”, it added.With the Iran war now in its seventh month, the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global route that powers global commerce, remains effectively shut, with continued Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. The significantly reduced flow of vessels through the narrow waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and gas passed before the conflict, has also disrupted commodities trade and upended supply chains.To circumvent the strait, heavy goods vehicles are now used far more extensively in the UAE to collect everything from supermarket sta...
Read briefing A UAE official source has responded to claims that Abu Dhabi warned Israel of an imminent Hamas attack in the weeks before October 7. With the Israeli elections fast approaching, the issue has become a major issue for politicians campaigning on the issue of security.Responding to a recent query from The National, a UAE official source pointed to the fact that the "UAE discusses security matters with other countries through the relevant entities, and does not discuss such details at the level of national leaders".
Read briefing The US is working with regional and international partners on a diplomatic push to secure a humanitarian truce in Sudan, which has been engulfed in a three-year civil war, a senior White House adviser has said. US President Donald Trump's adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, spoke to Sky News Arabia about Washington's efforts with fellow Quad countries – the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt – as well as Turkey, Qatar and European nations to establish a new path towards a ceasefire. "Today we are striving, together with our brothers in the Quad, namely Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as our brothers in Qatar and Turkey and in Europe, towards a new peaceful path," he said in an interview broadcast on Saturday. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country of 50 million people and battered its economy. International efforts aimed at ending the war have struggled to secure a lasting cessation of hostilities.Asked whether the US could force open humanitarian corridors, Mr Boulos said Washington was working with international and regional partners on the issue. He said the goal remained to secure a humanitarian truce as the first step towards a wider political settlement.Mr Boulos said the US continued to support the "comprehensive peace plan” he announced in February. The plan is centre...
Read briefing Google's Gemini model accessed the internet and hacked other companies during a test of its cybersecurity capabilities, the first known example of the company's AI systems autonomously committing such an act.The hacks occurred in May during a cybersecurity test conducted by Irregular, an independent company that evaluates cybersecurity.During a standard testing evaluation, Gemini found public information online and guessed credentials to access three websites it thought were within the scope of its test, Heather Adkins, Google's vice president of security engineering, said in a statement."We ensured the three entities were made aware, and we worked with our training partner on the changes they’ve now made to their testing processes," Adkins said. "These events highlight the importance of training powerful AI models to act responsibly."How did Gemini hack the websites?In one of the cases, the Gemini model guessed passwords until it gained access to a protected system. In the other two cases, the model found credentials in a public repository that allowed it to then access protected systems, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news on Friday.Adkins said that in all three instances, the model ceased its hacking.An Irregular spokesperson said the incident involved the same issue that affected other AI labs and that all relevant labs were not...
Read briefing Arsenal suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season, going down 3-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion.Pascal Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute before Charalampas Kostoulas added a second on the stroke of half time.Brighton showed just why they are the division's highest scorers with a third goal in the 51st minute courtesy of Chema Andres."I thought we showed great intensity, waited for mistakes and punished Arsenal. It was a strong performance, a very complete performance," Gross told BBC Match of the Day."We won the ball high up and attacked really fast. After the last two wins we are full of confidence and wanted to finish really strong before the international break ..."I know after the international break we play every three days and a lot of the lads are not used to that. It will be tough. I hope we can compete. We have a big squad this season."It was a famous win for the Seagulls, who wore a special kit for the match to commemorate their 125th year."Brighton deserved to win the game. We didn't do the basics right for long periods, especially in the first half," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We didn't win enough duels, and any second balls and that stretches you. With the errors that we made and especially with the principles we didn't apply against a team that wants to press you."Defeat means Arsenal drop below Manchester City into seco...
Read briefing Tottenham Hotspur's nightmare start to the season continued on Saturday as they fell to a 3-2 defeat at home to Aston Villa, a result that leaves them in the Premier League relegation zone.Spurs have now gone five league games without a win and dropped to 18th in the table.It is a damning indictment of a club that spent £325 million on new signings in the summer to push for a top-six finish. Spurs must now adjust those expectations to make sure they simply don't find themselves in the same situation as last season when they needed a win on the final day just to preserve their top-flight status.Chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" from visiting Villa fans aimed at Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi before the final whistle didn't feel at all ironic. Given how bad they have started the season, the Italian may spend the international break nervously wondering if he can pull off a repeat of last season's rescue act or if the Spurs board will decide he is not up to the task.In De Zerbi's defence, the 3-2 scoreline is misleading on many fronts. Spurs actually started brightly, and Villa were indebted to goalkeeper Zion Suzuki for keeping them in the game.The Japanese international pulled off four stunning saves – twice denying Savio, while also keeping out efforts from Archie Gray and Sandro Tonali. It felt like only a matter of time before Spurs broke their duck and scored in t...
Read briefing President Donald Trump on Friday said he was banning several media organisations from the White House, accusing them of publishing “fake news” about his administration.In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said CNN, MS NOW and Politico would not be allowed in the White House “effective immediately”.“I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW ... and Politico ... from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ fake news!” he wrote.“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.”Mr Trump did not specify the scope of the ban or whether it would affect journalists’ credentials, or their access to the White House grounds and attendance at presidential events. He said other media organisations would follow.Asked about the ban in an Oval Office event later on Friday, Mr Trump said media "purposely write negative news"."They do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration," he said. "It's one-sided. It's never good.""I don't want them in my office. I don't want them here," he told reporters in the Oval Office.The move is the latest in Mr Trump’s long-running and often contentious relationship with the news media. He frequently engages directly with journalists, including taking calls from r...
Read briefing Early voting began in some US states on Friday, weeks ahead of the midterm elections that will determine whether the Democrats can regain power in Congress.The issues weighing on the minds of voters include how President Donald Trump is running the country, rising prices for petrol, food and other necessities, and the Iran war.Virginia has opened polls in some areas for those wishing to cast their votes early. Voters in some other states, including Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, can apply for and cast absentee ballots in person in some places. Electoral laws on early voting vary from state to state, with some not opening availability until mid-October. The midterm elections, scheduled for November 3, will be pivotal in determining the direction of the final two years of Mr Trump's term as well as that of Congress. Currently, Republicans maintain control of the White House and Congress, but this is likely to shift following the midterms.Races in states such as Texas, Georgia and Michigan are being closely watched. In Michigan, Muslim American Democrat Abdul El Sayed is running against Trump-endorsed Mike Rogers. And progressive former teacher James Talarico is taking on Republican Ken Paxton in conservative Texas.The president's party typically loses congressional seats in the midterms.Mr Trump's approval rating is hovering around 35 per cent, according to the latest Reuters...
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Read briefing Question: I've rented the same apartment for almost four years and have built up a really good relationship with my landlord. Last week, he told me he's thinking of selling because he feels the market has performed well over the past few years. I'm now worried that if somebody buys the apartment, they'll immediately ask me to move out, even though I'd really like to stay. I've heard so many different opinions from friends that I don't know what's actually true. Could you explain what normally happens when a rented property is sold? RW, Downtown DubaiAnswer: This is a question I'm hearing much more often lately, and fortunately, the answer is usually far less worrying than many tenants imagine.The first thing to remember is that selling a property doesn't automatically end the tenancy. When somebody buys a tenanted property, they also take over the existing tenancy agreement. In other words, the lease continues under exactly the same terms until it expires.Where people become confused is around vacant possession. If the new owner genuinely intends to move into the property themselves, or in some cases wishes to have a close family member occupy it, there are legal procedures that must be followed. It isn't simply a case of completing the purchase and asking the tenant to leave the following week. The reality is that if the new owner needs you to vacate, they have to give you 12...
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Read briefing An Iranian delegation will be allowed to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, the State Department announced on Thursday.The move comes a day after the US banned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders from travelling to New York for the gathering of world leaders, saying it was holding the Palestinians to account for "glorifying terrorism".“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level Week," a State Department representative said. "The delegation is smaller than last year.”Iranian delegates will be banned from shopping for luxury goods and will be under travel restrictions while in the US, the official added.The US is at war with Iran and has designated Tehran a state sponsor of terrorism. The State Department official said members of Iran's "core delegation" had been granted visas.A diplomat confirmed to The National that Mr Pezeshkian is expected to attend, as he did last year and in 2024. US outlets reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi would also attend.The UN General Assembly on Thursday voted to allow Mr Abbas to address next week’s gathering of world leaders by video after the US again denied him a visa.
Read briefing A court in Al Ain has ordered a driver and the owner of a vehicle to pay Dh295,294 ($80,406) to an insurance company after a crash in which one person was killed. The motorist, who did not own the vehicle, was driving without a licence at the time.The crash took place in Al Ain on February 17, 2024. The driver was convicted in 2024 by the Al Ain Traffic Misdemeanours Court on charges of causing death, damaging other people's vehicles, failing to comply with traffic signs, and driving without a licence, according to court papers seen by The National.The vehicle owner was not penalised in the criminal proceedings.After the driver had been convicted, an insurance company paid out Dh295,294 to cover claims arising from the crash: Dh227,706 ($80,400) to the family of the deceased; Dh29,034 to repair damage to a vehicle; Dh31,784 for damage to another vehicle; and Dh6,770 in ambulance costs.The insurance company then filed a case seeking recompense from the driver and the owner of the vehicle, under the terms of the UAE's unified motor insurance policy.The judge accepted the insurer’s claim after it was found the first accused had been driving without a valid licence and the insurer had paid the compensation due to all third parties.The court rejected the vehicle owner's request to deduct the Dh200,000 he had paid to the deceased's family as diya, Sharia-compliant compensation, after...
Read briefing Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution on Thursday that would have extended for another year the mandate of a panel of experts monitoring sanctions imposed on Iran.The US-drafted text received 11 votes in favour, two abstentions, including Pakistan, and two against.Vasily Nebenzya, Moscow's UN envoy, argued that the draft resolution “was deeply flawed and did not have any legal basis".“We strongly urged the authors to refrain from promoting such a draft; it was clear that the only thing that such a stubborn imposition of such products could lead to would be an increased growth in tensions within the Security Council, both on political and procedural grounds,” he said.“Nonetheless, Washington decided to opt for confrontation and put the draft to a vote.”The vote exposed deep divisions on the 15-member council over whether sanctions imposed by the UN on Iran remain in force following a dispute over the use of the “snapback” mechanism contained in the 2015 nuclear deal.Britain, France and Germany triggered the mechanism in August last year, arguing that Iran had failed to meet its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The move was intended to restore UN sanctions that had been suspended under the agreement and Security Council Resolution 2231.Russia and China have rejected the legal and procedural validity of the move. They argue...
Read briefing Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has extended his condolences to family members of one of two UAE servicemen martyred while carrying out a training mission on Monday.Sheikh Khaled delivered his support in a meeting with relatives of Warrant Officer Saeed Al Shamsi at Majlis Zakhir in Al Ain on Thursday.A military funeral was held for WO Al Shamsi and Maj Abdullah Al Menhaly, which was attended by senior leaders and officers from the Ministry of Defence, alongside members of their families.Sheikh Khaled expressed his "heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the family of the martyr", Abu Dhabi Media Office reported.The training mission was in the UAE. No further details were provided about the mission or the circumstances surrounding the two servicemen's deaths.The ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the families of the two servicemen and prayed for God to grant them mercy.
Read briefing The season-ending WTA Finals will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina for at least three years from 2027, as the Women's Tennis Association announced its plans for the future following the conclusion of its partnership with Saudi Arabia.In July, WTA decided to relocate the November 2026 Finals to Indian Wells, California after ending an agreement with Riyadh that was backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.Now, the WTA Finals – featuring the season's top eight singles players and doubles teams – will be played at Charlotte's Spectrum Center from 2027.WTA is trying to fill the substantial financial gap left behind by the PIF and chairperson Valerie Camillo said the WTA will operate the event itself, creating a public-private partnership involving the city, county, state and local corporate community.“The WTA will be taking greater ownership and control of the event and investing alongside our partners,” Camillo said, adding the tour aims to build the Finals into the “Super Bowl of women's sports”.Raising the curtain on a new stage 💪Charlotte, North Carolina. The home of the WTA Finals from 2027!#WTAFinals pic.twitter.com/ZcIGUKhfsD— wta (@WTA) September 16, 2026“Women’s tennis has spent generations helping push women’s sports forward, and we have an opportunity now to lead again by building a championship experience that reflects just how far women’s sport has com...
Read briefing The UAE's embassy in Washington on Wednesday highlighted the development of an artificial intelligence model that can simulate a human cell and its response to drugs.The embassy praised the work of California-based GenBio AI, along with researchers from Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Harvard and Stanhope.GenBio AI, co-founded by Eric Xing, president of the MBZUAI, and Nobel Laureate David Baker, first announced the system that it calls AIDO Cell in late August. "AIDO Cell simulates how a cell would change in response to experiments, and how those changes appear across various experimental measurements, i.e., a virtual cell," a statement from GenBio AI reads. It adds that AIDO Cell is based on a "world model". "World models are unique in that they perform predictions on a unified world state, allowing users to take actions midway through a prediction and decode how observations in the real world would unfold in response to those actions."A video provided by the company says that biologists largely rely on laboratory experiments to better understand how cells behave, but now, with the help of AIDO Cell, they can simulate the same biology for many of those experiments using software.GenBio AI's website provides an opportunity for those interested in using AIDO Cell to sign up for an early access waiting list. The company says that it is workin...
Read briefing The US is facing mounting costs as it races to replenish its stocks of missiles and missile interceptors that it used in the early stages of the Iran war.A report released this week by the Congressional Budget Office found that the war had cost at least $38 billion as of August 1. The biggest single expense came from firing missile-defence interceptors and munitions, which it said will leave the US with a reduced inventory "for several years".The CBO accounting found the war could have far-reaching consequences for US defence and the domestic economy.The shortfall in critical munitions, including missile interceptors, could hamper the Pentagon's response in the event of another major conflict, such as any hostilities involving China and Taiwan, the CBO noted.The US has been firing Patriot and Thaad interceptors to protect its troops and allies from Iranian missiles and drones in the Middle East.A Pentagon inspector general's report acknowledged "strategic inventory shortfalls" and industrial bottlenecks for resupply.According to an analysis by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the number of Patriot interceptors fell from 2,330 at the start of the conflict to fewer than 850 by the end of July. Thaad stockpiles, meanwhile, dwindled to about 250 from 452."Diminished stockpiles may force the United States and its coalition partners to take more risks with inter...
Read briefing The Central Bank of the UAE on Wednesday raised its base rate for the Overnight Deposit Facility by 25 basis points to 3.9 per cent from 3.65 per cent. This comes after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points, from 3.75 to 4 per cent, as policymakers responded to geopolitical developments. As the dirham is pegged to the dollar, the UAE typically raises or lowers interest rates in tandem with the US.At the Fed's previous meeting in July, rates were held at 3.50 per cent to 3.75 per cent, while the UAE Central Bank kept its base rate unchanged at 3.65 per cent.What does it mean for UAE consumers?Changes in the UAE base rate feed through to borrowing costs and can affect the Emirates Interbank Offered Rate, or Eibor, which is used as a benchmark for mortgages and other loans.Homeowners with variable-rate mortgages are among those most exposed to an increase. Higher benchmark rates can push up monthly repayments, while borrowers whose fixed-rate periods are ending could also face higher costs when their mortgages are repriced.New buyers may find mortgages more expensive, potentially reducing the amount they can afford to borrow.Personal loans, car finance and credit-card borrowing can also become more expensive as interest rates rise, putting additional pressure on household budgets.Savers, however, could benefit. Higher rates can lead banks to offer better...
Read briefing Scholars and authors from across the Arab world were honoured for their contributions at the 20th Sheikh Zayed Book Award on Wednesday.Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed highlighted the award’s importance as a global platform expanding the presence of Arab creativity. The event is held during Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which runs until Friday.Sheikh Theyab, who is Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, handed awards to the winners across all categories, including: - Egyptian author Ashraf Al Elashmawy in the Literature category- Moroccan researcher Mustapha Rajouane in the Young Author category- Iraqi-American researcher Nawal Nasrallah in the Translation category- Jordanian author Zuhair Tawfiq in the Literary and Art Criticism category- German scholar and translator Stefan Weidner in the Arab Culture in Other Languages category- and Egyptian Prof Dr Mohamed Elkhosht in the Manuscripts, Encyclopaedias, and Lexicons category.A special award was presented to Egyptian artist Najat Al Saghira, winner of the Cultural Personality of the Year award.Al Saghira is a legend of Egyptian cinema and music, hailing from the golden age of Arab music in the 1940s to the 1960s.In the UAE, she holds the distinction of having sung the national anthem on the UAE's first National Day on December 2, 1972, a year after the nation was born.She w...
Read briefing The UAE's cyber security chief said the country is still contending with a barrage of daily online threats - with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) behind many of the attacks.Dr Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, head of cyber security for the UAE Government, said the Emirates faced 640,000 attacks on Tuesday alone.He said Iran remains "one of the main players" in the high-tech offensive, which is being exacerbated by the rise of artificial intelligence.The UAE was forced to thwart thousands of missile and drone attacks from Tehran at the height of the conflict and remains on high alert over a dangerous cyber threat."There are great footprints that show who is actually behind those attacks," said Dr Al Kuwait, in an interview with CNN's Becky Anderson on Wednesday."Yes, Iran is one of the main players, the IRGC is the specific one behind many of those aspects."They continue (the attacks) - 640,000 attacks we saw yesterday (Tuesday) for example."The UAE has recorded as many as 640,000 cyberattacks in a single day—who’s behind them? What’s being targeted? And how is the UAE countering the onslaught? I put those questions to the Head of @cscgovae @DrMAlkuwaiti. pic.twitter.com/gmElv0BB2h— Becky Anderson (@BeckyCNN) September 16, 2026He said the country was dealing with a lower number of cyber attacks than in the early months of the conflict, but was still being targeted.He said rap...
Read briefing The Iran war had cost the US taxpayer at least $38 billion by August 1 and expenses are projected to run at about $3 billion a month if the conflict continues, a new report has found.The $38 billion tally reflects the costs of replacing expended munitions and equipment lost in battle, increased flying hours, other operations, and increased fuel costs, the Congressional Budget Office report on Pentagon spending on the war said in its report, released on Tuesday. The figure is about square with the costs outlined by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to Congress in July. The report from the CBO, a federal agency charged with providing budget and economic information to Congress, added that depending on the level of violence, the Pentagon's costs could come in at about $3 billion a month."Monthly costs could be higher still if the violence escalated further," it said.The CBO report said its estimate does not include costs borne by other parts of the federal government, such as how the increased cost of fuel has affected various agencies. It also does not include costs already accounted for in the federal budget.It highlighted that the main cost of the conflict has been the large expenditure of missile defence interceptors, which it said will leave the US with a reduced inventory "for several years"."The shortfall would become especially problematic if a conflict arose with an opponent...
Read briefing US Senator Bernie Sanders on Tuesday warned that the artificial intelligence boom could lead to job disruptions and unprecedented surveillance, eclipsing any benefits. The Independent Vermont senator delivered one of the main speeches on the need for AI regulation during the Pro-Human Assembly, a gathering that attracted politicians, technology experts, economists and academics pushing for stronger AI regulation."It as advancing exponentially every single day," Mr Sanders said, calling AI the most transformational technology in humanity's history. He lamented that the US Congress has not yet passed any meaningful AI-related regulatory legislation.Mr Sanders said that he will soon introduce legislation to ban the development of AI super-intelligence that might slip out of human control. "It will pause development until we have clear safety rules in place developed by the most knowledgeable scientists in the country," he said.This week, US President Donald Trump Trump dismissed warnings of the need for protection in AI, calling them part of a “hoax” and “sick conspiracy”."President Trump's ignorance on this issue is embarrassing," Mr Sanders said. The event took place after several high-profile AI incidents in which models compromised the security of various systems without being told to do so.It also occurred days after AI executives such as Dario Amodei, Sam Altman and Elon Mus...
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