Latest news with #Zawya
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
VIDEO: GCC economies buck global downturn; GDP to hit 4.4% in 2025
The stronger-than-expected growth will be driven primarily by higher oil output and robust non-oil sectors, especially in the region's two largest economies, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Watch the Zawya video here:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Saudi Arabia's tiqmo and MoneyGram partner to power cross-border money movement
MoneyGram has teamed up with Saudi Arabia-based financial app tiqmo to enable international money transfers, according to a press release by Zawya. Through this collaboration, tiqmo users in Saudi Arabia can now access MoneyGram's global network to send funds to over 200 countries and territories. The partnership provides tiqmo customers with the ability to reach more than five billion digital endpoints and over 480,000 MoneyGram locations worldwide, the press release said. Users will have options to send and receive money in over 120 currencies. The service is expected to be particularly useful for customers sending money to countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Egypt, Indonesia, and Nepal. The new service is now operational and available to all tiqmo users in Saudi Arabia. tiqmo managing director Abdulaziz Al Ajlan said: 'We believe that our partnership with MoneyGram will strengthen tiqmo's portfolio of international financial services and connect our customers with a payment brand known around the world. 'In line with Vision 2030 and the Kingdom's digital transformation objectives and in pursuit of our goal to redefine digital financial services, we are delighted to welcome MoneyGram into our world-class digital payments ecosystem for the MENA financial services and marketplace.' MoneyGram Middle East, South Asia & Asia Pacific head Ahmed Aly stated: 'This partnership reflects MoneyGram's leadership in enabling digital cross-border payments and advancing financial inclusion across the region. 'By expanding our digital network through this collaboration with tiqmo- one of the Kingdom's most innovative and fast-growing wallets- we are reinforcing our role as a key enabler of remittance innovation and supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 towards a more inclusive and digital empowered financial ecosystem.' tiqmo's services include bank account transfers, digital wallet transfers, cash pick-up, bill payments, and mobile top-ups. Since its launch in 2024, tiqmo has been serving regions across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and is licensed by the Saudi Central Bank. Last month, MoneyGram unveiled MoneyGram Ramps, an API that facilitates cash-to-crypto and crypto-to-cash services through a single integration. "Saudi Arabia's tiqmo and MoneyGram partner to power cross-border money movement " was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
New Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: In Cairo, the little indie cinema that could
In the heart of Cairo, a small cinema has, for more than a decade, offered a unique space for independent film in a country whose industry is largely dominated by commercial considerations. Zawya, meaning "perspective" in Arabic, has weathered the storm of Egypt's economic upheavals, championing a more artistic approach from the historical heart of the country's golden age of cinema. Zawya was born in the post-revolutionary artistic fervour of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. "There was this energy where people wanted to produce and create, not just in cinema, but in all the arts, you could feel it," said Zawya founder Youssef Shazli. In the time since, it has escaped a wave of closures — some forced — of art centres across the capital. Egypt had long been known as the Hollywood of the Arab world, but in the decades since its mid-century heyday, the domestic industry has largely been restricted to crowd-pleasing blockbusters. "It's often said that we're lucky to have a large film industry, with infrastructure already in place," said filmmaker Maged Nader. "But the truth is this industry operates solely on a commercial logic", leaving little room for independent filmmakers, he added. Yet Zawya has survived in its niche, in part due to the relative financial stability afforded to it by its parent company Misr International Films. Founded in 1972 by Egyptian cinematic giant Youssef Chahine — Shazli's great uncle — the company continues to produce and distribute films. YOUNG TALENT For Shazli, Zawya is "a cinema for films that don't fit into traditional theatres". But for young cinephiles like 24-year-old actress Lujain, "it feels like home", she said as she joined a winding queue into the larger of Zawya's two theatres. Since 2014, Zawya's year-round programming, including both local and international short films, documentaries and feature films, has secured the loyalty of a small but passionate scene. Its annual short film festival, held every spring, has become a vital space for up-and-coming directors trying to break through a system that leaves little room for experimentation. "I didn't even consider myself a filmmaker until Zawya screened my short," said Michael Samuel, 24, who works in advertising, but says the cinema rekindled his artistic ambition. For many, that validation keeps them going. "Zawya has encouraged more people to produce these films because they finally have somewhere to be seen," said the cinema's manager, Mohamed Said. When Mostafa Gerbeii, a self-taught filmmaker, was looking for a set for his first film shoot, he also turned to the cinema. Without a studio or a budget, Zawya "just lent us their hall for free for a whole day", he said, saving the young director 100,000 Egyptian pounds to rent a location. THE HEIR The light of its marquee spilling onto downtown Cairo's Emad al-Din Street, Zawya is the 21st-century heir to a long artistic tradition that still lingers, though often hidden away in corners of the district's broad avenues. "It's a unique neighbourhood with an equally unique flavour of artistic and intellectual life," said Chihab El Khachab, a professor at the University of Oxford and author of the book 'Making Film in Egypt'. Starting in the late 19th century, the area was home to the city's biggest theatres and cabarets, launching the careers of the Arab world's most celebrated singers and actors. Today, its arteries flowing out of Tahrir square — the heart of the 2011 uprising — the neighbourhood is home to new-age co-working spaces and galleries, side by side with century-old theatres and bars. Yet even as it withstands the hegemony of mall multiplexes, Zawya cannot escape Egypt's pervasive censorship laws. Like every cinema in Egypt, each film must pass through a state censors before screening. "Over time, you learn to predict what will slide and what won't," Shazli said. But even the censors' scissors have failed to cut off the stream of ambition among burgeoning filmmakers. "Around Zawya, there's a lot of talent — in every corner.
Zawya
12-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
VIDEO: World Bank upgrades UAE's 2025 growth forecast to 4.6%, boosted by non-oil sector growth
The UAE's growth forecast for 2026 has also been revised to 4.9% for 2026, up 0.8 percentage points from January, with the country's oil GDP expected to expand. Watch the Zawya video here:
Scottish Sun
10-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
World's tallest skyscraper that was set to dwarf Burj Khalifa before being left as an abandoned hole to FINALLY be built
The massive observation tower was designed to echo the look of Islamic minarets TOWER OF POWER World's tallest skyscraper that was set to dwarf Burj Khalifa before being left as an abandoned hole to FINALLY be built Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A VAST tower in Dubai that was once planned to be the world's new tallest building could soon finally be built. The Dubai Creek Tower was once envisaged as a colossus that would even dwarf that city's famous Burj Khalifa. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A rendering of The Tower at Dubai Creek Credit: Emaar Properties 6 The tower would have dwarfed the Burj Khalifa Credit: Emaar Properties 6 Its original design would have seen it stand at a staggering 4,300ft tall - far higher than the Burj Khalifa (2,722ft). Announced in 2016 along with an eyewatering $1 billion investment, the massive observation tower was designed to echo the look of Islamic minarets. It was planned to be completed by 2020 - knocking the Burj Khalifa off its top spot as world's tallest structure. But the already delayed project ground to a halt during the COVID pandemic, leaving its future uncertain. The construction site has sat abandoned for some time now, leaving a simple foundation pit where the world's new tallest tower was meant to stand. But after years of waiting, developer Emaar Properties is now set to breathe new life into the project. The company is shelling out $3.81 billion to develop the Dubai Creek Tower and its neighbouring mall, Zawya has reported. If completed as originally planned, the observation tower would boast a sky garden and 20 occupied floors with lavish hotels and restaurants. However, there's a chance it might not challenge the Burj Khalifa's long-held title after all. The Dubai Creek Tower has undergone redesigns while work was on halt, according to the Economic Times. Dubai hotel with world's largest waterpark While no official blueprints have been made public yet, it is believed the redesign will see the tower's proposed height substantially reduced. Despite the promise of new life for the project, it is still unclear exactly when the Dubai Creek Tower will be completed. Dubai is nevertheless home to many of the world's tallest buildings. The Burj Khalifa was completed in 2009, beating Taiwan's Taipei 101 to the title of world's tallest building. It is now one of the most recognisable buildings in the world as Dubai's profile as a futuristic megacity continues to grow. Dubai's megaprojects Dubai has grown rapidly from humble roots into a vast futuristic city boasting some of the world's tallest buildings Here are some of the most ambitious projects the city has seen: Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa is now one of the world's most famous buildings, having been the planet's tallest structure since the late 2000s. More than 15 years later, it still holds that title. Standing at more than half a mile tall, it has more than 150 floors. Dubai Reefs Not content to only take the title of world's tallest building, Dubai also plans to host the world's largest artificial reef. The planned project would cover 200 square kilometres and feature more than 1 billion corals. It is intended to be both a major marine research hub and an ecotourism attraction. Ciel Dubai Marina Dubai also plans to have the world's tallest stand-alone hotel. This massive tower would feature a more than 1,000 rooms spread across 82 floors. Dubai Creek Tower Even successfully completing the world's tallest building wasn't enough to stop Dubai trying to break its own records. The Dubai Creek Tower would have been the world's tallest structure if completed as planned, dwarfing the Burj Khalifa. While it's unclear if it will still take the new record, it's another example of the scale of ambition shown by the city. The Dubai Creek Tower is not the only challenger to the Burj Khalifa to have hit setbacks in development. Saudi Arabia hopes to build the first kilometre high skyscraper with the long-delayed Jeddah Tower. Construction on this gargantuan structure ground to a halt after key figures connected to it were arrested in 2017 - with COVID only pushing it back further. It is now planned to be completed by the end of the decade. But Saudi Arabia is in a race to complete the first kilometre-high tower. Egypt is currently building a new capital city outside of Cairo, with a tower of the same size planned as its centrepiece. The staggeringly tall Oblisco Capitale is planned to sit right in the middle of the new city's central business district. 6 The Dubai Creek Tower has undergone redesigns while work was on halt Credit: Emaar Properties 6 Panoramic view of the Dubai skyline with Burj Khalifa Credit: Getty
