Khaleej Times - April 24, 2025

In this issue

April 24, 2025

Dubai resident among terror victims; India vows 'loud and clear' response

A 33-year-old Indian expat living and working in Dubai was among 28 people killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday. A close relative confirmed his death to Khaleej Times.

1 min

33% of Dubai government jobs at risk from AI: Study

Approximately 33 per cent of Dubai government jobs are at a high risk of exposure to generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to a new study. It also found that clerical support workers were the most exposed and that Gen AI could take away 24 per cent of their job tasks.

2 mins

50 restaurants to get rent relief as Dubai Fountain shuts for upgrade

Restaurants and food and beverage (F&B) outlets facing the Lake and Fountain areas at Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar will get a four-month rent relief due to the fountain's closure.

1 min

Islamabad slams attacks on tourists as New Delhi downgrades relations

Pakistan on Wednesday issued a statement expressing concern over the loss of lives in a terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam.

1 min

FORTUNE GROUP'S BOLD NEW F&B VENTURE

Now, Fortune Group of Hotels proudly unveils its newest culinary gem Boat-man's Hub, located at Dubai Grand Hotel by Fortune, Al Qusais. It is a theme-based seafood restaurant that brings together the distinct coastal flavors of Mangalore, Goa, and Malvan under one thoughtfully curated menu.

2 mins

Dubai resident among victims

Niraj, a long-time resident of Dubai, was an alumnus of Indian High School. He was employed as a finance professional with Cognita school group in the city.

1 min

Milano by Danube takes centre stage at the 137th Canton Fair in China

With Dubai’s real estate sector booming, Milano’s portfolio is already playing a pivotal role in several landmark projects

2 mins

Several UAE residents cancel Kashmir trips

For the last two months Asha Abdulkader and her extended family of 15 people have been looking forward to a relaxing and beautiful trip to several places in Kashmir, including Pahalgam.

1 min

Shoppers cash in on soaring gold prices, sell old jewellery

Some use this opportunity to lock in the current gold rate before prices rise further

2 mins

Minister cautions against over-regulating AI industry

The UAE’s minister of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Wednesday cautioned against over-regulating the technology and stressed that the Emirates aims to be a hub for AI acceleration and innovation rather than a hub for regulation.

2 mins

Fuel service Cafu to reinstate delivery fees from today

UAE fuel delivery service Cafu will reintroduce delivery fees starting from 6am today, a company call centre agent confirmed to Khaleej Times on Wednesday.

1 min

Dubai to alert residents about waterlogging using Al model

Soon, Dubai will start using an Al model that can provide real-time data on waterlogging across the emirate.

1 min

Galadari Brothers employees join hands for beach clean-up

Plastics are everywhere. From remote mountaintops to the depths of the ocean, plastic waste has become one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

2 mins

Sharjah building fire was caused by electrical fault, transformer overload

Sharjah Civil Defence Authority on Wednesday revealed the reason behind the fire that broke out in Al Nahda last Sunday. The deadly fire, which broke out on one of the top floors of the 52-storey residential building in Al Nahda, left five dead and 19 injured.

1 min

St Mary's Church invites residents to attend memorial service on April 26

All are invited to attend a memorial service for the late Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26, at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Oud Metha, Dubai, the church announced on Wednesday.

1 min

The bishop who helped bring Pope Francis to Arabian Peninsula

With barely two months of preparation and enormous logistical requirements, it was nothing short of a miracle that the historic three-day official visit by Pope Francis to the UAE, back in February 2019, was a big success.

3 mins

Oil falls nearly 2% on talks of Opec+plans to accelerate output in June

Oil prices fell almost 2 per cent on Wednesday as sources said Opec+ could accelerate its oil output increases next month, but losses were curbed after a report that US President Donald Trump may cut tariffs on Chinese imports.

1 min

UAE insurance market expected to expand 10-20% this year

With a projected growth of 10 to 20 per cent in 2025, following a strong 20 per cent expansion in 2024, the UAE's insurance sector portrays a thriving landscape despite challenges.

2 mins

Super rich drive Middle East luxury real estate boom

The Middle East is experi encing an unprecedented surge in high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), with the UAE emerg ing as a global magnet for wealthy investors.

4 mins

ADIB's Q1 net profit before tax up 18%

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank on Wednesday reported a Q1 2025 net profit before tax of Dh1.9 billion, rising 18 per cent year-onyear, reflecting a strong balance sheet growth, coupled with increased business momentum and a sustained customer growth.

1 min

How to take a loan against your gold holdings in India

Question: My mother in India wishes to take a loan from a bank for purchasing a residential property. The loan will be taken on the security of gold inherited by her. I want to know the amount of loan which she can obtain based on the value of gold. What are the regulations in this regard?

3 mins

Al Ansari and Visa extend partnership on digital payments

Al Ansari Exchange, a leading remittance and foreign exchange service provider in the UAE and a subsidiary of Al Ansari Financial Services, on Tuesday announced the extension of its strategic partnership with Visa, a global leader in digital payments.

1 min

Sharjah's real estate deals top Dh13B in Q1

Sharjah recorded 24,597 real estate transactions in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 23,478 in the same period last year, a growth of 4.8 per cent.

1 min

Saudi 'city of roses' offers fragrant reminder of desert's beauty

After decades spent pruning thorny bushes and working arduous harvests, Khalafallah Altalhi has perfected the art of capturing the fragrant aroma of the desert rose in a bottle.

2 mins

Palestinian president Abbas urges Hamas to hand over hostages

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas urged the militant group Hamas on Wednesday to release the hostages still being held in Gaza, calling it the main factor fuelling Israeli attacks on the territory.

1 min

Gaza rescuers: Charred bodies found as Israeli strikes kill 17

Gaza's civil defence agency on Wednesday said its crew recovered charred bodies from a school-turned-shelter for displaced people, as Israeli strikes killed 17 people in the Hamas-run territory since dawn.

1 min

Killings shatter Modi's tourism success in troubled region

Images and videos of gunshots ringing out in a meadow, bloodied bodies lying on the ground, and people fleeing across a dry river bed have shattered Kashmir’s emergence as India’s new tourism hotspot.

1 min

Tourists flee, hoteliers report mass cancellations

Indian tourist brochures dub the Himalayan region of Kashmir “Little Switzerland”, and its mountain meadows are usually packed with visitors escaping the sweltering summer heat in the lowland plains of India.

2 mins

'Happiness, love' at Moonie mass wedding after Japan court blow

They've been called a cult, accused of coercive fundraising, and legally disbanded in Japan. But in a mountainous town nestled in South Korea, thousands of “Moonies” gathered this month for a mass wedding.

3 mins

How militants attacked tourists in Kashmir, and India's response

At least 26 people died and 17 others were injured when suspected militants opened fire at a popular tourist spot in the Pahalgam region of India's Jammu and Kashmir territory this week.

1 min

Trump's administration moves to scrap artificial food dyes

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday announced plans to remove synthetic dyes from the US food supply, marking a rare point of bipartisan convergence in an otherwise sharply divided political climate.

2 mins

Powerful quake hits off Istanbul coast

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul on Wednesday, with the impact felt across Turkey’s largest city where people rushed onto the streets.

1 min

Zelensky calls for unconditional truce after Russian attack kills 9

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Wednesday for an \"immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire\", hours after a Russian drone strike on a bus killed nine and as his top aide met Kyiv’s allies in London.

1 min

Tens of thousands say goodbye to Pope Francis lying in state

Saturday's funeral is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, as well as world leaders including US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's President Zelensky and Britain's Prince William

3 mins

Pep calls season 'bad' even with Champions League within reach

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola scoffed at suggestions that his team could look back on this season as a special one if they clinch a Champions League berth.

1 min

Australia mourns death of former Test opening batter Stackpole

Former Test opener Keith Stackpole, a key member of the Australia teams captained by Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell in the 1960s-70s, died of a suspected heart attack on Tuesday at the age of 84.

1 min

On Sachin's birthday, UAE cricket officials remember the day they came close to playing against him

As Sachin Tendulkar turns 52 today, two veteran UAE cricket administrators recalled how they came close to playing against the iconic Indian cricketer.

2 mins

KL Rahul shows his former team what they're missing

KL Rahul has racked up 40 half-centuries in 12 seasons in the Indian Premier League but few will have given him more pleasure than the one he made for Delhi on Tuesday against Lucknow Super Giants — the team which dumped him unceremoniously last year.

2 mins

Francis Ford Coppola to get AFI Life Achievement Award

The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Francis Ford Coppola will be honoured with the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award, recognising his significant contributions to the film industry.

1 min

Enola Holmes3 officially in the works

Netflix has officially announced the production of Enola Holmes 3, the latest installment in the popular film franchise based on Nancy Springer's book series.

1 min

Mammoth child actor Sophie Nyweide dies

Sophie Nyweide, a young actor who appeared in films like Russell Crowe’s Noah, Jessica Alba’s An Invisible Sign, and more, died on April 14.

1 min

Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma among stars who express grief over Pahalgam attack

India is grappling with sorrow following a brutal terror attack in the scenic region of Pahalgam, Anantnag district, which claimed the lives of several innocent civilians, including tourists.

1 min

Tyagi on his directorial debut Kesari Chapter 2

Karan Singh Tyagi made an impressive Bollywood debut with his directorial, Kesari Chapter 2, a historical courtroom drama headlined by Akshay Kumar, alongside R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday.

2 mins

Chacko gets slap on wrist over alleged drug use

On Tuesday, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) issued a final warming to actor Shine Tom Chacko over his alleged drug use and misconduct on a film set.

1 min

BRED returns to Abu Dhabi

Artist line-ups, activities, and all you need to know about the 5-day event

2 mins

How John Cena became the last great crossover wrestling star

John Cena knew his time was up.

4 mins

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Khaleej Times Newspaper Description:

Khaleej Times is the first English newspaper to be launched in the UAE in 1978.

The broadsheet comprises of the general news section, the business pages and a lively sports section. Khaleej Times is the highest circulated of the English language newspapers throughout the Gulf.

It reaches out to all parts of the UAE. Additionally, it covers Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia through a dedicated distribution network.