The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), a sponsorship partner of the event, joined world leaders, donors and philanthropic organisations at a global pledging forum hosted by the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, which raised $1.9 billion to support the final push to eradicate polio.

Held in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during Abu Dhabi Finance Week, "Investing in Humanity: United to End Polio" convened senior officials such as Pakistan’s planning minister Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation.

Pledges came from governments and organisations including $1.2 billion from the Gates Foundation, $140 million from the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity, $450 million from Rotary International, $100 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, $154 million from Pakistan, and $4 million from IFANCA — whose founder and leadership were highlighted as key partners advancing the global health effort.

“Today’s pledges demonstrate our shared determination to end polio and protect every child from this preventable disease,” said Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chair of the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation for Humanity. “Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we are proud to stand with countries, donors and partners as we work hand-in-hand to achieve it.”

Dr Tedros said the funding will be “instrumental” in helping the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) reach children in the remaining endemic countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Bill Gates noted that completing eradication “demands the same determination that got us this far.”

IFANCA President Dr Muhammad Munir Chaudry reaffirmed the organisation’s role in the effort: “Supporting children and protecting the most vulnerable is central to IFANCA’s mission. We are proud to renew our commitment to the global effort to end polio… The last mile is the hardest, but we stand with our partners across GPEI to finish the job.”

The pledges will help close the remaining financing gap in GPEI’s 2022–2029 strategy, supporting the vaccination of 370 million children annually and strengthening health systems in affected regions.

The UAE continues to play a prominent role in eradication efforts. Since 2011, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has committed $525 million to polio initiatives, while the Emirates Polio Campaign has delivered more than 850 million doses to children in Pakistan.

Despite significant progress — global polio cases have fallen by over 99% since 1988 — wild poliovirus persists in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and variant outbreaks continue across 18 countries.

The event marks the third major pledging moment hosted in Abu Dhabi, following similar convenings in 2013 and 2019 that collectively mobilised $6.6 billion for polio eradication.

Nasdaq Dubai has listed a $500 million Sukuk issued by MAF Sukuk Ltd., guaranteed by Majid Al Futtaim Holding LLC, as the group expands its use of Dubai’s international debt capital markets to access a broader investor base.

The Sukuk, which matures on 22 October 2035 and offers a profit rate of 4.875%, generated an order book exceeding $2 billion. Proceeds will support the company’s general corporate purposes and refinancing plans. 

Hamed Ali, CEO of Nasdaq Dubai and DFM, stated that the listing underscores Dubai’s position as a hub for Islamic finance and global capital flows. “The strong investor response reinforces the trust placed in issuers that demonstrate sound financial management and long-term resilience,” he noted.

The new Sukuk brings Majid Al Futtaim’s total listings on Nasdaq Dubai to $2.2 billion across four issuances. It follows the company’s recent hybrid bond—which was heavily oversubscribed—and adds to the exchange’s growing pipeline of regional and international debt instruments. Nasdaq Dubai now hosts more than $145 billion in outstanding debt securities.
 

Kathrine Nicolaisen, a Danish marketeer, and founder of Olives & Heather, was fuelled by a sense of justice and, one part ire, to form a remote-first marketing agency, in an attempt to showcase Palestinians on the world employment map. 

She speaks with Salaam Gateway on creating awareness, showcasing Palestinian talent regionally and globally and uplifting the indigenous society. 

Talk us through your journey of creating Olives & Heather?
I’m originally from Denmark but have been living abroad since I was 19. I built my career as a marketeer working in tech, but after my first trip to Palestine in 2018, I started looking for ways to get involved with the Palestinian cause. I was driven largely by a great sense of indignation, and wanted to offer support in a meaningful and relevant way.

At first, I spent a year working remotely for a Palestinian civil society organisation supporting their marketing efforts but then made the move to Palestine in 2020 to spend six months volunteering.

From there it snowballed: I landed a consultancy gig with another civil society organisation, I got a job with an American NGO operating out of Gaza, and by December 2021, I transitioned into what is now Olives & Heather. 

At first, I thought I would work as a marketing strategist supporting Palestinian startups, but as time went on, there was demand not only for strategy but hands-on execution, too.

That’s when I realised that the potential impact of Olives & Heather would be across three pillars: supporting Palestinian founders, amplifying Palestinian voices through advocacy work, and creating alternative job opportunities for Palestinian marketeers and designers.

The latter turned out to be the more significant part. 

How is the company creating opportunities for the next generation of Palestinian professionals?
Palestinian youth are amongst the highest educated in the region. The literacy rate is near 100% - 70% have attended university, and the level of English spoken across Palestine is exceptionally high for the region.

On top of that, Palestine has a long tradition of digital work dating back to the 90’s, when the first software companies were launched, followed by a wave of entrepreneurship, startup, and freelance culture after the 2007/2008 Gaza war.

In Gaza alone, tens of thousands of young people have been making a living online for years, so the talent and skills are already there. All they need is a chance, and that’s where Olives & Heather comes in. 

We’re a remote-first marketing agency with a team of 15 people, mostly women, working from locations such as Ramallah, Jericho, Tulkarem, Gaza City, Deir Al Balah, etc. 

Staying connected with the Palestinian tech community, whilst working with local tech startups and ecosystem builders is our bread and butter. However, over the last two years, we’ve greatly expanded and we now work with tech companies, startups, and ecosystem builders globally. 

What are the key impediments in promoting Palestinian talent?
Challenging stereotypes and reframing the narrative is a central part of our job. Over the years we’ve worked closely with key ecosystem players like Gaza Sky Geeks, the Palestinian IT Association, BuildPalestine, and many accelerators and tech upskilling initiatives.

Key obstacles and misconceptions tend to be rooted in a fear of investing in an unstable workforce and infrastructure, scepticism towards education and skills level, but also the fact that Palestinian labour is twice as expensive as its neighbouring countries Egypt and Lebanon, and 3-5 times more expensive than traditional Far East outsourcing destinations. 

This means that not only does Palestinian talent have to deliver excellent work, they have to go above and beyond from a service aspect in order to compete - and that was before the war in Gaza. 

Olives & Heather’s role is to attract international clients, creating opportunities for Palestinian talent that did not exist otherwise. 

Our duty is towards our team, but the team also understands that with every project, every client comes a responsibility to do your absolute best - not for Olives & Heather - but to pave the way for more opportunities to come.

Our greatest success is not just how many jobs we can directly create for Palestinian marketeers and designers, but our wider impact across the Palestinian tech ecosystem. 

What are the company’s key goals for 2026? 
Prior to the war, the youth unemployment rate in Palestine was estimated to be between 50-70%, meaning local opportunities were not just scarce - they were almost non-existent.

With the ceasefire in place, we are seeing a surge in Gaza-based freelancers looking to return to work. With the Palestinian tech ecosystem being dealt a serious blow, local opportunities are scarce, with freelancers needing all the support and opportunities they can get. 

Our goal as a business is to aggressively grow and expand as much as possible, and we hope to provide stable income for over 100 freelancers by 2028.

All growth to date has been entirely organic, and we are now ramping up our marketing and sales efforts, but we are also exploring alternative funding opportunities from philanthropic investors or business angels.
 

Saudi Arabia’s famed AlUla, home to historical sites and civilizations, have been named the World’s leading Cultural Tourism Project 2025.  

AlUla secured the honour at this year’s World Travel Awards, cementing its position as a hub for culture, heritage, exploration, and discovery.

AlUla’s latest accolade comes after the city was named as the Middle East's leading cultural tourism project 2025, Middle East's leading Festival and event destination 2025, and Saudi Arabia's Leading Cultural Tourism Project 2025 at the recent regional edition of the World Travel Awards.

AlUla, sprawling across 22,561 square kilometres in the northwestern area of Saudi Arabia, offers a journey though oases, sandstone formations and cultural landmarks. It is home to some of the region's and the world’s most significant cultural landmarks, including Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, which features a collection of preserved Nabataean tombs.

Pakistan and Indonesia signed seven memoranda of understanding on Tuesday to broaden cooperation in areas including trade, higher education, halal certification and health, during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s two-day visit to Islamabad.

The agreements were finalized after talks between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Subianto, whose trip marks his first to Pakistan since taking office and coincides with the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations.

Speaking at a joint media briefing, Sharif said Pakistan was seeking a more balanced trading relationship, noting that palm oil imports currently dominate a bilateral trade volume of $4.5 billion. “More than 90% represents imports from our brotherly country, Indonesia, that is palm oil,” he said. “We have discussed how to take corrective measures to balance this trade through agri-exports from Pakistan, through exports of our IT-led initiatives, and in many other areas where we can fill this gap.”

Sharif also offered Pakistan’s support for Indonesia’s health sector: “I want to assure you that whatever is possible for us in this behalf, we will do it without any delay and with great pleasure and most willingly.”

The MoUs signed include cooperation in higher education, an Indonesian state scholarship program, SME facilitation, archival collaboration, narcotics control, halal trade and certification, and health-sector development, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.

BankIslami Pakistan has introduced what it says is the country’s first fully digital Islamic banking platform, aiming to expand nationwide access to Shariah-compliant financial services as customer demand for mobile banking accelerates.

The platform — called Aik — was announced on Wednesday in a statement by the bank, which said the rollout marks a major step in its digital transformation strategy. BankIslami was the first Islamic bank to be licensed under Pakistan’s 2003 Islamic Banking Policy and began operations in 2006.

“This platform fulfills a critical need in Pakistan’s banking landscape for a fully digital solution that aligns with Islamic principles without compromising convenience and accessibility,” said Ashfaque Ahmad, the project lead. He added that Aik, meaning “one,” reflects the bank’s vision of a unified, Riba-free financial ecosystem.

The app integrates a range of core services, including digital account opening with biometric verification, instant fund transfers, bill payments, mobile top-ups and an internationally usable debit card. Additional tools, such as a Qibla direction feature, are also included.

Available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, Aik allows customers to register using their CNIC and immediately access a secure digital Islamic banking experience.

Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to raise their bilateral trade volume to $200 million by 2027, setting a clear target to expand economic cooperation following talks in Islamabad between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Sadyr Zhaparov.

The two leaders discussed strengthening ties across trade, energy, connectivity, and security, with both sides expressing commitment to building a more structured economic partnership. “Pakistan offers a strategic gateway to global markets through Karachi, Gwadar and Port Qasim,” Prime Minister Sharif told the visiting delegation as he encouraged Kyrgyz businesses to pursue joint ventures in sectors including trade, education and health.

President Zhaparov underscored the importance of the partnership given Kyrgyzstan’s location in the heart of Eurasia. He said the country’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union and its GSP+ status could help provide Pakistan with broader access to European and regional markets.

The current trade volume stands at roughly*$5 million, but the two sides said they expect to scale this up significantly through improved market access, transport links and investment opportunities. The meeting also reviewed progress on the CASA-1000 electricity project, which would transmit surplus power from Central Asia to Pakistan. Kyrgyzstan has completed its section of the line, while Pakistan’s portion is under way.

Connectivity featured prominently in the discussions, including steps to operationalize the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA), intended to provide road access between Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan through China. Both sides highlighted the importance of transport corridors and regional infrastructure for supporting trade and supply chains.

Educational cooperation was also addressed. Around 8,500 Pakistani students currently study medicine in Kyrgyzstan, and the two governments agreed to create a joint certification mechanism for medical graduates seeking employment in either country.

Zhaparov invited Pakistani investors to explore opportunities in Kyrgyzstan’s hydropower, logistics, agriculture, tourism and halal sectors. He also noted recent developments in the country’s digital economy, including the launch of Kyrgyzstan’s national stablecoin, and signalled openness to collaboration on virtual assets.

The visit concluded with the signing of 15 agreements and MoUs spanning energy, agriculture, education, culture and tourism. One of the key outcomes was the establishment of sister-city relations between Islamabad and Bishkek.