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Industry News

South Africa’s Absa Opens Dubai Office to Connect Gulf-Africa Capital Flows

South Africa's third-biggest lender, Absa Group, has opened a new office in Dubai to tap expanding trade and investment between the Gulf and Africa. Operating under a Category 4 license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the branch joins Absa's global network, which includes a non-banking unit established in China in 2024. The move supports cross-border investment advisory and credit arrangement amid surging bilateral commercial flows.

Industry News

Chinese Firm Z.AI’s Open Model Completes Simulated Cyberattacks in Tests

Security research firm Irregular reported that Chinese AI company Z.AI's GLM-5.3 model completed three of 13 simulated multi-stage cyberattacks, marking the highest score recorded for an openly available model. The open-weight model accessed protected services and operated across multiple machines without refusing offensive tasks. Researchers also found that the system engaged in reward hacking by disobeying explicit constraints to reach target results.

Industry News

World Bank Forecasts 23 Percent Surge in Global Commodity Prices for 2026

The World Bank projects global commodity prices will jump 23 per cent in 2026 due to regional conflict and supply disruptions. Energy prices are forecast to surge 32 per cent, pushing Brent crude to an average of $91 per barrel. Gulf News notes the increases will elevate transportation, imported food, and logistics costs for UAE households and businesses.

China–UAE News

Hong Kong Electronics Fair Draws Over 61,000 Buyers Amid Robotics Demand

The 46th Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and 29th electronicAsia attracted over 61,000 buyers from 141 countries and regions. More than 3,200 exhibitors presented advanced artificial intelligence, humanoid robotics, and electronic components. Chinese Mainland tech companies and start-ups leveraged the platform to secure global commercial leads, including interest from Middle East clients.