Chinese autonomous driving companies including WeRide and Baidu Apollo Go are expanding commercial robotaxi deployments across the UAE, specifically in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. WeRide has partnered with Uber and Grab, while Apollo Go has deployed autonomous taxis on Dubai streets. Alongside international rollouts, firms face market challenges including financial losses and stock volatility.
The Saudi Central Bank confirmed its pilot participation in the mBridge cross-border digital currency platform ended on May 13, 2025. Between mid-2024 and late 2025, mBridge processed 4,868 transactions valued at $67 billion, with the digital yuan comprising 96% of volume.
Citi has expanded Citi Token Services into Japan and the United Arab Emirates, bringing its blockchain-based liquidity platform to seven global markets. The service enables corporate and institutional clients to transfer funds 24/7 without traditional cut-off times or holiday calendars. Under the expansion, the UAE supports both US dollar and euro transactions, while Japan supports US dollars.
Alibaba Cloud has announced plans to expand its data center capacity in the United Arab Emirates and several international markets. Unveiled at the 2026 Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, the initiative aims to meet rising demand for AI workloads and agent-native enterprise applications. The rollout will expand the company's global footprint to 31 regions and 107 availability zones.
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