Ports, shipping, aviation cargo, warehousing and trade
Standard Chartered, Mashreq, and LuLu Financial Holdings have launched Hal, a new digital B2B marketplace for small and medium-sized enterprises in the UAE. Unveiled at Investopia Bridge 2026, the platform connects SMEs with buyers, suppliers, and essential financial, tech, and logistics partners. Ecosystem partners including Beehive, Microsoft, Visa, and Aramex have signed initial cooperation agreements.
An investigation by Iran International based on leaked documents reveals that US-sanctioned Bank Parsian used its foreign-exchange arm, Parsian Exchange, to move funds abroad via intermediaries between November 2022 and May 2023. Leaked instruction letters directed roughly $36 million in UAE dirhams, Chinese yuan, and US dollars to overseas bank accounts designated by Iranian importers. The transactions utilized Iranian export proceeds held overseas to obscure ties to sanctioned Iranian institutions.
Al Ain Farms Group has signed agreements during Global Food Week to expand its Camelait camel milk brand into China and Europe. Zhejiang Hengsheng Holding will act as exclusive distributor in China, while Suzhou Biology Healthy Technology will handle local production of long-life camel milk products.
The number of registered new-economy companies in the UAE grew by approximately 37% year-on-year to reach nearly 125,000 by mid-2026. Announced during the Investopia Bridge 2026 forum, the expansion focuses on artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, renewable energy, and logistics. The ministry highlighted AI-driven productivity as a key driver for scaling trade and manufacturing partnerships with China.
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