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Dubai Launches The World’s Largest Ocean Restoration Project
The Dubai Reefs program will serve as a blueprint for sustainable ocean living while helping to blunt the impact of climate change.
Dubai has announced a bold new initiative known as “Dubai Reefs” that will help to tackle environmental degradation with the construction of a massive 200 square kilometers of artificial reefs.
The program will generate up to 30,000 new jobs during its development and will eventually become home to 1 billion corals and around 100 million mangrove trees.
The artificial reefs will also host a sustainable floating marine research unit. The institute will closely monitor Dubai’s marine and coastal ecosystems, boosting the country’s green credentials and helping to drive eco-tourism.
Speaking of the tourist economy, once established, the artificial reefs will house floating eco-lodges, as well as residential, retail, and hospitality units running on solar and hydro (wave-powered) energy. Meanwhile, Regenerative Ocean Farming — an environmentally-friendly food production technique — will also form a cornerstone of the project.
The CEO of the architectural studio URB, who is responsible for the design of the project, said, “The health of our cities is intrinsically tied to the health of our oceans [which will be] entirely different by the end of the century if we don’t take action today. […] As an innovative coastal city, Dubai is best positioned to lead such a transformation. Beyond creating a unique resilient destination for eco-tourism and marine research, Dubai Reefs aims to become a blueprint for ocean living while mitigating the impacts of climate change”.
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The ultimate goal of the Dubai Reefs project goes beyond transforming the city into an eco-destination. Urban planners need to explore the possibilities of a floating metropolis where the ocean and city thrive in balance, given that sea levels are predicted to rise dramatically over the next century.
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Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
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The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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