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Tourists Can Now Use Their Home E-Wallets In The UAE
A new partnership between Ant Group, Astra Tech and G42 enables seamless transactions for visitors without the hassle of currency conversions.
Dubai-based technology investment company Astra Tech, backed by Abu Dhabi AI company G42, has partnered with Alibaba’s payment platform Ant Group to enable tourists in the United Arab Emirates to pay for goods and services using their home e-wallets.
The new service will help to avoid the hassle of currency conversion, integrating the Alipay cross-border payment platform with Astra Tech’s PayBy merchant network.
When the system goes live later this month, over 1.4 billion wallet users will be able to make seamless transactions in their home currencies in 3,000 retail establishments and make speedy payments for trips in Abu Dhabi’s fleet of 7,000 taxis.
“Our milestone collaboration with Alipay aligns perfectly with the UAE’s commitment to enhancing the payment ecosystem and fostering a commerce-friendly environment,” explained Abdallah Abu Sheikh, co-founder of Astra Tech and chief executive of Botim.
The new service will primarily cater to tourists from China, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Italy. However, anyone who signs up for an Alipay, MPay, Kakao Pay, GCash, TrueMoney, and Tinaba e-wallet can enjoy the service.
The Astra Tech and Ant Group partnership will facilitate speedy settlement processes and smooth mobile-based transactions through Alipay in physical and online settings. Meanwhile, both Alipay and PayBy plan to expand the service to further boost spending from Asian and European visitors.
Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East
“Our alliance with Astra Tech not only opens the doors to a seamless and integrated digital payment experience at physical stores in the Middle East, but also propels us towards a new era of strategic collaboration,” said Guoming Cheng, Ant Group’s general manager of Europe and the Middle East.
The UAE is the Middle East’s second-largest economy and has begun investing heavily to expand its tourism sector. In May, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced that tourism sector spending had risen 70% to Dh121 billion ($33 billion) in 2022 — the highest in the region.
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DJI Teases Dual-Camera Osmo Pocket 4P For 2026 Launch
Though most technical claims for the new gimbal come from industry leaks rather than DJI’s own announcement.
DJI has teased a dual-camera version of its Osmo Pocket gimbal, confirming that the Osmo Pocket 4P will launch in 2026. The teaser image is the company’s first preview of the device, following months of speculation about a more advanced model in its pocket camera range.
The image shows a slightly larger device than the existing Osmo Pocket 4, with two camera modules mounted above a compact three-axis gimbal. Reports suggest one camera may use a 1-inch sensor paired with a wide-angle lens, while the second may carry a 3x zoom lens — though DJI has not officially confirmed any of these details.
According to leaks circulating ahead of the launch, the Osmo Pocket 4P could support 4K video at up to 240 frames per second, offer 14 stops of dynamic range and include 10-bit D-Log color support. Those features are commonly used by filmmakers who require greater flexibility during color grading and post-production. Reports also point to Hasselblad color tuning, continuing a partnership that has already appeared in some of DJI’s drone cameras, along with up to 128GB of built-in storage that would reduce reliance on external memory cards during longer shoots.
Also Read: AltoVolo Releases Sigma Footage & Sets Date For Demonstrator
The device is expected to retain features from the existing Osmo Pocket 4, including a three-axis mechanical gimbal, updated ActiveTrack subject tracking and a flip-out touchscreen display. The Osmo Pocket line is aimed at content creators, vloggers, and independent filmmakers seeking compact equipment that can produce usable footage without a larger camera system.
DJI has not provided pricing or a specific launch date beyond the 2026 window. Industry observers expect the Osmo Pocket 4P to cost more than the standard Pocket 4 because of the dual-camera setup and expanded recording capabilities, though no figures have been disclosed. So far, most of the technical detail circulating around the product remains tied to leaks rather than official confirmation.
