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Abu Dhabi Developer To Build World’s First Healthy Living Island
The exclusive resort will be situated halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and will feature a helipad, 86 residential villas, and 49 apartments.
Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer IMKAN has formed a partnership with the world-renowned SHA Wellness Clinic to construct a unique private island resort at Al Jurf, halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The development is known as SHA Residences Emirates and will combine a holistic health resort with 86 residential villas and 49 apartments — two of which will be penthouses. The “healthy living island” will also offer easy beach access, a fantastic climate, and even a former royal palace.
Raed Al Hadad, chief of marketing and sales at IMKAN, explained why the idyllic location was chosen: “We have turquoise water here, cooler temperatures, and breezes. This is the place where the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan used to come and reflect on key policies. This palace is where one of the first talks about the formation of the UAE took place”.
IMKAN is currently working alongside Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism to rejuvenate the historic palace and turn it into a tourist attraction.
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Construction of the resort will begin in July and should be finished by 2025. The island will eventually be home to a full staff of doctors, therapists, yoga instructors, personal trainers, and world-class chefs. Residents and visitors will benefit from a full suite of services, including wellness programs, detox treatments, spas, and blood tests.
“Al Jurf as a destination has all the potential to promote wellness tourism. People from Saudi Arabia, India, and Russia are just a few hours away from this place,” Raed Al Hadad added.
The exclusive healthy living island will be accessible by road and also feature a helipad. Meanwhile the developers plan to add connections by water from Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
News
Paymob Extends Series B Funding To $72M Amid Continued Growth
The financial services provider has secured an extra $22 million after strong performance in its core market of Egypt.
Leading financial services provider Paymob has secured an additional $22 million in a funding extension, bringing its Series B total to $72 million.
The funding was spearheaded by EBRD Venture Capital, with support from Endeavor Catalyst. Existing backers such as PayPal Ventures, BII, FMO, A15, Nclude, and Helios Digital Ventures also participated, reaffirming their confidence in Paymob’s business model and potential in the regional fintech industry.
This extension comes on the back of Paymob’s strong performance in its core market of Egypt, where it has experienced 6x revenue growth since the initial Series B in Q2 2022. With the Series B extension and continued profitability in Egypt, Paymob is well-positioned to further its expansion strategy across the MENA region.
Islam Shawky, Co-founder and CEO of Paymob, commented: “We are very excited by our strong prospects in Egypt – where we hold a market-leading position – and the significant traction experienced in the UAE since launching operations there. This funding will help Paymob fully capitalize on the momentum in our established markets, as we accelerate our GCC roll-out. We remain committed to creating cutting-edge infrastructure enabling SMEs across the region to thrive in the digital economy and are proud of our continued impact”.
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The expansion into GCC markets has been driven by Paymob’s initial Series B funding of $50 million, raised in 2022 and led by Kora Capital, PayPal Ventures, and Clay Point. The investment fueled Paymob’s growth, allowing it to launch its mobile app in 2023 and grow its merchant base by 3.5 times, now serving nearly 350,000 merchants across MENA.
Paymob has also expanded its payment acceptance suite to offer 50 payment methods through its gateway, POS terminals, and the Paymob app, providing the region’s most comprehensive fintech solution. The company recently introduced embedded checkout services for Shopify and WooCommerce, further demonstrating its commitment to empowering small and medium businesses across the region.