News
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”.
Also Read: Sultan Al Neyadi Becomes The First Ever Arab To Spacewalk
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.
News
Stake Powers Instant Payouts With Checkout.com Pay To Card
The new feature lets investors in the UAE, KSA, and UK receive real estate returns in minutes — cutting withdrawal times to under 10 minutes.
Stake, a leading digital real estate investment platform, has unveiled Pay to Card, a next-generation withdrawal feature built on Checkout.com’s global payment infrastructure. The integration enables investors to have dividends and returns credited directly to their bank cards — often within minutes — dramatically reducing the traditional multi-day payout process.
After a successful pilot in May involving over 200 users, some investors reported receiving their funds in under 10 minutes. Ricardo Brizido, CPTO and Co-Founder of Stake, emphasized the importance of speed and reliability: “With Pay to Card, we’re eliminating unnecessary delays and putting returns in our investors’ hands almost instantly. This feature was built to directly solve one of the most common pain points in real estate investing, and it’s already driving strong results”.
The feature launch coincides with rapid growth in real-time finance across the Middle East. Checkout.com’s “State of Digital Commerce in MENA 2025” report highlights a 388% year-on-year surge in Account Funding Transactions (AFTs) in the UAE, reflecting strong demand for immediate payout solutions. The same study recorded a 176% increase in total processing volume from 2023 to 2024 and noted that daily online transactions have jumped 320% since 2020.
Since its 2021 debut, Stake has facilitated over AED 1 billion in property transactions, advancing its mission to democratize real estate investment in high-growth markets. By integrating Pay to Card, Stake reinforces its commitment to customer-centric innovation and operational transparency.
Also Read: Binance Enters Syrian Market As Sanctions Lifted
Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, praised the collaboration: “Stake has always led with customer-first financial experiences. Together, we’re meeting the expectations of a region that is no longer just digital-first, but real-time-first. Pay to Card exemplifies how modern payment infrastructure can directly solve investor pain points”.
Pay to Card is now available to all Stake users in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. By slashing withdrawal times from days to minutes, Stake and Checkout.com are setting a new standard for seamless, on-demand real estate investing.
Stake Powers Instant Payouts With Checkout.com Pay To Card
Emirates And Etihad Soar In 2025 Global Airline Safety Ranking
Binance Enters Syrian Market As Sanctions Lifted
Yango Enhances Yasmina AI For Improved Conversations
Whish Money Launches Region’s First Cardless Shopify Checkout
MENA Among World’s Fastest-Growing Digital Economies
UAE Introduces Region’s First License For “Finfluencers”
UAE Fintech Qashio Raises $19.8M For Regional Expansion
Dubai’s PRYPCO Mint Is MENA’s First Tokenized Real Estate Project
