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The Agreements strengthen Fujairah’s role as an important gateway for regional and global trade 

Abu Dhabi, UAE – 20 May 2026: Fujairah Terminals, part of AD Ports Group (ADX: ADPORTS), a leading global enabler of trade, industry, and logistics solutions, announced the signing of three strategic land lease agreements with Fujairah International Airport, Fujairah Free Zone Authority and Al Dahra Agriculture Trading.

The agreements aim to enhance connectivity and unlock new commercial opportunities across regional and international markets. They will also support the development of logistics and industrial capabilities, enable more efficient use of port and adjacent infrastructure, and strengthen service integration across the supply chain.

The leased lands, with a combined area of 130,000 sqm, will be utilised to enhance the logistics capabilities of Fujairah Terminals, reinforcing Fujairah’s role as a key gateway for regional and global trade, and support the UAE’s position as a leading hub for logistics, maritime services, and industrial growth.

Together, these agreements reflect the shared commitment to collaboration and sustainable economic growth, while supporting national priorities to strengthen supply chain resilience and drive economic diversification.

H.E Sharief Habib Al Awadhi, Director General, Fujairah Free Zone Authority, said: “This collaboration marks an important step in advancing Fujairah Free Zone Authority’s mission to provide an integrated, business-friendly environment that supports innovation and sustainable growth. By strengthening partnerships across key sectors, we continue to enhance our offering to investors while contributing to the development of a resilient and future-ready economy.” 

Captain Mohamed Al Yahyaei, CEO of Fujairah Terminals, said: “We’re pleased to sign these agreements with strategic national entities, including Fujairah International Airport, Fujairah Free Zone Authority, and Al Dahra Agriculture Trading, reflecting our commitment to strengthening Fujairah’s position as a regional and global gateway for trade. By expanding partnerships across logistics, infrastructure, and key industries, we are enabling greater connectivity, enhancing supply chain resilience, and supporting the continued growth and diversification of Fujairah’s trade ecosystem.” 

Arnoud van den Berg, Chief Executive Officer, Al Dahra Agriculture Trading, said: “At Al Dahra Agriculture Trading, we are committed to building strong partnerships that drive sustainable value and strengthen supply chain resilience. This agreement aligns with our long-term vision to support national priorities, while leveraging our expertise to deliver impactful solutions across local and global markets.”

Fujairah Terminals is a strategic maritime hub on the UAE’s eastern coast, serving as a key gateway for trade with the Indian Subcontinent, African trade lanes, and global markets. Established in 2017, the terminal features a multi-purpose facility handling containerised and general cargo, Ro-Ro, and cruise operations. Its quay wall extends to 1,000 metres, with a depth of 15 metres, enabling the terminal to accommodate larger vessels.

As part of the wider AD Ports Group ecosystem, Fujairah Terminals plays a vital role in delivering integrated, end-to-end supply chain solutions, connecting ports, industrial and free zones, logistics platforms, and digital services. Through its comprehensive service offering Fujairah Terminals supports the UAE’s position as a global logistics and trade hub, strengthening connectivity across the GCC, India, the Red Sea, and East Africa.

IIOR Shows Record Outsourced Insurance AUM, Private Assets Near $1 Trillion, and Europe Emerging as a Global Growth Engine

 BOISE, Idaho, NEW YORK, CHICAGO, LONDON and HONG KONG, May 20 – Clearwater Analytics (NYSE: CWAN) today released the 2026 Insurance Investment Outsourcing Report (IIOR), produced in partnership with DCS Financial Consulting. The report captures $5.5 trillion in third-party general account insurance assets under management across 96 asset managers, a 23% increase year-over-year and a 65% increase since 2021, alongside $1.8 trillion in assets under advisement across 12 investment consultants. The findings point to an outsourcing market that has become larger, more global, and materially more complex.

 The 2026 IIOR reveals defining trends reshaping insurance investment management:

 Private Markets Cross a Threshold. Third-party private insurance AUM has more than doubled since 2021, reaching $947 billion and approaching one-third of outsourced insurance allocations alongside public assets. Insurers have moved steadily beyond traditional private placements into middle-market lending, infrastructure debt, and structured credit, and 67% of participating managers now offer private fixed income capabilities alongside their public strategies.

 Europe Rewrites the Map. Europe and the UK represent a major and expanding force in insurance outsourcing, with reported AUM growing 32% year-over-year and more than doubling since 2021, from $1.0 trillion to $2.1 trillion, reflecting both organic growth and broader manager participation in the IIOR. Europe and the UK now account for 38% of total outsourced insurance AUM. On a percentage basis, APAC and offshore markets grew even faster year-over-year, each significantly outpacing North America’s still-solid 12% gain. The findings reflect an outsourcing market that is no longer centered primarily in North America. Managers are increasingly winning mandates through global scale, regional specialization, or both.

 “The 2026 IIOR captures a transformation that no single number can fully convey. Private markets have crossed a threshold, Europe has reshaped the map, and the sophistication this industry now demands across asset classes, geographies, and regulatory environments is compounding,” said Sandeep Sahai, Chief Executive Officer of Clearwater Analytics. “We believe the power of partnership is what allows insurers and their managers to move with the confidence this moment requires. We invite you to read the full report and see what this transformation means for your business.”

 “What the 2026 IIOR makes clear is that insurance outsourcing is the prevailing model for how insurers deploy capital globally,” said Steve Doire, owner of DCS Financial Consulting and Strategic Advisor to Clearwater Analytics. “The near doubling of consultant AUA in two years tells you that insurers are engaging experts to build and manage increasingly diverse and complex strategic investment programs. The European surge is equally significant. This market has moved well beyond North American dominance, and the managers best positioned for what comes next are those who recognized this global shift and invested in the capability and presence to win across regions.”

A More Competitive Market Takes Shape

The growth of the IIOR reflects the growth of the market itself. What began as a report covering 40 participants now includes 108 managers and consultants and $5.5 trillion in assets under management. Over the past decade, the top 10 managers’ share of total AUM has declined from 70% to 59%, showing that more firms are competing for insurance mandates. Specialized and mid-sized managers are gaining ground through insurance expertise, private markets capabilities, and regional strength. Consultant AUA has also nearly doubled in two years, as insurers turn to outside expertise to help manage more complex investment programs.

What the Report Covers

The 2026 IIOR includes 96 asset manager profiles, 12 investment consultant profiles, global and regional rankings, and data on asset allocations, client types, and regional growth across major insurance investment markets. Together, these findings provide a clear view of where insurance assets are being managed, which firms are gaining share, and how the market is changing. The report is produced with DCS Financial Consulting, with Institutional Investor serving as industry engagement partner.

Mumbai, May 20: Bringing together the worlds of fashion, sport and culture, the Lacoste x Roland Garros immersive takeover at Galeries Lafayette Mumbai celebrates the enduring partnership between two globally recognised French institutions Lacoste and Roland Garros. A landmark moment for both brands, the experience transforms the store into a dynamic celebration of tennis heritage, contemporary style and French luxury.

Arriving in sync with the Roland Garros season and bringing its 55-year heritage together with the latest global capsule collection, the takeover brings the energy of one of the world’s most celebrated sporting moments to Galeries Lafayette Mumbai through immersive window installations, a dedicated tennis-inspired pop-up and a curated showcase of the collection. As tennis and fashion continue to share an increasingly strong cultural dialogue globally, the Lacoste x Roland Garros Collection captures the spirit of the game through a contemporary lens.

Blending sport-inspired silhouettes with modern French sophistication, the capsule reflects Lacoste’s unique ability to seamlessly merge fashion, sport and culture. Featuring elevated ready-to-wear, polos, t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, bags and lifestyle essentials, the collection balances performance with style through technical craftsmanship, refined colour palettes and contemporary design details reinterpreting tennis dressing for a new generation while remaining rooted in the timeless codes of the sport.

Known for introducing some of the world’s most coveted brands and elevated experiences to discerning consumers, Galeries Lafayette Mumbai continues to redefine luxury retail in India through exceptional curation and immersive storytelling. The arrival of this exclusive takeover further reinforces that vision, offering consumers a globally relevant retail experience rarely seen in the Indian market while celebrating one of fashion and sport’s most enduring partnerships.

Speaking on the launch of the Lacoste x Roland Garros Store Takeover at Galeries Lafayette Mumbai, Mr. Sathyajit Radhakrishnan, CEO – Galeries Lafayette, India & International Brands at ABFRL. said, “At Galeries Lafayette Mumbai, our focus is on creating immersive retail concepts that bring together fashion, culture and community in a way that goes beyond traditional shopping. As Indian consumers increasingly seek experiences alongside products, we see a strong opportunity to create distinctive retail moments that connect global brands with local audiences in more engaging and culturally relevant ways. The Lacoste x Roland Garros takeover is a strong reflection of our broader vision for luxury retail in India.”

At the heart of the takeover is the Lacoste x Roland Garros Collection, brought to life through a curated showcase of the latest global capsule collection at Galeries Lafayette Mumbai. Inspired by the spirit and energy of the iconic Parisian Grand Slam, the collection brings together elevated ready-to-wear, accessories and lifestyle essentials that reinterpret tennis dressing through a contemporary lens balancing sport-inspired functionality with modern French sophistication for both on and off the court.

The Lacoste x Roland Garros exclusive collection will be available at Galeries Lafayette, Mumbai for a limited period.

An Immersive Lacoste Universe at Galeries Lafayette Mumbai

Transforming the store into an experiential destination, the Lacoste x Roland Garros takeover will feature impactful visual merchandising, branded installations and interactive moments inspired by the spirit of tennis and the energy of Paris.

Designed to merge retail with experience, the takeover will also feature exclusive Novak Djokovic tournament merchandise, spotlighting professional-grade pieces inspired by the tennis champion’s on-court wardrobe and Lacoste’s high-performance apparel innovation.

Marking the debut of the takeover, the launch evening scheduled for Friday, 22nd May will be attended by ace actors Ahaan Shetty, Prateik Smita Patil and Jim Sarbh among others who will come together to celebrate the arrival of the exclusive Lacoste x Roland Garros experience in Mumbai. Bringing together fashion, sport and contemporary culture, their presence further amplifies the elevated and culturally relevant spirit of the takeover, marking a standout retail and social moment at Galeries Lafayette Mumbai.

Mumbai, May 20: The University of Aberdeen Mumbai has unveiled its first ever integrated brand campaign, ‘Find Your True North’, aimed at connecting with India’s new generation of purpose-driven learners. Rooted in the insight that today’s students seek more than just qualifications, the campaign captures a young aspirant’s journey of self-discovery, mirroring the aspirations of Gen Z learners who prioritise meaning, flexibility, and real-world relevance in their academic choices.

With this campaign, the University reinforces its proposition of bringing globally recognised UK academic rigour and research-led learning to India through its Mumbai campus, while enabling students to chart their own path in an increasingly dynamic world. The campaign spotlights the University’s academic offering in Mumbai, including a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes designed in alignment with evolving industry needs.

With a focus on interdisciplinary learning, personalised career support, and global exposure, the University aims to equip students with the skills required for future-ready careers. It also offers the Aberdeen Pioneer Scholarship, providing up to INR 2,00,000 in annual tuition fee waivers for eligible students. As part of the global learning experience, undergraduate students will also have the opportunity to undertake a mobility semester at Aberdeen in the UK during Year 2, while continuing to pay the same tuition fee with no additional tuition costs for the semester abroad.

Megan McFarlane, Deputy Director of Global Engagement, Marketing & Recruitment, University of Aberdeen, said, “Find Your True North’ reflects a fundamental shift in how students approach higher education today. They are no longer just choosing degrees—they are seeking direction, purpose, and global relevance. Through this campaign, we aim to demonstrate how a research-led, internationally recognised education can empower them to explore possibilities and create meaningful, real-world impact.”

Rolled out across print, digital, and outdoor platforms, the campaign marks a significant step in the University of Aberdeen’s India journey, with admissions for the 2026 intake now open for its Mumbai campus.

Yanis Varoufakis – economist, political thinker, and one of the world’s most outspoken critics of concentrated economic and technological power will headline Web3 Summit 2026 in Berlin. He joins Gavin Wood, co-founder of Ethereum and creator of Polkadot, among the leading voices gathering to advance privacy, self-sovereignty, and the future of user-centric decentralised technology. 

BERLIN, May 20 – Web3 Summit 2026 today announced a wave of headline speakers for its return to Funkhaus Berlin on 18 and 19 June 2026. Billed as a festival for digital freedom, the Summit will bring together leading voices in economics, decentralised infrastructure, platform critique and Web3 culture. 

Organised by the Web 3.0 Technologies Foundation, the Summit will convene artists, founders, technologists, and cultural thinkers to examine how privacy, digital sovereignty and decentralised usability can move from principle to practice. The speaker selection aims to deepen that conversation at a moment when public concern over centralised digital infrastructure, platform power and the erosion of privacy continue to grow. 

Economist and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, co-founder of Ethereum and creator of Polkadot and Kusama Gavin Wood, will join the Summit’s programme alongside Joan Westenberg, Friedrike Ernst and Amir Taaki, as it explores how technology can be built around people and not platforms. 

“Web3 Summit is not your run-of-the-mill tech conference – it’s a rally for digital freedom, and this year it arrives at a defining moment. Europe is debating chat control and Germany is pushing back against mass scanning of private messages. Surveillance is the default. At a time when platform extraction and dependency define most people’s digital lives, we’re bringing together the critics, builders and pioneers who are actually changing that – not in theory, but in practice.” said Thomas Fecker Boxler, Managing Director of the Web3 Foundation.

Vaourfakis will bring a controversial, political and economic lens to the question of who owns and governs digital systems shaping everyday life. Wood, one of the originators of Web3, will speak to the technical and philosophical foundations of a user-controlled internet. And To ground the programme in Web3 culture and practice, the Summit will also feature Joan Westenberg, writer and technology critic, Friederike Ernst, co-founder of Gnosis, and Amir Taaki, cypherpunk, early Bitcoin developer and privacy-tech pioneer. 

Westenberg offers cultural commentary on platform dependency and what it means to be human online. Ernst connects the Summit’s themes of privacy and self-sovereignty to the practical challenge of making decentralisation usable, drawing on her work across Gnosis Chain, Safe and the broader self-custody ecosystem. Taaki represents Web3’s radical roots: cryptography, free software, and resistance to centralised control, a thread that runs through Berlin’s own history of hacker culture and political experimentation. 

For the first time, Web3 Summit put these voices in the same room – critics of concentrated power, builders of decentralised infrastructure, cultural observers, and cyberpunk pioneers – to confront one of the defining questions of our time: who controls our digital future?

As part of Berlin Blockchain Week, Web3 Summit 2026 will put Web3 values into practice through talks, workshops, activations and open collaboration, with an evolving line-up built around openness, participation and experimentation. That same focus on Web3 values extends to the event’s ticketing: tickets with crypto payment are now available through a newly built ticketing app powered by the Polkadot blockchain.

Programme details and tickets are available at the event website.

Significant structural works completed with construction progressing on target for Q4 2027 opening

Ras Al Khaimah, May 20: Major structural works have been completed at Ras Al Khaimah’s first luxury Grade A office complex, RAK Central Square, with construction progressing in line with the delivery programme. The development will deliver 2.27 million sq ft of high-quality workspace across five buildings, providing modern, flexible floors designed for tier-one businesses.

Superstructure works remain on schedule and are expected to top out (reach full structural height) in Q4 2026, marking a key milestone toward the planned Q4 2027 opening. This construction progress aligns with rising demand for premium Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah among regional and international businesses.

RAK Central Square will bring a new generation of Grade A office space to Ras Al Khaimah, featuring large, efficient floorplates of around 16,000 sq ft, modern building systems and high-specification workspace for international companies. The five-building development is designed to meet tier-one occupier requirements, supported by F&B and retail offerings, and a LEED Gold certified design.

Arch Abdulla Al Abdouli, Group CEO of Marjan, said: “RAK Central Square embodies our vision for a new generation of high-quality, Grade A office space in Ras Al Khaimah. It will sit at the heart of RAK Central, a community that integrates regional and international corporates, lifestyle and hospitality to create a future-ready centre. As we deliver this landmark project, we are laying the groundwork for a city that competes on a global stage, attracts world-class companies, enhances livability and supports the emirate’s long-term growth ambitions.”

As part of the wider RAK Central masterplan, the complex is being developed as a mixed-use destination combining Grade A offices with residential, hospitality and retail components in a connected, walkable environment. This growth is supported by new hospitality and residential developments that expand accommodation and amenity capacity for corporate tenants and visiting delegations. Recent announcements include the Radisson Blu Hotel and Radisson Blu Residences by BNW Developments, alongside projects such as One RAK Central by Pantheon Development, Colibri Views by Major Development and Juna by Dara Development.

Ramy Jallad, Group CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), said: “RAK Central Square is a critical step in addressing the growing demand for prime office space in Ras Al Khaimah. As investor activity accelerates and more regional and international companies look to establish a presence in the emirate, developments like this will play a central role in supporting business growth and strengthening Ras Al Khaimah’s position as a competitive investment destination. This momentum comes as the emirate continues to attract significant investment across tourism, hospitality, and industry, driving increased demand for premium commercial infrastructure.”

 RAK Central offers direct access to key destinations across the emirate, including Al Hamra Golf Course, Al Hamra Mall, The Ritz-Carlton Al Hamra Beach and Wynn Al Marjan Island. The complex is also well connected to regional and international gateways such as Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and Dubai International Airport, aligning with the emirate’s broader economic and tourism ambitions, including its target of attracting 3.5 million visitors annually by 2030.