分类： business

AX Premium Properties has solidified its standing as a premier real estate brokerage firm in the United Arab Emirates after achieving second position in Top Sales at the acclaimed DAMAC Annual Awards 2025. This distinguished accolade highlights the company’s consistent market excellence and robust operational capabilities within the competitive UAE property sector.

The DAMAC Annual Awards represent one of the region’s most esteemed recognitions in real estate, honoring agencies that demonstrate exceptional sales performance and industry leadership. Placing second among numerous prominent brokerages signifies AX Premium Properties’ strategic execution and sustained growth trajectory in a dynamic market environment.

Nadeem Sufy, Chief Executive Officer of AX Premium Properties, remarked on this accomplishment: ‘Attaining second position in Top Sales at the DAMAC Annual Awards 2025 constitutes a significant achievement for our entire organization. This recognition validates our methodical approach, profound market knowledge, and relentless dedication to client value creation. Our continued presence among elite agencies underscores the robustness of our collaboration with DAMAC and our pursuit of excellence.’

The company has maintained consistent performance through strategic expansion initiatives, client-focused advisory services, and a results-driven sales culture. Its enduring partnership with DAMAC has been instrumental to its success, founded on mutual trust, operational transparency, and aligned objectives for market leadership.

Looking forward, AX Premium Properties remains committed to enhancing its market position, broadening its operational scope, and establishing new industry standards for performance and client satisfaction throughout the UAE’s real estate landscape.

Bahrain has announced a strategic partnership with premium leisure airline beOnd to establish a new aviation hub in the Gulf region. The agreement, signed on Monday, February 16, 2026, marks a significant development in Bahrain’s aviation sector and economic diversification efforts.

The ambitious initiative will see beOnd operate up to 10 aircraft from Bahrain by 2030, connecting the kingdom to key markets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. The airline projects a substantial economic contribution of approximately $1.2 to $1.5 billion to Bahrain’s GDP during its first five years of operations.

Employment generation stands as a cornerstone of this venture, with plans to create over 1,200 direct high-skilled positions and support an additional 6,000 indirect jobs across tourism, hospitality, logistics, and associated service sectors. The project aligns with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, focusing on job creation for both nationals and foreign workers while stimulating private-sector growth.

beOnd will establish a comprehensive center of excellence featuring structured training programs for pilots, cabin crew, engineers, and ground staff. The airline plans to implement advanced technologies including artificial intelligence across operations, maintenance, revenue management, distribution, and passenger experience enhancement.

CEO Tero Taskila described the Bahrain expansion as “a natural next step in our multi-jurisdictional strategy,” emphasizing the opportunity to “build a premium aviation platform that strengthens connectivity, develops specialized talent, and supports innovation across the travel value chain.”

Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, expressed enthusiasm for welcoming beOnd aircraft with Bahraini Air Operator Certificate, noting the airline’s valuable addition to the kingdom’s aviation ecosystem.

The announcement reflects the growing luxury aviation market in the Gulf region, where several charter operators increasingly cater to high-net-worth individuals and affluent families. beOnd continues its regional expansion following its December 2025 announcement regarding Air Operator Certificate proceedings in Saudi Arabia.

SINGAPORE — Travelers passing through Singapore’s Changi Airport, Southeast Asia’s busiest aviation hub, will face new sustainability charges ranging from $0.75 to $32 per ticket beginning October 1st. The landmark initiative establishes a funding mechanism for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) development through a distance-based levy system that varies by cabin class and destination.

The strategic move positions Singapore at the forefront of regional efforts to decarbonize air travel while capitalizing on Southeast Asia’s emerging potential as a global SAF production center. The cleaner burning fuel, typically derived from recycled cooking oil and agricultural waste, represents the aviation industry’s most promising pathway to reduce emissions without requiring aircraft modifications.

Singapore’s leadership in this green transition is demonstrated through its operational SAF facility and planned next-generation plant, with established supply agreements with major carriers including Singapore Airlines and JetBlue. The city-state’s initiative coincides with broader regional momentum, with Thailand inaugurating a new SAF plant in Bangkok this year, while Malaysia and Vietnam achieved domestic production milestones in 2025.

According to Daniel Ng, Chief Sustainability Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the transparent levy structure enables “all aviation users to contribute to sustainability at manageable costs.” The charges will be clearly itemized on passenger tickets and cargo contracts, with economy-class flights within Southeast Asia facing the minimum S$1 (approximately $0.75) surcharge, while premium cabin travelers to the Americas will pay S$41.60 (approximately $32).

Industry experts highlight Southeast Asia’s competitive advantage in SAF production due to abundant access to agricultural and forest waste materials. Aung Soe Moe, air transport officer for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), projects the region could potentially produce 8.5 million barrels of SAF daily by 2050 if development continues responsibly.

The timing of Southeast Asia’s SAF expansion coincides with policy uncertainties in the United States, where the Trump administration’s reversal of clean energy initiatives has slowed previously robust production growth. This policy shift creates strategic opportunities for Asian producers to capture market share in the emerging sustainable aviation fuel sector.

Despite regional enthusiasm, industry representatives emphasize the continued need for government support to maintain development momentum. The International Air Transport Association notes that while attention on Asian SAF production is growing, sustained policy incentives remain crucial for scaling the industry to meet aviation’s decarbonization targets.

Global financial markets presented a mixed performance on Monday as several Asian exchanges operated on limited schedules or remained closed in observance of the Lunar New Year holiday. European markets opened positively with Germany’s DAX climbing 0.2% to 24,958.01, while Britain’s FTSE and Paris’s CAC 40 both advanced 0.3% to 10,479.47 and 8,333.81 respectively.

Asian markets displayed divergent trends with Japan’s Nikkei 225 declining 0.2% to 56,806.41 following disappointing economic data. Japan’s latest GDP figures revealed an annualized growth rate of merely 0.2% for the October-December quarter, falling short of economist projections. This sluggish economic performance has increased expectations that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will accelerate stimulus measures including increased government spending and tax reductions, according to Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics.

Trading volumes remained subdued with closures across Chinese, South Korean, and Taiwanese markets. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng managed a 0.5% gain during its abbreviated session, closing at 26,705.94. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2% while India’s Sensex increased 0.4%.

U.S. futures indicated positive momentum with S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures both rising 0.4%, though markets remained closed for Presidents Day. This followed a period of stabilization on Friday after earlier sell-offs driven by artificial intelligence sector concerns that particularly impacted software companies.

Commodity markets experienced declines with gold dropping 0.3% to $5,030.30 per ounce and silver falling 1.2% to $77.05. Oil prices also retreated with U.S. benchmark crude declining 34 cents to $62.55 per barrel and Brent crude decreasing similarly to $67.41. Currency markets saw the U.S. dollar strengthen to 153.33 Japanese yen from 152.64, while the euro slightly weakened to $1.1867 from $1.1872.

Japan’s economy registered minimal growth in the final quarter of 2025, narrowly escaping a technical recession despite persistent challenges in its export sector. According to preliminary seasonally adjusted data released by the Cabinet Office on Monday, the world’s third-largest economy expanded at an annualized rate of 0.2% during the October-December period.

The quarterly growth rate stood at a modest 0.1%, marking a recovery from the 0.7% contraction experienced in the previous quarter. This positive turnaround follows a 0.5% expansion in the April-June period, creating a pattern of volatile economic performance throughout the year.

Private consumption demonstrated resilience with a 0.4% annualized increase, indicating some stability in domestic demand. However, this progress was substantially undermined by a significant 1.1% decline in exports, highlighting the continued vulnerability of Japan’s export-dependent economic model to global trade tensions, including those exacerbated by former President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

For the entirety of 2025, Japan’s economy grew by 1.1%, representing the strongest annual performance since 2022 when the nation was recovering from COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. Despite this improvement, the growth trajectory remains considerably below the government’s near-term projection of approximately 0.6% average expansion.

The economic landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who recently secured a landslide electoral victory. Her administration has committed to implementing stimulus measures, including increased government spending and a temporary suspension of sales tax on food items, aiming to revitalize Japan’s persistently sluggish economic engine.

Oman Air has unveiled strategic plans to launch a new direct flight service connecting Dubai and Salalah, marking a significant expansion of its regional network. The national carrier of Oman will commence three weekly year-round flights starting July 3, 2026, strategically timed to coincide with the beginning of Salalah’s renowned Khareef (monsoon) season.

The airline will begin accepting bookings for this new route from February 16, 2026, providing travelers with enhanced connectivity options between the UAE and Oman’s southern Dhofar Governorate. This initiative responds to growing passenger demand and aims to strengthen regional air corridors across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Con Korfiatis, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Air, emphasized the carrier’s commitment to supporting tourism growth: ‘With increasing demand for flights to and from Salalah, we are strategically expanding our seat capacity to provide flexible travel options that actively contribute to tourism and economic development in the governorate.’

The Khareef season, which officially runs from June 21 to September 20 annually, transforms Salalah into a major tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors from the UAE and neighboring Gulf countries who seek respite in its lush green mountains and moderate climate.

This route expansion follows Oman Air’s demonstrated capacity growth strategy. In January 2026, the airline increased available seats to Salalah by 20% compared to the previous year, following a 15% capacity enhancement during the autumn 2025 season to accommodate peak tourist arrivals.

Concurrently, Oman Air has been developing its international connectivity, recently launching charter flights between Moscow and Salalah to tap into the growing Russian tourism market. This initiative is projected to bring over 7,000 visitors to the region, providing substantial support to local tourism enterprises and businesses.

The airline has also announced plans to further optimize its flight schedule, including expanded services during Ramadan, to offer passengers greater flexibility and travel options throughout the year.