Asia’s role in shaping global investment trends will be in the spotlight next month as senior financial leaders, family offices, and institutional investors gather in Macao for the second edition of the BEYOND Wealth Summit.

The invitation-only event will be held on May 23–24 at The Venetian Macao, alongside the wider BEYOND Expo 2025, one of the region’s noted technology and innovation gatherings. More than 300 participants are expected to attend the event, including family offices, market experts, and financial executives from across Asia and beyond.

This year, the summit adds a new dimension with the Greenwich Economic Forum (GEF) joining as a co-host alongside the Asian Family Legacy Foundation (AFLF) and BEYOND Expo. GEF is known for its global investment forums featuring high-profile names from the finance world.

The 2025 agenda seeks to cover a wide range of topics, including multigenerational wealth planning, institutional investment strategies, global market outlooks, technology-driven innovation, and philanthropy.

Over the years, some of the world’s most influential establishments have participated in GEF, including Dalio Family Office and Philanthropies, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Australian Retirement Trust, HESTA (Australia), Tamasek, TIAA, GE Pension, IBM Retirement Trust, Rockefeller Foundation, Blue Pool Capital, Cornerstone Group Family Office, Quilvest (France), Declaration Partners, Howard Family Office, and The Li Family Office.

While the full speaker lineup has not yet been announced, previous GEF events have featured renowned figures such as Ray Dalio, Founder and CIO Mentor of Bridgewater Associates; Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of US Federal Reserve; Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA); Michael Spence, Nobel Laureate Economist; Nouriel Roubini, Economist and Professor at NYU Stern; Cathie Wood, Founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest; David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, among others.

Expert panels, keynote speeches, and networking opportunities

The forum will cover topics such as:

• The Future of Family Wealth

• Institutional Investing & Market Outlook

• Frontier Technology and Cutting-edge Innovation

• Global Asset Allocation

• Sustainable Impact and collaborative philanthropy

• Industry Spotlights

Shining the spotlight on wealth and finance

Jason Ho, co-founder of BEYOND Expo, said the summit reflects Asia’s increasing influence in the investment world. “This platform helps spotlight the region’s growing leadership in wealth and finance, while also fostering global connections,” he said.

Dr Gang Lu, also a co-founder of BEYOND Expo, added: “Investment strategies and wealth preservation are evolving quickly. Through this summit, we aim to shape conversations that will influence the next decade of decision-making.”

Michael Zhu, Chair of AFLF, noted that the event has become an important meeting point for families and institutions navigating the complexities of legacy and investment. “We’re building on last year’s momentum with broader participation and deeper discussions,” he said.

GEF co-founder Jim Aiello said the partnership opens new pathways into Asian markets. “Bringing the forum to Macao allows us to tap into the region’s most dynamic opportunities and expand the global investment dialogue.”

Registration for investors and industry professionals

While the BEYOND Wealth Summit is limited to guests by invitation only, the BEYOND Expo, which runs from May 21–24, offers open registration for investors and industry professionals. Events include panel sessions, networking lounges, gala dinners, and a charity golf tournament designed to encourage informal engagement among participants.

To register for the BEYOND Wealth Summit 2025: View the full schedule of BEYOND Wealth Summit speakers and events, and to request an invitation, please visit: www.beyondexpo.com/wealth-summit/.

To register for the Investor Pass at BEYOND Expo 2025, GPs and investors: Secure your Investor Pass now to take advantage of the early-bird offer. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and network with peers, LPs, and the broader tech and innovation community. Book your pass at www.beyondexpo.com/registration.

For more details or to register, visit www.beyondexpo.com.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that a new intercity bus route between Dubai and Sharjah will start on Friday, May 2.

The new service, Route E308, will connect the Stadium Bus Station in Dubai to Al Jubail Bus Station in Sharjah. The fare for a one-way trip is Dh12 per passenger.

Along with the new route, RTA will also make several changes to existing bus routes starting the same day to make commuting smoother and more convenient. 

Here are the main updates:

• Route 17: Now ends at Baniyas Square Metro Station instead of Al Sabkha Bus Station.
• Route 24: Re-routed within Al Nahda 1 area.
• Route 44: Re-routed through Al Rebat Street to better serve Dubai Festival City.
• Route 56: Extended to reach DWC Staff Village.
• Routes 66 & 67: Added a new stop at Al Ruwayah Farm.
• Route 32C: Service shortened between Al Jafiliya Bus Station and Al Satwa Bus Station. Passengers can now use Route F27 to reach Al Satwa.
• Route C26: Bus stop moved to Max Metro Land Side Bus Stop 2.
• Route E16: Now ends at Union Bus Station instead of Al Sabkha.
• Route F12: Re-routed via Kuwait Street, cutting the section between Al Satwa Roundabout and Al Wasl Park.
• Route F27: New stop at Max Metro Land Side Bus Stop 2.
• Route F47: Re-routed within Jebel Ali Industrial Area.
• Route F54: Extended to serve the new JAFZA South labour camp.
• Route X92: Bus stop moved to Max Metro Land Side Bus Stop 1.

Adel Shakeri, RTA’s Director of Planning and Business Development, said the updates are part of the RTA’s efforts to expand and improve Dubai’s public transport network, making it easier for people to move between different types of transport, like buses, metro, trams, and marine services.

(Source: RTA)

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) set a new record at its 118th open auction for exclusive vehicle number plates, held on Saturday, at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

The auction raised an incredible Dh98.83 million, the highest amount ever collected in the history of RTA’s plate auctions.

The top-selling plate was CC 22, which was snapped up for Dh8.35 million. Other big sellers included BB 20 for Dh7.52 million and BB 19 for Dh6.68 million. Plates AA 707 and AA 222 also attracted high bids, selling for Dh3.31 million and Dh3.3 million respectively.

90 Premium Plates on Offer

A total of 90 premium number plates were auctioned, with two- to five-digit combinations across 14 different codes, including AA, BB, CC, I, J, O, P, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Although the original combined value of the plates was Dh16.565 million, fierce bidding pushed the final total to nearly six times higher.

The huge success of the event highlights the strong demand for unique number plates in Dubai and shows the trust people have in RTA’s fair and transparent auction system.