Companies

Amazon hits manage UK spy organizations to have highly confidential material

Published

3 years ago

October 27, 2021

Cloud contract for GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 with US tech bunch plans to speed investigation yet liable to touch off power fears.

The UK’s three government agent offices have contracted AWS, Amazon’s distributed computing arm, to have characterized material in an arrangement pointed toward helping the utilization of information investigation and computerized reasoning for undercover work. The acquisition of a high-security cloud framework has been advocated by GCHQ, the UK’s signs knowledge body, and will be utilized by sister administrations MI5 and MI6, just as other government offices like the Ministry of Defense during joint tasks. The agreement is probably going to light worries over power given that a huge measure of the UK’s most restricted information will be facilitated by a solitary US tech organization. The arrangement, assessed by industry specialists to be worth £500m to £1bn throughout the following decade, was marked for this present year, as per four individuals acquainted with the conversations. Notwithstanding, the subtleties are carefully hidden and were not planned to be disclosed. In spite of the fact that AWS is a US organization, every one of the offices’ information will be held in Britain, as per those with information on the arrangement. Amazon won’t have any admittance to data hung on the cloud stage, those individuals said. Jeremy Fleming, GCHQ chief, has recently said that utilizing AI will be “at the heart” of his office’s change to guard the nation as spying moves into an advanced age. The new cloud administration — intended to have highly confidential data safely — will empower spies to share information all the more effectively from field areas abroad and power expert applications, for example, discourse acknowledgment which can “spot” and decipher specific voices from hours of catch accounts. It will likewise permit GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 to lead quicker look on one another’s data sets. GCHQ told the Financial Times it would not talk about its business associations with innovation providers. AWS declined to remark.

Ciaran Martin, who ventured down last year as top of the UK’s National Cyber Security Center, a part of GCHQ, said the cloud arrangement would permit the security administrations “to get data from enormous measures of information in minutes, as opposed to in many months”. Nonetheless, he excused ideas that the framework would influence the measure of data held by knowledge organizations. “This isn’t tied in with gathering or accumulating more information,” he said. “The undeniable business case is to utilize existing a lot of information all the more viably.”

Gus Hosein, leader overseer of Privacy International and a specialist in innovation and common freedoms, said there were “numerous things” that parliament, controllers and general society had to think about the arrangement. “This is one more stressing public-private organization, concurred stealthily,” he said. “On the off chance that this agreement goes through, Amazon will be situated as the go-to cloud supplier for the world’s knowledge organizations. Amazon needs to deal with serious consequences regarding itself which nations’ security administrations it is ready to work for.” While the arrangement is a first of its sort for the UK, Britain’s security device is lingering behind its US peers being used of business cloud administrations. The CIA marked its first $600m cloud contract with AWS in 2013, for the benefit of all the US knowledge organizations. This cloud arrangement was overhauled last year under another arrangement with a consortium containing AWS, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, and IBM.

Chief of naval operations Mike Rogers, previous top of the US National Security Agency, said the transition to distributed storage had helped insight officials focus in on likely suspects. “It gives us speed, it gives us adaptability, and by having the option to total more information, it builds the likelihood that you will recognize that needle in the bundle,” he said. The UK’s transition to get a US organization shocked a few specialists. “Sway matters and there’s a motivation behind why, all things considered, security innovation has consistently been constructed and kept up with in-house,” one security veteran said. GCHQ at first needed to discover a UK cloud supplier yet it turned out to be clear as of late that homegrown organizations would not be able to offer either the scale or abilities required, said two individuals acquainted with the arrangement.

Martin recognized that getting an abroad merchant implied that “controlling and confining seller admittance to information is critical”. “Yet, as long as the organization is from a dependable country, with innovation you comprehend, there are methods of doing this which will empower the offices to deal with the danger,” he said.

The French government this year upheld the making of a new “sovereign cloud” which will be utilized by the country’s public area to deal with touchy information utilizing government-supported security strategies. Named Bleu, it is relied upon to join the Gaia-X venture, which expects to encourage an European cloud industry fit for rivaling US organizations like Google and AWS.

Companies

Dubai eases housing rules to boost family well-being

Published

4 days ago

March 18, 2025

Michael Gomes

Dubai has launched a new initiative called ‘Home First’ to improve housing for Emirati families. This is part of the ‘Year of Community’, announced by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The initiative aims to strengthen family ties, improve quality of life, and make housing more flexible for Emiratis. It also supports the Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Family Programme, which promotes family values and sustainable living.

Key Changes in Housing Rules:

More Flexible Home Designs – Families can now customise their homes to better suit their needs.
Side Family Annex Before Main Villa – Homeowners can build additional spaces like bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens before completing the main villa.
Extra Villa for Sons – A separate villa can be built within the family property to maintain privacy while keeping families close.
Bigger Homes – Families can fully extend their villas on the second floor.
Relaxed Setback Rules – Minimum space between villas has been reduced to 1.5 metres, allowing more efficient use of land.
Higher Service Annexes – Annex buildings can now be up to 8 metres high (two floors).
Townhouse Upgrades – Townhouses can now be built next to each other across two plots.

Why This Matters

Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Acting Director-General of Dubai Municipality, says this plan will make Dubai a better place to live, as part of the Dubai Social Agenda 33. The goal is to boost family well-being, provide better housing, and create strong communities.

Emirati citizens can learn more about ‘Home First’ by visiting Dubai Municipality’s website or calling 800900.

Dubai Municipality continues to improve building rules and support sustainable urban development, making sure Dubai remains a top city for quality living.

(Source: Wam)

Business

UAE corporate tax: Businesses must update records by March 31 or face penalties

Published

1 week ago

March 14, 2025

Michael Gomes

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has urged businesses that have yet to update their tax records to take advantage of an extended grace period, allowing them to submit their details by March 31, 2025, without incurring administrative penalties.

In a statement issued Thursday, the FTA reminded registrants that, under the Executive Regulations of the Federal Decree-Law on Tax Procedures, businesses must notify the authority of any changes to their registered information within penalties. Failure to do so may result in penalties.

The required updates include key business details such as company name and address, trade license activities, legal entity type, partnership agreements for unincorporated entities, and articles of association or equivalent documentation.

To support compliance, the UAE Cabinet has introduced a grace period that allows businesses to update their records without facing penalties. Any fines incurred during this period for late updates will be waived and reimbursed.

The FTA emphasised that the initiative aims to support businesses, simplify tax compliance, and contribute to economic growth. Registrants seeking further details can refer to the public clarification available on the FTA’s official website.

(Source: Wam)

Announcements

Dubai announces first business free zone for sports and entertainment

Published

2 weeks ago

March 11, 2025

Staff Reporter

ISEZA is set to be the UAE’s first dedicated sports and entertainment business cluster within the Free Zone environment.

It will serve as an industry-focused business hub facilitating licensing for distinct sports and entertainment business activities, fostering a unique collaborative ecosystem to support and accelerate the industry’s growth.

https://twitter.com/DXBMediaOffice/status/1899372779822035311

Dubai’s sports industry contributes approximately $2.5 billion annually to the Emirates’s economy. The UAE has also been a pioneer in Economic Zones development, with over 40 Free Zones focusing on various industries. ISEZA will serve as a dedicated hub to support the thriving sports and entertainment business sector in the UAE and the wider Middle East.

The Zone will provide a unified platform for licensing businesses across established sectors, such as sports management and marketing, event management, talent representation and media and broadcasting, while also supporting growth in emerging areas like e-sports, AI-driven sports tech, fan tokens. The Zone will be home to a diverse range of industry players including global brands, sports leagues and franchises, rights owners and investors, sports and talent agencies, artists, sports and media personalities, social media influencers and creative industries professionals.

ISEZA will offer comprehensive corporate and legal support tailored to its members, working closely with key UAE authorities, such as the UAE Ministry of Sports, Dubai Sports Council, UAE National Olympic Community, and others.

Khaled AlFahim, Vice President of Asset & Investment Management at Dubai World Trade Centre, emphasised DWTC’s long-standing legacy in hosting major sporting events and live entertainment. He stated, “The launch of ISEZA within the DWTC Free Zone will foster a dynamic ecosystem, empowering sports and entertainment businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs to thrive. ISEZA members will benefit from our award-winning Free Zone’s prime location in the heart of the city’s business district, streamlined business setup, and access to valuable networking opportunities through our diverse events and exhibitions calendar. By attracting sports and entertainment-focused businesses, we are reinforcing Dubai’s status as a global business hub and contributing to the growth of the sports sector in alignment with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).”

The Zone will also attract international and regional sports organizations, such as sports federations, associations and leagues, both in established and emerging sports. With its exceptional global connectivity, world-class infrastructure, investor-friendly policies and favourable tax regime, Dubai offers a strong competitive advantage for hosting global sports organizations.

ISEZA CEO, Mr. Damir Valeev, added “Our project is aligned with Dubai’s strategic vision of being a global destination for sports, entertainment and tourism. This initiative will have a major social impact creating a unique environment for hosting sports exhibitions, museums, academic programs and community projects in Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Expo areas. Driven by the UAE’s vision of business development with higher social impact, we believe it will further contribute to the promotion of active sports and healthy lifestyle in the UAE overall”.

Located in One Central, in Dubai’s dynamic business district, next to the Dubai Museum of the Future, ISEZA will shape the future of sports & entertainment industry growth in the years to come and will become a new center of gravity for the industry entrepreneurs, professionals, enthusiasts, and talents.