Companies

Amazon hits manage UK spy organizations to have highly confidential material

Published

5 years ago

October 27, 2021

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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.

Business

UAE cracks down on fake and unsafe goods: Suppliers given 24-hour deadline to clear items

Published

2 weeks ago

August 14, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Businesses caught dealing in counterfeit, adulterated, or spoiled goods in the UAE now have just 24 hours to clear them off the shelves or face swift state intervention, under tough new commercial fraud regulations that have officially taken effect.

The new rules, outlined in Cabinet Resolution No. 107 of 2026 (the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2023), significantly ramp up consumer protections. They grant authorities sweeping powers to raid premises, seize stock at the violator’s expense, issue public alerts, and order rapid product destruction.

The 24-hour countdown

Once the Ministry of Economy and Tourism or local authorities flag a non-compliant item, the clock starts ticking immediately. Suppliers must halt sales on the spot and execute four mandatory steps within 24 hours:

Clear shelves and warehouses: Remove every affected batch from inventory.
Alert supply chains: Notify downstream retailers and distributors to pull the products within the same 24-hour window.
Recall active stock: Initiate steps to recover items already in circulation.
Provide proof: Submit verified evidence to authorities confirming total withdrawal.

Miss the deadline? Expect the bill

Suppliers dragging their feet won’t stall enforcement.

Under Article 8, if a business fails to clear offending stock within 24 hours, government authorities will step in and clear markets and warehouses themselves within the following 48 hours, billing the non-compliant supplier for the entire operation.

Seizures, storage fees, and public name and shame

Authorities now hold expanded legal teeth to intervene early:

Impounding stock: Suspected goods can be seized, locked in designated storage facilities, and held during lab testing, with all warehousing fees charged directly to the offender.
Public consumer alerts: Regulators can publicly broadcast warnings naming the product type, description, and trademark to warn shoppers against dangerous goods.

Heavy penalties for violators

Ignorance is no longer an easy defence. Administrative penalties will hit anyone caught knowingly trading fraudulent goods, or anyone who should have reasonably known based on their industry expertise that the product posed a health and safety risk.

Regulators are paying particularly close attention to:

High-risk goods: Medicines, organic foods, and agricultural supplies.
Recycled hazards: Goods previously declared unfit for use that were reintroduced into the market.
Profiteering & tampering: Counterfeit items bought for alteration, repackaging, or unlawful resale.
Deceptive advertising: Products promoted with false claims regarding origin, ingredients, or quality standards.

Fast-track destruction: 15-day limit

Once a competent court or the Supreme Committee issues a formal ruling, authorities won’t let fake items linger in storage. Under Article 18, confiscated counterfeit and spoiled products must be destroyed within 15 working days, closing the door on unlawful resale.

For consumers, the revamped framework delivers stronger market surveillance and faster removal of hazardous goods. For traders, retailers, and distributors across the UAE, it sends a clear signal: compliance is non-negotiable, and slow reaction times will come with steep financial and legal costs.

Announcements

Small businesses in the UAE now have tax relief until 2029

Published

3 weeks ago

August 7, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Small businesses in the UAE with annual revenues of up to Dh3 million will continue to be eligible for Small Business Relief under the corporate tax regime until the end of 2029.

The Ministry of Finance said on Friday that Ministerial Decision No. 131 extends the period during which eligible businesses can benefit from Small Business Relief to cover tax periods ending on or before December 31, 2029.

The relief was introduced to help reduce the corporate tax compliance burden for smaller businesses and start-ups that meet the eligibility requirements.

Dh3 million threshold remains unchanged

The existing annual revenue threshold of Dh3 million, set under Ministerial Decision No. 73 of 2023, will continue to apply.

The relief applies to tax periods beginning on or after June 1, 2023 and, following the latest amendment, will remain available for subsequent tax periods ending on or before December 31, 2029.

Eligible taxable persons with annual revenue of up to Dh3 million can claim Small Business Relief, subject to meeting the conditions and requirements outlined in the corporate tax legislation.

The relief enables qualifying businesses to benefit from simplified corporate tax compliance requirements.

More time for small businesses

The extension provides eligible small businesses and start-ups with additional tax periods to benefit from the relief while continuing to meet the Dh3 million revenue threshold.

The Ministry said the decision is part of its efforts to support smaller companies and entrepreneurs, strengthen the business environment, and encourage sustainable growth and expansion.

Announcements

Dubai Chambers launches one-stop digital platform to help businesses start, grow and expand

Published

2 months ago

July 8, 2026

Michael Gomes

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Starting and growing a business in Dubai is set to become easier with the launch of Business in Dubai, a new digital platform by Dubai Chambers that brings together essential corporate services in one place.

Designed as a single gateway for companies, the platform connects businesses with trusted service providers, helping them access everything from financial solutions to technology, marketing and certification services without having to navigate multiple channels.

The initiative aims to simplify business operations while strengthening Dubai’s position as one of the world’s most competitive destinations for investment and entrepreneurship.

What does the platform offer?

The Business in Dubai platform currently provides 65 corporate services through seven accredited partners, offering companies a wide range of support as they establish or expand their operations in the emirate.

The services are grouped into four key categories:

Financial services
Marketing and business growth services
Technology services
Testing, inspection and certification services

The current network of partners includes ZENDATA Cybersecurity, FAST Ventures, Mamo, OCTA, SGS Gulf Limited, Vault, and Pemo.

Helping businesses grow

Dubai Chambers said the platform has been designed to save companies time and resources by bringing multiple business services under one digital roof.

Khalid AlJarwan, Executive Vice President of Commercial and Corporate Services at Dubai Chambers, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to creating an environment that supports business growth both locally and internationally.

He said the platform will strengthen Dubai’s investment ecosystem by making it easier for companies to access the services they need to scale their operations and contribute to the emirate’s long-term economic development.

Boost for the digital economy

Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said the platform will particularly benefit businesses operating in the digital economy by simplifying access to trusted service providers.

He added that the initiative creates a more flexible and efficient business environment, enabling entrepreneurs and companies across different sectors to focus on growth rather than administrative processes.

A single digital gateway

By consolidating key business services onto one platform, Dubai Chambers aims to reduce the time and effort companies spend searching for service providers, allowing them to concentrate on innovation, expansion and day-to-day operations.

The launch forms part of Dubai’s wider efforts to strengthen its business ecosystem and reinforce its position as a leading global hub for trade, investment and entrepreneurship.