The Emirates Drug Establishment has announced a major reduction in the retail prices of 168 pharmaceutical products across the UAE, delivering significant savings on medications used to treat chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

The revised pricing decision will officially take effect on May 30 and covers a broad range of treatments, including medicines for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, stroke prevention, cholesterol disorders, respiratory illnesses, neurological conditions, mental health disorders and eye diseases.

Pharmacies across the UAE have already begun updating their pricing systems ahead of implementation, with reductions varying depending on the type of medication and therapeutic category.

According to the new pricing structure, discounts range from around 5 per cent to nearly 60 per cent for some of the country’s most expensive vital and biologic medicines.

Lower price for cholesterol medicine

One of the biggest reductions applies to Zocor 40mg, a cholesterol-lowering drug whose price has been reduced by approximately 59.5 per cent. Meanwhile, Xalatan, used to treat elevated eye pressure in glaucoma patients, recorded a price cut of more than 51 per cent.

Several high-cost cancer and biologic treatments also saw major reductions under the new decision. The lung cancer medication Alunbrig 180mg was reduced from Dh26,433 to Dh21,108, while the 90mg version dropped from Dh19,824 to Dh12,520. The 30mg dosage also saw a significant reduction, falling from Dh6,608 to Dh4,173.

In another major adjustment, Xeloda 150mg, commonly prescribed for breast, colon and rectal cancer, was reduced from Dh347 to Dh241.

The latest move is expected to provide substantial relief for patients requiring long-term treatment, particularly those dependent on expensive speciality medications and biologic therapies.

The opening round of Norway Chess 2026 delivered high drama, surprise results and intense Armageddon battles as some of the world’s biggest chess stars clashed in Oslo.

The biggest shock of the day came when Alireza Firouzja defeated World No 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical play, handing the hometown hero a painful opening-round loss.

Carlsen appeared in control for much of the encounter, but severe time pressure proved costly. A late mistake allowed Firouzja to seize the initiative and convert his advantage with precision, giving the French grandmaster the only classical win in the men’s tournament and the early lead in the standings.

Indian star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu battled Wesley So to a balanced classical draw before dominating the Armageddon tiebreak with aggressive attacking play to secure extra points.

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju survived a difficult endgame against German grandmaster Vincent Keymer. Keymer held a near-winning position for large parts of the game, but Gukesh produced stubborn defensive resistance to force a draw before bouncing back to win the decider.

The women’s tournament also opened with a major upset as Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Indian No. 1 Humpy Koneru in classical chess. Assaubayeva handled the middlegame complications confidently and converted her advantage smoothly to emerge as the early tournament leader.

Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner played out a tense classical draw before Zhu claimed victory in Armageddon.

In another closely watched matchup, Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun pressed hard for victory against rising Indian talent Divya Deshmukh, but the classical game ended level. Divya then impressed in the Armageddon playoff, securing a memorable tiebreak victory.

Held from May 25 to June 5 in Oslo, Norway Chess 2026 features two elite six-player tournaments running simultaneously, Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women, both using a double round-robin format with equal prize funds.

One of the tournament’s unique features remains its Armageddon system, where drawn classical games are immediately followed by a tiebreak game to ensure every round produces a winner.

After an explosive first day filled with upsets, comebacks and fighting chess, the tournament has already set the stage for a thrilling edition in Oslo.

In a major humanitarian initiative announced ahead of Eid Al Adha, the UAE has approved the cancellation of accumulated interest and profit charges on loans owed by low-income retirees across the country.

The financial relief package, launched under the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and closely followed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, is being implemented by the Defaulted Debts Settlement Fund in partnership with several UAE banks. 

Valued at more than Dh834 million, the initiative is designed to ease financial pressures on 2,339 senior citizens while strengthening social stability and supporting family wellbeing across the country.

The initiative specifically targets Emirati retirees aged 50 and above who fall within limited-income categories.

Under the mechanism announced, participating banks will waive future interest and profit charges on outstanding loans while beneficiaries continue repaying only the original loan amount through flexible payment schedules.

Among the banks contributing to the initiative, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Group accounted for the largest share at Dh655 million, followed by First Abu Dhabi Bank with Dh150 million. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank contributed Dh18.5 million, while Emirates NBD Group and Emirates Islamic Bank jointly provided Dh6.7 million.

Other participating institutions included Dubai Islamic Bank with Dh2.3 million, Commercial Bank of Dubai with Dh792,000, Sharjah Islamic Bank with Dh716,000 and the National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah with Dh566,000.

Officials confirmed that beneficiaries will be contacted directly by participating banks and financial institutions regarding the implementation process and revised repayment arrangements.