In a significant development for cricket around the world, Pro10, spearheaded by cricket legend Ravi Shastri and sports entrepreneur Neeraj Sareen, today announced its groundbreaking international launch bringing professional T10 cricket to Southeast Asia and Europe.

The inaugural season features five franchise teams competing between January 30–February 4, 2026, at Thailand’s world-class Terd Thai Cricket Ground, with West Indies icon Sir Viv Richards serving as Thailand ambassador and a marquee roster including David Warner, Chris Lynn, and George Munsey.

Pro10 has been envisioned as a catalyst for cricket in emerging regions, pioneering professional cricket in non-traditional Southeast Asian and European markets. Not only does the initiative provide a fast, accessible format that empowers new audiences and aspiring players across Southeast Asia and Europe, but it also serves as a unique platform of structured, professionally run T10 cricket in Thailand, Bulgaria, and Poland.

The marquee competition will provide local players with an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the finest international players and coaches, giving their development an undeniable boost. The league is firmly positioned a practical development tool for emerging nations that have limited access to international players.

Adding his perspective on Pro10 and the league’s impact on new regions, Sir Viv Richards, Thailand Ambassador, said:”Cricket grows strongest when it reaches new people, and new communities. Pro10 is doing exactly that by giving Thailand, Bulgaria, and Poland a platform to shine. I am delighted to help guide this journey and to see local talent gain exposure to international players and coaches. This is how the game expands, and this is where the future lies.”

Speaking on the launch and the league’s wider purpose, Ravi Shastri, Co-founder & Partner, said: “Pro10 represents cricket’s next evolution: explosive T10 excitement with genuine grassroots development. We’re creating sustainable ecosystems to develop stars from Thailand, Bulgaria, Poland, and beyond. Having Sir Viv Richards as Thailand ambassador and players like David Warner demonstrates the calibre we’re building. The T10 format is perfect for today’s world, showcasing cricket’s incredible global potential.”

Sharing his perspective on Pro10’s vision and long-term commitment to new cricket markets, Neeraj Sareen, Founder & CEO, said: “Pro10 is built from the ground up with sustainability, local talent development, and world-class entertainment. We’re partnering with communities, cricket boards, and institutions to create something truly special. Securing Sir Viv Richards as Thailand ambassador testifies to our vision. With Ravi’s cricket expertise, Roshan Mahanama and Russell Maduwantha’s operational brilliance, we’re building cricket’s future, not just hosting matches.”

Cybersecurity spending across the Gulf is set to more than double by 2030, crossing a massive Dh120 billion, as artificial intelligence, sovereign cloud initiatives, and hyper-scale data centres reshape the region’s digital future, according to a new Grand View Research report.

The study, Cyber Resilience in the Gulf: Where Technology Meets Sovereign Risk (2025 Edition), points to rapid digital transformation in the UAE and Saudi Arabia as the biggest driver of this growth. 

With mega-investments going into national data centres, AI clusters, and cloud corridors, countries are now prioritising not just technology adoption but long-term sovereign resilience.

“Cyber resilience is no longer just an IT function; it’s becoming a national capability,” said Swayam Dash, Managing Director at Grand View Research. 

“It now influences how nations attract investment, maintain trust, and sustain growth.”

UAE-Saudi Lead the Charge

Together, the two countries account for more than 60 per cent of cybersecurity spending in the Gulf.

• In the UAE, investments are flowing into AI-driven threat intelligence, zero-trust models, and sovereign cloud ecosystems under the Cybersecurity Strategy 2025–31.
• Saudi Arabia, under Vision 2030, is embedding cyber readiness across large-scale industrial, financial, and infrastructure projects led by its National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) and SDAIA.

From Firewalls to Full Frameworks

The report highlights a major shift in the region’s cybersecurity mindset, from protecting networks to institutionalising resilience. 

Key milestones include:

• ADGM’s Cyber Risk Management Framework
• Saudi Central Bank’s cyber stress-testing regime
• Cross-border CERT intelligence sharing across GCC nations

Dash says this unified approach is the Gulf’s “biggest advantage,” enabling nations to move together on cybersecurity, business continuity, and defence.

AI Takes Centre Stage

AI-driven cybersecurity is the fastest-growing segment:

• UAE’s AI cyber market will surge from Dh4.4 billion to Dh19.7 billion by 2030.
• Saudi Arabia is expected to jump from Dh4.59 billion to Dh16.47 billion in the same period.

The region is also investing heavily in local talent, with the Middle East & Africa cybersecurity training market set to reach Dh4.99 billion by 2030.

As digital infrastructure becomes the backbone of economic transformation, industry experts say cybersecurity is becoming a new economic benchmark, and increasingly, a sign of sovereign strength.

Big news for blue-collar workers in the UAE, and it’s the kind that actually makes a real difference.

The Central Bank of the UAE has officially removed the long-standing minimum salary requirement for getting a personal loan. For years, most banks insisted on a Dh5,000 minimum salary to even consider an application. Now, that barrier is gone.

So what does that mean for workers, young earners, and low-income residents?
In simple words: more access, more opportunity, and more financial freedom.

Under the new rule, each bank can set its own salary criteria based on internal policies. This opens the door for thousands of workers who previously couldn’t qualify for “cash-on-demand” personal loans,  even if they needed urgent funds for family emergencies, education, medical expenses, or settling debts.

The update also means more residents can open bank accounts linked to the Central Bank’s Wage Protection System (WPS). Once salaries are transferred, monthly loan instalments are auto-deducted, making repayments smoother and reducing the risk of default, a win-win for workers and banks.

The change supports the UAE’s push for wider financial inclusion, ensuring everyone, including labourers, can access regulated banking services without relying on informal or unsafe borrowing options.

Before the new ruling, borrowers could take up to 20 times their monthly income, and the monthly instalments could not exceed 50% of their salary, while the repayment periods are capped at 48 months.

Overall, the new directive is a game-changer for the UAE’s low-income workforce. It doesn’t just offer credit access; it offers dignity, stability, and a pathway to better financial management.