Meta has launched Meta One, a subscription service bringing premium features across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Meta AI, with plans in the UAE starting at Dh22.99 a month.

The service is part of the technology company’s wider push into paid products, combining enhanced artificial intelligence tools, creative features and professional services for creators and businesses.

Meta said the core versions of its apps and Meta AI would remain free, while subscribers would receive higher usage limits and access to additional features.

The company said Meta One launches with more than 50 features. It follows the introduction of individual subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, which Meta said have attracted more than 15 million subscriptions and trials.

More AI tools and creative features

Meta One’s individual plans, Core and Premium, offer greater access to AI-powered image generation, video creation using Meta’s Muse models, image editing, Instagram’s Restyle tools and voice effects.

Meta said its AI assistant would continue to be available for everyday use without a subscription. The paid plans are aimed at users who want more intensive access to AI-powered creative tools.

Early testing found that more than half of bundle subscribers used both AI and creative-expression features, according to Meta. Instagram Restyle and voice effects were among the features most frequently cited as reasons for subscribing.

The new bundles also include features available through the company’s individual app subscriptions.

Instagram Plus has added custom fonts for direct messages and Stories, notifications for specific Story viewers and DM previews. Facebook Plus includes Messenger customisation, expanded Reels insights and super reactions across Reels and Feed posts.

WhatsApp Plus is expected to test chat and media backup storage, as well as Focus Schedules, which allow users to mute or hide chats at set times.

Business and creator plans

Meta One also includes subscription tiers aimed at creators and businesses, offering professional profile tools, AI-powered customer engagement and expanded analytics.

Business subscribers can access enhanced profiles displaying details such as websites, locations and customer reviews. Other features include a prominent follow button on Reels and automated follow invitations for users who interact with content.

Businesses will also receive expanded access to Meta Business Agent, Meta’s AI-powered tool for handling customer queries around the clock on WhatsApp.

Higher-tier plans add features such as Story scheduling, exportable analytics, deeper audience insights, collaborative account management and expanded business messaging capabilities.

Meta said it plans to introduce further benefits over time, including Edits Plus, which is expected to offer additional cloud storage for syncing projects across devices and greater access to an upcoming assistant that can analyse Instagram insights and generate content ideas.

The company also plans to extend Meta One benefits to other products, including its Edits video-editing app and AI-powered smart glasses.

Meta One UAE pricing

Meta said Meta One plans are available globally, although features, pricing and availability may vary by region, app and account.

The UAE pricing announced for the service is:

Individual app subscriptions

• Instagram Plus: Dh7.99 a month
• WhatsApp Plus: Dh5.99 a month
• Facebook Plus: Dh7.99 a month

Meta One individual bundles

• Core: Dh22.99 a month
• Premium: Dh76.99 a month

Creator and business bundles

• Essential: From Dh46.99 a month
• Advanced: From Dh119 a month
• Expert: From Dh359 a month
• Max: Up to Dh1,199 a month

The company said the subscription options are designed to give users more choice, while keeping its main social media services accessible without payment.

Travellers can now apply for an International Driving Permit (IDP) at Dubai International Airport and receive it in as little as five minutes, authorities have announced.

The service, launched by the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) in partnership with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the Emirates Automobile and Touring Club and the Emirates Businessmen Services Center “Amer”, is available around the clock.

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It operates from the Customer Happiness Centre in the Terminal 3 arrivals building. The service is open to UAE citizens and residents.

Applicants must provide an Emirates ID, a valid UAE driving licence, a copy of their passport and a personal photograph.

According to GDRFA Dubai, integrated digital systems connecting the participating entities allow applications to be verified and approved instantly, with the permit issued in no more than five minutes.

Major General Khalaf Ahmed Al Ghaith, Assistant Director-General for Entry Permits and Residency at GDRFA Dubai, said the initiative was part of efforts to develop smart and proactive government services.

“The customer journey is an integral part of the smart travel ecosystem through proactive services delivered at the right place and time,” he said.

Ahmed Mahboob, CEO of the Licensing Agency at RTA, said the service demonstrated cooperation between government and strategic partners while providing an instant service at one of Dubai’s busiest locations.

He also confirmed that the service was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The initiative forms part of Dubai’s wider digital-government strategy, which aims to simplify administrative procedures, improve service efficiency and provide more seamless experiences for residents, citizens and travellers.

The Odisha government will undertake a three-day investment outreach to the United Arab Emirates from September 9 to 11, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, as the state steps up efforts to attract global capital, expand export-oriented industries and strengthen business ties with the UAE.

The outreach will cover Abu Dhabi and Dubai, bringing together UAE-based investors, sovereign and institutional funds, financial institutions, industry leaders, Indian business professionals and business organisations to explore investment, technology collaboration, industrial partnerships, exports and value-chain opportunities in Odisha.

A key focus of the visit will be on export-oriented manufacturing and materials, building on Odisha’s established strengths in metals and metallurgy while seeking investments in higher-value manufacturing and downstream industries.

The state will showcase opportunities across metallurgy and metals downstream industries, food and seafood exports, port-based industrial and logistics parks, shipbuilding, rare earths, slurry pipeline infrastructure, and chemical and petrochemical parks.

With its established industrial base and strategic location along India’s eastern coast, Odisha is positioning its ports and related infrastructure as major drivers of future industrial growth. The government expects port-led development to open up opportunities for integrated manufacturing, logistics, exports and global supply-chain linkages.

The UAE engagement will also seek to accelerate Odisha’s transition from traditional industrial sectors towards technology-driven, higher-value industries, with an emphasis on developing integrated value chains within the state and connecting local production with international markets.

In Abu Dhabi, the Odisha delegation is scheduled to hold discussions with leading investment institutions, fund houses, sovereign investment platforms and UAE-based organisations. The talks will focus on investment opportunities, foreign direct investment, industrial partnerships and long-term capital participation.

The Dubai leg will feature meetings with industry leaders, metals and downstream companies, logistics and infrastructure players and other potential investors. Sector-specific roundtables and one-to-one meetings are expected to provide a platform for the state to pitch specific projects while understanding the requirements of global companies looking to expand their presence in India.

A major component of the programme will be meetings with fund houses and UAE-based organisations, focusing on project financing, strategic partnerships and FDI opportunities in Odisha. The delegation will also engage with the Indian business community in the UAE, including professionals and business leaders who could help deepen India-UAE economic ties and facilitate international business connections for Odisha.

The Odisha Investors Meet – UAE will serve as a broader platform to showcase the state’s investment ecosystem, emerging opportunities and sector-specific projects to investors from the UAE and the wider MENA region. The government expects the programme to generate potential investment commitments and new industrial partnerships.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Odisha was seeking partnerships that could connect the state with global capital, technology and markets while strengthening its industrial ecosystem. “Odisha has a strong industrial foundation and immense potential to become a major hub for export-oriented and value-added manufacturing. Through our UAE outreach, we seek to connect Odisha with global capital, technology, markets and strategic partners. Our focus is on building long-term partnerships that can transform our industrial ecosystem, strengthen value chains and create new opportunities for our people.”

Industries Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said the government was targeting both established and emerging sectors, with a focus on value addition, exports and technology adoption. “From metallurgy, metals and downstream industries to ports, logistics, food and seafood exports, rare earths, shipbuilding, chemicals and petrochemicals, we are presenting a wide range of investment opportunities. We are particularly looking at investments that promote value addition, exports, technology adoption and the transition towards higher-value industries.”

The UAE outreach forms part of Odisha’s broader strategy to attract global investment and technology while strengthening export-oriented production, port-led industrialisation and international value-chain integration.