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UAE Residents Embrace AI Assistants for Education, Smart Homes, and Task Management: Yango Survey

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The majority of UAE residents view smart assistants primarily as learning aids, with 72% of respondents indicating that AI assistants should take part in children’s education. This data was gathered through a survey conducted by Researchscape International and commissioned by the global tech company Yango*.

According to the same survey, 54% of respondents believe that AI assistants should serve as useful learning companions, especially for acquiring new languages. Additionally, 54% indicate that AI assistants should help organise their day. Another significant area where smart assistants can be useful is smart home management. 57% of respondents expect them to manage smart home devices, while 41% anticipate using the assistants as entertainment sources, playing music based on mood.

“Research shows that users expect smart assistants to possess a variety of skills to assist them in different areas of life. To meet these modern user demands, we have developed our bilingual, human-like AI assistant Yasmina. Yasmina’s features currently include entertainment, daily task management, explaining complex topics, and providing educational support. All you need is to activate the AI assistant with your voice,” comments Rami Abu Arja, Senior Innovation Marketing Manager at Yasmina, Yango Middle East.
Yasmina is integrated into the recently introduced smart speakers, Yasmina Mini and Yasmina Midi, as well as the Yango Play app.

Learning companion
Yasmina provides children and adults with easy access to a wealth of information. Just ask, “Yasmina, what are the benefits of date fruits?” Moreover, as a bilingual AI assistant, it can help users practice both English or Khaleeji Arabic through friendly, human-like conversations. Yasmina is child-friendly — it recognises children’s voices and provides age-appropriate content when interacting with them.

Daily planner
Yasmina can set reminders and notifications to track all personal and work-related tasks. For this, just say “Yasmina, remind me at 2 P.M. tomorrow to…”.

Guide to Arab culture
As an AI assistant that fulfills the expectations of local users, Yasmina can play surahs from the Holy Quran by Al Sheikh Maher Bin Hamad Al Muaiqly, which is free for all users, and tell you the date according to the Hijri calendar. You can say, “Yasmina, play the Adhan for all prayers every day,” and the assistant will automatically play the Adhan for your current location. Yasmina also knows the prayer times for any city in the world.
Smart home manager
Yasmina can dim the lights, set a comfortable temperature in the room, and put on a specially curated meditation playlist. Simply say, “Yasmina, dim the lights,” “Yasmina, play the sound of the ocean,” and “Yasmina, set the temperature to 23 degrees,” to set the mood for meditation.

Fitness buddy
Yasmina makes workouts more fun with curated sports playlists. Say, “Yasmina, play music for sports”. To access the entire music library, including playlists for different moods and activities, users need an active Yango Play subscription.
In the future, 42% of respondents hope that AI assistants will act as personal trainers to motivate them to exercise, while 33% expect them to provide calorie counts for meals.
Yango’s first smart speakers, Yasmina Mini and Yasmina Midi enhanced by Yasmina, a bilingual, human-like AI assistant tailored specifically to the Middle East, are now available through various retail and online outlets across the UAE.

Announcements

Etihad Rail announces official launch date for passenger services

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The UAE’s national railway developer, Etihad Rail, has announced that the introductory operational phase of its long-awaited passenger rail service between Abu Dhabi and Fujairah will begin on 30 June, reducing travel time between the two emirates to just one hour and 45 minutes.

Passengers will be able to book tickets from 23 June through the Etihad Rail website and mobile application. Fares on the Abu Dhabi–Fujairah route will start from AED55 for Comfort Class and AED120 for Premium Class.

The passenger rail fleet comprises 13 trains, each capable of carrying up to 400 passengers.

The network’s expansion will continue in phases, with Dubai Train Station and Al Dhaid Train Station scheduled to open on 30 September. Stations in Al Dhafra will follow on 30 December, while the route will be fully completed with the opening of Sharjah Train Station on 30 March 2027.

The announcement came as the Mohamed bin Zayed City Passenger Train Station in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

During a tour of the station, Sheikh Khaled reviewed its facilities, operational readiness and infrastructure.

He said the passenger rail project reflects the UAE’s ambition to create a fully integrated transport network, improving connectivity between emirates while supporting economic growth, tourism and urban development.

Etihad Rail said studies would also be carried out to assess the feasibility of extending passenger rail services to additional emirates in the future.

The launch marks a significant milestone in the UAE’s transport infrastructure strategy, with the network designed to connect major population centres, economic hubs and tourist destinations across the country.

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Announcements

DWC expansion remains on track; first phase set to complete in 2032

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Work on the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport is progressing on schedule, with Phase 1 expected to commence operations in 2032, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, , has announced.

In a post on social media platform X, Sheikh Hamdan said the project has recorded more than 10 million work hours over the past 15 months, reflecting steady progress across key construction phases.

He noted that contracts worth AED 13 billion are currently under execution, while additional contracts valued at AED 55 billion are expected to be awarded in the coming months as part of the expansion programme.

Once completed, the airport is designed to handle more than 250 million passengers annually, reinforcing Dubai’s long-term strategy to strengthen aviation capacity and support economic growth.

“Under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s major projects continue to advance with steady progress and confidence,” Sheikh Hamdan added.

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Middle East

The Philippines guarantees unemployment cash benefits for Middle East overseas workers amid regional crisis

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As a 14-day ceasefire brings a temporary lull to regional conflict, the Social Security System (SSS) of the Philippines has issued a major reassurance to its 540,000+ active paying OFW members across the Middle East. SSS President Robert Joseph de Claro confirmed today that digital infrastructure remains fully operational, ensuring that displaced workers can access critical “Unemployment Benefits” and pension services regardless of the security situation on the ground.

Who qualifies?

With over 4,300 Filipinos already repatriated as of April 6, the SSS “Unemployment Benefit” serves as a vital bridge for those involuntarily separated from their jobs. To qualify, OFW members must meet the following:

  • Age: 60 years old or below.
  • Contributions: At least 36 monthly contributions, with 12 months paid within the 18 months immediately preceding the job loss.
  • Certification: Involuntary separation must be certified by the DMW (formerly POEA).
  • Timeline: Applications must be submitted via the My.SSS portal within one year of separation.

Recognising the difficulty of physical travel during the current conflict, SSS has launched a breakthrough Facial Authentication with Liveness Check for its pensioners. This allows retirees in the Middle East to complete their Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP) via smartphone, eliminating the need to visit embassies or consulates.

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