A Dubai company that invests in technology, M Glory Holding Group, is opening an electric vehicle manufacturing plant, marking its foray into the highly competitive EV market amid the UAE's strategy to expand its manufacturing sector.
The Dh1.5 billion facility at Dubai Industrial City – which will have a total land area of 93,000 square metres – will be one of the largest in the Middle East and aims to make 55,000 EVs a year as demand for green mobility rises, the company said on Monday.
M Glory also introduced Al Damani DMV300, its first fully electric car. The venture is expected to create 1,000 jobs.
The factory is "an Emirati industrial facility with international specifications where we will manufacture environmentally-friendly electric cars, contributing to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions and support sustainable development", said Majida Al Azazi, chairwoman of M Glory Holding Group.
Ms Al Azazi laid the plant's foundation stone, together with Omar Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary in the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Saud Abu Al Shawareb, managing director of Dubai Industrial City.
"The M Glory factory will employ the technologies and techniques of the Fourth Industrial Revolution ... using the latest robots in the manufacturing processes.”
The UAE is expanding efforts to shift to greener technologies, most notably under its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, which calls for Dh600bn to be invested in clean and renewable energy sources in the next three decades.
EVs play a major part in this programme, as transportation is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions. Global carbon dioxide emissions reached their highest ever annual level in 2021, rising 6 per cent to 36.3 gigatonnes, figures compiled by the International Energy Agency show.
Global sales of EVs, meanwhile, more than doubled to 6.6 million in 2021, the IEA said. The worldwide EV market has a market share of 9 per cent in the overall car industry, more than double the 4.1 per cent share in 2020 when three million units were sold, and more than triple 2019's 2.5 per cent share.
The willingness of consumers in the UAE to use EVs has continued to attract investments, including from major global players. Tesla Motors, the world's biggest EV maker, opened its showroom in Dubai in July 2017, the first in the Middle East amid signs of a maturing market for greener vehicles.
Uber Technologies, the ride-hailing company and parent of Dubai-based Careem, said at its symposium this month that one in four trips booked in the UAE will be emission-free by 2030. While just over 4 per cent of its trips are being made in EVs, the company has committed to multiplying that number six-fold by the end of the decade.
Companies in the country are also going beyond passenger vehicles to meet global green standards. This week, Barq EV, a UAE company, introduced electric delivery vehicles.
Last month, Abu Dhabi said it will host the Middle East and North Africa's first summit focused on EVs from May 23 to 25. The event is expected to attract important players in the burgeoning EV market.
The M Glory factory will employ the technologies and techniques of the Fourth Industrial Revolution ... using the latest robots in the manufacturing processes
Magda Al Azazi,
chairman of the board of directors of M Glory Holding Group
The opening of the M Glory plant is also in line with the UAE's key economic diversification programmes — Operation 300bn, Make it in the Emirates and Industry 4.0 — all of which leverage the importance of manufacturing in the economy and encourage more entrepreneurship.
"The aim of these projects is to make vital sectors in the UAE, including the industrial and technological sectors, even more attractive to investors. They will also help industries of the future to develop new competitive advantages and consolidate the position of the UAE as a hub for global companies, investments and talents," Mr Al Suwaidi said.
M Glory said its EVs will be exported to the wider GCC region, Egypt, Tanzania, Senegal, Mali and Kenya. The Al Damani DMV300, with two different models built using European specifications, has a battery capacity of 52.7 kWh and can cover more than 405 kilometres on a single charge.
"Sustainability is a global responsibility and transitioning to alternative, low-emission energy sources is an integral part of achieving a greener future. The manufacturing industry can play an essential role in enabling the national net-zero strategy by delivering innovative, technology-backed solutions," Mr Al Shawareb said.
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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Brave CF 27 fight card
Welterweight:
Abdoul Abdouraguimov (champion, FRA) v Jarrah Al Selawe (JOR)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (TUN) v Alex Martinez (CAN)
Welterweight:
Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA) v Khamzat Chimaev (SWE)
Middleweight:
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Rustam Chsiev (RUS)
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) v Christofer Silva (BRA)
Super lightweight:
Alex Nacfur (BRA) v Dwight Brooks (USA)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) v Tariq Ismail (CAN)
Chris Corton (PHI) v Zia Mashwani (PAK)
Featherweight:
Sulaiman (KUW) v Abdullatip (RUS)
Super lightweight:
Flavio Serafin (BRA) v Mohammad Al Katib (JOR)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The years Ramadan fell in May
Honeymoonish
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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