Artists Can Now Apply to Have Their Work Displayed on Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa, located in Downtown Dubai, is once again calling on artists, designers, and creatives from the UAE and around the world to submit their ideas for a new projection on the famous landmark. Emaar has officially reopened its Burj Khalifa Open Call for 2026, giving one artist the opportunity to showcase their work to millions of visitors.
The Competition
The competition is looking for an original three-minute audio-visual projection that reflects Dubai’s creativity, innovation, and artistic spirit. The winning design will be displayed on the Burj Khalifa’s exterior, offering the winner a chance to have their work seen on a global stage.To enter, artists will need to submit a 3-minute final video, an MP4 preview with embedded music, a high-resolution MOV projection file, and a 300-word concept note outlining the idea and inspiration. Submissions are now open and will be accepted until Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 11:59pm. Artists can email their submissions to opencall@emaar.ae.
This year, the incentive for participating lies in the visibility of having original work projected across one of the most recognized skyline landmarks globally, rather than a monetary prize. The shift marks a notable change from the 2025 edition, which was limited to UAE residents, signaling Emaar’s push toward a more global creative footprint.
The Burj Khalifa Open Call is a compelling case study in how iconic landmarks can be used to promote creativity and innovation. With the competition now open to artists from around the world, it will be interesting to see the diverse range of submissions and the final winning design that will be displayed on the Burj Khalifa’s facade.
In the heart of Dubai, this competition is set to bring the community together, showcasing the city’s vibrant artistic spirit. As the submission deadline approaches, artists are encouraged to take part in this unique opportunity to have their work displayed on the world’s tallest building.
Lower Business Fees, Smart Contracts: UAE Digital Dirham
Automated Payments and Cheaper Transfers: Inside the UAE Digital Dirham Plan
Sovereign digital cash is coming to the UAE, but not to replace your debit card
Your bank transfers, card taps, and Aani payments already move money in seconds, so the Central Bank of the UAE is building the Digital Dirham to do something entirely different. Rather than trying to speed up retail checkout counters, this central bank digital currency targets the backend of international trade, cross-border transfers, and automated business contracts.
As part of the Central Bank of the UAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme, the currency acts as an official layer of sovereign digital money. UAE Banks Federation Director-General Jamal Saleh emphasizes that the goal isn't to phase out existing payment channels, but to introduce sovereign-backed security and lower settlement friction across the economy.
Smart contracts for businesses, familiar apps for shoppers
Small and medium enterprises stand to gain direct operational upgrades through programmable money. Smart contracts built into the network can release funds automatically once delivery or compliance conditions are met, eliminating traditional paperwork in trade finance and supply chains. For business owners, that means instant settlement, lower transaction costs, and automated liquidity management without waiting days for correspondent banks to clear payments.
Everyday consumers won't be forced onto a brand-new setup, as international experience shows shoppers only switch payment methods when there is a clear upgrade in value or convenience. You will still handle day-to-day transactions through licensed financial institutions and commercial banks, using peer-to-peer features, merchant payments, and digital wallets integrated into existing banking channels. Because commercial banks remain responsible for onboarding, compliance, and customer service, your daily relationship with your bank stays intact.
Banks are positioning the technology to launch new commercial services rather than watching payment revenues vanish. The Central Bank's two-tier structure keeps licensed financial institutions in charge of credit creation, risk assessment, and customer onboarding. That allows lenders to expand into custody, settlement, and advisory roles for tokenised financial assets, automated payroll systems, and digital cash-management products.
Cheaper international trade across GCC, India, and China
The most significant impact of the Digital Dirham lies outside retail stores, specifically across international borders. The UAE has already tested multi-CBDC cross-border transactions through Project mBridge, aiming to reduce the heavy fees and delays linked to traditional correspondent banking networks.
Moving forward, sovereign digital currency will serve as a primary settlement instrument with key economic partners. The UAE sees strong potential to deepen digital payment and local-currency links with trade partners that share regulatory alignment and digital infrastructure, including the GCC, India, and China.
Flash Floods Risk: Saudi Arabia Red Alert Rain Covers Mecca
Red Weather Alerts Hit Mecca Region as Temperatures Touch 47°C
The National Centre for Meteorology issued red weather alerts for heavy rain, flash floods, and hail across western Saudi Arabia on August 27, 2026. Residents and motorists across Mecca, Medina, Jazan, Asir, and Al Baha face severe thunderstorms and dust-laden winds alongside summer heat reaching up to 47°C.
Mecca and Medina Face Downpours Alongside 47°C Extreme Heat
Red weather alerts cover Taif, Al Kamil, and Adham in the Mecca region, where downpours risk triggering localized flash flooding and severe dust storms. Orange weather warnings cover Al Ais, Al Mahd, and Badr in the Medina region for moderate rainfall, while yellow alerts for light rain and blowing dust extend to coastal and inland areas including Jeddah, Rabigh, and Al Khurmah.
The National Centre for Meteorology warned that thunderclouds carrying active winds could also form over parts of the Northern Borders, Jazan, the southern Eastern Province, and the Riyadh region. Coastal zones in eastern Saudi Arabia face reduced visibility overnight and during early morning hours due to fog. Despite the widespread storm activity, high temperatures persist nationwide, with Medina forecast to record 47°C, Dammam reaching 46°C, and both Riyadh and Buraidah touching 45°C.
The unstable atmospheric conditions form part of a broader storm system expected to bring heavy downpours to southwest Saudi Arabia through Saturday.
2-Hour Daily App Limits Set in Meta $18 Billion Settlement
Teens Face 2-Hour Screen Cap as Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement
Meta Platforms has agreed to an $18 billion court settlement with 48 US states, forcing default two-hour daily time limits and midnight app blackouts for users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook.
The historic agreement resolves widespread litigation accusing the company of creating a public nuisance and failing to protect minors from platform harms. Paid out over a decade, the $18 billion payout comes alongside binding operational mandates that overhaul how the social media giant verifies age and manages underage accounts.
Platform impact across age groups
The regulatory mandates impose distinct operational rules based on user age, moving several long-contested safety features from optional tools to compulsory defaults.
- Users under 13: Strictly barred from creating accounts under federal privacy law and company policy. Under the settlement, when a user under 13 is detected and removed, Meta must automatically audit the ages of users on that account's friend list.
- Teens aged 13 to 17: Automatically locked into restricted accounts featuring a hard two-hour daily limit, a nightly access block between midnight and 6:00 AM, and hidden public "like" counts. The daily limit and night block can only be turned off with explicit parent permission.
- Adult users over 18: Granted access to individual time-management features, such as voluntary daily reminders, but blocked from opting into the full teen safety configuration.
Systemic age checks and algorithmic controls
To enforce the limits, Meta must overhaul its age-detection infrastructure using a combination of proprietary technology and third-party tools. The system will be subjected to regular independent audits and measured against explicit target thresholds for false positives, specifically instances where minors are incorrectly classified as adults over 18.
Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar, who testified during the federal trial that preceded the deal, called the settlement a significant milestone but cautioned that it leaves content recommendations largely untouched. While daily limits and night blackouts will deploy by default, other controls, including disabling video autoplay and switching feeds to chronological order instead of algorithmic recommendations, remain optional opt-in choices for young users.
Josh Golin, executive director of online safety non-profit Fairplay, criticized the reliance on parental management tools, arguing that harmful recommendation features should have been disabled across the board.
| Financial Obligation | Amount | Term and Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-State Lawsuit Settlement | $18 billion | Paid out over 10 years across 48 US states |
| State Public Nuisance Abatement Order | $567 million | Direct court order to abate public nuisance and child harm |
UAE No Homework Policy Starts Aug 31 for KG1 to Grade 2
No Homework for Younger UAE Students as Screen Cuts Reach Grade 6
If your children attend public schools or private schools managed by the Ministry of Education, their school bags will look a bit lighter when the new academic year begins on August 31, 2026.
Fewer Worksheets and Screens When Term Starts Monday
The Ministry of Education has officially scrapped homework for all students in Kindergarten 1, Kindergarten 2, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri announced the decision at a press conference in Dubai, explaining that nightly worksheets for young learners are being replaced with daily home reading focused on early literacy, language, and thinking skills.
For older children, the shift focuses on classroom screens. Starting this term, an initiative to cut device use during instruction is expanding to cover every Grade 6 student in public schools across four core subjects: Arabic, English, Mathematics, and Science. This builds on an existing policy where public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 4 do not use screens in class, except for designated digital skills lessons.
The changes follow a Ministry of Education study involving 2,500 students across nine public schools. That trial compared traditional book-and-paper classrooms against screen-based lessons, finding that borderline students nearly doubled their academic attainment when devices were removed. Ministry officials also noted calmer classrooms, better student focus, and stronger peer relationships without screens. Computer science and artificial intelligence classes will continue to use digital tools where appropriate.
These adjustments arrive alongside broader 2026, 2027 updates under the National Education Charter, including a 50-50 assessment model combining centralised and school-based tests for Grades 9 through 12 in Group A subjects, alongside a new Project-Based Learning model launching in Grade 7.
MOHRE WPS UAE Shift: Early Warnings Before Salary Delay Fines
Salary Delay Warnings First as MOHRE Updates WPS Compliance Rules
Across workplaces in Dubai and the wider UAE, companies managing payroll are seeing a practical shift in how wage issues are resolved. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has rolled out a phased enforcement model under the Wage Protection System (WPS) to address delayed salary payments before taking punitive action.
Early Digital Alerts Give Companies Time to Fix Salary Issues
Under the revised workflow, MOHRE’s system relies on automated electronic monitoring to flag delayed wage payments early. Instead of immediately hitting non-compliant businesses with administrative sanctions or portal freezes, the system first sends digital alerts directly to employers. This window gives management a dedicated chance to settle outstanding wages and bring their records up to date.
MOHRE clarified that the update does not create new legal or financial requirements for business owners. Instead, it streamlines existing monitoring tools to resolve payroll bottlenecks before they escalate, placing a strong operational focus on labor-intensive industries that manage high headcount operations.
The Wage Protection System processes more than AED 37 billion in salaries every month. By building early digital notifications into the oversight process, the ministry aims to protect worker earnings while preventing operational disruptions for local firms. MOHRE noted that early digital intervention ultimately reinforces labor market stability and boosts transparency for both employers and workers across the UAE.
