The UAE has approved a change to the age cut-off date for admissions to kindergarten and Grade 1, shifting it to December 31 of the admission year starting from the 2026–2027 academic year, the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council said on Wednesday.

Under the updated policy, the new cut-off date will apply to all schools and kindergartens whose academic year begins in August or September. The previous cut-off date was August 31.

The change was formally recommended by the Ministry of Education following a comprehensive technical and pedagogical review, according to to a report published by the state news agency, WAM.

KG and Grade 1 admission eligibility

To be eligible for admission, children must meet the following age requirements by December 31 of the admission year: three years old for Pre-Kindergarten, four for Kindergarten 1, five for Kindergarten 2, and six for Grade 1.

These levels correspond to equivalent stages across British, French and other international curricula.

The decision will apply only to new admissions for the 2026–2027 academic year and will not affect students already enrolled, who will continue under the rules in place at the time of their original registration.

Schools that begin their academic year in April will continue to follow the existing March 31 cut-off date, with no changes announced.

Student placement for transfers between schools or curricula, as well as for students arriving from outside the UAE, will continue to be based on the last successfully completed grade and approved equivalency procedures.

According to the WAM report, the policy update is based on national and international research examining school readiness across cognitive, socio-emotional, language and motor development domains.

The review included analysis of data from more than 39,000 students who enrolled at ages three, four and five under the previous system.

The findings showed no significant academic disadvantages linked to earlier school entry. In some cases, students who enrolled at age three demonstrated stronger academic outcomes, while later entry was associated with marginally lower performance.

The council said the revised cut-off is intended to improve fairness and consistency in enrolment, support smoother transitions between curricula and better align early education with age-appropriate developmental stages.

Read: Dubai tightens teacher hiring and conduct rules in private schools

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company partnered with Bain Capital to acquire US-based Service Logic, a provider of commercial HVAC and building automation services, from private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Service Logic, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, operates more than 140 locations across North America and employs over 5,000 technicians.

The company provides mission-critical commercial HVAC services, including maintenance, emergency repairs, equipment replacement and retrofit projects.

The acquisition brings Mubadala alongside Bain Capital, which will continue to back the company in its next phase of growth, the firms said in a joint statement.

Service Logic expansion

Service Logic has expanded through a series of acquisitions while maintaining partnerships with local owner-operated businesses, combining regional service delivery with national scale.

“This investment reflects our conviction in Service Logic’s continued growth potential and our strategy of backing resilient, essential services businesses,” Zouhir Regragui, head of Industrials and Business Services at Mubadala, said.

Deal led by Bain Capital team in North America

The deal was led by Bain Capital’s North America private equity team. Service Logic joins Bain’s portfolio of US services and distribution companies, which includes Imperial Dade, US LBM, Frontline Road Safety and Dealer Tire.

Barclays and Jefferies acted as joint lead financial advisers on the transaction. Harris Williams and Goldman Sachs advised Service Logic, while J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley also served as financial advisers.

Legal advisers included Ropes & Gray for Bain Capital and Latham & Watkins for Leonard Green.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has announced the start of the second phase of Ministerial Decision No. 380 of 2022, expanding the ban on single-use consumer plastic products and bags across the UAE. The new restrictions will come into force on January 1, 2026.

The move forms part of the UAE’s broader environmental legislation aimed at protecting natural ecosystems, reducing waste, and advancing national sustainability goals while enhancing quality of life.

Under the second phase, the ban will apply to a wider range of single-use items, including beverage cups and lids, cutlery such as spoons, forks, knives and chopsticks, plates, straws, stirrers, and food containers and boxes made of Styrofoam.

The decision also introduces a comprehensive ban on single-use bags of all materials — including paper — if their thickness is less than 50 microns. This provision will take effect on the same date.

Eng. Alya Abdelrahim Alharmoodi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector at MOCCAE, said the decision represents a critical milestone in the UAE’s sustainability journey.

“Regulating the use of single-use products is not only intended to reduce waste but it is part of a comprehensive vision to advance the principles of the circular economy, in which resources are transformed into sustainable assets rather than environmental burdens. In the UAE, we adopt a balanced approach that prioritises the protection of marine and terrestrial environments from pollution risks, while simultaneously fostering business sustainability and growth,” Alia Al Harmoudi said.

She added: “We have confidence in the robust environmental awareness of the Emirati community and in the constructive cooperation demonstrated by the private sector, manufacturers and retailers in adopting sustainable practices and embracing environment friendly alternatives. Protecting our environment is a shared responsibility, and every step taken to reduce the consumption of these products is an investment in the well-being of our society and the preservation of our natural landscapes.”

MOCCAE confirmed that the decision includes specific exemptions to support trade flows and industrial activity. Products manufactured exclusively for export or re-export are permitted, provided they are clearly labelled and not circulated within the UAE market.

Items made from recycled materials within the UAE are also exempt, in a move designed to support and stimulate the local recycling industry. Additional exemptions apply to medicine bags, refuse bags, ultra-thin plastic bags used for wrapping fresh food such as meat, vegetables and bread, as well as large shopping bags intended for clothing, electronics and toys.

The Ministry urged all establishments, markets and suppliers to fully comply with the new regulations and actively support the UAE’s environmental objectives.

The second phase builds on the initial rollout of the decision, which came into effect on January 1, 2024. That first phase prohibited the import, manufacture and trade of all types of single-use plastic shopping bags, including biodegradable plastic bags, marking a key step in the UAE’s transition towards sustainable and reusable alternatives.

Apple is in early discussions with Indian chipmakers to assemble and package components for the iPhone, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

It is the first time Apple has considered assembling and packaging some chips in India, the ET report said, adding that it is unclear which chips will be packaged at the Sanand facility, though they are likely display chips.

Apple held talks with Murugappa Group-owned CG Semi, which is building an outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat, the report said.

Read more-Apple drops next-generation tech: New devices powered by M5 chip

Reuters could not immediately verify the ET report. Apple and CG Semi did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for a comment.

CG Semi told ET that it does not comment on market speculation or discussions with specific customers. “We will make appropriate disclosures as and when there is something concrete to share,” the company told the newspaper.

Apple has been aiming to make most of its iPhones sold in the United States at factories in India by the end of 2026 and is speeding up those plans to navigate potentially higher tariffs in China, its main manufacturing base, Reuters reported in April.

In April, the US administration imposed 26 per cent duties on imports from India, far lower than the more than 100 per cent levied on Chinese goods at the time. Washington has since paused most duties for three months, except those on China.

Small and medium businesses in the UAE are navigating one of the most competitive and culturally diverse markets in the world — and their ability to communicate clearly, consistently and personally has never mattered more. As AI reshapes how brands understand and engage audiences, SMEs are beginning to adopt tools that help them personalise content, streamline customer interactions and scale their presence across platforms. In this interview, Eman Murad, director of marketing communications – business, du, shares her perspectives on how AI is transforming customer connection, the communication challenges SMEs face today, and the best practices that can help them build meaningful, tech-enabled relationships with their audiences.

As an expert in marketing communication, you constantly blend creativity with technology to craft memorable experiences and marketing campaigns, how do you see AI reshaping the way Small and Medium Businesses (SMEs) connect with their audiences?

Imagine you are in a busy marketplace and there are dozens of shops, with each shopkeeper calling out to customers, asking them to purchase goods from their shop. How can the shopkeeper get the customer to stop and pay attention? By creating a deeper connection with them.

Marketing communication is the bridge that connects the brand to the people. And now, with the advent of AI, instead of using the traditional one-size-fits-all approach, AI can help you craft personalised messages tailored to customers, that too in real-time. AI can help brands zero in on the target audience’s patterns, moods, wants, and preferences, and create campaigns and communications that appeal to them. To put it simply, AI can give you a sneak peek into the customer’s mind, and you can now call out to each customer individually.

I believe that AI is more than just automation. In an increasingly advanced world, using AI-driven insights, coupled with creativity and human understanding, can reshape communication. This is the perfect way to create true, meaningful connections with people.

You design campaigns that resonate with both businesses and individuals. Can you tell us how AI tools are elevating the way SMEs communicate with diverse audiences?

The list of tasks that AI can perform, particularly for communication with customers, is long and continues to grow exponentially. AI is now capable of powering everything from predictive analytics to process automation. AI tools offer insight mining, helping you deliver hyper-personalised messages that resonate. Another huge advantage is real-time language translation tools, which help connect with international consumers.

For SMEs in a fast-paced multilingual market like the UAE, these tools are a game-changer.

UAE SME owners understand this. A 2025 YouGov survey commissioned by SAP revealed that 94 per cent of enterprises in the UAE believe AI will be a key driver of business expansion. And with an estimated impact of $320bn impact of AI for the Middle East by 2030, AI is here to stay and grow.

What are some of the unique communication challenges that SMEs face today, especially in a market like the UAE?

The UAE market is dynamic and cosmopolitan. We have a population from more than 200 nationalities living and thriving here. As a result, businesses have to navigate many languages and cultural nuances while communicating with their diverse customer base.

E-commerce has further blurred geographical boundaries, leading to stiff competition, making SMEs work harder to stand out. SMEs also work with limited budget and resources, which is always a challenge.

How can SMEs use AI to deliver personalised customer communication across platforms like Instagram, Botim, and email—without losing brand consistency?

With the help of tools that extract customer data and insights, SMEs now have the option of interacting with the customer throughout their journey with the SME. This means AI can be used to deliver everything from product recommendations to email campaigns, newsletters, promotional offers, and follow-up messages.

While social media has made customer interactions easy, it is important to centralise these interactions through AI-powered unified platforms while maintaining a consistent brand voice. Moreover, AI can also be used to generate social media posts or email templates as per customer interests. For multilingual customers, SMEs have the option of implementing voice-to-text AI, adding another level of personalisation.

Watch video here:

What role does AI play in enhancing customer support through chatbots, voice assistants, and sentiment analysis, and how does this improve overall customer satisfaction?

Using AI enables SMEs to make the interaction faster, smoother, and more personalised. This is a huge asset in the digital age, when the customer demands instant attention and solutions. Chatbots and voice assistants help SMEs do just that. Sentiment analysis allows businesses to gauge customer satisfaction levels and improve products and services based on feedback. I believe that using these tools together can help any SME scale up easily in today’s digital landscape.

As a marketing communication professional and an experience architect, can you share some tips for SMEs to help them leverage AI to generate engaging content that resonates with their target audience?

To SMEs aiming to leverage AI for communication, my first advice is to start small. Pick one AI tool and focus on just one part of your communication process. Identify the area that causes the most delay, and pick an AI tool that addresses it.

For instance, several manhours are lost to repetitive tasks, answering enquiries, and endless follow-ups. To address this, an SME could deploy a WhatsApp chatbot that picks and answers from a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Here are a few tips to help SMEs navigate AI to communicate effectively with stakeholders:

• Choose tools with multilingual capabilities.
• Train your AI tool with your brand voice to maintain consistency across all platforms.
• Integrate AI with existing platforms.
• Before you invest in a complete tech upgrade, track the results after AI adoption, then fine-tune your setup.

What best practices should SMEs follow when implementing AI communication tools?

When it comes to implementing AI communication tools, it is not about applying the most advanced tools or even the largest number of tools. Instead, what matters is how intelligently you integrate AI to address your communication needs.

No matter the size of the SME, some best practices stand out:

– Prioritise privacy and compliance. SMEs deal with a lot of sensitive customer information, and remember, trust is hard-earned. Therefore, ensure you safeguard every customer interaction through end-to-end encryption. Additionally, ensure the SMEs adhere to UAE data regulations and compliance requirements.
– Train AI to avoid jargon, too many abbreviations, and to avoid using the language used in internal communications, which the customer may not necessarily understand.
– Balancing AI with human empathy is non-negotiable. Any chatbot or virtual assistant deployed should be able to seamlessly transfer conversations to humans when an escalation is required.
– This brings me to the next best practice, which is to invest in upskilling the existing team to harness technology most efficiently.