Business from Thursday, July 24th, 2025

In a major enforcement action, the UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) has fined a licensed company AED 5 million and referred it to the Public Prosecution for misleading investors.

The UAE has imposed more than AED 42 million in fines on private sector firms across 1,063 cases of money laundering in the first half of 2025, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism said on Thursday. 

Sharjah’s real estate sector recorded AED 27 billion in transactions during the first half of 2025, a 48.1 per cent increase from the same period last year.

A cyber-espionage campaign centered on vulnerable versions of Microsoft's MSFT.O server software now involves the deployment of ransomware, Microsoft said in a late Wednesday blog post.

Britain and India signed a free trade agreement on Thursday during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sealing a deal to cut tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses.