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DIFC’s strategic initiatives drive Dubai’s emergence as a global hub for sustainable finance fundraising, leadership, innovation and capacity building

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DIFC launches Sustainable Finance Catalyst to scale sustainable finance from Dubai enabled by first AI-driven sustainability knowledge hub.

Sustainable Finance Catalyst set to grow sustainable finance raised from Dubai to USD100 billion by 2030.

The Sustainable Finance Catalyst aims to support 1 million future sustainability leaders by providing easy access to curated sustainability training programmes, knowledge and toolkits, networking and events.

20% of Dubai Future District Fund allocated to back sustainability-driven tech and innovation ventures.

DIFC Awards 2023 Prototypes for Humanity Winners with Innovation Licence to accelerate growth.

The year-long Path to COP28 programme, co-delivered in partnership with GEFI culminates in a series of climate finance related events in DIFC from 3 to 8 December

DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ —  Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region, today announced the launch of its Sustainable Finance Catalyst to mark COP28’s Finance Day.  

DIFC’s Sustainable Finance Catalyst, which will be part of COP28’s legacy, aims to unlock opportunities and create impact beyond the conference. Building on DIFC’s position as the first global sustainable finance hub in MEASA, DIFC’s Sustainable Finance Catalyst will help scale sustainable finance flows from Dubai to USD100 billion by 2030. Enabled by the first AI-driven sustainability knowledge hub, the Catalyst will activate a network of strategic partners to train and grow its 1 million sustainability leaders; and grow its sustainability-driven start-up ecosystem 50 times its current size by 2030.

Hosted in the new DIFC Innovation One, the Sustainable Finance Catalyst is set to become Dubai’s first centralised intelligence unit focused on sustainable finance, investing in awareness, capability and innovation to accelerate the market from Dubai and provide faster and cost-effective ways for companies to access sustainability knowledge and data and sustainable financing, and develop key capabilities in this domain.

His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor, DIFC, commented: “Aligning with DIFC’s 2030 Strategy to drive the future of finance, the aim of the first Sustainable Finance Catalyst in the MEASA region is to help grow sustainable finance flows from Dubai to USD100 billion by 2030, further unlocking access for the Global South.

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To do so, DIFC has established a portfolio of training programmes and events in collaboration with the DIFC Academy and DIFC Innovation Hub, alongside leading experts, strategic partners, and government entities. The initiatives will further position DIFC and Dubai as a global hub for sustainable finance, enable continued upskilling of top talent, and amplify action on climate finance.”  

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority, said: “During DIFC’s Path to COP28 programme we have worked with the global industry to ensure we continue to make a tangible difference through cross-border collaboration and by setting a strong example of global best practice. The Sustainable Finance Catalyst is designed to help scale our efforts enabled by the first AI-driven sustainability knowledge hub, and a network of strategic partners that will train 1 million sustainability leaders and ultimately grow the Centre’s sustainability-driven start-up ecosystem 50 times its current size by 2030.”

Beyond the Sustainable Finance Catalyst, DIFC continues to be the region’s champion for addressing climate change and ESGs more broadly, spearheading a number of initiatives:

20% of Dubai Future District Fund allocated for sustainable innovation

As part of DIFC’s drive to nurture access to more sustainable finance funding, the Centre also announced that the Dubai Future District Fund will allocate up to 20% of the AED 1 billion fund to drive growth and back sustainability-driven tech and innovation start-ups and scale-ups, in collaboration with Dubai Future Foundation, in their capacity as founding partners of the fund.

The new fund is aligned with DIFC Strategy 2030 core pillars centred around shaping the future of finance and innovation, designed to boost access to finance for leading tech and innovation firms with a strong focus on innovative solutions set to tackle pressing global challenges.

DIFC and the Dubai Financial Market spearhead innovation for carbon market

Holistic emissions reductions across all sectors are required to limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius. Innovation in financing instruments is needed to help achieve that.

Recognising that the demand for carbon project financing within a progressive, transparent and robust regulatory environment will unlock future opportunities and help firms manage carbon reductions, the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), introduced a pilot programme for trading carbon credits in November, to be introduced in more detail during COP28.

DIFC’s engagement in the DFM Carbon Market Pilot exemplifies its commitment to enable sustainable finance, including the use of carbon markets to reduce emissions and help finance the transition to low-carbon economies. By actively participating, DIFC underscores the pivotal role the financial sector plays in addressing climate change.

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DIFC awards 2023 Prototypes for Humanity winners with Innovation Licences

As founding partner and inaugural host of Prototypes for Humanity, DIFC is proud of its ongoing commitment to the global initiative. During his welcome address at the Prototypes for Humanity opening ceremony, held at the Museum of the Future earlier in the week, Arif Amiri, Chairman of the Board of Art Dubai and Chief Executive Officer, DIFC Authority, stressed the importance of supporting academic excellence that transcends boundaries and confronts global challenges head-on.

At the Prototypes for Humanity awards ceremony held at COP28, DIFC announced its continued commitment to supporting the next wave of entrepreneurs in sustainable innovation by providing projects selected for the 2023 Prototypes for Humanity with complementary Innovation Licences. The licence enables entrepreneurs to establish in DIFC and provides access to co-working spaces, mentorship and training, PE and VC networks and venture building studios.

At the DIFC Innovation Hub, home to MEASA’s largest cluster of FinTech and Innovation companies, Prototypes for Humanity participants, were welcomed by Mohammad Alblooshi, CEO of DIFC Innovation Hub, to discuss the future of innovation, growth opportunities in Dubai and how the eco-system can serve as a testbed for new technologies and help unlock access to funding.

First and largest COP-related programme for the finance industry

DIFC was the first Government entity to launch a programme to garner attention on climate matters ahead of COP28. The Centre launched its Path to COP28 in October 2022 in association with the Global Ethical Finance Initiative focused on rallying the finance industry to action on common goals: Financing Net Zero; Unlocking Islamic Finance; Financing Nature and Biodiversity; Financing Sustainable Development Goals.

Alongside the Path to COP28 programme of summits, roundtables, MoU agreements and training sessions, DIFC has mobilised climate action through a series of landmark environmental and sustainable finance initiatives.

Mobilising global climate finance talks and future-focused agreements

During COP28, DIFC is hosting the largest and most extensive series of events for the finance industry on climate issues, part of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative and DIFC Path to COP28 programme.

Running from 3 to 8 December, these events include a lecture series relating to perspectives on profit and purpose from Scottish Enlightenment economist Adam Smith and famed Arab social theorist Ibn Khaldun; the signature Climate Finance Summit; Unlocking Islamic Finance Summit; and a series of high-impact sessions in the Sustainable Development Goals Hive.

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Under a Memorandum of Understanding recently signed by DIFC Academy and UK-based Chartered Banker Institute, the oldest banking institute in the world, the two entities have partnered to deliver two certifications in ‘Green and Sustainable Finance’ and ‘Climate Risk’. Both initiatives will be rolled out by the DIFC Academy under the Sustainable Finance Catalyst.

Through the DIFC-chaired Dubai Sustainable Finance Working Group, three action-focused reports were published to help businesses in the UAE build resilience to the impact of climate change and move the economy to Net Zero.  

Earlier this year, DIFC became the first financial centre in the region to announce its green finance framework, with a positive Second Party Opinion review by S&P Global Ratings.

CONTACT: ASDA’A BCW | +9714 4507600

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CUBE COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF THOMSON REUTERS REGULATORY INTELLIGENCE AND ODEN BUSINESSES

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  • Acquisition delivers an expanded customer base with a deep global subject matter expertise network that further powers CUBE’s RegBrain AI across its industry proven SaaS RegPlatform™
  • CUBE continues to see strong organic customer growth in its well-established enterprise sector whilst also accelerating growth across the mid-market sector
  •  2024 was a year of strategic milestones for CUBE including the partnership with Hg, expanding its global footprint across six main hubs, the acquisition of Reg-Room and Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence and Oden businesses, together with pivotal board and executive appointments

LONDON, Jan. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CUBE, a global leader in Automated Regulatory Intelligence (ARI) and Regulatory Change Management (RCM), has today formally announced the completion of its acquisition of the Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence and Oden businesses on 31 December 2024.

The acquisition of these global businesses is another step forward in CUBE’s growth plans as a leader in regulatory intelligence. It will supplement and enhance CUBE’s ability to deliver significant scale across many of the world’s leading and systemically important financial institutions. CUBE’s global customer base will expand to total approximately 1,000 customers in banking, insurance, asset and investment management, payments and adjacent regulated industries.

CUBE’s Founder and CEO, Ben Richmond, said: “The completion of this acquisition is a major milestone for CUBE in a year that has seen many important milestones including our strategic partnership with Hg, the acquisition of Reg-Room, and the acquisition of Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence and Oden businesses.”

“Thomson Reuters is best known in the industry for providing regulatory analysis and subject matter expertise combined with world-leading journalism and news,” said Ben Richmond. “The powerful combination of CUBE’s AI and the years of human generated content curated by Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence and Oden subject matter experts sets us apart in the industry. This new dimension at CUBE will accelerate innovation and drive further growth and opportunity in 2025 and beyond.”

Following the announcement of its strategic partnership with Hg in March 2024, CUBE has now completed two transformational US-based acquisitions across three businesses whilst continuing to assemble a highly experienced executive team. CUBE’s continued impressive growth saw its presence in the enterprise sector surpassing 200 customers and now represents around 40% of Tier 1 financial institutions globally. In the mid-market sector, serving small and medium sized enterprises, CUBE now has near 800 customers.

With this growth CUBE solidified its global footprint by establishing offices across its six main hubs focused on customer support and implementation; with the number of employees at CUBE doubling to near 700 and a comparable increase in the number of countries where CUBE’s employees are located, which now totals 15 countries.

Ben Richmond said: “We are excited to welcome all of our new colleagues to CUBE – 2025 promises to be yet another significant year for the business as we continue to deliver further innovation focused on automating regulatory compliance and risk management for our customers.”

The definitive agreement was originally announced in May 2024 and terms were not disclosed.

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KuCoin Launches KuCoin Pay, a Merchant Solution Leading the Future of Crypto Payments

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VICTORIA, Seychelles, Jan. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a significant leap forward for digital commerce, KuCoin has unveiled KuCoin Pay, a pioneering merchant solution designed to catalyze business growth by integrating crypto payments into the retail sector. This innovative system bridges the gap between traditional retail and crypto, offering contactless and borderless transactions. Leveraging KuCoin’s robust infrastructure—trusted globally and serving over 37 million+ users – KuCoin Pay is poised to open new opportunities for merchants and users to thrive in the evolving digital economy.

KuCoin Pay is committed to reducing transaction fees and facilitating immediate settlement of crypto payments, simplifying the process for businesses to manage transactions efficiently. The platform supports an extensive range of cryptocurrencies and blockchain networks, significantly broadening the global reach of payments.

The process for merchants is straightforward: integrate KuCoin Pay into their payment systems, allowing customers to complete purchases through KuCoin by scanning a QR code or via the KuCoin app. This integration ensures a frictionless checkout experience, fostering greater consumer confidence and satisfaction.

Additionally, KuCoin Pay is integrated within the KuCoin app, enabling businesses to tap into KuCoin’s extensive user base while simplifying the buying process for everyday items for users. Daily requests such as gift cards and mobile top-ups can be done seamlessly, further promoting widespread crypto adoption.

KuCoin Pay represents a major milestone in driving the mainstream adoption of crypto and marks a pivotal step in KuCoin’s ongoing commitment to enriching the blockchain ecosystem. For more information on KuCoin Pay and how it can transform your business, please visit the KuCoin Pay website.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is one of the pioneering and most globally recognized technology platforms supporting digital economies, built on a robust foundation of cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure, liquidity solutions, and an exceptional user experience. With a connected user base exceeding 37 million worldwide, KuCoin offers comprehensive digital asset solutions across wallets, trading, wealth management, payments, research, ventures, and AI-powered bots. KuCoin has garnered accolades such as “Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges” by Forbes and has been recognized among the “Top 50 Global Unicorns” by Hurun in 2024. These recognitions reflect its commitment to user-centric principles and core values, which include integrity, accountability, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

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KuCoin Advances the “Menstrual Equity Project”, Benefiting 4,000 Women in the Bahamas

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NASSAU, Bahamas, Jan. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On December 31, 2024, the “Menstrual Equity Project” , jointly initiated by KuCoin, Global CSR Foundation, and the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), has made new progress. The second batch of aid supplies has been successfully shipped to the Bahamas, providing urgently needed sanitary products for 4,000 local women and effectively improving their quality of life.

The “Menstrual Equity Project” aims to offer sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions to marginalized women and girls, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the oldest multi-specialty medical organization promoting women’s advancement in the medical field and improving women’s health, AMWA’s mission is in perfect alignment with KuCoin’s commitment to social responsibility.

With the support of the Office of the First Lady of Commonwealth of Bahamas H. E. Ann Marie Davis, this round of donated materials focuses on disposable menstrual pads. This decision reflects the local challenges of water scarcity and high washing costs, while also providing essential emergency supplies for women during natural disasters such as hurricanes and typhoons.

Since KuCoin made a firm commitment to social welfare initiatives during the “KuCoin Green Future Gala” at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023, the company has actively fulfilled its corporate social responsibilities. The “Menstrual Equity Project” has become a key initiative under this commitment.

In March 2024, the project’s first phase was implemented, distributing 1,000 menstrual kits—each containing 10 sanitary pads and 2 menstrual cups—to Suriname, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and domestic violence shelters in New York and California.

The smooth delivery of the second batch of supplies to the Bahamas will benefit 4,000 women.

Jing Zhao Cesarone,President of Global CSR Foundation, commented:”KuCoin has set a remarkable example in addressing period poverty in underserved regions, demonstrating its enthusiasm and dedication to social responsibility.”

Nancy Cheung, KuCoin’s Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), emphasized:”As a global leader in the digital economy, KuCoin is committed to advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on key areas such as climate change, health, and education, driving more philanthropic initiatives to fruition. We also plan to expand the scope of the ‘Menstrual Equity Project,’ collaborating with more international organizations to improve women’s living conditions and contribute to global sustainable development.”

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is one of the pioneering and most globally recognized technology platforms supporting digital economies, built on a robust foundation of cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure, liquidity solutions, and an exceptional user experience. With a connected user base exceeding 37 million worldwide, KuCoin offers comprehensive digital asset solutions across wallets, trading, wealth management, payments, research, ventures, and AI-powered bots. KuCoin has garnered accolades such as “Best Crypto Apps & Exchanges” by Forbes and has been recognized among the “Top 50 Global Unicorns” by Hurun in 2024. These recognitions reflect its commitment to user-centric principles and core values, which include integrity, accountability, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

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