Technology

PLENTY AND MAWARID LAUNCH REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP TO GROW FRESH PRODUCE IN GCC

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2024

First joint vertical farm underway in Abu Dhabi, slated to bring strawberries to market in 2026

ABU DHABI, UAE, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Plenty Unlimited Inc. (“Plenty”) and Mawarid Holding Investment (“Mawarid”)—a subsidiary of Alpha Dhabi Holding, a major publicly listed company on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)—announced they have entered into an exclusive, multi-year, region-wide partnership to bring locally grown fresh produce to countries across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The joint venture Plenty and Mawarid have formed will invest more than AED500 million (US$130 million) into the partnership’s first project in the GCC – an indoor vertical farm in Abu Dhabi, designed to grow more than 2 million kilograms of strawberries annually. The joint venture plans to develop up to five farms in the next five years, which would require investing up to AED2.5 billion (US$680 million) and bring thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities to the region.

The Abu Dhabi farm will develop a year-round supply of berries with peak-season flavor for both the local UAE market and export to other GCC countries, replacing air freight and reducing food miles compared to current imports. The farm’s complete production of strawberries is already pre-committed to Plenty partner and global premium berry leader Driscoll’s, which will also contribute its proprietary genetics, global brand and extensive market experience.

“As part of our strategy to delight berry consumers around the world, we are excited to partner with Plenty and Mawarid on this pioneering project,” said Soren Bjorn, CEO of Driscoll’s. “The Gulf region and the United Arab Emirates specifically have long been great markets for Driscoll’s, and this project will help ensure we can meet the demands of consumers in this market into the future.”

The new farm will be the world’s first commercial-scale vertical strawberry farm outside of North America, following the opening of Plenty’s first strawberry farm in Virginia later this year – also in partnership with Driscoll’s. Construction on the Abu Dhabi farm–which will be approximately 7,500 square meters (81,000 square feet)–is targeted to be completed in late 2026.

“Mawarid has increasingly focused on adopting cutting-edge technologies in support of the UAE mandate to build innovative food security capabilities,” said Mr. Kashif Shamsi, Group CEO of Mawarid. “Our global search for a sustainable solution to the challenges we face in the Middle East led us to the incredible team at Plenty. This joint venture enables us to leverage the most advanced farming technology in the world to grow local food supply throughout the GCC, beginning with our home market in Abu Dhabi, while preserving our precious natural resources.”

“Plenty has built the most technologically advanced indoor farming platform aimed not only at meeting year-round consumer demand but making it possible to build a long-term food security infrastructure that can adapt to the needs of regions like the Middle East,” said Arama Kukutai, CEO of Plenty. “The Mawarid team’s extensive expertise with agriculture and land management in the Emirates makes them a great partner to meet these dual opportunities, in a region that has long been poised to benefit from the promise of indoor agriculture.”

In the UAE, 80% of the land is desert1 and only 0.7% of the land is arable2. Developing local food production is essential to creating a more sustainable and secure food system that gives communities access to fresher, more nutritious food. And in the GCC countries, which import more than 85% of their food3, it is a key unlock to food security.

About Plenty
Plenty is rewriting the rules of agriculture through its technology platform that can grow fresh produce almost anywhere in the world, year-round, with peak-season quality and up to 350x more yield per acre than conventional farms. Plenty farms are the world’s highest-efficiency system for converting electricity into fresh fruits and vegetables. Plenty’s proprietary approach is designed to preserve the world’s natural resources, make fresh produce available to all communities and create resilience in our food systems against weather, location, pests and climate impacts. Plenty operates the world’s most advanced indoor farm in Compton, California, and is currently building the world’s first vertical farm to grow strawberries indoors at scale near Richmond, Virginia, and the world’s largest vertical farming research center in Laramie, Wyoming. For more information visit www.plenty.ag.

About Mawarid Holding Investment
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, Mawarid is a pioneer in the field of natural resources cultivation and conservation in the UAE. The group has a portfolio of innovative businesses operating across multiple business lines including Agriculture, Forest Management, Landscape Design and Construction, Asset Operation and Maintenance, Plant Nurseries, Soil and Irrigation technologies, Wildlife Conservation, Eco-Tourism Services, Hotel Management Services, Biosciences Research, and Organic Recycling. Mawarid works to minimize environmental impact through eco-friendly practices and green technologies. Desertification, water stress, and food security are of particular importance to the group which, through strategic partnerships, looks to preserve ecosystems and support climate affected regions by promoting sustainable land and natural resources management in the UAE and beyond.
For more information visit mawaridhi.com.

Media Contacts
Plenty: Erin Santy, press@plenty.ag
Mawarid: press@mawaridhi.com

1 FAO
2 World Bank
3 GCC Food Industry Report

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SOURCE Plenty Unlimited Inc.

Technology

Reliance Digital Brings Samsung’s Latest Galaxy Z Fold8 Series and Galaxy Z Flip8 to Stores Across India

Published

33 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

Be among the first to own the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 series and Galaxy Z Flip8. Customers can now pre-order the latest Galaxy foldables at Reliance Digital, with EMIs starting at ₹6000/month.

MUMBAI, India, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reliance Digital, India’s leading consumer electronics retailer, today announced the availability of Samsung’s latest generation of foldable smartphones – the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8. Designed to deliver the next evolution of Galaxy AI, powerful performance and iconic foldable innovation, Samsung’s newest line-up is now available across Reliance Digital stores and online.

Built around Samsung’s vision of making AI more intuitive and personal, the new Galaxy foldables combine immersive displays, premium craftsmanship and intelligent experiences that seamlessly adapt to the way users work, create and stay connected.

Leading the line-up is the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Samsung’s most premium foldable yet. Featuring an expansive 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display, a flagship 200MP camera, the latest Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor and a 5,000mAh battery, the device is engineered for users who demand the ultimate in productivity, creativity and entertainment. It is available in Graphite, Cream and Violet Shadow,.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 brings Samsung’s signature foldable experience in a more compact form factor, featuring a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display, a redesigned wider cover screen, Galaxy AI-powered multitasking and flagship-grade performance. Customers can choose from Lavender, Graphite and Cream colour options.

Completing the line-up is the Galaxy Z Flip8, Samsung’s most stylish foldable smartphone, designed for users who want flagship performance in a compact, pocket-friendly form. Equipped with a vibrant 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, an enhanced FlexWindow, a 50MP camera system and Galaxy AI experiences, the Flip8 effortlessly blends fashion with functionality.

Customers can visit their nearest Reliance Digital store to experience the new foldables first-hand with guidance from Reliance Digital’s Tech Dosts, compare models, explore exclusive launch offers and Pre-order the Galaxy device that best fits their lifestyle. The complete Galaxy Z Fold8 series and Galaxy Z Flip8 are also available through Reliance Digital’s online platform, ensuring customers can be among the first to own Samsung’s latest foldable innovations.

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Technology

Weichai’s Five Tech Routes Global Debut: Diverse Paths to a Green, Smart Future

Published

33 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

HANOI, Vietnam, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At VEC in Vietnam on July 21, the Shandong Heavy Industry global partners conference & green intelligent products expo opened. Responding to the green transition of global commercial vehicles and heavy equipment, Weichai – with decades of expertise – unveiled five core tech routes: BEV, HEV, PEMFC, alternative-fuel ICE, and ADAS. Through full-chain proprietary control and breakthroughs, it provides efficient, low-carbon, intelligent power solutions to the global market.

Battery electric vehicle powertrain: full-chain deployment and high-efficiency recharging: Weichai masters core battery, motor, and e‑control technologies. Its CT100 battery – for heavy tractors and dump trucks – features integrated design and triple insulation, delivering better reliability, efficiency, safety, and speed. The WMS3200 drive system, tailored for heavy‑truck haulage, boosts efficiency and cuts vehicle power consumption. The WMC‑L/H/B integrated controllers offer stable, efficient control for light trucks, heavy trucks, and buses.

Hybrid electric vehicle powertrain: deep integration and ultra-long range: Weichai covers series, parallel, and series-parallel architectures, deeply integrating engine and e-drive. For urban logistics, the WP2.5T range extender offers quick response and low noise; for long-haul transport, the WP3NNG natural-gas range extender uses a “pure electric for short hauls, range-extended for long hauls” mode, with over 1,000 km combined range, easing range anxiety.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell: zero-carbon leadership: Weichai has built a full-chain hydrogen energy system covering components, stacks, and systems. The WEF300 fuel cell engine has been deployed in volume in 49-ton heavy-duty trucks, suitable for long-haul and port logistics. The WEFG500 power generation system provides megawatt-class scalable power to support data centers and industrial plants.

Alternative fuel internal combustion engine: diverse clean-energy options and exceptional cost-effectiveness: Modular design enables flexible switching between H₂ and methanol. WP15DI hydrogen ICE peaks at 46.8% thermal efficiency; WP17T methanol ICE targets heavy‑equipment energy use, cuts operating costs, and is mass‑deployed in 130‑ton mining trucks.

Intelligent driving assistance system: vehicle-road-cloud collaboration: Weichai built a vehicle‑road‑cloud full‑stack architecture, with mining autonomous solution for cm‑level docking & obstacle avoidance, and trunk‑line ADAS with intelligent cruise & auto lane‑change, boosting high‑speed safety and economy.

Going forward, Weichai will keep iterating these five tech routes with global partners to advance sustainable manufacturing.

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SOURCE Weichai Group

Technology

Portland General Electric declares dividend

Published

4 hours ago

July 25, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore., July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The board of directors of Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.55125 per share.

The company’s dividend is evaluated based on capital requirements and financial performance. PGE targets a dividend payout ratio of 60 to 70% over the long term.

The quarterly dividend is payable on or before October 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 25, 2026.

About Portland General Electric Company
Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is an integrated energy company that generates, transmits and distributes electricity to nearly 960,000 customers serving an area of approximately 2 million Oregonians. Since 1889, Portland General Electric (PGE) has been powering economies, delivering safe, affordable and reliable electricity while working to transform energy systems to meet evolving customer needs. PGE continues to make progress towards emissions reduction targets, and customers have set the standard for prioritizing clean energy with the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the country. PGE is ranked a top ten utility in the 2025 Forrester U.S. Customer Experience Index. In 2025, PGE employees and retirees volunteered over 18,300 hours to more than 400 nonprofits organizations. Through the PGE Foundation, along with corporate contributions and the employee matching gift program, more than $5 million was directed to charitable organizations supporting economic growth and community resilience across our service area. For information: portlandgeneral.com/news.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about the future, involve risks and uncertainties, and are not guarantees. Future results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements include statements, other than statements of historical or current fact, regarding the Company’s amount and timing of dividends payable as well as other statements containing words such as “committed to,” “targets,” or similar expressions.

There can be no assurance that future dividends will be declared. The declaration of future dividends is subject to approval of our board of directors and various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: our cash flow and cash needs; the timing or amount of dividends paid; the timing or outcome of various legal and regulatory actions; changes in the Company’s business strategy; increases in capital expenditures; changes in capital and credit market conditions, including volatility of equity markets as well as changes in PGE’s credit ratings and outlook on such credit ratings restrictions on the payment of dividends under existing or future financing arrangements; changes in tax laws relating to corporate dividends; deterioration in our financial condition or results, and those risks, uncertainties, and other factors identified from time-to-time in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website, investors.portlandgeneral.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other factors.

Media Contact:
Drew Hanson
Corporate Communications
Phone: 503-464-2067

Investor Contact:
Erin Schwartz
Investor Relations
Phone: 503-464-7751

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SOURCE Portland General Company