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Abu Dhabi Announces Multifaceted Enhancements to Increase the 35%++ Cashback Rebate

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With a sliding-scale points system and clear qualifying criteria, productions have the opportunity to gain up to 50% total cashback rebateGuidelines have also been enhanced; supporting additional production formats, increased total financial support caps, and refined qualification and payout processAbu Dhabi was the first destination in region to offer a cashback rebate and has supported more than 170 major productions since its inception in 2013

ABU DHABI, UAE, Dec. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC), part Abu Dhabi’s Creative Media Authority (CMA), announced multi-layered enhancements for its film and TV production rebate offer. New guidelines will see global production companies afforded up to a 50% total cashback rebate, based on a clear set of criteria and sliding-scale points system.

With a baseline increase from 30% to 35%++ announced in Q3, the new rebate, starts for qualifying productions from 1 January 2025; with new qualifying formats, increased financial project caps and an improved process designed to strengthen and attract strategic investment into the film and TV production industry in Abu Dhabi.

Mohamed Dobay, Acting Director General of Creative Media Authority, said: “As pioneers of the rebate scheme in region, TV and film production continues to be a key pillar in the development of our creative industries and a strategic differentiator for the emirate. We have curated several levels of changes to the rebate which will continue to fuel global and regional interest in Abu Dhabi and contribute to the entire creative ecosystem. We look forward to welcoming new production partners, alongside strengthening our existing and previous relationships; driving the next phase of planned growth for the industry – working towards our goal of establishing Abu Dhabi as a leading film and TV production destination globally.”

“From a local perspective, the impact of the rebate on our economy is significant, with independent research showing for every dirham paid through one of the fastest payouts processes across the industry, more than three dirhams flows back into the economy,” he continued.

Enhanced Rebate Points System

ADFC’s enhanced rebate will offer additional uplift on top of the new 35% baseline with a maximum potential of 50% total rebate on in-market production and post-production costs, through meeting new criteria and seeking ADFC’s full and absolute approval.

The uplift has a points-based system where productions scoring between 10 to 14 points gain 2.5% uplift, in addition to the baseline of 35%, through to a 15% uplift on the baseline for productions scoring 85 points or above.

There are extensive ways in which production companies can score points, including featuring the UAE’s national history and culture in content; completing full postproduction activity in Abu Dhabi; main unit production in Abu Dhabi of a feature film and/or filming an entire TV series in the emirate.

New Eligible Formats

From 1 January 2025, the rebate will also be available for additional production formats, including reality TV, game shows, short films and animations. This expansion of formats bolsters the existing formats of feature films, TV series and programmes and TV commercials which have been supported since the introduction of the rebate in 2013.

New Higher Rebate Caps

The rebate initiative will also increase the caps on the total financial assistance production companies can gain from ADFC. Qualifying feature films, for example, will see this increase of Abu Dhabi Qualifying Production Expenditure (ADQPE) from US$5m to US$10m.

Refined Rebate Process

The final layer of rebate update is the streamlining of projected timelines for the rebate process itself. The interim certificate validity has increased from 60 days to 90 days – giving production teams an additional 30 days to start principal photography in Abu Dhabi, with an additional discretionary 120 days.

From the point the final certificate is issued towards the end of the rebate process, producers now will see paid funds in 30 business days (previously 60 business days) speeding up the already swift process.

Sameer Al Jaberi, Head of Abu Dhabi Film Commission added: “The reception of our initial baseline increase from 30% to 35%++ in October was extremely positive and the team has since seen a surge of interest from across the world, which will no doubt surge again with these additional layers of detail we’re announcing now. Coupled with the financial stimulus into the economy, visiting productions also support talent across the board – from youth talent who gain access to some world-class learning and training opportunities, to established talent, including freelancers who are regularly employed on visiting sets. With more than a decade of experience hosting global and regional major productions, the team at ADFC is well versed in the nuances of film and TV production and has demonstrated over the years the ease of doing business here in Abu Dhabi.”

Ben Piltz, Unit Production Manager commented, “Having a rebate is super important for studio films and the rebate in Abu Dhabi is second to none – giving you a number of benefits that you don’t get elsewhere. The enhanced rebate is going to offer a lot for future projects, the increase in the cap is a massive benefit and being able to increase eligible spend to 50% by promoting Abu Dhabi and its culture or using local talent is something everyone will look at.”

Fuelling Abu Dhabi’s already extensive ecosystem, a significantly enhanced rebate financially benefits more than 800 locally-based media companies (more than 300 of whom are production specific) the 1000-strong freelancer talent pool, young individuals looking for training and internship opportunities and the new golden visa programme.

More than 170 major productions have visited Abu Dhabi in recent years including Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures, Disney, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Yes Raj Films, Tips, Clacket, Eagle Films and Universal Pictures. Films shot in Abu Dhabi include Dune, Dune: Part Two, F1, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 6 Underground and Furious 7, as well as Bollywood hits such as Vikram Vedha, Tiger Zinda Hai and Bharat.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2585963/Behind_the_Scenes.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/abu-dhabi-announces-multifaceted-enhancements-to-increase-the-35-cashback-rebate-302337194.html

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CIEBON Chooses Centric PLM to Streamline and Align Teams

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Fast-growing fashion company adopts Centric PLM to support rapid company expansion

CAMPBELL, Calif., Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Centric Software® is pleased to announce that CIEBON, the fashion company has selected Centric PLM™ to boost collaboration and speed to market. Centric Software provides retailers and brands the most innovative end-to-end product lifecycle enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, buy, make, price, allocate, sell and replenish products such as fashion, outdoor, luxury, footwear, home and related goods like cosmetics & personal care as well as multi-category retail to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

When we saw that first Centric PLM demo, it was pretty clear that’s what we were missing and what we needed to keep growing.

Based in Los Angeles, California, CIEBON was established in 2021. This contemporary womenswear brand seamlessly merges modern femininity with effortless chic, from dresses to sportswear. Showcased in seasonal collections, CIEBON stands out for its unexpected details and luxurious fabrics, offering a curated selection of statement pieces and elevated ready-to-wear designs. The brand’s collections are available in upscale boutiques, department stores and online.

Daniel Banaga, Creative Director at CIEBON describes how the growth of the business outpaced the growth of the team. Banaga described the tools they used when the company first started as ‘rudimentary’. “We had to learn all the technical know-how and how to do all the integrations with our ERP system. That took a lot of time away from building the business and focusing on the brand,” he explains. Implementing Centric PLM will allow for freedom of tedious tasks shifting focus to collection inspiration and design enabling overall growth of the business.

The brand is renowned for creating custom fabrics with vivid prints and in-house embroidery designs. Banaga explains, “We develop all our embroidery in-house and having a material library for base fabrics and artwork in our colorways will be an incredible asset. It allows us to revisit past designs and reinvent them in fresh, new ways—it’s truly a game changer. With these essentials organized in our PLM, creating new designs or updated versions of existing ones will be seamless and efficient.”

Founder and CEO Charlene Xie says, “I wanted things in a very particular way to offer unique, colorful pieces made with rich fabrics. We are grateful boutiques and retailers appreciated that and it is why we’ve grown so quickly.” It was this growth that propelled the company to look for a PLM solution.

CIEBON identified bottlenecks and misaligned communication as significant pain points. Banaga shares, “Fashion is so time sensitive that if you’re not organized and don’t have all your ducks in a row, you end up suffering the consequences at some point—immediately or down the road. Having a reliable source of information is critical. With our small team moving quickly, effective communication can be a challenge. We needed a centralized system to ensure accurate, up-to-date information and track changes and progress seamlessly. That level of visibility is critical for staying aligned and driving our work forward.” Banaga continues, “One of the main draws for us was the Centric vendor portal. With overseas suppliers, communication over email can get muddied. We needed the ability to see what’s happening on the vendor’s side and to track the progress and changes…Being able to communicate all the changes and all the comments, especially to our vendors—fabric mills and garment companies—is huge. There are numerous collaborations that need to happen. Every minute counts when it comes to what we’re doing. Being organized is key.”

CIEBON did the research and found Centric Software to be an expert in the PLM industry. Banaga says, “When we saw that first Centric PLM demo, it was pretty clear that’s what we were missing and what we needed to keep growing.”

President of Centric Software Fabrice Canonge says, “We are proud to welcome CIEBON, an exciting, emerging fashion brand, to the Centric Software community. They are poised for huge growth and Centric PLM is the perfect tool to enable that growth by organizing data, improving collaboration with vendors and speeding time to market, leaving them to focus on creativity and innovation.”

Learn more about Centric Software

See Centric AI-Powered Solutions in action at NRF 2025, Booth #6257

CIEBON (http://www.ciebon.com)

CIEBON is a Los Angeles based and Asian owned contemporary womenswear brand that blends modern femininity with effortless chic. Presented in seasonal collections, the brand features unexpected detailing and lush fabrics in a range of statement pieces and elevated ready-to-wear.

Media Contact

Aurore Evee, Centric Software, +16479155377, aurore.evee@centricsoftware.com, www.centricsoftware.com

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SOURCE Centric Software

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Dreame Technology Stuns CES 2025 with Innovative Technologies Including Its Groundbreaking Bionic Multi-Joint Robotic Arm Technology and a Full Range of Products Such as the X50 Ultra

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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) officially kicked off. Dreame Technology, a leading name in high-end consumer electronics and smart manufacturing, made a striking debut with the theme “All Dreams in One Dreame.” At CES 2025, the company unveiled its comprehensive ecosystem of advanced products, including robot vacuum, wet and dry vacuums, cordless stick vacuums, cordless robotic pool cleaners, and multifunctional hair drying and styling systems. With this impressive lineup, Dreame showcased its cutting-edge smart technologies, redefining the possibilities of innovative living for consumers worldwide.

Strengthen the Core Technology Barriers and Create a New Benchmark in the Robot Vacuum Industry

As a technology benchmark in the smart home appliance industry, Dreame Technology firmly believes that “core technology is the foundation of everything.”  Dreame Technology has continuously broken through and innovated, introducing many industry innovations such as Robotic Flex Arm, VersaLift, and Automatic mop removal technology.

Among them, the most noteworthy is Dreame Technology’s first robotic vacuum cleaner with an automatic arm capable of changing and using different cleaning tools. This design incorporates Dreame Technology’s first bionic multi-joint robotic arm technology and cleaning tool accessory compartment. The bionic multi-joint manipulator with four joints mimics a human hand, seamlessly integrating features similar to shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers. It stretches up to 30cm from the machine’s edge, effectively extending its cleaning reach. By being equipped with a self-developed structured light RGB module, the robotic arm can deeply perceive and detect the environment based on AI algorithms and return to the base station to change cleaning tools according to different scenarios and dirty needs to complete various cleaning tasks.

Another innovative Multi-Mop Replacement Dock adopts a new base station structure, which accommodates up to 3 sets of mopping cloths and supports the automatic replacement of mops at the base station. Users can customize different mops for specific areas based on personal preferences and household habits to achieve dedicated mop use in specific zones, thereby effectively avoiding the cross-use of mops in the bathroom, kitchen, living room, bedroom, and other spaces, making it more hygienic and cleaner. Additionally, the system comprehensively upgrades the drying method, adopting a dual air duct design, which can dry 3 sets of mops simultaneously, making it more efficient and time-saving.

Revolutionary Multi-Category Innovations Lead the New Trend in Smart Home Appliances

In the smart cleaning category, the X50 Ultra robot vacuum was one of the most eye-catching products at the Dreame Technology booth, winning many awards, including the CES 2025 International Breakthrough Award. It is equipped with Dreame Technology’s world-first robotic retractable legs technology, which can achieve a maximum obstacle crossing height of 6cm*. At the same time, it also features VersaLift, Dual Flex Arm Technology, and other technologies, elevating the cleaning performance of sweeping robots to a new level.

H15 Pro Heat wet and dry vacuum equipped with Dreame Technology’s GapFree™ AI DescendReach Robotic Arm technology achieves no cleaning dead zones and no water residue. When the wet and dry vacuum senses an edge, the AI smart lifting robotic arm will adaptively press down and quickly stick to the edge to complete the corner cleaning.  Z30 Smart Sensor cordless stick vacuum supports the smart sensor dirt function. Dreame Technology’s self-developed 150,000RPM high-speed digital motor delivers peak suction power of 300AW and a runtime of up to 90 minutes.

For outdoor cleaning scenarios, Dreame Technology has launched the Z1 Pro cordless robotic pool cleaner, whose innovative PoolSense™ technology can intelligently recognize the shape of the pool, enabling optimized zoning and S-shaped cleaning routes to improve cleaning efficiency. Based on LiFi communication technology, users can use a remote control to communicate with the swimming pool robot underwater in real time, assign cleaning tasks, and easily complete various cleaning needs.

On the other side of the booth, the newly launched Airstyle Pro Multifunctional Hair Drying & Styling System also garnered considerable attention from visitors. It is a salon-grade styler that integrates seven functional accessories for blow-drying, curling, straightening, and more.

Dreame Technology’s full ecosystem debut at CES 2025 highlights its remarkable breakthroughs in cutting-edge technology.

About Dream Technology

Established in 2017, Dreame Technology is an innovative consumer product company that focuses on smart home cleaning appliances with the vision to empower lives through technology. Follow us on FacebookInstagramTikTok and Twitter.

For more information, visit https://www.dreametech.com/.

*6cm: The 6cm refers to the height of the two steps. A single obstacle is 4.5cm high, and a single climbing mat’s crossing height is 1.5cm. Based on our in-house lab testing, actual results may vary depending on environmental factors.

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Lower Acquires Neat Labs, Launches LowerOS to Transform Digital Mortgage Experience

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COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Lower, a leading digital mortgage lender, today announced its acquisition of Neat Labs, a company renowned for its end-to-end mortgage origination software. Lower will integrate Neat Labs’ proprietary software into LowerOS, a comprehensive, cloud-based mortgage platform designed to deliver a world-class borrower experience and reduce the time and cost to produce a loan.

Founded in 2015, Neat Labs developed a cutting-edge platform that streamlines the mortgage process from pricing to loan approval and closing. Neat Labs originated over $1 billion in loans, taking borrowers from application to funding in as little as 10 days.

The introduction of LowerOS marks the beginning of a new era in mortgage technology, letting borrowers and loan officers collaborate like never before. Through LowerOS borrowers will have self-serve access to Neat Labs’ advanced underwriting engine letting consumers select the best loan product and payment plan they qualify for. LowerOS also automates many of the time-consuming tasks in the mortgage process, reducing the time and cost for borrowers to get a loan and giving Lower’s nationwide network of loan officers more time to spend guiding each client.

“We’re thrilled to bring Neat Labs into the Lower family. Their technology is the foundation of our next chapter,” said Dan Snyder, CEO and Co-Founder of Lower. “Since our inception, we’ve combined cutting-edge technology with an elite level of customer service. With LowerOS, we are once again revolutionizing the mortgage industry, offering unmatched operational efficiency and an intuitive, frictionless experience for both borrowers and loan officers.”

Steve Herschleb, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Neat Labs, will join Lower as the company’s new CTO. Herschleb, who has extensive experience in developing scalable mortgage technology systems and previously served as Chief Product Officer at Maxwell, will play a critical role in the development of LowerOS.

“LowerOS will change the way consumers think about getting a mortgage whether they are buying a new home, refinancing to reduce their monthly payments or tapping the equity in their home to consolidate debts or pay for a major life event like that overdue home remodel,” said Herschleb. “With LowerOS, borrowers can get approved significantly faster than they can today. It’ll make getting a mortgage feel more like a car loan or a credit card.”

With this acquisition and the introduction of LowerOS, Lower continues to redefine the mortgage experience by combining advanced technology with a focus on delivering exceptional value and efficiency.

About Lower
Founded in 2014, Lower is the 28th largest home lender in the country, and backed by Accel Partners, SoFi, and Veritex Bank. Lower operates a digital platform that meets customers both online through its website, and offline though its distributed retail branches. Committed to being the best lender for both originators, and consumers, Lower is redefining home finance one home at a time.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lower-acquires-neat-labs-launches-loweros-to-transform-digital-mortgage-experience-302344515.html

SOURCE Lower, LLC

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