IHC shareholders approve share buyback of up to $1.36 billion
The proposed buyback represents about 0.6% of the company’s total shares. The board of directors has been authorized to take...
Business
5 WEF reports shaping your 2024 agenda
Geostrategy
WEF flags geoeconomic confrontation as top global risk for 2026
Experts warn economic warfare, misinformation and unchecked AI could amplify global shocks as cooperation weakens across political and trade blocs.
Geostrategy
Business
Abha Valley has potential to be a tourist destination
ABHA, SAUDI ARABIA - Extending over 34 kilometers, the Abha Valley Basin enjoys a variety of wildlife aspects, civilizational features...
- The Abha Valley abounds in environmental diversity, which explains its array of mountain plants.
- The rugged areas of the highest point of the valley form the right habitat for the Arab tiger,
Business
Egypt jumps to third place in Offshore BPO Confidence Index
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt's global prominence received a boost as it jumped from 11th to third place in the 2023...
- Egypt's BPO industry demonstrated steady growth, with digital exports increasing from $4.5 billion in 2022 to $4.9 billion in 2023.
- The country targets doubling export revenue to $9 billion by 2026, creating over 200,000 direct job opportunities.
Business
Saudi PIF secures $5 billion financing in collaboration with K-SURE
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) have announced the signing of...
- The collaboration stems from a memorandum of understanding signed in March 2022 between PIF and K-SURE.
- The transaction will mark PIF’s first financing covered by an export credit agency, as it continues to diversify its sources of funding.
Business
Abu Dhabi’s financial sector surges 30% in Q2, non-oil growth 12%
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The financial sector in the UAE has experienced a surge of 30 percent in the second...
- Non-oil sectors now constitute nearly 54 percent of the total GDP, according to Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman ADDED.
- Non-oil foreign merchandise trade expanded by 13 percent by the end of the third quarter.
Business
Beltone 9M net profit at $2.7m
In 9M, the firm's restructuring led to a turnaround.
- Operating revenue in 9M 2023 increased to US$30 million, a growth of 271 percent Year-on-Year.
- The NBFIs operating revenue recorded US$15 million in 9M2023, a growth of 680 percent YoY.
Arts & Culture
Villa, Maldini visit Jeddah to promote FIFA Club World Cup 2023
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- Football stars David Villa and Paolo Maldini visited Jeddah today to promote the 2023 FIFA Club...
- The two stars met with football fans at the FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia official pre-tournament roadshow on Jeddah Corniche.
- The roadshow aims to boost fan engagement leading up to the tournament through an array of fun activities.
Business
Chinese tourism bookings to Saudi surge 277% after mega promotional campaign
Shanghai, China -- In a bid to attract Chinese tourists, the Saudi Tourism Authority recently concluded its first, and the...
- Saudi Market Festival, a celebration of heritage, culture and nature, held at the iconic Bund Waterfront in Shanghai drew a crowd of over 80,000.
- The impact of the campaign has been substantial, with over 500 million Chinese reached, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Business
JABEEN signs contracts with Retal, Abyatna
The firms will build primary and secondary infrastructure works.
- Under the contract, a total of 897 residential units will be built in the Jubail industrial city.
- The $319 million contract, which was awarded on Nov. 26, 2023, extends for 40 months, starting on the date of the land handover from JABEEN to Retal.
Business
Bank of Sharjah joint lead manager for $350m Ittihad sukuk
SHARJAH, UAE - Bank of Sharjah announced its selection as joint lead manager and bookrunner in the debut US$350 million...
- The Sukuk issuance was 1.7 times oversubscribed, with the orderbook reaching approximately US$600 million.
- “This demonstrates Ittihad’s solid business fundamentals and confirms its strong credit appetite,” CEO of Bank of Sharjah said.
Business
SEVEN to build $347m entertainment destination in Saudi Arabia’s Aseer
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), a PIF subsidiary, has announced the fifth entertainment destination in the Kingdom,...
- Designed by Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, the architecture was inspired by the ancient stone buildings of the area to highlight the identity of Aseer.
- SEVEN, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has appointed Modern Building Leaders to undertake the construction works.
IHC shareholders approve share buyback of up to $1.36 billion
The proposed buyback represents about 0.6% of the company’s total shares. The board of directors has been authorized to take...
Business
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5 WEF reports shaping your 2024 agenda
Geostrategy
Latest News
ESG buys 60% stake in AFKAR
Business
Qatar’s industrial sector PPI down in Nov on lower oil prices
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's Producer Price Index (PPI) of the industrial sector in the country for November was 118.65 points,...
Economy
IsDBI begins building digital marketplace for Islamic finance
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) has kicked off the development of the Islamic Finance Knowledge...
Business
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Business
Qatar’s foreign merchandise trade surplus $4.58 billion in Nov 2023
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's foreign merchandise trade balance, which represents the difference between total exports and imports, showed a surplus...
- Total exports of goods amounted to around QR 26.5bn in Nov 2023, showing a decrease of 28.6 percent compared to Nov 2022, and a decrease of 8.8 percent compared to Oct 2023.
- In Nov 2023, China was at the top of the countries of destination of Qatar's exports with close to QR 5.4 billion, a share of 20.4 percent of total exports.
YEARBOOK 2023
From climate action to global aid: Inside UAE’s remarkable year
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The UAE is bidding farewell to 2023, dubbed the ‘Year of Sustainability'. From hosting the relatively...
- UAE launched ALTÉRRA, the world’s largest private investment climate action vehicle, aimed at raising and mobilizing an additional $250bn for climate action.
- Despite global headwinds, CBUAE projects 3.3 percent year-on-year growth projected for the UAE economy in 2024.
Geostrategy
5 WEF reports shaping your 2024 agenda
From AI to the future of jobs and slow climb to gender parity, WEF reports provide insights into some of...
- Buffeted by a global energy crisis, inflationary pressures and geopolitical instability, the move to clean energy has faced a challenging time.
- This year's top 10 emerging technologies will likely become increasingly familiar in the years ahead as they help tackle some of our biggest challenges.