MEA market decision-making cycle is fast but risk-averse
MEA markets feature rapid growth, high owner influence, diverse operator models, and younger hotel infrastructure, says Ralph Melis, co-founder and...
Interview
Trump Organization inks deal to build a golf course and villas in Doha
Doha, Qatar -- The Trump Organization signed on Wednesday its first development deal in Qatar to build a golf course...
Business
Economy
UAE consumer spending expected to rise by 5% in 2024: Mastercard report
Dubai, UAE -- Consumer spending in the UAE is expected to increase by 5 percent in 2024, while consumers and...
- Expansionary fiscal policy is set to continue to support growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the report said.
- GCC’s strong push to grow its tourism sector have made the region one of the world’s fastest-growing destinations.
Economy
UAE central bank raises 2024 economic growth forecast to 5.7%
The bank stated in a report released today that the overall GDP for the country is expected to grow by...
- The bank said that the UAE economy recorded a 3.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in the second quarter of the current year, compared to 8 percent recorded in Q2 2022.
- It mentioned that the non-oil GDP growth accelerated to 7.3 percent YoY in the second quarter of the current year, up from 4.5 percent YoY in the previous quarter.
Arts & Culture
7,000 digital marriage contracts delivered in Abu Dhabi since Oct
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department has introduced a new service that allows marriage contracts to be...
- This is the first service of its kind and it enables the marriage contract to be sent directly to the spouses during the contract session.
- Customers can review the available times of the authorized officiants and receive the results of the suitors' medical examination automatically.
Geostrategy
Rights group slams Meta for silencing pro-Palestinian voices
"Meta's censorship of content in support of Palestine adds insult to injury at a time of unspeakable atrocities and repression...
- HRW pointed to "systemic online censorship", reporting more than 1,050 "takedowns and other suppression of content" on Instagram and Facebook from over 60 countries in Oct and Nov.
- Of the 1,050 cases reviewed, 1,049 involved "peaceful content in support of Palestine that was censored or suppressed, while one case involved removal of pro-Israel content.
Business
UAE central bank cash deposits up by 10.2% in Oct to $187 billion
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) said Thursday cash deposits surged to AED 687.2 billion...
- The Central Bank's cash aggregates statistics reveal a monthly increase of 0.19 percent, or AED 1.3 billion, compared to around AED 685.9 billion in September 2023.
- During the first ten months of this year, cash deposits increased by 8.12 percent compared to about AED 635.6 billion at the end of last year, an increase of AED 51.6 billion.
Business
Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries up $399 million in Oct 2023
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries reached $117.5 billion in October 2023, up $399 million month-on-month...
- The Kingdom kept the 17th place among the largest holders of US Treasuries for the month, Argaam reported.
- Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries were distributed among long-term bonds worth $102.3 billion.
Business
ADIB, Aldar close $272m financing deal
Aldar's total ESG financing facilities reach $1.30 billion.
- Aldar intends to utilize the proceeds to finance sustainable projects such as green buildings, property upgrades to enhance energy efficiency.
- The company also intends to use the proceeds to finance sustainable water management, pollution control measures and renewable energy sources.
Business
ADNOC signs LNG delivery agreement
The 15-year agreement was inked wit ENN LNG (Singapore).
- The LNG will primarily be sourced from ADNOC’s low-carbon Ruwais LNG project, currently being developed in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Abu Dhabi.
- The Ruwais LNG project is set to be the first LNG export facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to run on clean power.
Economy
Qatar expects 11.4% revenue dip in 2024 budget on lower oil prices
Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari attributed the decrease in revenues to the adoption of an average oil price...
- Expenditures are expected to increase by 1 percent from 2023 to reach QR 200.9 billion, due to a rise in the allocations for salaries and wages.
- Allocations for both current expenditures and secondary capital expenditures also increased by 6.4 percent and 27.5 percent respectively, compared to 2023.
Business
Saudi fund assets dip slightly in Q3 but subscribers surge
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The total value of assets held by public and private investment funds in Saudi Arabia decreased...
- Public funds focus on local money markets, while private funds favor equity and real estate.
- The value of assets held by equity and real estate funds made up 84 percent of the private funds’ total assets.
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
MEA market decision-making cycle is fast but risk-averse
MEA markets feature rapid growth, high owner influence, diverse operator models, and younger hotel infrastructure, says Ralph Melis, co-founder and...
Interview
Company News
Latest News
Abu Dhabi real estate transactions reach $4.69bn in Jan, Feb 2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Real estate transactions in Abu Dhabi reached AED17.24 billion ($4.69 billion) in the first two months...
Business
Two lunar landings in a week for NASA’s private Moon fleet
Washington, United States -- More than fifty years passed between the last Apollo mission and the United States' return to...
Geostrategy
Europe backs Zelensky after White House showdown with Trump
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the "unspeakable" row "underlined that a new age of infamy has begun". Friedrich Merz,...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Business
How cyber criminals steal cryptocurrency
Hackers from North Korea have become notorious for their sophisticated and relentless tradecraft, according to Chainalysis. Nearly 60 percent of...
- A recent $1.5-billion heist of Ethereum from the Bybit platform -- attributed by the FBI to North Korean hackers -- is believed to be the largest yet.
- Cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, which publicly records transactions between people holding and exchanging them.
Business
Clip of Gaza as seaside resort posted on Trump social media accounts
The video, which racked up more than 15 million views on Instagram and was shared thousands of times on Trump's...
- The 33-second clip remained on Trump's accounts without denial or retraction hours after the initial posting.
- Trump has floated the idea of a US takeover of Gaza under which its Palestinian population would be relocated -- a proposal met with global condemnation.
Business
AI to replace 4,000 jobs in Southeast Asia’s largest bank: DBS
Singapore, Singapore -- Southeast Asia's largest bank DBS said that 4,000 jobs could be cut in the next three years...
- A Bloomberg Intelligence report last month said banks worldwide will cut as many as 200,000 positions in the next three to five years due to AI.
- Last year, the International Monetary Fund said AI could affect around 40 percent of jobs around the world.