Riyaz Wani, Author at TRENDS MENA

How Doha is Building a Knowledge Economy

By pairing sovereign capital with frictionless regulation, Doha reversed the startup playbook, attracting investors and founders first, then letting an...

How the Middle East is positioning itself at the crossroads of a changing world

Economy

GCC’s quest for AI dominance has several hurdles to surmount

Business

“Efficiency is over. The future is about invention, and creativity”: Gerd Leonhard

Economy

CAMB.AI unveils a new vision for a ‘truly borderless internet’: Avneesh Prakash

Business

From Summit to Strategy: Qatar Builds Global Investment Hub

This year’s edition is expected to welcome more than 30,000 participants from over 120 countries, including 1,500 startups, 700 investors...

Economy

Web Summit Qatar 2026: Doha’s Bid to Become the Next Tech Hub

Economy

GCC tourism growth skyrockets as diversification drive gains momentum post-Covid

Economy

France unrest: Macron’s waning popularity could enable far-right surge

Geostrategy

Saudi embrace of China signals shift in Middle East geopolitics

Opinion

Economy

GCC tourism growth skyrockets as diversification drive gains momentum post-Covid

GCC countries collaborate on comprehensive tourism strategy, leading global recovery post-pandemic with remarkable growth rates and ambitious plans for sustainable...

Four years on, the GCC has not just recovered faster than was expected, but it has also led the global tourism recovery with a 122% surge in arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019
The region has assiduously worked for it with its two major economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, embarking on economic diversification with tourism one of the thrust areas

Geostrategy

France unrest: Macron’s waning popularity could enable far-right surge

France could very well walk into the embrace of far-right politics, if Macron doesn’t hew his governance closer to what...

France could very well walk into the embrace of far-right politics, if Macron doesn’t hew his governance closer to what French people had bargained for
Le Pen's party is already in line to take over from Macron in 2027. if the latter fails his promise in his second term also

Opinion

Saudi embrace of China signals shift in Middle East geopolitics

China's approach, characterized by a combination of economic incentives and a focus on development, contrasts with the more assertive and...

The diminishing US presence in the Middle East has compelled Gulf countries to seek new alliances, and China has positioned itself as a prominent alternative
China's approach, characterized by a combination of economic incentives and a focus on development, contrasts with the more assertive and unilateral approach of the US

Geostrategy

Does Saudi-Iran deal undercut goals of Pentagon’s chief’s Middle East visit?

Surprise Saudi-Iran detente, midwifed by China, has gone against the drift of Austin’s visit to the Middle East which was...

Austin visited Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Israel to shore up US standing and support in view of the growing China-Russia interest and outreach to the Gulf states
But the surprise Saudi-Iran detente has gone against the drift of his visit largely premised on an abiding antagonism between the two countries

Economy

New Qatar premier inherits strong economy, world cup glory

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani takes charge at a time when Qatar’s economy is booming, posting a surplus of $24...

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani succeeds Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani who was appointed PM in January 2020
Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani's office also announced a cabinet reshuffle that reappointed the finance and energy ministers

Business

Shah Rukh Khan, other Bollywood stars eye Saudi market

Khan’s Umrah, participation in the Red Sea Film Festival, which followed the filming of Dunki in the futuristic city of...

Recent years have seen SRK, as he is called in India, develop a close relationship with the Gulf
Large South Asian diaspora and a growing Arab awareness of Indian films opens up a lucrative market

How Doha is Building a Knowledge Economy

By pairing sovereign capital with frictionless regulation, Doha reversed the startup playbook, attracting investors and founders first, then letting an...