Saudi tourist spending rises to $22 billion in Q1 despite drop in foreign arrivals
Domestic travel helped sustain Saudi Arabia's tourism sector in the first quarter, with total visitor numbers rising to 37.2 million...
Business
Abu Dhabi new business licenses rise 21% in first quarter, ADRA says
New economic licences issued in Abu Dhabi rose 21% in the first quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, reflecting...
Business
Business
Data Integrity: The foundation of true data freedom
Ensuring data integrity has become more challenging, leaving organizations at risk of data loss and corruption. during migration
- Organizations must liken preparing for migration to how pilots train to resolve the unexpected
- Data freedom is about ensuring data remains accurate, secure, and usable during migrations
Business
Lulu’s IPO raises $1.72bn
The proceeds make it the largest UAE IPO of 2024 to date.
- The Offering achieved aggregate demand of over AED135 billion ($37 billion) from local, regional, and international investors.
- This is a record for a non-Government UAE IPO over the past 10 years, with the IPO oversubscribed by more than 25 times across all tranches (excluding Cornerstone Investors).
Business
Altegio in UAE market to local boost digital transformation
Unlike other automation platforms that redirect customers to third-party websites, Altegio keeps booking processes within the client’s own ecosystem.
- Altegio’s platform offers over 30 specialized tools that streamline operations across marketing, sales, finance, and team management
- Founded in 2022 by a group of international entrepreneurs, Altegio has rapidly grown to serve over 10,000 businesses across 89 countries
Business
DAE 9M net profit $310m
The company said this was a 54.9 percent YoY increase in net profit.
- Profit before tax settled at $326.6 million for the same period, compared to $207.5 million last year.
- Total revenue was $1.017 billion for the nine months, a YoY increase of $27.9 million, or 2.8 percent.
Economy
Global economy faces ‘low normal’ growth, widening inequality gap
The organization’s Trade and Development Report 2024 warned that this new “low normal" growth is insufficient to tackle pressing development and...
- While the global South experienced robust annual growth rates of 6.6 percent between 2003 and 2013, that figure has fallen to 4.1 percent over the past decade.
- This has made it harder for nations to expand social services, cover rising energy transition costs and manage mounting public debt.
Business
UAE records 37% increase in greenfield FDI to $16 billion in 2023
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The UAE has witnessed a 37% increase in greenfield investments in 2023 to reach US$16 billion,...
- Sectors such financial services, industrial equipment, and transportation and warehousing played an important role in contributing to this growth.
- The most prominent countries involved in these investments were the US., India, the U.K., Saudi Arabia, and France.
Business
ADNEC to acquire ‘Royal Catering’
Royal Catering has more than 2.500 employees.
- Serving key industries such as energy, defense, healthcare, and education, Royal Catering has earned a reputation for delivering high-quality services across the UAE.
- The addition of Royal Catering will expand Capital Catering’s industry focus from aviation, defense and healthcare and increase its production capacity
Business
PIF sets up sarcc company
The new entity will address growing staff accommodation demand.
- In a statement, PIF said sarcc will play a key role in transforming the accommodation market by developing and operating complexes for staff in Saudi Arabia.
- The company will foster the Saudi private sector by facilitating long-term investment and partnerships throughout the industry's value chain.
Economy
World merchandise trade to rise by 2.7% in 2024: Global Trade Outlook
There was a 2.3% year-on-year increase in the first half of 2024 and WTO economists anticipate the volume will increase...
- Global GDP growth at market exchange rates is expected to remain at 2.7 percent in both years.
- Declining inflationary pressure has allowed central banks in advanced economies to begin cutting interest rates, which should stimulate consumption.
Geostrategy
WTO predicts modest trade growth for 2024-25 amid geopolitical risks
In 2024 and 2025, inflation is expected to gradually abate, allowing real incomes to grow again in advanced economies, boosting...
- Risks to the forecast are on the downside “due to current geopolitical tensions and policy uncertainty. Middle East troubles have diverted sea shipments between Europe and Asia.
- It added that import demand in real terms was weak in 2023 in most regions, especially in Europe but also in North America and Asia.
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Saudi tourist spending rises to $22 billion in Q1 despite drop in foreign arrivals
Domestic travel helped sustain Saudi Arabia's tourism sector in the first quarter, with total visitor numbers rising to 37.2 million...
Business
Latest News
Google inks multi-year AI infrastructure pact with SpaceX
Dubai, UAE -- SpaceX has signed a multi-year cloud services agreement with Alphabet's Google, securing a major customer for its...
Business
US expands Iran sanctions as pressure campaign intensifies
The U.S. Treasury said the sanctions cover 12 entities, including companies based in the Marshall Islands, the United Arab Emirates...
Geostrategy
Global travel firms reaffirm confidence in UAE tourism growth
Dubai, UAE --- Global travel companies and tourism industry leaders expressed confidence in the UAE's tourism sector during the "Engage...
Business
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Geostrategy
Hezbollah dismisses US-brokered truce, insists on comprehensive ceasefire
The Arab League, meanwhile, warned that Israeli occupation policies and military actions across Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territories undermine peace...
- Lebanese and Israeli envoys agreed in Washington to pilot zones under exclusive Lebanese army control despite Hezbollah opposition.
- Arab League linked regional stability to ending occupation, urging international pressure against settlement expansion and military operations.
Business
UAE property market draws global investors despite regional conflict
The UAE Property Investment Index, conducted by U.S.-based Penta Group, found that 56% of global property investors expressed serious interest...
- More than half of surveyed investors expressed serious interest in UAE property, surpassing investor interest levels in the United States.
- Indian, Egyptian and Saudi investors showed particularly strong demand, while European buyers increasingly view the UAE as a preferred overseas market.
Economy
Fragmenting world economy raises costs beyond geopolitical rivals
A report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that fragmentation accelerated through 2025...
- Annual economic losses from fragmentation already total up to $307 billion as tariffs and investment restrictions proliferate globally.
- Emerging economies outside major geopolitical blocs could suffer output losses nearly twice the global average under escalation scenarios.