Saudi, Egypt, UAE drive strategic moves across sectors and borders
Saudi Arabia records the lowest Hajj attendance in three decades—outside the pandemic years—triggered by tighter visa restrictions; Special Envoy Zhai...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
4,895 students killed, 400 schools damaged in Palestinian territories
The Palestinian Ministry of Education said more than 4,851 students were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, while 8,227 others...
- The Ministry said that 239 teachers and administrators were killed and 836 were injured in the Gaza Strip and six were injured and more than 71 detained in the West Bank.
- Nearly 90% of government school and education buildings were directly or indirectly damaged, while 29% were damaged to an extent that they are not operational anymore.
Business
Maqta acquires stake in Dubai Technologies
The majority stake was acquired for $7.6 million.
- The founder will retain a 40 percent stake in the company, and the existing leadership team will remain in management to deliver on the strategic growth plans.
- The company's FY2023 financial performance recorded revenues of AED70.5 million and EBITDA of AED8.4 million.
Business
Saudi, UAE ‘prior’ countries for Russia’s inbound tourism push
Moscow, Russia -- China, India, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia will become prior countries for Russia...
- In 2024, attention will be given to five prior countries: China, India, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, said Director General of the Center for Strategic Research Pavel Smelov.
- "It is expected that by 2030 the implementation of the concept presented will result in the annual flow of 16 million foreign tourists," he said.
48 Middle East and North Africa IPOs raise $10.7bn in 2023: Report
Five listings, mainly in the energy and logistics sectors, contributed 58 percent towards the total IPO proceeds raised, said the...
- During Q4 2023, 19 IPOs raised US$4.9bn in proceeds. ADES Holding Company raise the most funds and contributed 25% to the overall IPO in Q4.
- Saudi Arabia dominated IPO activity in the region with 14 of the 19 listings in Q4 2023. ADES was the biggest with US$1.2bn in proceeds.
Arts & Culture
25,000 fragments of early Islamic era artifacts discovered in Saudi
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- As many as 25,000 fragments of artifacts dating from the early Islamic era, the first two...
- The discovery was announced by the Jeddah Historic District Program, in collaboration with the Heritage Commission.
- The project aims to preserve national antiquities and archaeological sites, uncover the rich history of the Kingdom, and promote historic Jeddah as a cultural destination.
Business
Mubadala invests in Manipal Health
Manipal Health offers multispecialty care through 30 hospitals.
- Temasek, a Singapore-headquartered global investment company, will continue to hold a majority stake in Manipal.
- Employing more than 5,000 doctors, the company is India’s second-largest hospital chain by number of beds.
Business
Solutions-Devoteam deal completed
Devoteam Middle East is a subsidiary of Devoteam Group.
- The total value of Devoteam Middle East is approximately SAR741.7 million.
- Solutions by stc had signed a binding offer and first unveiled details of the transaction in June 2023.
Business
Use of DEWA’s electric-vehicle green chargers up 59% in 2023
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s EV Green Charger initiative witnessed a 59 percent increase in the...
- Dubai has seen a notable increase in the use of EVs since 2015. The number of EVs in the Emirate reached 25,929 vehicles by December 2023.
- The number of EV owners registered under the initiative has increased from a mere 14 in 2015 to more than 13,959 by the end of December 2023.
Business
SAIB profit jumps 17% in 2023
The net profit for the fourth quarter increased by 28 percent.
- Total operating income grew by 21 percent year-on-year (YoY) as net special commission income rose due to an increase in net financing and investment commission.
- Shareholders’ equity, no minority interest and after excluding sukuk, increased to SAR 14.52 billion as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Business
Qatar records real estate deals worth $100 million in five days
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar has recorded real estate transactions worth 378 million QR ($100 million) during the 21-25 Jan 2024...
- Sales were concentrated in, Doha, Al Rayyan, Al Daayen, Umm Salal, Al Wakrah, Al Shamal municipalities, and in the Pearl Island, Lusail 69, Legtaifiya, and Al Kharayej Zones.
- The volume of real estate trading in sales contracts at the department during the Jan 14-18 period exceeded QR 344 million.
Saudi, Egypt, UAE drive strategic moves across sectors and borders
Saudi Arabia records the lowest Hajj attendance in three decades—outside the pandemic years—triggered by tighter visa restrictions; Special Envoy Zhai...
Geostrategy
Company News
Masdar acquires Saeta Yield
Business
Latest News
UAE firms accelerate AI transformation, new report finds
The real power of AI lies in its careful deployment across diverse business functions, and the UAE is primed for...
Economy
Saudi Arabia sets Guinness record for largest food cluster
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has set a Guinness World Record for the largest food cluster in the world...
Business
Riyadh tripartite meet pledges to implement Beijing Agreement
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The second meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian Joint Tripartite Committee to follow up on the Beijing Agreement...
Geostrategy

Most Read
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

