Zawiya 97: New cultural hub for handicrafts in historic Jeddah
Jeddah - Zawiya 97, a new cultural hub for handicrafts in Historic Jeddah, located next to Nassif House, combines heritage...
Arts & Culture
Business
Saudi Arabia’s real GDP up by 3.9 percent in Q2 2025: GASTAT
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.9 percent in the second quarter of...
- Flash estimates of GDP for Q2 say non-oil activities recorded the highest growth at 4.7 percent.
- The estimates, released by GASTAT, said oil activities grew by 3.8 percent and government activities at 0.6 percent.
Business
ADNOC Drilling H1 revenue $2.37bn
The company posted a net profit of $692m.
- The company's Board of Directors approved the $217 million (approx. 5 fils per share) second quarterly dividend for 2025.
- The dividends are expected to be paid in the second half of August 2025 to all shareholders of record as of 8th August 2025.
Economy
Saudi Arabia, UAE rank among top 20 nations globally for AI talent density
With the goal of becoming one of the world’s top 10 countries in AI research and application by 2030, Saudi...
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) enters top 150 universities globally for producing AI talent, becoming the highest-ranked university in Middle East
- Saudi Arabia offers some of the most competitive compensation packages for AI talent globally, with top scientists earning a median annual salary of USD 420,000, tax-free
Business
DIFC records 25 percent rise in registered firms in H1 2025
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial center in the Middle East, Africa and South...
- The total number of active registered companies reached 7,700, up from 6,153 in H1 2024 - a 25 percent year-on-year increase.
- The number of professionals working in DIFC rose to 47,901, marking a significant 9 percent increase from 43,787 a year earlier.
Economy
GCC countries record $587.8 billion in nominal GDP by end of Q4 2024
Muscat, Oman -- The nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries reached US$587.8 billion by...
- The contribution of non-oil activities to the GCC's nominal GDP reached 77.9 percent by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024,
- The manufacturing sector contributed 12.5 percent to the GDP, while wholesale and retail trade accounted for 9.9 percent.
Business
DP World mobilizes $1 billion in working capital to boost trade flow
Dubai, UAE — DP World Trade Finance has mobilized more than US$1 billion in working capital to support businesses across...
- This was achieved through a combination of DP World’s own lending operations and partnerships with over 32 global financial institutions.
- DP World Trade Finance has enabled trade across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, supporting sectors such as agriculture, metals, automotive, and engineering.
Business
ADIB H1 pre-tax profit $1.08bn
Q2 pre-tax net profit increases by 14 percent.
- Total income for H1 2025 rose 11 percent to AED5.9 billion, up from AED5.3 billion in H1 2024.
- Non-funding income rose 15 percent year-on-year to AED2.3 billion in H1 2025, up from AED2 billion in the prior-year period.
Business
Mawani adds FRS1 shipping service to Jeddah Islamic Port
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has added CStar Line's new Far East-Red Sea service (FRS1) to...
- The service connects the port to to five regional and international ports: Ningbo, Shanghai, and Nansha in China; Aqaba in Jordan; and Ain Sokhna in Egypt.
- This move is part of Mawani's efforts to improve the Kingdom's ranking in global performance indicators and support national export activity.
Geostrategy
Global gas flaring surges again, costs $63bn in lost energy: WB
Washington, UAE -- Global gas flaring surged for a second year in a row, wasting about $63 billion in lost...
- Flaring, the practice of burning natural gas during oil extraction, reached 151 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024, up 3 bcm from the previous year.
- While some countries have reduced flaring, the top nine largest-flaring countries continue to account for three-quarters of all flaring.
Business
Dubai real estate transactions exceed $117.34 billion in first half of 2025
The number of new investors in the market reached 59,075, with investments totaling $42.74 billion, a 22 percent increase in...
- According to data issued by the Dubai Land Department, the number of real estate transactions reached 125,538, up from 99,947 during the same period in 2024, an increase of 26%.
- Women played a pivotal role in driving market activity, investing AED73.2 billion during this period with 34,792 transactions made by 30,487 female investors.
Company News
Latest News
Buraidah date carnival boosts Saudi tourism and economy
Buraidah, Saudi Arabia -- The Buraidah Date Carnival witnessed growing economic and tourism activity, making it a key destination for...
Business
ATP and Saudi Arabia’s PIF launch new tennis tech platform
NEW YORK and RIYADH — The ATP Tour, in a landmark partnership with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has unveiled...
Geostrategy
Austrian university develops technique to renew buildings without demolition
Vienna, Austria - A research team from Graz University of Technology in Austria has succeeded in developing an innovative fastening...
Science
Most Read
Geostrategy
Israel approves major West Bank settlement project, sparks international outcry
Israel has long had ambitions to build on the roughly 12-square-kilometre parcel known as E1 just east of Jerusalem, but...
- Critics say the settlement would effectively cut the West Bank in two, undermining hopes for a contiguous Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
- UN chief Antonio Guterres warned last week that constructing Israeli homes in the E1 area would "put an end to" hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Economy
Gross national income of GCC countries hits $2.143 trillion
Muscat, Oman -- The latest data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of...
- The value of disposable national income (available for consumption and savings after deducting taxes and other transfers) amounted to US$1.989 trillion.
- The data indicate that the contribution of the non-oil sector to the GCC’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices rose to 71.5 percent by the end of 2023.
Business
TAQA H1 net income $1bn
The group's revenue reached $7.73 billion.
- This growth was led by higher pass-through costs in the Transmission & Distribution (T&D) segment.
- The group reduced its gross debt position to AED61.7 billion, enabled by scheduled repayments and the maturity of a corporate bond.