Six Middle East cafés feature in the world’s 100 best coffee shops 2026 list
Six coffee shops from the Middle East have secured places in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 list, highlighting...
Business
Trump launches Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ with $10 billion pledge, outlines vague ambitions
Speaking in Washington before representatives from nearly 50 countries, Trump said nine member states had committed more than $7 billion...
Geostrategy
Business
Makkah, Morocco’s Beni Mellal-Khenifra Chambers of Commerce ink pact
MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of...
- Beni Mellal Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services delegation head said that Saudi Arabia is Morocco's largest trading partner.
- In 2022, the volume of Saudi Arabian exports reached US$4.6 billion, while the value of imports was US$87 million.
Geostrategy
UN General Assembly approves US$3.59bn budget for 2024
NEW YORK, US - The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved a US$3.59 billion budget for 2024, including establishing a...
- The UNGA approved around US$50 million as an additional funding for UN Human Rights Council.
- UNGA revealed that it established a multiannual private account for peacemaking and it is used for funding UNPBF.
Economy
ADDED, Siemens Energy to support sustainable industrial development in Emirate
ABU DHABI, UAE - Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), represented by Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), and Siemens Energy...
- The collaboration supports Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy's vision to establish the Emirate as the most competitive industrial hub in the region.
- Siemens Energy will support IDB to localize the manufacturing capabilities in Abu Dhabi and provide technological solutions.
Geostrategy
FTA issues guide to determine natural persons subject to corporate tax
ABU DHABI, UAE - The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has issued a new guide outlining the criteria to determine natural...
- The guide provides a comprehensive and simplified explanation and instructions for natural persons earning in the UAE.
- The FTA emphasized the importance of understanding the comprehensive content and definitions outlined in the guide.
Geostrategy
136 UN employees killed in Gaza War, says UN chief  Â
NEW YORK, US - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday that 136 United Nations employees in Gaza Strip had...
- The UN chief said that the Israeli military offensive was creating 'massive obstacles' to the distribution of humanitarian aid inside Gaza.
- The United Nations Security Council had adopted a resolution calling for boosting humanitarian assistance for Gaza Strip.
Business
Oman to expand production of green hydrogen to boost non-oil economy
Hong Kong - The government of Oman’s targets to expand local green hydrogen production could support key credit metrics, such as...
- The government aims to raise renewable energy-based hydrogen production to at least one million metric tonnes (mt)/year by 2030.
- Local state-owned enterprise Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) signed six investment agreements, worth over US$38 billion, with partners in 2023.
Economy
UAE best performing economy in Arab region, says Arab Monetary Fund
Abu Dhabi, UAE - The United Arab Emirates was named the most economically competitive nation in the Arab world, a...
- The report noted the UAE secured the top position in the government financial sector index, ranking first in the deficit/surplus to GDP ratio and second in the tax burden index
- The UAE also topped the infrastructure sector index, leading in mobile phone subscriptions and the percentage of the population with access to electricity
Business
TAQA, GS Inima and EWEC seal deal
Abu Dhabi's Shuweihat 4 desalination project secures $444 million.
- The S4 RO project is primarily funded 71 percent through debt financing from both local and international banks.
- The financial closing comes after TAQA and GS Inima signed the water purchase agreement with EWEC in August 2023.
Geostrategy
UN adopts Qatar-sponsored resolution on human rights training center
New York, USA - The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution by 185 votes on 'The UN Human Rights...
- Qatar sponsored and facilitated negotiations every two years since its establishment in 2008, with its headquarters in Doha
- In its resolution, the General Assembly reaffirms the role of regional cooperation in promoting and protecting human rights
Arts & Culture
Sharjah’s ‘Mleiha’ and ‘Al Dhaid’ added to Islamic World Heritage
Sharjah, UAE - The Islamic World Heritage Committee of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) added the...
- The Sharjah Archaeology Authority (SAA) has completed the nomination dossier of the Mleiha archaeological site titled "Mleiha: The Pre-Islamic Period in Southeast Arabia"
- The nomination highlights the historical and archaeological value of Mleiha and its archaeological and architectural elements that were unearthed during continuous excavations
Six Middle East cafés feature in the world’s 100 best coffee shops 2026 list
Six coffee shops from the Middle East have secured places in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 list, highlighting...
Business
Company News
Emirates Islamic Q1 profit $394m
Business
Latest News
Dubai Islamic Bank completes $1bn sovereign financing Pakistan
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has announced the successful completion of a landmark US$1 billion syndicated term-finance facility...
Geostrategy
Saudi chocolate industry booms with over 3,500 commercial records
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- On the World Chocolate Day, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce announced that the total number of...
Business
Iran voices ‘serious doubts’ over Israel’s commitments, including the ceasefire
Iran also writes to the UN chief to recognize the Israeli regime and the United States as the "initiators of...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
MENA Brief | June 19: GCC central banks hold interest rates steady, Diriyah House launched in London
As most currencies in the region are pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy follows the decisions taken in Washington,...
- Saudi-based Cluster2 Airports Company signed a strategic MoU with Airbus. The agreement will see the deployment of the Agnet Turnaround platform across Cluster2’s 22 airports.
- Saudi National Bank (SNB) has issued $1.25 billion in Tier 2 bonds at a 6% profit rate under its $10 billion Euro Medium Term Note program.
Economy
MENA Brief – June 16: Netanyahu eyes Gaza breakthrough, Iran rejects talks, Trump at G7, UAE oil giant bids big
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there’s a fresh opening to free hostages held in Gaza, backing a US-mediated proposal...
- In major energy news, Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil company has launched an $18.7 billion takeover bid for Australia’s Santos, offering a 28% premium
- The UAE’s economic momentum remains strong: its GDP grew 4% in 2024 to AED1.77 trillion, driven by a 5% rise in non-oil sectors
Geostrategy
MENA Brief June 14: Iran-Israel War, Abu Dhabi Summit, Saudi Football Rise, & More
Tensions spiked as Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israeli air raids that killed senior Iranian military...
- Tensions spiked as Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israeli air raids that killed senior Iranian military leaders and hit nuclear sites
- French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that the planned UN conference on a two-state solution in New York has been delayed due to security and logistical concerns