Business - TRENDS MENA

Dubai, UAE -- Turkey's exports to the European Union rose 4.7 percent in the first half of 2026 to $55...
EU-bound shipments accounted for a significant share of Turkey's total exports, which increased 3.6 percent year-on-year to $136 billion during the January-June period.
Germany remained Turkey's largest export destination, receiving goods worth $10.1 billion, followed by Italy at $6.8 billion and Spain at $5.6 billion.
Total operating income rises 20.5 percent.
Total assets rose 4.7 percent to AED94.5 billion as Islamic financing portfolio expanded and customer deposits continued growing strongly.
Non-performing financing ratio improved to 3.6 percent while shareholders' equity increased following a AED2.6 billion capital strengthening exercise.
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai's diamond trade rose to a record $41.7 billion in 2025, surpassing its previous high set in...
Natural diamonds remained the dominant segment, generating $39.9 billion in trade, or 95.8 percent of the total value.
Trade in natural polished diamonds rose nearly 25 percent year-on-year to $18.7 billion, while rough diamond volumes reached 205.2 million carats.
The flights were resumed after nearly 14 years.
Scheduled to commence on 20th July 2026, Aleppo becomes flydubai’s second destination in Syria, joining the capital city, Damascus.
The company said this reinforces the airline’s commitment to opening up previously underserved markets.
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF) has committed capital to MetaProp Fund IV LP, making the New York-based...
Partnership will introduce a Dubai accelerator module linking global PropTech startups with regional investors, developers and real estate stakeholders.
MetaProp portfolio companies will gain access to DFDF's regional network as Dubai pursues its D33 innovation and diversification strategy.
Chief Executive Officer ADNOC Distribution Bader Saeed Al Lamki said South Africa was attractive because of its scale and regulatory...
ADNOC Distribution plans to sell a 28% stake in the business to a local empowerment partner and an employee stock ownership plan in line with South African ownership requirements.
The acquisition includes Shell Downstream South Africa's network of about 580 company- and dealer-owned fuel stations, together with its wholesale fuel and aviation businesses.
Dubai, UAE -- Mastercard and CrescentRating released the 11th edition of the Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI), revealing how AI,...
The report projects international Muslim arrivals to increase to 208 million this year, compared to 196 million in 2025, and reach 262 million by 2030.
GMTI 2026 indicates that 80% of travellers surveyed worldwide now use AI tools for travel purposes, signalling a major shift in how they discover, evaluate and plan their journeys.
Dubai, UAE -- UAE developer Arada has launched Arada Capital, a funds management platform targeting $5 billion in assets under...
The company said the new platform would initially focus on real estate investments before broadening into infrastructure and other private market assets.
Founded in 2017, Arada has launched 11 projects in the UAE and has since expanded into the United Kingdom and Australia.
Dubai, UAE -- Gold was steady near a two-week high on Monday after a ‌softer-than-expected US jobs report last week...
Spot gold was steady at $4,174.66 per ounce, as of 02:52 GMT, after hitting its highest since 22nd June 22 earlier in the day.
US gold futures for August delivery climbed 1.5 percent to $4,186.70 per ounce.
The report warns that companies now face a new challenge: pursuing large acquisitions while simultaneously funding and executing AI transformations.
Global M&A value rose 41% year-on-year to $2.4 trillion in the first five months of 2026. Source: Bain & Company. See line 4.
Bain says companies are pursuing scale, resilience and AI-related capabilities through acquisitions.