Why flexibility is non-negotiable in the Middle East’s AI transformation
The region is a mosaic of digital ambitions where distinct national strategies are unfolding simultaneously. While the UAE accelerates its...
Analysis
Saudi pioneering solutions for water scarcity
The kingdom is forging partnerships with major corporations to revolutionize water technologies and achieve water self-sufficiency.
Analysis
Investigation
REVEALED: Billions of dollars missing from BDL
About US$7 billion is missing from Lebanese central bank’s 2020 balance sheet, data analysis by TRENDS suggests while highlighting weak...
- Some of the data sifted by TRENDS point to a US$7 billion scam involving the country’s central bank and the powerful individuals
- The poor and weak policies of Banque du Liban (BDL) may have facilitated a “Ponzi” scheme involving Eurobonds
Analysis
Saudi Arabia, UAE ripe for hydrogen investments
Green hydrogen has the potential to rapidly replace fossil fuels on a large scale, says Cranmore Managing Partner Yusuf Macun.
- Green hydrogen has a lot of potential particularly in heavy transport and heavy industries
- Green hydrogen has the ability to rapidly replace fossil fuels while simultaneously enhancing electrification
Analysis
Luxury brands burning products is a problem
High fashion can be detrimental to the environment because of its large carbon footprint.
- To keep their uniqueness, high-end fashion brands routinely burn unsold products
- Fashion contributes up to 8 percent of the global carbon footprint
Videos
Snowden, Assange, and the burden of truth
Julian Assange and Edward Snowden have had to pay big time for simply telling the truth. Their lives suggest that...
- Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has had to seek asylum with Ecuador
- Edward Snowden had to flee to Russia after revealing how the US spied on its own citizens
Analysis
Value via sustainability gives firms an edge
A sustainability-focused company strategy boosts brand value and efficiency, matches customer demands, attracts top personnel, and opens new doors.
- A McKinsey Global Survey reveals that organizations can become sustainable simply by adopting a set of management strategies
- As per the respondents, organizations are now also likelier to prioritize sustainability and define specific goals and objectives
Analysis
Zero-carbon not the end of oil and gas
Some people conflate the target of zero carbon emissions with the notion that the era of oil, gas, coal, and...
- Carbon emission targets are sometimes misunderstood with the end of oil, gas, and coal
- Oil and gas are still the primary drivers of the global economy, and will continue to be so for decades
Economy
Urban management can benefit from blockchain
Blockchain may be able to solve quite a few of the problems in the planning and implementation of a smart...
- While smart cities are a key trend, today's hurdle is high competition and complex device integration
- Blockchain technology may be able to take care of not only these but also security and other issues
Analysis
Experts weigh in on Facebook rebranding to Meta
Facebook is currently facing a lot of flak for accusations of bias, and leaked internal documents back them up.
- Facebook has a long history of criticism about users' privacy the content it views
- Today's scandals differ from past instances in the papers leaked from within the corporation
Interview
Despite hurdles, interest in 5G high in MENA
As GCC shifts away from dependence on oil and gas revenues, 5G is set to fuel tech growth and ease...
- 5G subscriptions in the MENA have exceeded 1 million at the end of 2020
- The deployment of a 5G network faces several challenges
Investigation
Have Pandora papers jeopardized Lebanon aid?
The country is already reeling under the impact of its worst-ever economic crisis, shutting down of power stations due to...
- Offshore companies are legal and were established to reduce the tax burden on some companies that require foreign branches.
- Lebanon was first in terms of registering individual companies in tax havens, with nearly 3 million papers leaked.
Why flexibility is non-negotiable in the Middle East’s AI transformation
The region is a mosaic of digital ambitions where distinct national strategies are unfolding simultaneously. While the UAE accelerates its...
Analysis
Company News
Biden’s Arab trip lukewarm, at best
Geostrategy
Latest News
Reforms crucial to revive pandemic-hit culture sector
Arts & Culture
Saudi Index at lowest levels since January
Market Report
Are EVs driving towards greener world or uncertainty?
Studies suggest the electric vehicles may not eliminate all emissions even by 2050, particularly those related to mining and battery...
Science
Biden’s Arab trip lukewarm, at best
The US president could not dispel the view that the Washington is no longer a reliable ally and he also...
Geostrategy
Investors stay away as oil fuels tension in Iraq
The long-simmering dispute came to a head in February when the federal supreme court ordered Kurdistan to hand over oil...
Analysis
Most Read
Economy
Fear of global slowdown worries Gulf economies
The global economic stagnation is expected to impact the GCC growth due to the decline in industrial and economic activities...
- Economic stagnation has been a concern in many countries worldwide, especially in the Gulf states
- Economic stagnation is a concern in light of the growing inflation, rise in interest rates and disruption in supply chains
Analysis
Apex banks under pressure to deliver lower inflation
The world economies are staring at the deep recessions and more financial instability. If inflation does not moderate significantly over...
- Global bond and equity markets have been particularly volatile in recent weeks, says the latest Qatar National Bank report
- The main driver of the volatility was the multitude of negative prints coming from inflation figures in key economies, it adds
Arts & Culture
Reforms crucial to revive pandemic-hit culture sector
The sector also saw a decline of 25 percent of its Gross Value Added in 2020. However, while most of...
- The culture was one of the most seriously impacted sectors globally due to COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10 million jobs lost in 2020 alone
- Revenues from the digital creative economy totalled US$2.7 billion globally in 2020, over a quarter of the sector’s overall revenue, says a report