MENA Brief: Key Geopolitical, Defence, and Innovation Updates – June 11, 2025
Regional tensions, high-stakes defence deals, and new innovation-led collaborations defined the Middle East and North Africa landscape on Wednesday. Here’s...
Analysis
Israel-Gaza conflict creates global economic ripples
As Israel grapples with the surprise Hamas action and global community gauges economic ramifications, the future of Israel's relations with...
Analysis
Business
Holy and worldly offerings of Saudi tourism
The Arab world's most powerful economy is devoting enormous resources to attracting at least 100 million tourists by 2030. TRENDSMENA...
- King Fahd Fountain, the tallest fountain in the world, holds up to 318 tons of seawater and measures 312m in height.
- Masjid al-Haram comprises 13 minarets, while five main entrances/doors and hundreds of subsidiary doors give the building its overall form.
Analysis
UAE investing hub despite high starting cost
Starting a business in the Emirates makes a $7,444 hole in the pocket, but world-class infrastructure, excellent connectivity, business-friendly policies and...
- Having been pegged to the US Dollar since 1973, the AED is favorable to all business firms within the country due to its steadiness.
- Saudi businesses in the past had to clear 13 procedures and required to have 1,057 percent of income per capita in the bank before starting a business.
Analysis
Covid-19 fails to impact realty in UAE, Saudi Arabia
While the UAE has seen a record amount of real estate sales in the first six months of 2021, Saudi...
- Demand for villas increased in the UAE because of the pandemic outbreak and also due to low-interest rates.
- The real estate sector contributed 14.2 percent of the Saudi GDP ranking third as the most contributing economic activity.
Analysis
Unemployment will haunt Gulf in 2021
While joblessness will be a worry, the economies of the GCC countries are expected to grow by about 2.5 percent...
- Saudi Arabia ranked first in the GCC in terms of the unemployment rate, which reached 8.2 percent of the total workforce in 2020.
- Bahrain and Oman are struggling with rising public debts while their unemployment rates stood at 4.1 percent and 5 percent respectively.
Infographics
How will new remittance rules affect Lebanon?
The new rule authorizes banks to buy dollars from fresh dollar accounts without a customer's permission.
- Lebanon ranked third in the Arab world in receiving remittances in 2020
- Dollars entering Lebanon in the first half of 2021 were higher by 50 percent than those over the same period in 2020
Analysis
Family firms call heirs to take command
Family-owned businesses in the Middle East, estimated to be worth more than $1 trillion, have been bogged down with issues...
- An estimated US$15 trillion assets are expected to be transferred to the heirs globally.
- The GCC governments offer incentives to the family businesses to get enlisted in the bourses.
Analysis
The most vulnerable Linux distros
Now, security solutions provider Trend Micro has said that detected millions of “security events” in Linux distributions — both in...
- The most common security event seen in Linux systems was coinminers
- The Linux distro with the most vulnerabilities was CentOS Linux
Analysis
Expo 2020 promises a productive Q4
The sale of tickets, easing of travel restrictions and positive investment projections point to a surge in economic activity in...
- Dubai intends to open its doors to visitors and re-establish 90 percent of its operating capacity at its airports in 2021.
- 66 percent of Dubai business leaders expected an improvement in business conditions in 2021 Q3, compared to 51 percent in the previous quarter.
Arts & Culture
Graft, security issues feed trade in Iraq’s past
Do you want to buy a more than 3,000-year-old Sumerian tablet, listed as the property of a gentleman from Sussex...
- The purchased antiquity may not be handed down but handed on, via smugglers and middlemen
- Also, the ownership history of some such objects can be harder to prove
Business
ADNOC emerging as UAE’s FDI magnet
Besides wooing $74 billion investments, the oil giant has helped the country gain the top position in the Middle East...
- ADNOC has set its eyes on developing green hydrogen and blue ammonia products.
- The company plans to spend $122 billion between 2021 and 2025 to develop its businesses.
MENA Brief: Key Geopolitical, Defence, and Innovation Updates – June 11, 2025
Regional tensions, high-stakes defence deals, and new innovation-led collaborations defined the Middle East and North Africa landscape on Wednesday. Here’s...
Analysis
Company News
Dare to be different to make positive change: Joumana
Arts & Culture
Latest News
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...
Arts & Culture
MENA gaming sector plays well with new technologies
The region's gaming industry is estimated to be worth $5 billion by 2025 with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading...
Business
Saudi Index at lowest levels since January
Saudi Stock Exchange's general index fell by nine points. Abu Dhabi market was below 9,200 points, Dubai market rose above...
Market Report
Most Read
Arts & Culture
Dare to be different to make positive change: Joumana
Lebanese writer, journalist, and human rights activist Joumana Haddad tells TRENDS why she is unperturbed despite being one of the...
- Joumana Haddad pays a price for her strong voice advocating for the rights of people, addressing otherwise taboo subjects
- A big believer of self-expression, she uses her publication Jasad to tackle issues related to art, literature, and politics of the body
Analysis
‘Workplaces must prioritize mental health’
In many industries, working from home is the way of the future and a better working and mental lifestyle, Quartz...
- People tense or stressed at work are more than three times likely to plan to look for a new job
- In contrast, employees who feel supported are more likely to stay, lowering turnover costs
Analysis
UAE’s Covid-19 response gets global plaudits
Earlier this year, the UAE rose to the top of Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking, outperforming European countries in terms of...
- For one, smart-technology platforms were effectively used in the UAE to combat Covid-19
- The UAE also adopted the mandatory use of face masks in March 2020, well ahead of the WHO recommendation