Reading Dubai’s place on the UBS Bubble Index
The index scores the distance between current prices and their historic relationships with local rents, incomes and mortgage debt. A...
Analysis
The future is already here
Humanity is on a tech-fueled trajectory. Data and informed predictions are inspiring, showing how AI is reshaping economies, smart cities...
Analysis
Analysis
UNWTO optimism to cheer up MENA tourism
While the likes of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan depend heavily on tourism for revenue, the UAE and Saudi Arabia...
- UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic has said that the ‘future is bright’ for the tourism sector
- Tourists ‘will come back’ and the industry will recover from the pandemic because it is ‘very resilient,’ she said
Analysis
GCC at risk from cyber criminals in 2022
Companies are hemorrhaging millions of dollars to ongoing ransomware raids, with threat actors further weaponizing the attacks.
- Ransomware attacks on high-profile organizations grabbed headlines throughout 2021
- Cybersecurity experts believe this criminal enterprise will reach new heights in 2022
Interview
‘Challenging year ahead for logistics industry’
Companies have used innovative methods to keep their operations running while overcoming numerous challenges linked to Covid-19 pandemic. However, the...
- The limited capacity and high freight rates will remain until global vaccine campaigns gather traction
- Logistic companies who fail to recognize necessity of digital adoption will be left behind
Analysis
Factors that may impact oil’s demand-fueled recovery
At the global scale, 56.5 percent of oil reserves and 26.7 percent of natural gas reserves are owned by Arab...
- The financial crisis of the Arab countries will not ease unless oil prices, which will remain above $80 per barrel until 2025-end, come down
- Oil prices climbed by about $28.2 per barrel from January until October 2021, showing 51.2 percent increase over the 10 months
Analysis
GCC countries competing to lead the world in AI
Several countries in the region have already formed AI policies to support their national goals after this technology demonstrated its...
- The Middle East AI market is growing at a rate of 20-34 percent per year, according to a PwC report
- Saudi Arabia is lavishing $500 billion on the NEOM’s project, which will offer ultra-connectivity, and is trialing air-taxis
Economy
Climate crisis puts oil in the crosshairs, but dependence persists
The International Energy Agency warned in May that an immediate halt to new investment in fossil projects is needed if...
- Fossil fuels, represent 80 percent of energy consumed, and were explicitly blamed for driving climate change at COP26
- This was not the case when the Paris climate pact was reached in 2015
Business
Ecommerce is fastest-growing channel in ME
In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE account for nearly 80 percent of the overall ecommerce market.
- A PwC report indicates that UAE consumers are making purchases on smartphones (53 percent), computers (39 percent) and tablets (31 percent)
- As a result, the UAE’s retail ecommerce market reached $3.9 billion in 2020, indicating a 53 percent year-on-year increase
Analysis
Growing Islamophobia hits Islamic banking in Europe
The $2.2-trillion Islamic finance industry is set to take off in a big way across the world as it recovers...
- The EU is believed to be home to close to 28 million Muslims, who may hold close to $1,247 billion in wealth
- The Islamic finance industry has failed to make any impact in Germany and France with relatively large Muslims populations
Analysis
Saudi Arabia to dominate regional ecommerce
Factors ranging from internet penetration to smartphone ownership to bank-account holdings, and more are coming together to make Saudi Arabia...
- The GCC will have the fastest ecommerce growth in the MEASA region between 2019 and 2022
- Ecommerce will help Saudi’s economic growth, with the domestic online market expected to reach $2 billion by 2025
Economy
UAE ranks first in Arab world, 11th globally in Global Knowledge Index
Qatar was at the 38th place, Saudi Arabia at 40, Kuwait (48), Oman (52), and Bahrain (55) in the Global...
- Other GCC countries -- including Qatar , Saudi Arabia, Kuwait , Oman and Bahrain -- also figured prominently in the index
- Switzerland ranks first globally, followed by Sweden, the US, Finland and the Netherlands
Reading Dubai’s place on the UBS Bubble Index
The index scores the distance between current prices and their historic relationships with local rents, incomes and mortgage debt. A...
Analysis
Company News
“US lives in solipsistic fantasies”
Geostrategy
Latest News
Biden’s Arab trip lukewarm, at best
Geostrategy
“US lives in solipsistic fantasies”
Diminished leverage in the Gulf region makes Washington a less compelling partner than it once was, says Chas W Freeman,...
Geostrategy
‘Mobile-first mindset’ rules companies in Middle East
With an average of 40 percent of sales taking place via mobile, a growing number of enterprise-sized brands see mobile...
Business
Crises put Gulf investments in Sri Lanka at stake
The region has invested billions of dollars across sectors in the South Asian nation as recent past witnessed an expansion...
Analysis
Most Read
Geostrategy
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...
- The US president could not dispel the view that the US is no longer a reliable partner and he also failed to connect at a personal level with the young GCC leaders, say experts
- He publicly invited UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed for a state visit to Washington. 'Why did he not extend the same thing to Mohammed bin Salman?' a professor asks
Analysis
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...
- Iraq, the second largest OPEC producer, sits on enormous oil reserves, and revenues from the sector feed 90 percent of the federal government budget.
- The country exports an average of 3.3 million barrels of crude oil per day (bpd), while production in Kurdistan amounts to just over 450,000 bpd.
Analysis
More deals in sight as UAE-France ties strengthen
The past years witnessed the signing of dozens of agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries in various...
- Relations between the UAE and France date back to establishment of the UAE Federation when some French firms such as 'Total' helped UAE explore oil
- The past years witnessed dozens of agreements and MoUs between the two countries in various economic, cultural, military and environmental fields