Saudi Arabia’s residential market weakens in Q1 despite price gains
The slowdown was most pronounced in Riyadh, where transaction volumes and values dropped 82% from a year earlier. Activity also...
Business
Gold heads for weekly loss as Wall Street gains on easing Iran tensions
Dubai, UAE -- Gold prices fell on Friday and were headed for a weekly loss, while major U.S. stock indexes...
Business
Business
Dubai Islamic Bank prices $1 billion AT1 sukuk after strong demand
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has priced a $1 billion Additional Tier 1 (AT1) perpetual sukuk after attracting...
- Orders topped $2.3 billion from more than 85 institutional investors across the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
- The perpetual sukuk qualifies as Additional Tier 1 capital and will be listed on Nasdaq Dubai and Euronext Dublin.
Business
Samsung biggest chip investor
The tech giant invested nearly $59.2bn in 2025.
- Global semiconductor sales exceeded $620 billion in 2024 and are expected to approach $700 billion in 2025.
- East Asia remains the center of global chip manufacturing, with South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China accounting for much of the world's semiconductor production capacity.
Business
flynas to set up new hub
Five destinations in first phase of operations.
- Initial routes will connect Al-Qassim with Istanbul, Trabzon, Cairo, Abha and Dammam.
- The move makes flynas the first Saudi airline to operate from six hubs across the Kingdom.
Business
Alef Group launches $1.08 billion waterfront development in Sharjah
Dubai, UAE -- Alef Group has launched Linar, a AED4 billion ($1.08bn) waterfront residential development in Sharjah, marking the company's...
- The project, located in Al Mamzar near the Dubai border, comprises five residential towers and one commercial tower and is expected to deliver 2,620 homes upon completion.
- Alef said expressions of interest for Towers A, B and C had been fully reserved, representing more than AED2 billion in potential sales value.
Business
UAE consumers embrace AI shopping but remain wary of autonomous purchases
Visa's latest Stay Secure study also highlighted the rapid rise of social commerce, with 69% of UAE consumers reporting purchases...
- Forty-six percent of respondents said they had experienced a financial scam during the past 12 months.
- Consumers increasingly see technology as part of the solution, with 85% believing AI will play a critical role in protecting people from fraud in the future.
Business
Riyadh Air adds five routes as first Dreamliners arrive
The expansion marks an early test of Saudi Arabia's ambition to build Riyadh into a major international aviation hub.
- London flights have been brought forward by three weeks after aircraft arrived earlier than expected.
- The carrier aims to serve more than 100 destinations worldwide by 2030.
Business
OpenAI files confidentially for IPO as AI boom accelerates
The company did not disclose the size or timing of the offering, saying only that preparations remained at an early...
- Reuters previously reported OpenAI could seek a valuation of up to $1 trillion, potentially making it one of history's largest technology listings.
- The filing follows a restructuring effort and a court victory over Elon Musk, removing a major legal hurdle ahead of any share sale.
Analysis
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...
- Open source is the ultimate enabler of digital sovereignty, as it gives enterprises greater transparency, flexibility, and control over their IT estate.
- Energy and public sectors require rugged edge capabilities and the ability to process data in remote, high-demand environments.
Business
UAE travel sites improve email fraud protections: Proofpoint
Dubai, UAE -- The UAE's travel sector has strengthened its defences against email fraud ahead of the peak summer booking...
- Proofpoint said 45% of the travel websites surveyed were operating at the reject level, up from previous years, but 55% had yet to implement the strongest protection setting.
- The analysis was conducted in May 2026 and covered the UAE's 20 most-visited travel websites, identified using data from digital marketing platform SEMrush.
Business
Dubai economic zones post highest-ever trade performance in 2025
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai's integrated economic zones recorded their strongest-ever trade performance in 2025, with total trade rising 46% year-on-year...
- Total trade through DIEZ rose 46% to AED491 billion, marking a fifth consecutive year of growth and lifting its share of Dubai's non-oil trade to 16%.
- Trade volumes increased 50% to nearly 668,000 tonnes, signalling growth driven by higher cargo movement and commercial activity rather than price effects.
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Saudi Arabia’s residential market weakens in Q1 despite price gains
The slowdown was most pronounced in Riyadh, where transaction volumes and values dropped 82% from a year earlier. Activity also...
Business
Company News
China’s LNG ambitions take shape
Business
Latest News
Musk kicks Kanye West off Twitter for ‘incitement to violence’
West has made a series of anti-Semitic comments recently, as the one-time titan of fashion and music appears to have...
Oman sees hospitality industry revenue fall 3.5%
The National Centre for Statistics and Information says domestic guest have supported the Oman's hotels.
Proof of Covid-19 vaccination, PCR test needed to enter Expo Dubai
Expo 2020 visitors will need a coronavirus vaccination or a negative PCR test to enter, organisers in Dubai has said....
Cyberattack hits hundreds of US businesses
A US IT company urges customers to shut down their servers after the attack UN Security Council members recently warned...
Saudi Arabia to generate $150 billion in investments from its new transport policy
The government would provide thirty-five percent of the investments The rest of it, sixty-five percent, will come from the private...
Samsung biggest chip investor
Business
Alef Group launches $1.08 billion waterfront development in Sharjah
Dubai, UAE -- Alef Group has launched Linar, a AED4 billion ($1.08bn) waterfront residential development in Sharjah, marking the company's...
Business
UAE consumers embrace AI shopping but remain wary of autonomous purchases
Visa's latest Stay Secure study also highlighted the rapid rise of social commerce, with 69% of UAE consumers reporting purchases...
Business
Most Read
Business
OpenAI files confidentially for IPO as AI boom accelerates
The company did not disclose the size or timing of the offering, saying only that preparations remained at an early...
- Reuters previously reported OpenAI could seek a valuation of up to $1 trillion, potentially making it one of history's largest technology listings.
- The filing follows a restructuring effort and a court victory over Elon Musk, removing a major legal hurdle ahead of any share sale.
Analysis
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...
- Open source is the ultimate enabler of digital sovereignty, as it gives enterprises greater transparency, flexibility, and control over their IT estate.
- Energy and public sectors require rugged edge capabilities and the ability to process data in remote, high-demand environments.
Business
UAE travel sites improve email fraud protections: Proofpoint
Dubai, UAE -- The UAE's travel sector has strengthened its defences against email fraud ahead of the peak summer booking...
- Proofpoint said 45% of the travel websites surveyed were operating at the reject level, up from previous years, but 55% had yet to implement the strongest protection setting.
- The analysis was conducted in May 2026 and covered the UAE's 20 most-visited travel websites, identified using data from digital marketing platform SEMrush.