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Business

EasyLease H1 profit $12.2m

Revenue rises on stronger operations.

FAB profit edges higher

Income growth supports steady earnings.

UAB H1 profit climbs

Income, lending drive first-half growth

Sanad posts record revenue

Growth driven by global demand for services.

Bank of Sharjah profit up 39%

Bank's total assets grow 10% to $14.4 billion.

Meta buys China-founded AI agent Manus

Singapore, Singapore -- Facebook owner Meta has agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent created by a company founded...
  • However, analysts warned the deal could fall foul of regulators at a time of fierce technological rivalry between Washington and Beijing.
  • Exceeding the capabilities of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, AI agents can autonomously perform complex tasks for users, and are seen as having huge potential.

Emirates mining company challenges Guinea license withdrawal

Dakar, Senegal -- Mining company Axis International said Monday it was seeking World Bank arbitration against Guinea for withdrawing its...
  • Guinea, which has been run by a junta since a coup in 2021, has cancelled dozens of licences for international and domestic companies mining bauxite, gold, iron ore or diamonds.
  • had operated Guinea's second-biggest bauxite mine with estimated reserves of more than 800 million tons since 2010.

Nvidia expands AI empire with Groq talent grab

San Francisco, United States -- Nvidia has hired the leadership of a promising AI chip startup, a statement said Wednesday,...
  • Under the agreement, Groq founder Jonathan Ross and president Sunny Madra, along with other team members, will join Nvidia to help develop and scale the Groq's technology.
  • Nvidia's domination of the AI training chip market has made it the world's biggest company by market valuation.

Why metal prices are soaring to record highs

London, United Kingdom -- Precious and industrial metals are surging to record highs as the year ends, driven by economic...
  • Gold has climbed more than 70 percent this year and passed $4,500 an ounce for the first time on Wednesday.
  • A weak dollar is also boosting industrial metals, since commodities priced in dollars become cheaper for buyers when the currency falls.

Kuwait signs $4.1 billion deal with China to build port

Kuwait City, Kuwait -- Kuwait has signed a deal worth $4.1 billion with China to complete the construction of a...
  • Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah project would "enhance Kuwait's share in the regional and international trade and global supply chain".
  • Chinese acting charge d'affaires Liu Xiang said the deal "constitutes participation in the 'belt and road' initiative".

Tech stocks lead Wall Street higher, gold hits fresh record

Tech firms also led the rally in Asia, with South Korea's Samsung Electronics, Taiwan's TSMC and Japan's Renesas among the...
  • Gold, which benefits from expectations of lower US interest rates, hit a fresh record of $4,442.19, while silver also struck a new peak.
  • The precious metals, which are go-to assets in times of crisis, also benefited from geopolitical worries as Washington steps up its oil blockade against Venezuela.

Billionaire Ellison offers personal guarantee for son’s Warner Bros bid

Washington, United States -- Oracle tech tycoon Larry Ellison is offering a $40.4 billion personal guarantee to back Paramount's hostile...
  • Netflix shocked the industry December 5 by announcing it had sealed an agreement to buy the film and television studio and HBO Max streaming business for nearly $83bn.
  • Three days later, Paramount launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion.

Warner Bros rejects Paramount bid, sticks with Netflix, says terms of Netflix merger were better

Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday rejected a hostile takeover bid by Paramount launched last week to trump plans by streaming...
  • Paramount -- whose CEO is David Ellison -- launched an all-cash tender offer valuing the entertainment giant at $108.4 billion
  • Warner Bros described the Paramount offer as risky, saying it was backed up by "an unknown and opaque revocable trust"

Famed Jerusalem stone still sells despite West Bank economic woes

Sair, Palestinian Territories - Despite the catastrophic state of the Palestinian economy, Faraj al-Atrash, operator of a quarry in the...
  • The war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, dealt a severe blow to a Palestinian economy that was already in poor shape
  • Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, has recently set up hundreds of new checkpoints across the territory, paralysing commercial transport

Netflix boss promises Warner Bros films would still be seen in cinemas

Netflix will continue to distribute Warner Bros. films in cinemas if its takeover bid for the storied studio is successful,...
  • "We're going to continue to operate Warner Bros. studios independently and release the movies traditionally in cinema," chief executive Ted Sarandos said
  • In early December, Netflix announced that it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) to acquire most of the group for $83 billion

Abu Dhabi real estate transactions more than double in H1

Data released by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) showed total real estate transactions reached $31.9 billion in the...

Latest News

Bain identifies four priorities for sovereign wealth funds as assets approach $30 trillion

State-backed investors are expanding beyond traditional investment models, increasing exposure to alternatives, AI and direct deals while balancing returns with...

Saudi Arabia cuts US Treasury holdings by $9.5 billion in April

Dubai, UAE -- Saudi Arabia reduced its holdings of U.S. Treasury securities by $9.5 billion in April to $140.1 billion,...

Saudi tourist arrivals rise to 122.6 million in 2025, spending hits $81 billion

The growth was driven primarily by domestic travel, which reached 93.3 million tourists, up 8.3% from 2024, while inbound visitor...
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INSEAD Day 4- 300x600

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Abu Dhabi climbs global startup rankings on AI and tech growth

The emirate was ranked in the #41-50 category globally, improving from the #51-60 range a year earlier and marking one...
  • The report highlighted the role of Hub71 in supporting founders and technology companies as Abu Dhabi seeks to strengthen its position as a global innovation hub.
  • The report, unveiled at the VivaTech conference in Paris, analyzed data from more than 5.5 million companies across over 350 entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide.

Gold extends winning streak as oil and dollar weaken

The U.S. Dollar Index fell to 99.53, giving back part of the gains it had recently recorded on safe-haven demand....
  • Other precious metals also moved higher. Spot silver gained 0.3% to $70.38 an ounce, platinum rose 0.5% to $1,812.80, and palladium added 0.3% to $1,355.65.
  • Brent crude futures fell 16 cents, or 0.2%, to $78.80 a barrel by 0340 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 25 cents, or 0.3%, to $75.80 a barrel.

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...
  • Residential transaction volumes fell 50% year-on-year to 29,490 deals during the quarter, while the value of transactions declined 57% to SAR22 billion ($5.9 billion).
  • Riyadh Grade A office occupancy held at 97%, supported by limited supply of high-quality workspace.