Silicon Valley VCs navigate uncertain AI future
The generative AI frenzy unleashed by ChatGPT in 2022 has propelled a handful of venture-backed companies to eye-watering valuations.
Business
Dubai Airport tops air connectivity ranking for Asia-Pacific and Middle East
Dubai, UAE - Dubai International Airport (DXB) has once again secured the top spot in the Airports Council International’s (ACI)...
Business
Business
SABIC net loss $322 million
The company's net profit was $66m in Q1 2024
- Losses were driven by a SAR 1.05 billion drop in gross profit on higher feedstock prices.
- On a sequential basis, net loss shrank from SAR 1.89 billion in Q4 2024.
Business
PureHealth posts $137m Q1 net profit
The Group's revenue increased 8 percent YoY.
- EBITDA grew 5 percent year-on-year to AED 1.1 billion and net profit grew 3 percent year-on-year to AED505 million in Q1-2025.
- haista Asif, Group Chief Executive Officer at PureHealth, commented, “PureHealth’s first quarter results reflect the solid growth witnessed across all core segments."
Business
Trump Organization inks deal to build a golf course and villas in Doha
Doha, Qatar -- The Trump Organization signed on Wednesday its first development deal in Qatar to build a golf course...
- Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and the US president's son, attended the signing ceremony with Qatari Diar and Dar Global.
- The 18-hole Trump International Golf Course and Trump Villas are to be constructed as part of a major government-backed development scheme, Simaisma Project.
Business
Borouge Q1 net profit $281 million
The total dividend paid to shareholders in 2024 $1.3bn.
- Q1 2025 operational performance remained strong, with production volumes rising 7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025.
- Revenue in Q1 2025 grew 9 percent year-on-year to $1.42 billion, driven by higher average selling prices and increased sales volumes.
Business
Loyalty Lost: How brands need to adapt to the modern traveler
Dubai, UAE: As 2025 unfolds, travel brands are facing a significant challenge: customer loyalty. Traditional rewards programmes, often based on points systems,...
- To stay competitive, brands must move away from price-based rewards like discounts, which can boost short-term sales but impact profitability
- Instead, focusing on personalised offers, exclusive experiences, and tiered memberships is key to fostering long-term customer loyalty
Business
Emirates expects first 777X delivery in H2 2026
Boeing had pushed back the first delivery to 2026 from 2025.
- In 2024, group's chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum urged Boeing to "fix" its problems, warning the embattled aircraft-maker he was unhappy with delays to the 777X.
- Boeing had been mired in problems including safety concerns after two 737 MAX crashes within five months and another scare involving the aircraft over Alaska in Jan 2024.
Business
Meta releases standalone AI app, competing with ChatGPT
San Francisco, United States -- Social media behemoth Meta unveiled its first standalone AI assistant app on Tuesday as it...
- Zuckerberg said the app "is designed to be your personal AI" and would be primarily accessed through voice conversations with the interactions personalized to the individual user.
- The release comes as OpenAI stands as a leader of straight-to-user AI through its ChatGPT assistant that is regularly updated with new capabilities.
Business
Amazon launches first Starlink-rival internet satellites
Project Kuiper, a subsidiary of the online retail giant founded by Jeff Bezos, is playing catch-up with Starlink - SpaceX's...
- The $10 billion initiative plans to deploy 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit - the region of space up to 1,200 miles - with hopes of going live later this year
- SpaceX launched the first batch of Starlink satellites in 2019 and now boasts more than 6,750 operational units, serving over five million customers worldwide
Business
Aramco, unit and Sinopec ink $4bn deal
The two companies will establish a joint venture company.
- Sinopec and its unit shall contribute $990 million and $1.98 billion in cash, respectively.
- AAS will allocate the remaining amount, representing 25 percent of the JV’s registered capital.
Amazon set for launch of its first batch of Starlink-rival satellites
Washington, United States -- After delaying an earlier attempt due to bad weather, Amazon is preparing to launch its first...
- The mission, called Kuiper Atlas 1, is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:00 pm local time (2300 GMT).
- The $10 billion initiative plans to deploy 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit -- the region of space up to 1,900km above the planet.
Silicon Valley VCs navigate uncertain AI future
The generative AI frenzy unleashed by ChatGPT in 2022 has propelled a handful of venture-backed companies to eye-watering valuations.
Business
Company News
Latest News
Trump administration refocuses US-China chip war on AI and Huawei
Beijing, China -- The United States has taken aim at China's Huawei over the cutting-edge chips powering artificial intelligence (AI),...
Business
Xiaomi launches new advanced in-house mobile chip
Beijing, China -- Tech giant Xiaomi unveiled a new advanced in-house mobile chip on Thursday, a significant milestone for the...
Business
May 2025 Islamic Treasury Sukuk auction attracts bids worth $1.88bn
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Ministry of Finance (MoF), in its capacity as the issuer and in collaboration with the...
Business
Most Read
Business
Turkey says increasing energy exports to war-torn Syria
Damascus, Syria -- Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday in Damascus that his country would ramp up energy exports...
- Syria's Islamist authorities, who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December, are seeking to rebuild the country's infrastructure and economy after almost 14 years of civil war.
- The conflict badly damaged Syria's power infrastructure, leading to cuts that can last for more than 20 hours a day.
Business
Cyberattack to cost UK retailer Marks & Spencer $404 million
London, United Kingdom -- British clothes-to-food retailer Marks and Spencer on Wednesday said a cyberattack affecting its online service is...
- Marks last week revealed that some personal data of its customers had been stolen in a cyberattack that has crippled its online services for weeks.
- The news came as Marks on Wednesday reported operating profit before adjusting items of £985 million for its financial year to the end of March.
Geostrategy
Oil prices jump on report of Israel prepping Iran strike
Both main crude contracts jumped around one percent after CNN reported multiple US officials as saying the government had received...
- There are fears that such a sharp escalation could tip the Middle East into a war, with tensions already high over Israel's strikes on Gaza.
- While safe haven gold pushed higher, the news from CNN appeared to be having little detrimental effect on Asian equities, with most extending the previous day's rally.