Cross-border deals fuel M&A surge in MENA region in Q1 2025
Dubai, UAE -- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has kicked off 2025 with a remarkable surge in...
Business
World’s longest diamond necklace set to break Guinness record at Sharjah show
Sharjah, UAE – Exhibitors at the 55th Watch and Jewelry Middle East Show, scheduled from May 28 to June 1,...
Business
Business
EU imports US$120.5bn worth of energy products in Q4 2023
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – In the fourth quarter of 2023, the EU imported US$120.5 billion (€111.3 billion) worth of energy products...
- Compared with the same period in 2022, imports decreased both in value (-34.2 percent) and in net mass (-11.7 percent).
- Comparing 2023 with 2022, the value of energy products dropped by 35 percent, while the volume dropped by 9.4 percent.
Business
Passenger air traffic has reached pre-pandemic levels, says ICAO
MONTREAL, CANADA – In the first quarter of 2024, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) projected that passenger air traffic...
- ICAO’s latest analysis also reveals new insights into aviation industry for the year 2023.
- It said that air traffic on most routes had reached or surpassed pre-pandemic levels by end of 2023.
Nike’s long international struggle with Adidas
German newspapers reported that the American sports equipment giant overcame their rival's home advantage with a bid of around 100...
- Nike scored their biggest upset this week when they persuaded the DFB to drop Adidas after four World Cup wins and 70 years
- The Adidas contract with the German Football Federation will end after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico
Geostrategy
EU to tell big tech firms to curb election risks or face fines
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – The EU will put more pressure on the most popular online platforms, like X and TikTok, to tackle...
- The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, is expected to adopt new guidelines.
- They will come under the EU's mammoth content moderation law, the Digital Services Act.
Geostrategy
Middle East oil policies not dictated by US, says Russia
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – US will no longer be able to dictate oil prices in the Middle East, Director of the...
- The US cannot dictate prices, although they would like to as the world is becoming a multipolar one, a Russian official said.
- "This multipolarity is expressed in particular in the existence of the group of countries known as OPEC+," he added.
Business
Air traffic in Saudi Arabia surges 16 percent in 2023
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's aviation sector soared to new heights in 2023, with a significant increase in both...
- Passenger numbers saw 26% jump, reaching 112 million compared to the previous year's 88 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels
- Currently, Saudi Arabia boasts connections to 148 destinations with at least 52 daily flights to and from the country
Business
Italy’s Enel doubles net profit
Its net profit spiked to US$3.7 billion in 2023.
- Enel said that before exceptional items, profit rose 21 percent to $7.04 billion, in line with the company's objectives
- The company's revenue fell 32 percent to $103.62bn as prices declined as part of a "normalization of the energy sector"
Business
Reforms help Saudi banking sector post robust growth
The financial sector plays vital role in the Kingdom's economy, with a 9.5% surge in operating income and 10.9% increase...
- The financial sector plays vital role in the Kingdom's economy, with a 9.5% surge in operating income and 10.9% increase in non-interest income in FY 2023, says a report.
- With a promising outlook based on strong capitalization, loan growth, and improving asset quality, the sector is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory, it adds.
Economy
Eurozone business activity stabilizes in March
Brussels, Belgium - Business activity in the eurozone stabilized in March thanks largely to a "modest recovery" in the service sector,...
- "Business activity in the euro area came close to stabilizing in March" with "only a marginal decline in output of goods and services", the survey said.
- The ECB has kept its interest rates steady since October, following an unprecedented series of increases to tame what was red-hot inflation.
Business
Lamborghini sales up in 2023
The deliveries sped up 9.5 percent to 10,112 vehicles.
- 2023 was the best year ever recorded," the brand said in a press release, with sales up 12.1 percent to US$2.9 billion
- Operating profit reached $785 million, up 17.8 percent, with operating margins widening to 27.2 percent, said Lamborghini
Cross-border deals fuel M&A surge in MENA region in Q1 2025
Dubai, UAE -- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has kicked off 2025 with a remarkable surge in...
Business
Company News
Latest News
Meraas awards $544m contract
Business
The Transformative Power of Travel
Geostrategy
Tesla Q1 sales sink 13 percent
The dip occurred amid lower production during factory upgrades.
Business
Tesla sales tumble in Europe in Q1
The company suffered from boycotts against the policies of Elon Musk.
Business
Most Read
Business
OpenAI says it raised $40 bn at valuation of $300 bn
San Francisco, United States - OpenAI on Monday said it raised $40 billion in a new funding round that valued...
- The infusion of cash comes in a partnership with Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group
- SoftBank said in a release that it is on a mission to realize Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) that surpasses human intelligence
Business
Vanke reports annual loss of $6.8 bn
The property giant attributes loss to falling sales and shrinking profit.
- Beijing has in recent years grappled with a prolonged crisis in the country's vast real estate sector, once a key pillar of the economy but now beset with sprawling debt.
- Hong Kong-listed Vanke is part-owned by the government of Shenzhen and was China's fourth-largest real estate firm by sales last year, according to research firm CRIC.
Business
Qatar’s Producer Price Index for Feb down 0.33 percent year-on-year
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's general Producer Price Index (PPI) for the industrial sector for February recorded 114.01 points, showing stability...
- The PPI for the industrial sector is composed of four main sectors: mining and quarrying, which accounts for 82.46 percent of the index.
- On an annual basis, the index for this sector fell by 0.42 percent, attributed to the same decline in oil and gas extraction.