Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports rise 8 percent to $19.34bn in Jan
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports increased 8 percent year-on-year (YoY) to SAR 72.6 billion ($19.34 billion) in...
Meta to start using Europeans’ data for AI training May 27
Paris, France -- Meta will start using public posts and comments by its European users to train generative artificial intelligence...
Business
Business
Meraas awards $544m contract
It has been awarded for construction of Design Quarter at d3
- It includes the first residential community within Dubai Design District (d3), a global creative and design ecosystem.
- Scheduled for completion by mid-2027, the Design Quarter at d3 comprises a collection of 558 apartments.
Economy
Smart cities lead GCC’s IoT boom: NEOM and Smart Dubai in focus
IoT applications are transforming critical sectors such as transportation, where connected vehicles improve traffic management, utilities where smart grids enhance...
- For instance, to manage the flow of massive stadium crowds during the FIFA World Cup, Qatar leveraged “digital twins,” aggregating data from 40,000 IoT devices.
- In a similar vein, Dubai’s Enterprise Command and Control Center uses a combination of AI, digital camera, and thermal imaging technologies to oversee 11,000 surveillance cameras.
Interview
Tech and sustainability drive Singapore’s smart tourism vision
To realize its vision for “smart tourism”, Singapore Tourism Board is leveraging cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and...
- STB’s Tcube, a hybrid innovation space launched in 2021, has helped tourism businesses introduce tech solutions, including Al, into their operations.
- More than 1,100 tourism companies have benefited from Tcube programs. Its Singapore Tourism Accelerator has supported 47 start-ups to develop 58 industry solutions across 6 cohorts
Geostrategy
The Transformative Power of Travel
The framework for future-proofing tourism revolves around three core pillars: People, Planet, and Purpose. This vision is particularly evident in...
- The UAE’s We the UAE 2031 national development blueprint positions tourism as a key driver of economic growth, targeting a $123 billion contribution to GDP.
- Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 places tourism at the core of its diversification efforts.
Interview
AI’s US$19.9tn contribution: Insights from Tealium on digital economy’s future
By 2030, every dollar spent on AI-powered solutions is expected to generate US$4.60 in economic value, according to global analyst...
- Scaling AI solutions across industries presents significant challenges, particularly around data quality and privacy, Coyne said.
- At Tealium, we take an active role in educating and empowering our customers to maximize AI’s potential while mitigating risks, he added.
Interview
GCC a key player in global freight and logistics industry, says Trukkin’s Dalmia
The region leverages a strategic major hub, advanced infrastructure, and economic diversification to fuel logistics demand, says Janardan Dalmia, Founder...
- The GCC Freight and Logistics market size is valued at US$76 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$110 billion by 2030.
- Governments in the GCC are also reducing bureaucracy, and spending money on improving the infrastructure, Dalmia said.
Analysis
Logistics: At the heart of economic activity
The global logistics market is expected to be around US$10 trillion in 2024, and is estimated to reach US$21.91 trillion...
- The logistics market revenue in 2023 was US$485 billion by airways, US$2.85 trillion by waterways, US$2.09 trillion by railways and US$3.52 trillion by roadways.
- In the Arabian Gulf countries, the focus of the logistics and transport industry is moving from the UAE to Saudi Arabia.
Interview
The future of luxury residential development needs to be green and smart
The GCC luxury market segment has experienced significant growth, driven by an increase in the number of high-net-worth individuals. Accommodating...
- In the GCC, there's also a real focus on community. Dubai is the United Nations of the world, wherein one residential building might have neighbors from different nations.
- We try to future-proof our building, technologically speaking, to allow people to evolve and go forward, says Belton.
Opinion
New-Age Growth Comes Home to the GCC
The region, fueled by ambition and massive investment, is rapidly advancing in technology and infrastructure, aiming to secure a leading...
- The GCC’s ongoing “giga” projects, economic diversification, focus on the digital economy, and emerging technologies all signal a promising future.
- With over US$2 trillion invested in capital-intensive projects, the GCC’s future looks increasingly secure, despite persistent negative portrayals in parts of the Western media.
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...
- The global travel and tourism industry is projected to contribute over $15 trillion annually to the world economy by 2030.
- By 2035, 60% of the city traffic and emissions can be reduced thanks to shared autonomous electric vehicles.
Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports rise 8 percent to $19.34bn in Jan
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports increased 8 percent year-on-year (YoY) to SAR 72.6 billion ($19.34 billion) in...
Company News
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TikTok’s US future uncertain
Business
UAE’s steady economic rise fertile ground for growth of facilities management
A steady stream of development projects and year-round tourism in the country propel demand for tech-enabled facilities management, says Adnan...
Interview
Stocks sink again as Trump holds firm on tariffs
Trading floors across the globe were overcome by waves of further selling after last week's sharp losses, with Trump telling...
Business
UAE tourism generates $12.24bn in hotel revenues in 2024: Minister
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Hotel revenues in the UAE reached approximately AED 45 billion ( $12.24 billion) in 2024, reflecting...
Business
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Business
TikTok’s US future uncertain
It must find non-Chinese owner to avoid ban.
- In the hours before that deadline, TikTok temporarily shut down in the United States and disappeared from app stores, to the dismay of millions of users.
- Much of TikTok's US activity is already housed on Oracle servers, and the company's chairman, Larry Ellison, is a longtime Trump ally.
Business
Pausing production, raising prices: Automakers shift gears after Trump tariffs
Paris, France -- Automakers have already started to adapt to the 25-percent tariff imposed on car imports by US President...
- Bank of America estimates that some 7.3 million vehicles, or eight percent of global auto sales, will get hit by the tariff.
- Trump has stated that the goal of the tariffs is to encourage manufacturing jobs to return to the United States, but it is unclear whether that will be achieved.
Business
Stocks, oil slump as China retaliates and Trump digs in heels
Despite the market turmoil, Trump insisted: "my policies will never change". Wall Street stocks fell more than two percent at...
- Beijing also imposed exports controls on seven rare earth elements, including gadolinium -- commonly used in MRIs -- and yttrium, utilized in consumer electronics.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has called for suspending investment in the United States until what he called the "brutal" new tariffs had been "clarified".