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.
Business
Microsoft data highlights Qatar’s rapid Artificial Intelligence growth
The finding place Qatar among the top ten countries globally for practical AI usage. Qatar's AI market reached approximately $59...
Business
Business
The new knowledge economy belongs to super users: Michael Wolf
Activate Consulting CEO Michael Wolf tells TRENDS how AI, media and shifting consumer behaviour are driving the next knowledge economy.
- The next knowledge economy will be built on AI working alongside journalists, analysts, creators and storytellers whose critical thinking remain irreplaceable, Wolf tells TRENDS
- From cost-efficient film and TV production to streamlining legal, accounting and other B2B workflows, AI will boost productivity rather than eliminate most jobs, he adds
Business
Oil prices gain, as equities extend record run higher
Oil prices have experienced choppy trading since the surprise US raid Saturday on Caracas that saw Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro...
- Brushing off geopolitical concerns, some major stock markets have begun the new year with new all-time highs, having smashed records in 2025.
- Seoul rose more than one percent Tuesday to top 4,500 points for the first time, helped by another strong rally in chip giant SK hynix.
Business
Volatility grips oil market as nervous investors assess Venezuela
Having spiked in an initial reaction to the military operation to apprehend Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, oil prices quickly dropped...
- But then oil recovered again as investors realized that Venezuela is in no position to make a meaningful impact on oil supply in the short run.
- Trump's promise to rebuild Venezuela's crude production capacity with the help of American companies meanwhile sent stocks in oil majors soaring.
Business
‘Tuna King’ pays record $3.2 mn for bluefin at Tokyo auction
Tokyo, Japan -- A Japanese sushi entrepreneur paid a record $3.2 million for a giant bluefin tuna Monday at an...
- The 510.3 million yen price at the new year's auction was the highest since comparable data started being collected in 1999.
- The previous high was 333.6 million yen for a 278-kilogram bluefin in 2019, after the fish market moved from its traditional Tsukiji area in central Tokyo to a more modern facility
Geostrategy
Norway closes in on objective of 100 percent electric car sales
Oslo, Norway -- Norway came close to its objective of selling only zero-emission cars in 2025, with electric vehicles accounting...
- Although Norway is Western Europe's largest exporter of petroleum products, it has led the shift to electric vehicles.
- A record 179,549 personal vehicles were registered in 2025, beating the previous high set in 2021, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said on Friday.
Business
BYD logs record EV sales in 2025
It sold 2.26m EVs vs Tesla's 1.22 by Sept end.
- Tesla is expected to announce its total EV sales for last year on Friday.
- Shenzhen-based BYD, which also produces hybrid cars, announced the data in a statement published to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed.
Business
SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41bln investment
Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after...
- Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted SoftBank towards artificial intelligence (AI).
- SoftBank had announced in April its planned investment of up to $40 billion in Open AI, and on Wednesday it said that the second tranche of $22.5 billion was completed.
Business
TSMC says started mass production of ‘most advanced’ 2nm chips
Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in...
- TSMC is the world's largest contract maker of chips, used in everything from smartphones to missiles, and counts Nvidia and Apple among its clients.
- The chips will be the "most advanced technology in the semiconductor industry in terms of both density and energy efficiency", the company said.
Business
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.
Business
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.
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Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
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.
Business
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Business
Firms lag as AI-driven fraud surges: Study
The report, published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and analytics firm SAS, highlights widening gaps between rapidly evolving...
- Among the fastest-growing threats is deepfake-enabled social engineering.
- The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have the potential to take a leading role in next-generation fraud prevention.
Business
UAE real estate posts record Q1 growth on strong investor demand
In Dubai, the Dubai Land Department reported 718,160 real estate transactions, including 60,303 disposals, up 6% from a year earlier....
- Abu Dhabi recorded its highest quarterly performance on record with transaction values surging 160.7% to about $18.0 billion (AED66 billion).
- In Sharjah, real estate trading volume climbed 40.7% year-on-year to approximately $5.0 billion (AED18.5 billion).
Business
UAE foodservice sector set for continued growth through 2030: Deloitte preview
The UAE’s foodservice sector continued to grow in 2025 and is expected to expand further through 2030, even as the...
- The report said the global foodservice market is projected to reach €2.98 trillion in 2025, marking growth of 2.2% compared with 2024
- The UAE foodservice market, valued at €16 billion in 2025, grew by 1.6% compared with 2024 and is forecast to rise by a further 4.2% through 2030