INSEAD Day 4 - 728x90

Economy

Samsung biggest chip investor

The tech giant invested nearly $59.2bn in 2025.

flynas to set up new hub

Five destinations in first phase of operations.

AD Ports Group acquires CLI

CLI is Brazilian agri-bulk terminal operator.

$1.59bn Makkah project awarded

A consortium will develop two districts in the Holy City.

2PointZero posts profit surge

Growth driven by merger consolidation.

Gartner lists 2026’s defining tech: Faster AI, safer clouds, and smarter security

AI supercomputing platforms integrate CPUs, GPUs, AI ASICs, neuromorphic and alternative computing paradigms, enabling organizations to orchestrate complex workloads while...
  • AI supercomputing platforms integrate CPUs, GPUs, AI ASICs, neuromorphic and alternative computing paradigms, enabling organizations to orchestrate complex workloads
  • By 2028, Gartner predicts that over 40% of leading enterprises will have adopted hybrid computing paradigm architectures into critical business workflows, up from the current 8%

China vows massive high-tech sector development in next decade

Beijing, China -- China will develop its high-tech sector on a massive scale in the next decade, top officials vowed...
  • The country has poured support and investment into developing its science and technology sectors, part of ongoing efforts to present itself as a world leader in those areas.
  • Domestically, China has been beset by sluggish spending, a protracted property sector crisis and a demographic crunch as its population starts to decline.

Anthropic announces massive AI chip deal with Google

San Francisco, United States - Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic said Thursday it was expanding its use of Google cloud computing...
  • The arrangement will include Anthropic buying as many as one million Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), which are integrated circuits custom-designed by Google
  • The expansion promises to let Anthropic bring more than a gigawatt of new computing power online by the end of 2026, enabling it to meet "exponentially growing demand."

Oil prices surge as Trump hits Russian crude with sanctions

The international benchmark contract, Brent North Sea crude, jumped 4.8 percent while West Texas Intermediate was up 5.1 percent. Trump on Wednesday announced...
  • The move was joined by another round of punishments by the European Union as part of attempts to pressure Moscow to end its three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine.
  • According to industry analysts the two companies account for just over half of Russia's oil output, and both also produce natural gas.

Celebrities, AI giants urge end to quest for superintelligence capable of outsmarting humans

Signatories include the "Godfather of AI" and 2024 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics Geoffrey Hinton; Computer Sciences Professor...
  • Most major AI developers are striving for artificial general intelligence (AGI), a stage where AI would match all human intellectual capabilities, and even superintelligence
  • Speaking at an event organised by the media group Axel Springer in September, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that superintelligence could be achieved within the next five years

Norway’s wealth fund to enlist AI for managing climate risks

Oslo, Norway -- Norway's sovereign wealth fund said Wednesday that it would incorporate artificial intelligence tools into its investment analysis...
  • The fund's head of active ownership, Wilhelm Mohn, said AI along with its own analysis tools would allow it to "streamline processes and enhance decision-making".
  • The fund urges the more than 8,600 companies it invests in worldwide to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

OpenAI unveils search browser in challenge to Google

San Francisco, United States - ChatGPT-maker OpenAI on Tuesday announced an "Atlas" search browser, leveraging its artificial intelligence prowess in...
  • "This is an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT," OpenAI chief Sam Altman said in a streamed presentation
  • OpenAI has ramped up its challenge to Google, which has responded by rapidly building more AI capabilities into search and across its platform

Gold falls again as rally comes to halt, Asian markets drop

Gold and silver tumbled for a second day Wednesday, bringing a rally in the precious metals to a juddering halt,...
  • Bullion has seen an eye watering run-up since the turn of the year, helping it climb more than 60 percent and hitting multiple records
  • The rally has been built on a range of issues including a weaker dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts, falling bond yields and central bank buying

Iraq bans Roblox game platform citing ‘moral values’

Iraq has banned US gaming platform Roblox over what it described as sexual content, blasphemy and risks of online blackmail...
  • The popular site, which lets players build their own games, has repeatedly been accused of failing to protect its youngest players in recent years
  • Iraq's communications ministry said late Sunday that it wanted to "protect social order, preserve moral values" and "ensure the safety of internet users in Iraq."

US soliciting new bids for Moon mission amid SpaceX delays: NASA chief

The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival...
  • Blue Origin is the Jeff Bezos-founded rival of SpaceX. That company currently has the contract for the fifth planned mission of the multibillion-dollar Artemis program.
  • US President Donald Trump's second term in the White House has seen the administration pile pressure on NASA to accelerate its progress.

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...

Latest News

The trillion-dollar paradox in GCC venture capital markets and exits

Despite trillions managed by GCC sovereign wealth funds, late-stage venture capital remains scarce, leaving startups stranded between early traction and...

We are witnessing the rise of a maturing Web3 world: Nicole Valentine

The world has known the Middle East for its oil. But a new fuel is taking the main stage: knowledge,...

Six Middle East cafés feature in the world’s 100 best coffee shops 2026 list

Six coffee shops from the Middle East have secured places in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 list, highlighting...
INSEAD Day 4- 300x600
INSEAD Day 4- 300x600

Most Read

UAE launches first 7-year Islamic Treasury Sukuk worth $150 million

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The UAE Ministry of Finance said on Sunday it had launched its first-ever seven-year tranche of...
  • The new tranche attracted strong demand amounting to approximately 3.1 billion dirhams, nearly six times the issuance size.
  • Total bids reached 5.88 billion dirhams, representing an oversubscription ratio of 5.3 times.

GCC as the bridge in a fragmented global ad tech market

S4 Capital founder Martin Sorrell tells TRENDS digital dominance, AI disruption and consolidation are reshaping global advertising, urging agile, tech-first...
  • The industry is effectively “two industries” — a fast-growing digital sector and a declining traditional media business — Martin Sorrell told TRENDS
  • CMOs should stop experimenting with AI and move to full-scale implementation, radically reorganising workflows and cutting creative costs, he adds

Startups need more than funding: they need an ecosystem

Drew Propson, Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum, explains how sustainable growth, AI...
  • The UAE’s Vision 2031 and Saudi Vision 2030 are clear calls to action that outline not just ambition, but execution.
  • The third quarter 2025 marked the fourth consecutive quarter with over $90 billion in funding, something not seen since early 2022.