Saudi Arabia’s inflation rises to 1.8 percent in May on higher rents
Dubai, UAE -- Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.8% in May 2026, up from April, as higher housing,...
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s economy expands as oil and non-oil sectors grow
According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), all major economic sectors recorded positive annual growth during the quarter, reflecting...
Economy
Economy
OPEC+, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, agree further hike to their oil production
The 137,000-barrels-per-day hike will apply from December and remain at that level for the following three months, signifying a "pause"...
- The 137,000-barrels-per-day hike will apply from December and remain at that level for the following three months, signifying a "pause" in what had been regular hike since April
- The announced increase, which tallied with analyst expectations, has been seen as a bid by the key members of OPEC+ - known as the Voluntary Eight - to gain greater market share
Economy
Social media fooled by AI video of ‘sky stadium’ for Saudi 2034 World Cup
Paris, France - An AI-generated video claiming to show one of the football stadiums for the 2034 FIFA World Cup...
- The video of glowing arena built atop a towering skyscraper was shared by thousands of social media accounts, with millions of users believing it was the official visual
- While Riyadh has unveiled plans to build a football area on a real estate complex in The Line – a futuristic new megacity project – the official plans bear no likeness to the clip
Economy
Backed by its sovereign wealth fund, Saudi chases AI ambitions with homegrown firm pitched to global investors
The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in...
- The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in financing the kingdom's gigaprojects
- But Riyadh's ambitions to become a global AI hub face fierce competition from the neighbouring United Arab Emirates, which have invested in AI for years
Economy
Steady and sensible, Oman builds its future brick by brick amid the Gulf’s glittering rush
With volatile geopolitics and the resulting uncertainty, the year 2025 has been challenging for most of the countries across the...
- With its resilience and steady march, Omani economy continues to smoothly navigate geo-economic volatility
- If one looks at the economic performance of Oman, there are several lessons to be learned – the foremost being slow and steady win the race
Economy
US Fed will likely cut again despite economic murkiness from shutdown
The central bank's second-to-last rate meeting of the year is taking place against the backdrop of a weeks-long standoff between...
- Without these key insights into the US economy, Fed officials will be forced to set interest rates without the full spectrum of data they normally rely upon.
- The US central bank has a dual mandate from Congress to act independently to tackle both inflation and unemployment.
Economy
Iran declares major lender bankrupt
Iran declared one of the country's largest private banks bankrupt with its assets absorbed by the state, official media reported...
- Founded in 2012, Ayandeh Bank had a network of 270 branches across the country, including 150 in the capital Tehran alone
- But it had more recently been crippled by debt, with accumulated losses amounting to the equivalent of about $5.2 billion
Science
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%
Economy
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.
Science
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."
Geostrategy
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.
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Saudi Arabia’s inflation rises to 1.8 percent in May on higher rents
Dubai, UAE -- Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate rose to 1.8% in May 2026, up from April, as higher housing,...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
Meta, YouTube face trial over children harm
Opening statements in the first trial began in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where Instagram parent company Meta and Google’s...
Geostrategy
Iran escalation sharpens oil, inflation concerns
Lale Akoner, Global Market Analyst, says while the escalation has introduced new risks, the broader investment case for equities in...
Geostrategy
Gulf sovereign wealth funds face a strategic test amid escalating conflict
The escalating conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States is emerging as a major test for the Gulf’s sovereign...
Economy
Most Read
MENA’s next tech breakthrough depends on infrastructure, not hype
Jamil Shinawi, CEO and Co-founder of AHOY and co-founder of Actual VC, speaks to TRENDS about risk, capital efficiency, and...
- In MENA, scalable startups must prioritise execution, defensibility and real traction over hype, Jamil Shinawi told TRENDS
- The real opportunity lies in AI-driven systems that turn data into instant, cross-sector impact, he adds
Interview
GCC startups will surprise the world by building culture-first tech
Snap’s regional chief Hussein Freijeh outlines growth plans across MENA and APAC in an interview with TRENDS, highlighting startups, creators...
- Snap expects future growth in MENA and APAC to come from deeper community engagement and rising advertiser demand.
- Startups in the GCC use Snapchat to reach local audiences quickly through mobile-first storytelling and creator partnerships.
Economy
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...
- The GCC is capital-rich, yet late-stage venture funding remains structurally limited
- Early-stage activity is strong, but a clear Series A–C financing gap persists