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...
Geostrategy
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...
Business
SEC reports $1.55bn Q3 profit
The company attributes the growth to surge in demand.
- Operating revenues went up to $15.19 billion, marking a 2.2% increase compared to the same period in the previous year
- The company attributed the revenue growth primarily to a surge in demand for electrical energy during the summer season
Geostrategy
UN calls for overhaul of financial system to help poorest countries
The UN called for an overhaul of the global financial system to help the world's poorest countries and their struggle...
- The 46 so-called least developed countries, or LDCs, suffered a sharp economic slowdown in the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- As a consequence of the economic slowdown, an additional 15 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty, the UN body said.
Business
UAE Islamic Treasury Sukuks auction is a tremendous success
ABU DHABI, UAE - The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) as the issuer, in collaboration...
- The fifth auction of the UAE T-Sukuks program witnessed strong demand through with bids received worth US$1.57 billion.
- The success is reflected in the market-driven prices, which was achieved by a spread of 4 to 11 bps over US Treasuries with similar maturities.
Economy
IMF upgrades China growth forecast to 5.4 percent in 2023
Beijing, China - The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday raised its 2023 economic growth forecast for China, citing stronger consumption and...
- The economy grew 4.9 percent in July-September, slower than the previous quarter but a lot better than expected and a little shy of the government's goal of 5%
- China's economy expanded just 3.0 percent last year -- well below the official target of 5.5 percent -- as it was choked by draconian Covid-19 measures
Market Report
IPOs in MENA raise US$5.8bn in first nine months of 2023
ABU DHABI, UAE - A recent report revealed that 29 initial public offerings (IPOs) were recorded in the Middle East...
- The report indicated that the MENA region witnessed six IPOs during the third quarter of this year with proceeds of US$523 million.
- The report described plans to list shares for IPO in the fourth quarter of 2023 and early 2024 as still promising.
Business
Record number of patent applications filed globally in 2022, says WIPO
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Global patenting activity soared to new records in 2022, fueled by Indian and Chinese innovators, but an...
- China, the US, Japan, Republic of Korea and Germany were the countries with the highest numbers of patent filings in 2022.
- innovators from around the world submitted 3.46 million patent applications in 2022, marking a third consecutive year of growth.
Economy
Marafy: Saudi Arabia unveils another ambitious megacity project
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has revealed plans for a remarkable megacity project named Marafy, following in the footsteps...
- Marafy is set to become an urban center located to the north of Jeddah, offering a stunning waterfront reminiscent of London's iconic landscape
- The city will follow the ongoing construction of Neom on the Red Sea coast, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Economy
China owed more than $1 trillion in Belt and Road debt: report
Crunching data compiled on Chinese financing of almost 21,000 projects across 165 countries, AidData said Beijing had now committed aid...
- Beijing says upwards of 150 countries stretching from Uruguay to Sri Lanka have signed up to the BRI, a global infrastructure push unveiled by President Xi Jinping a decade ago
- The first decade of the initiative saw China distribute huge loans to fund the construction of bridges, ports and highways in low and middle-income countries
Economy
Qatar leads by example in money laundering control
"Nations must take action to establish measures for detecting the physical cross-border movement of currency and negotiable instruments to combat...
- MENAFATF Executive Secretary Suliman bin Rashid Al Jabrin lauds Qatar's adherence to global anti-money laundering standards.
- Highlighting the FATF's goals to block terrorists' cross-border funding, Al Jabrin urges strong measures against currency smuggling.
Economy
Dubai approves $67bn budget to stimulate economic recovery
Dubai, UAE - Dubai government's general budget for the fiscal cycle of 2024-2026 includes total expenditures of $67.16 billion (AED...
- A total of 34% of total government expenditures of the 2024 budget goes to the social development sector in the areas of health, education, and scientific research
- Spending on infrastructure, including roads, tunnels, bridges, transportation, sewage stations, parks, and renewable energy sources accounts for 42% of total spending
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...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
China says will fight to ‘bitter end’ if US pushes trade war
Pressure from Trump could motivate Beijing to strengthen the kinds of support for the economy seen last year -- interest...
Economy
Future of Humanity – TRENDS’ yearly Special Issue now online
Dubai, UAE -- TRENDS’ yearly Special Issue is out. This year’s edition, titled Future of Humanity, explores key global shifts...
Geostrategy
Microsoft retires Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer
San Francisco, United States - Microsoft on Friday announced it was retiring Skype, the online voice and video call pioneer...
Science
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Business
Stocks mostly rise, oil falls as Trump fans Ukraine peace hopes
London, United Kingdom -- Major stock markets mostly rallied and oil prices retreated Thursday on hopes for an end to the...
- London was a rare faller owing to sharp losses to share prices of big companies, including Unilever, Barclays and British American Tobacco.
- With Russia being a major producer of oil, crude futures fell heavily on easing supply concerns, while the dollar lost some of its safe-haven support.
Asian stocks rise as Powell rate warning taken in stride
Equities rose in Asia on Wednesday as traders took in their stride a warning from Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell...
- New York Fed chief John Williams said the economy and consumer spending remained strong
- Wall Street ended Tuesday positively, despite tech stocks dragging the Nasdaq into the red
Economy
IMF projects 3.3% global growth for 2025, MENA to rebound to 3.6%
Dubai, UAE -- The International Monterey Fund (IMF) has projected global growth to remain at 3.3 percent this year and...
- IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said that growth in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to rebound to about 3.6 percent in 2025.
- She warned that global public debt is projected to hit 100 percent of global GDP by 2030.