Fragmenting world economy raises costs beyond geopolitical rivals
A report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that fragmentation accelerated through 2025...
Economy
Next wave of global competitive advantage lies in tech combinations: WEF
Eight technology domains, including AI, robotics, engineering biology and advanced materials are no longer advancing in isolation.
Geostrategy
Economy
US Fed makes first rate cut of 25 basis points over employment risks as Trump mounts pressure
Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the central bank remains "strongly committed" to maintaining its independence from politics, however, when...
- Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the central bank remains "strongly committed" to maintaining its independence from politics
- He added that the Fed was "right to wait and see how tariffs and inflation and the labor market evolved" before lowering rates
Science
Scientists train AI model to predict future illnesses
Paris, France - Scientists said Wednesday that they had created an AI model able to predict medical diagnoses years in...
- Based on a patient's case history, the Delphi-2M AI "predicts the rates of more than 1,000 diseases" years into the future
- Researchers trained the model on data from Britain's UK Biobank -- a large-scale biomedical research database with details on about half a million participants
Economy
AI to boost trade by nearly 40% by 2040: World Trade Report 2025
The 2025 edition of the World Trade Report reveals that, with the right enabling policies, artificial intelligence (AI) could boost...
- According to the report, AI could lead to significant increases in trade and GDP by 2040, with global trade projected to rise by 34-37% across different scenarios
- Trade can be a powerful enabler of inclusive AI -supported growth by helping economies access AI-enabling goods, such as raw materials, and semiconductors
Economy
US Fed set for first rate cut of 2025 as Trump pressure looms
The US Federal Reserve is poised to make its first interest rate cut of 2025 on Wednesday, but it battles...
- There is little doubt that the US central bank will lower rates at the end of its two-day policy meeting, and markets widely expect a 25 basis points reduction
- Typically, the Fed might be inclined to keep rates at a higher level to bring inflation back to its two-percent target -- or slash rates to support a weakening labor market
Economy
Asian markets rise as traders prepare for expected US rate cut
Asian stocks rose again Tuesday to extend another record day on Wall Street as traders locked in bets on a...
- While the outcome of the Federal Reserve's policy decision Wednesday is considered a fait accompli, there is still a lot of discussion over its plans for future meetings
- Bank boss Jerome Powell's post-meeting comments will also be pored over for an idea about decision-makers' thinking as the US jobs market slows
Economy
US Fed poised for first rate cut of 2025 as political tension mounts
The Fed's likely move would follow a monthslong push from President Donald Trump to slash rates, and comes amid growing...
- Since the bank's last reduction in December, it has held interest rates at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent as policymakers monitor the effects of Trump's sweeping tar
- Analysts now broadly expect a 25 basis points rate cut at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday, as hiring slows.
Economy
Turkey cuts interest rate again as inflation eases
Turkey's central bank on Thursday cut its policy interest rate for a second meeting in a row as the country's...
- Turkey's central bank had raised its key interest rate to 46 percent in April after protests over the jailing of Istanbul's powerful opposition mayor
- The bank decided to reduce it again on Thursday to 40.5 percent -- a bigger cut than the two-percentage-point reduction expected by analysts
Economy
Global oil supply hit record high in August: IEA
Paris, France -- Global oil supply hit a record high in August as OPEC+ and other countries ramped up production,...
- Eight key members of OPEC+ group, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, have been gradually increasing production since April after restricting output in recent years.
- Non-OPEC+ nations have also been raising their output, with the IEA saying production from the United States, Brazil, Canada, Guyana and Argentina was "at or near all-time highs".
Business
Stock markets strike records despite geopolitical unrest
Gains for oil prices were relatively modest, while gas futures were unmoved after Israel's strikes Tuesday against Hamas in gas-rich...
- Wall Street had notched fresh highs Tuesday as markets digested weak US jobs data that added to expectations that the Fed will lower US interest rates at their next meeting.
- Tokyo's stock market ended at an all-time high, as did Seoul where traders were hopeful the government will not implement plans to lower the capital gains tax threshold for stocks.
Geostrategy
Europe hyperloop test hits new speed record in Dutch trial
The Hague, Netherlands -- A Dutch tech startup said Wednesday it had set a European speed record for its futuristic...
- Hardt Hyperloop said its vehicle had reached 85 kph at the 420 meter European Hyperloop Center test track in the Netherlands and had carried out a complex lane switching test.
- It said the lane switching maneuver -- essential for networked routes -- showed there were no technical barriers to operating at aircraft-like speeds.
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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
Fragmenting world economy raises costs beyond geopolitical rivals
A report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and consulting firm Oliver Wyman found that fragmentation accelerated through 2025...
Economy
Company News
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‘Innovation takes time—The Gulf’s economic transformation requires patience and persistence’
In an interview with TRENDS, Josh Lerner says Gulf economies pursuing diversification must recognize that transformation takes time, patience, and...
Economy
UAE Innovation Month: Why 2026 is the year of the agentic enterprise
The synergy between humans and AI agents is driving a ‘Great Redeployment’ where there is a structural shift in how...
Economy
The great tech reset: How the gulf turned sovereign capital into a tech ecosystem
The GCC has quickly moved from passive capital allocation into active ecosystem building, spurred on by heavy sovereign capital and...
Economy
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Geostrategy
Citizen-consumers are redefining the global reputation of multinationals: Ipsos study
The report, Impacts of Multinational Corporations: What Citizen-Consumers Want from Foreign Companies Doing Business in Their Country, draws on a...
- Despite regional differences, one expectation stands out globally: people want multinational corporations to contribute to local economies.
- This economic focus was particularly pronounced in developing and emerging markets, including many countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America.
Economy
Governments must put creativity at the center of economic strategy: Report
Titled Creative Futures: The Springboard for Sustained Economic Growth and Diversification, the report argues that cultural and creative industries —...
- The report finds that every dollar invested in creative industries generates approximately $2.50 in broader economic activity across sectors such as tourism and urban services.
- It warns that countries slow to act risk becoming importers of creative content rather than exporters shaping global cultural markets.
Web Summit Qatar 2026 in Doha draws 30,000 participants, global tech leaders
The summit features a high-profile lineup of speakers, including Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht, IBM Chief Impact Officer Justina Nixon-Saintil, Twitch...