China accuses US of ‘double standards’ over new tariffs threat
Beijing, China -- China accused the United States of "double standards" on Sunday, after President Donald Trump threatened an additional...
Geostrategy
Tech leaders unite to propel future-critical sectors at GITEX GLOBAL 2025
Dubai, UAE: With capabilities of AI advancing every year, its potential to address challenges once thought unsolvable is rapidly expanding,...
Business
Economy
US, China seek to extend trade truce with London talks
After a round of talks in Geneva last month, the United States and China will sit down at the negotiating...
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will lead the US delegation
- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng - who led Beijing's negotiating team in Geneva - will also lead the team in London, the foreign ministry announced at the weekend
Economy
Key MENA trends: M&A surge to five-year high, Saudi port activity rises in May
Qatar's foreign reserves rise 3.6 percent year-on-year despite a dip in bonds and treasury holdings, Iraq releases Australian and Egyptian...
- Egypt and Turkey continue their coordination on ceasefire efforts and humanitarian aid, as diplomatic momentum struggles against on-ground escalation.
- The ICRC has warned that the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with medical infrastructure under increasing strain from ongoing hostilities.
Economy
Trump says Musk has ‘lost his mind’ as feud fallout mounts
Washington, United States - US President Donald Trump said Friday that Elon Musk had "lost his mind" but insisted he...
- The blistering public break-up between the world's richest person and the world's most powerful is fraught with political and economic risks all round
- Trump had scrapped the idea of a call with Musk and was even thinking of ditching the red Tesla he bought at the height of their bromance, White House officials told AFP
Economy
MENA Outlook: Diversification, AI, and economic integration take centre stage
As the region pivots toward a post-oil future, recent developments across the Middle East and North Africa suggest an accelerating...
- Saudi government announced a $5.6 billion fertilizer JV between SABIC and Aramco, while also adopting new green building codes to reduce emissions
- From launching the world’s first AI-powered media council to streamlining family business, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are reinventing the regulatory ecosystem to attract global capital
Economy
IMF upgrades Saudi real GDP growth forecast to 6% in 2025, up from
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised upwards its forecast for Saudi Arabia's economic growth to...
- This adjustment from earlier estimates reflects the impact of extended oil production cuts and a slower-than-expected rebound in oil output.
- The IMF anticipates that inflation will remain contained, with an average annual rate holding steady at 2.1 percent in 2025 and easing slightly to 2 percent the following year.
Economy
World Economic Forum unveils framework highlighting transformative technology convergences across key industries
Agentic AI, spatial intelligence and robotic advancements in manipulation and adaptive control are enabling autonomous systems to make intelligent decisions...
- The 3C framework – combination, convergence and compounding – identifies standout technology combinations such as cognitive robots and digital twin ecosystems
- The framework can help industry leaders drive systemic change across infrastructure, energy, transportation and healthcare by investing in ecosystem readiness
Geostrategy
New WEF report reveals how tech convergence will reshape industries
Geneva, Switzerland – The World Economic Forum today released a new report examining how emerging technology combinations are reshaping industries...
- AI is a key enabler, making many emerging tech synergies commercially viable across industries.
- Digital twins, enhanced by AI and sensors, are expanding efficiency in sectors from aerospace to healthcare.
Economy
Lebanon on bumpy road to public transport revival
Beirut, Lebanon - On Beirut's chaotic, car-choked streets, Lebanese student Fatima Fakih rides a shiny purple bus to university, one...
- Lebanon's public transport system never recovered from the devastating 1975–1990 civil war that left the country in ruins, and in the decades since, car culture has flourished
- Even before the economic crisis that began in 2019, the country was running on empty, grappling with crumbling power, water and road infrastructure
Business
Oil under $65 a boon for consumers, but a burden on producers
London, United Kingdom -- US President Donald Trump's tariffs, his call to "drill baby drill" and especially a decision by...
- The fall in oil prices has contributed to a global slowdown for inflation, while also boosting growth in countries reliant on importing crude, such as much of Europe.
- Cheaper crude "increases the level of disposable income" consumers have to be spending on "discretionary items" such as leisure and tourism, experts say.
Science
How social media can ‘trigger’ eating disorders in young people
Paris, France -- Social media can push vulnerable young people towards developing eating disorders by glorifying thinness and promoting fake,...
- Young women and girls are much more likely to suffer from illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, though rates among men have been increasing.
- Research has shown the percentage of people worldwide who have had some kind of eating disorder during their lives rose from 3.5 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2018.
China accuses US of ‘double standards’ over new tariffs threat
Beijing, China -- China accused the United States of "double standards" on Sunday, after President Donald Trump threatened an additional...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Apple to lower iPhone 12 radio power across EU
Paris, France - Apple will update software on iPhone 12 handsets across the EU to lower the power of their...
Science
Chinese cluster now world’s top innovation hotspot: UN
Geneva, Switzerland -- Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou has overtaken Tokyo-Yokohama to become the world's top cluster for innovation, the United Nations said...
Business
From entertainment to economics: GCC govts make room for creators in their national vision plans
In Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, digital content creation is a key pillar of economic transformation, and Qatar National Vision 2030...
Economy
Most Read
Business
UAE continues to attract major global companies for new headquarters
Dubai, UAE -- The United Arab Emirates has continued to attract global companies looking to establish regional or global headquarters....
- This trend is supported by the country's legislative and digital infrastructure, as well as its strategic location.
- A report from the Kearney Foundation ranked the UAE second among emerging markets in its "FDI Confidence Index 2025."
Economy
How Viet Nam’s informal waste workers are leading the plastic pollution fight
Behind nearly 90% of all plastic recycled in Viet Nam is someone like Ms Nguyen Thi Kenh or Ms Nguyen...
- In the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, nearly 10,000 women collect plastics for recycling, part of an army of informal waste workers
- Viet Nam accounts for 1.8 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with about 27% of that recycled, making the country a potential leader in tackling the problem
Economy
Fed governor calls for rate cut at September policy meeting
A governor of the US Federal Reserve, Christopher Waller, said Thursday that the central bank should lower its key interest...
- US Federal Reserve, Christopher Waller enthusiasm echoes President Donald Trump's eagerness to cut the rate that is central to US banking and borrowing
- For months the Republican president has called for the cut repeatedly, despite resistance from current Fed chairman Jerome Powell