ChatGPT surpasses 1 billion monthly active users in May
Dubai, UAE -- OpenAI's ChatGPT surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in May, becoming the fastest application to reach the...
Business
MENA faces shortfall of 111,737 construction Project Managers by 2035: PMI
The PMI report finds that MENA will require up to 330,794 construction project management professionals by 2035 under a high-growth...
Economy
Science
MBZUAI, G42 launch K2 Think: Leading open-source system for advanced AI reasoning
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Institute of Foundation Models at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and G42...
- K2 Think embodies a new approach to building smarter, more efficient AI, as with just 32 billion parameters, it outperforms flagship reasoning models that are 20X larger.
- This breakthrough in parameter efficiency makes K2 Think a powerful alternative for advanced reasoning, redefining what is possible with compact architectures
Business
Stocks climb eyeing US rate cut, political turbulence
A steep downward revision to US job creation cemented expectations that the Federal Reserve would begin lowering its benchmark rate...
- US employment growth is likely to be revised down by 911,000 for the 12 months ending in March, official data showed.
- Investors are now looking to consumer inflation data coming Thursday, since a hot reading could keep the Fed from cutting further as it looks to curb price increases.
Economy
Saudi launches Damascus area reconstruction project
Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday humanitarian projects for Syria including the removal of wartime rubble around Damascus, weeks after inking...
- The oil-rich Gulf kingdom has been a major backer of the new Syrian government, which came to power after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad
- Other agreements inked on Sunday would see Riyadh support the reconstruction of 34 schools in Syria's Aleppo, Idlib and Homs provinces
Geostrategy
Key OPEC+ members to boost oil production again
Oil ministers in the V8 grouping -- comprising Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and...
- Those countries had already increased production by 2.2 million bpd in recent months.
- They said that the new incoming cycle could see up to an extra 1.65 million bpd eventually coming onto the market.
Science
AI giant Anthropic to pay $1.5 bn over pirated books
San Francisco, United States - Anthropic will pay at least $1.5 billion to settle a US class action lawsuit over...
- "This landmark settlement far surpasses any other known copyright recovery," said plaintiffs' attorney Justin Nelson. "It is the first of its kind in the AI era."
- San Francisco-based Anthropic announced this week that it raised $13 billion in a funding round valuing the AI startup at $183 billion
Science
Norway experiments with electric plane in real-life test
Oslo, Norway -- An electric plane took to the skies between the Norwegian airports Stavanger and Bergen on Thursday, simulating...
- The small aircraft -- an Alia built by US aircraft manufacturer Beta -- flew the 160 kilometers in a test run by the Norwegian affiliate of the transport company Bristow.
- The flight took 55 minutes and simulated a cargo flight route in southeastern Norway.
Business
Global bond selloff spreads to Japan, gold hits record high
Wall Street stocks opened mostly higher, with shares in Google parent-company Alphabet shooting up nearly seven percent after winning a...
- Yields on 30-year Japanese government bonds rose to an all-time high of 3.29 percent on Wednesday, while 20-year yields reached their highest since 1999.
- The selloff in Japanese debt mirrors widespread moves in the United States and Europe, with investors spooked over substantial piles of government debt globally.
Economy
Gold glitters to new high as Asia stocks mixed
Gold climbed to a new record Tuesday as investors sought out safe havens, while Japan's Nikkei and the Hang Seng...
- The precious metal reached $3,501.59 an ounce during early trading in Asia, soaring past its previous record of $3,500.10 in April
- The run in gold prices comes as investors weigh up a weakened US dollar and the prospect of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve
Science
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...
- The software update, scheduled "in the coming weeks" across the EU, is in line with a 2023 change made to the phones in France based on testing by ANFR radio frequency authority
- "We continue to disagree with the French ANFR's testing approach, (but) respect the European Commission's decision," Apple said in a statement
Business
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...
- The UN's World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said the Chinese cluster had leapfrogged its Japanese rival in its 2025 Global Innovation Index.
- The change at the top of the world's 100 leading innovation clusters was down to WIPO broadening the criteria to include VC investments to formulate the annual rankings.
Most Read
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
ChatGPT surpasses 1 billion monthly active users in May
Dubai, UAE -- OpenAI's ChatGPT surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in May, becoming the fastest application to reach the...
Business
Company News
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Jobs and investment top MENA expectations from multinational firms, Ipsos finds
As geopolitical turbulence grows, companies are increasingly at the mercy of forces beyond corporate leadership’s control.
Economy
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...
Geostrategy
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 —...
Economy
Most Read
Economy
Gaming, esports GCC’s new growth play
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading the gaming surge with world-class ecosystems and youth-driven expansion. Across the region, governments...
- Flagship events such as the Dubai Esports Festival and the BLAST Premier World Final, hosted by AD Gaming, have elevated the UAE’s global standing.
- With nearly 71 percent of the population under the age of 35, Saudi Arabia’s youth form the foundation of its gaming transformation.
Economy
Gold, silver prices tumble as investors soothed by Trump’s Fed pick
Gold and silver prices dived Friday, European stock markets ended the week up while Wall Street fell slightly with investors reassured...
- Precious metals prices tumbled on Friday after surging in recent days when investors sought a safe haven over doubts about Trump's policies
- Silver, which Thursday reached an all-time peak above $120 an ounce, shed 20 percent meanwhile in sliding down to $90 an ounce
How Doha is Building a Knowledge Economy
By pairing sovereign capital with frictionless regulation, Doha reversed the startup playbook, attracting investors and founders first, then letting an...
- Qatar is using Web Summit not as an event, but as the organising backbone of a national startup and knowledge economy
- Rapid growth in attendance, startups, investors and female founders signals accelerating ecosystem momentum