Microsoft data highlights Qatar’s rapid Artificial Intelligence growth
The finding place Qatar among the top ten countries globally for practical AI usage. Qatar's AI market reached approximately $59...
Business
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
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.
Economy
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...
- The UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have seen a big boom in the emergence of bloggers, influencers, and content creators who are gaining a substantial following
- The Gulf region - home to a predominantly young population, with over 50% being under the age of 25 in 2021 - has 90% smartphone penetration
Economy
China manufacturing shrinks in August despite new US trade truce
Beijing, China -- China's factory output ticked up in August but still recorded a fifth straight month of contraction, official...
- The Purchasing Managers' Index -- a key measure of industrial output -- was 49.4, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, up slightly from 49.3 in July.
- The last time China recorded a figure above 50 -- indicating growth -- was in March.
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
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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
Microsoft data highlights Qatar’s rapid Artificial Intelligence growth
The finding place Qatar among the top ten countries globally for practical AI usage. Qatar's AI market reached approximately $59...
Business
Company News
Latest News
‘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...