GCC agriculture sectors post strong 2024 performance
Muscat, Oman -- Gulf Cooperation Council countries recorded strong performance in agriculture, livestock and fisheries during 2024, reflecting the growing...
Economy
Six Middle East cafés feature in the world’s 100 best coffee shops 2026 list
Six coffee shops from the Middle East have secured places in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026 list, highlighting...
Business
Economy
Gross national income of GCC countries hits $2.143 trillion
Muscat, Oman -- The latest data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of...
- The value of disposable national income (available for consumption and savings after deducting taxes and other transfers) amounted to US$1.989 trillion.
- The data indicate that the contribution of the non-oil sector to the GCC’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices rose to 71.5 percent by the end of 2023.
Economy
Trump says semiconductor tariffs coming soon
"I'll be setting tariffs next week and the week after, on steel and, I would say, chips. Chips and semiconductors,...
- Trump said the levy rate would be "lower at the beginning" but "very high after a certain period of time," as a way to encourage businesses to relocate operations to the US.
- On August 6, Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on semiconductors from firms that do not invest in the United States.
Economy
Oil prices rise ahead of US-Russia summit as stocks digest inflation data
New York, United States - Wall Street stocks finished little changed Thursday as markets absorbed a disappointing inflation report, while...
- The producer price index rose 0.9 percent on a month-on-month basis, much greater than analysts expected following benign consumer pricing data earlier this week
- Among individual companies, Intel surged 7.4 percent following a Bloomberg News report that Trump is considering an investment in the beleaguered chip company
Business
Stocks diverge as bitcoin hits record high
Bitcoin hit a new peak at $124,514.59 in Asian trading, before cooling to around $121,500. The world's biggest cryptocurrency is...
- Bitcoin is also winning investor support thanks to strong backing for the cryptocurrency sector from Trump.
- Most European equity indices climbed after major Asian peers ended lower.
Economy
Dubai GDP grows by 4 percent to reach $32.58 billion in first quarter of 2025
Human Health and Social Work activities registered the highest growth rate, rising 26 percent compared to the same period last...
- Real Estate activities grew by 7.8 percent, while financial and insurance activities expanded by 5.9 percent.
- Accommodation and food service activities recorded a 3.4 percent increase, and transport and storage rose by 2 percent.
Economy
Bitcoin hits record high above $124,000 before retreating
Tokyo, Japan - Bitcoin hit a record high on Thursday during early Asian trading, surpassing $124,000, driven by favourable US...
- US stocks ended higher Wednesday, with the S&P 500 index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq reaching new heights this week, contributing to the cryptocurrency's rise
- Bitcoin's value has recently soared, fuelled by US regulatory changes under US President Donald Trump, a strong backer of the crypto sector
Economy
Plastic pollution treaty talks in disarray as dozens of countries reject draft text
Geneva, Switzerland - Attempts to finalise a landmark treaty combating plastic pollution descended into disarray on the penultimate day on...
- With some 30 hours left to seal a deal among the 184 countries gathered at the United Nations in Geneva, states lined up to slam the text proposed by Luis Vayas Valdivieso
- Five previous rounds over the past two and a half years failed to seal an agreement, including a supposedly final round in South Korea late last year
Economy
Most markets rise as China-US tariff truce extended, US inflation data in focus
In an executive order, the White House reiterated its position that there are "large and persistent annual US goods trade...
- Donald Trump's widely expected trade announcement avoids the reimposition of sky-high levies and allows officials from Washington and Beijing to continue talking into November
- the White House reiterated its position that there are "large and persistent annual US goods trade deficits" and they "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat."
Economy
Trump says to move homeless people ‘far’ from Washington
President Donald Trump said Sunday that homeless people must be moved "far" from Washington, after days of musing about taking...
- The Republican billionaire has announced a press conference for Monday in which he is expected to reveal his plans for Washington
- "I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before," the president posted on his Truth Social platform Sunday
Economy
Gold futures hit record on US tariff shock; mixed day for stocks
Gold futures hit a record high Friday following reports of an unexpected tariff on the precious metal as global stocks...
- Wall Street enjoyed a sunny Friday led by the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index, which posted a second straight record
- Investors are growing confident that President Donald Trump's constantly-changing US trade policy won't derail the surge in investment around artificial intelligence
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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
GCC agriculture sectors post strong 2024 performance
Muscat, Oman -- Gulf Cooperation Council countries recorded strong performance in agriculture, livestock and fisheries during 2024, reflecting the growing...
Economy
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Arts & Culture
Web Summit Qatar 2026: Doha’s Bid to Become the Next Tech Hub
Early signals hint that Web Summit Qatar 2026 will be its biggest edition yet, with participation expected to outpace the...
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s high-stakes race toward Vision 2030: Diversifying amid global uncertainty
Moving forward, lower oil revenues will continue to pose challenges to the Saudi economy and its overall targets. Earlier this...
Economy
Syria to start replacing currency from Jan 1: central bank chief
Syria's central bank chief said Thursday that the country's currency would start to be replaced with a revamped version from...
Economy
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Economy
UAE builds resilient economy outpacing skeptics and shocks
From the 1980s onward, the federal government and individual emirates launched broader diversification and liberalization programs to reduce reliance on...
- Decades of strategic diversification, agile governance and private-sector dynamism have turned the UAE into a global benchmark for sustainable growth
- From the oil windfalls of the 1970s to today’s AI-driven economy, the UAE’s long-term vision is delivering fiscal strength, investor confidence and global relevance
Economy
US launches pact for AI supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies to face China
The United States signed an agreement on the supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies concerned about China's growing clout --...
- Dubbed the "Pax Silica," adapting the Latin terms for peace and silicon, a key material in AI, the partnership aims to secure supply chains
- China has quickly taken a dominant position in the race for resources in the fast-growing area of artificial intelligence, mining around 70 percent of key rare earths
Economy
MENA emerges as fast-growing global e-trading hub, UAE leads with over half-trillion dollars in volume
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most dynamic retail e-trading markets,...
- The study, Trading’s New Horizon: How Access, Innovation and Ambition Are Fuelling MENA’s E-Trading Boom, draws on two years of data from 62,850 verified traders across the region
- The report notes that MENA traders are young, digitally savvy and highly educated, and nearly 86% are aged 18–44, and 64% hold a university degree—far higher than Europe’s 39%