Saudi mega-projects could generate 35% of power needs through on-site renewables
A BCG report says rooftop solar and decentralized renewable systems can lower electricity costs, reduce emissions and help developers meet...
Research
Bain identifies four priorities for sovereign wealth funds as assets approach $30 trillion
State-backed investors are expanding beyond traditional investment models, increasing exposure to alternatives, AI and direct deals while balancing returns with...
Economy
Geostrategy
91% of new renewable projects now cheaper than fossil fuels alternatives
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation...
- IRENA’s new report confirms renewables maintained their price advantage over fossil fuels, with cost declines driven by technological innovation.
- In 2024, solar photovoltaics (PV) were, on average, 41 percent cheaper than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternatives, while onshore wind projects were 53 percent cheaper.
Geostrategy
Global gas flaring surges again, costs $63bn in lost energy: WB
Washington, UAE -- Global gas flaring surged for a second year in a row, wasting about $63 billion in lost...
- Flaring, the practice of burning natural gas during oil extraction, reached 151 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024, up 3 bcm from the previous year.
- While some countries have reduced flaring, the top nine largest-flaring countries continue to account for three-quarters of all flaring.
Economy
Turkey parliament passes contentious mining legislation
Turkey's parliament on Saturday passed a controversial bill that opens certain agricultural lands including olive groves to mining activities, local...
- The bill, part of a broader package proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP party, sparked protests from opposition parties and environmental groups
- Farmers from across Turkey have gathered outside parliament over the past two weeks, urging the government to withdraw the draft, with some starting a hunger strike this week
Geostrategy
G20 nations agree central bank independence ‘crucial’
The statement came after months of escalating attacks by US President Donald Trump on Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell. The...
- This week he suggested he could be dismissed for "fraud" over his handling of a renovation project at the Federal Reserve headquarters.
- The G20 is made up of 19 nations and two regional organizations and its members account for more than 80 percent of the world's economic output.
Business
Global markets rise as Trump weighs future of Fed boss
US indices were near record highs two hours into the Wall Street session with all eyes on an incoming earnings...
- The rises came on the back of a better-than-expected US retail sales report and a round of mostly solid corporate earnings.
- Market observers have been carefully watching reports that US President Donald Trump, fresh from unveiling new tariff threats, could sack Powell.
Investigation
AI-powered ‘nudify’ apps fuel deadly wave of digital blackmail
Washington, United States - After a Kentucky teenager died by suicide this year, his parents discovered he had received threatening...
- The tragedy underscores how so-called sextortion scams targeting children are growing around the world, particularly with the rapid proliferation of "nudify" apps
- Elijah Heacock, 16, was just one of thousands of American minors targeted by such digital blackmail, which has spurred calls for more action from tech platforms
Research
Trump to unveil investments to power AI boom
Washington, United States - US President Donald Trump heads to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to announce energy and infrastructure deals intended...
- Trump will make the announcement at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University
- The tech world has fully embraced generative AI as the next wave of technology, but fears are growing that its massive electricity needs cannot be met by current infrastructure
Economy
Macron calls on EU to ‘defend European interests’ in US tariff talks
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday condemned US President Donald Trump's threat to impose 30-percent tariffs on the European Union,...
- US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Mexico and the EU would be slapped with 30-percent tariffs starting on August 1
- Expressing France's "very strong disapproval" of the announcement, Macron called on the bloc to "step up the preparation of credible countermeasures
Economy
UAE, Germany launch joint business council to strengthen economic ties
Berlin, Germany - Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy to the...
- The event brought together more than 150 prominent business leaders from both countries and formed part of the official visit of Dr. Al Jaber to Germany
- The establishment of the UAE-Germany Business Council reflects the strong and long-standing economic partnership between the two nations
Economy
Demand for crude will continue to expand through 2050, says OPEC
In its latest annual report on the outlook for oil demand, OPEC sees global oil demand rising by 18.6 percent...
- That rising demand will be "driven by expanding economic growth, rising populations, increasing urbanization, and the new energy-intensive industries like AI.
- The IEA said last month that it expects global oil demand begin to decline in 2030, driven by the rise of electric cars and the shift away from crude to produce power.
Saudi mega-projects could generate 35% of power needs through on-site renewables
A BCG report says rooftop solar and decentralized renewable systems can lower electricity costs, reduce emissions and help developers meet...
Research
Company News
Latest News
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