Qatar’s economic momentum accelerates as diversification gains global recognition
However, Qatar faces downside risks from a deeper global economic slowdown that could weaken energy demand and LNG prices amid...
Economy
G20 summit opens in South Africa without Trump
The Johannesburg gathering is being attended by a host of world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister...
Geostrategy
Economy
Gold falls again as rally comes to halt, Asian markets drop
Gold and silver tumbled for a second day Wednesday, bringing a rally in the precious metals to a juddering halt,...
- Bullion has seen an eye watering run-up since the turn of the year, helping it climb more than 60 percent and hitting multiple records
- The rally has been built on a range of issues including a weaker dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts, falling bond yields and central bank buying
Business
Iraq bans Roblox game platform citing ‘moral values’
Iraq has banned US gaming platform Roblox over what it described as sexual content, blasphemy and risks of online blackmail...
- The popular site, which lets players build their own games, has repeatedly been accused of failing to protect its youngest players in recent years
- Iraq's communications ministry said late Sunday that it wanted to "protect social order, preserve moral values" and "ensure the safety of internet users in Iraq."
Geostrategy
US soliciting new bids for Moon mission amid SpaceX delays: NASA chief
The US space agency's Artemis program hopes to return humans to the Moon as China forges ahead with a rival...
- Blue Origin is the Jeff Bezos-founded rival of SpaceX. That company currently has the contract for the fifth planned mission of the multibillion-dollar Artemis program.
- US President Donald Trump's second term in the White House has seen the administration pile pressure on NASA to accelerate its progress.
Business
OpenAI big chip orders dwarf its revenues – for now
New York, United States - OpenAI is ordering hundreds of billions of dollars worth of chips in the artificial intelligence...
- In less than a month, the San Francisco startup behind ChatGPT has committed to acquiring a staggering 26 gigawatts of sophisticated data processors from Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom
- Silicon Valley-based Nvidia has announced plans to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI over several years to build the world's largest AI infrastructure
Geostrategy
China’s power paradox: record renewables, continued coal
Bangkok, Thailand -- Call it the China power paradox: while Beijing leads the world in renewable energy expansion, its coal...
- China accounted for 93 percent of new global coal construction in 2024, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clear Air (CREA) found.
- China wants 3,600 gigawatts of wind and solar by 2035, but that may not meet future demand, risking further coal increases.
Science
Non-Human Identities: How Agentic AI is creating a new, unseen frontier in enterprise cybersecurity risk
Adept at grasping context, planning and adaptive problem-solving, the agentic AI execute complex, multi-step processes with minimal human intervention or...
- In order to interact with different systems on our behalf, agentic AI has given rise to non-human identities (NHIs)
- The proliferation of NHIs in security blindspots, including leveraging cryptography assets, vastly increases the attack surface for malicious actors
Geostrategy
OpenAI halts MLK videos as deepfakes spark outrage
Washington, United States -- OpenAI has suspended its Sora 2 artificial intelligence tool from creating videos of civil rights icon...
- The slain civil rights leader's estate and OpenAI said the company would pause generations depicting King while it "strengthens guardrails for historical figures."
- Videos reanimating other dead figures including Malcolm X, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse have flooded social media since Sora 2's launch on September 30.
Geostrategy
Building a secure future: Key takeaways from WEF’s Dubai meetings
The Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity, held jointly with the Global Future Councils, focused on strengthening global cooperation to enhance digital...
- It convened over 500 experts from government, business, civil society and media, together with 150 of the world’s foremost cybersecurity leaders.
- Participants identified key innovations, policies and business models that could drive meaningful and sustainable economic growth.
Economy
Prone to conflict, displacement, climate shocks, investing in cities is a strategy for global stability
Addressing fragility in cities is, therefore, not only a social imperative; it is also a crucial economic consideration. It is...
- Conflict, displacement and climate shocks converge in cities, threatening global stability
- Stable urban systems unlock private sector confidence, strengthen security and create shared prosperity
Economy
Asian markets rally as Fed cut hopes trump trade war fears
Stocks jumped Wednesday as trade war fears were overshadowed by comments from Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell that suggested the...
- After a volatile couple of days characterised by a fresh flare-up in China-US tensions, investors took the opportunity to jump back into the market and resume a months-long rally
- Powell has for most of the year walked a fine line between trying to keep a cap on US inflation while also supporting the labour market, even as he faced abuse from President Trump
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
Qatar’s economic momentum accelerates as diversification gains global recognition
However, Qatar faces downside risks from a deeper global economic slowdown that could weaken energy demand and LNG prices amid...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
Social media fooled by AI video of ‘sky stadium’ for Saudi 2034 World Cup
Paris, France - An AI-generated video claiming to show one of the football stadiums for the 2034 FIFA World Cup...
Economy
Backed by its sovereign wealth fund, Saudi chases AI ambitions with homegrown firm pitched to global investors
The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in...
Economy
Steady and sensible, Oman builds its future brick by brick amid the Gulf’s glittering rush
With volatile geopolitics and the resulting uncertainty, the year 2025 has been challenging for most of the countries across the...
Economy
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Economy
Iran declares major lender bankrupt
Iran declared one of the country's largest private banks bankrupt with its assets absorbed by the state, official media reported...
- Founded in 2012, Ayandeh Bank had a network of 270 branches across the country, including 150 in the capital Tehran alone
- But it had more recently been crippled by debt, with accumulated losses amounting to the equivalent of about $5.2 billion
Science
Gartner lists 2026’s defining tech: Faster AI, safer clouds, and smarter security
AI supercomputing platforms integrate CPUs, GPUs, AI ASICs, neuromorphic and alternative computing paradigms, enabling organizations to orchestrate complex workloads while...
- AI supercomputing platforms integrate CPUs, GPUs, AI ASICs, neuromorphic and alternative computing paradigms, enabling organizations to orchestrate complex workloads
- By 2028, Gartner predicts that over 40% of leading enterprises will have adopted hybrid computing paradigm architectures into critical business workflows, up from the current 8%
Economy
China vows massive high-tech sector development in next decade
Beijing, China -- China will develop its high-tech sector on a massive scale in the next decade, top officials vowed...
- The country has poured support and investment into developing its science and technology sectors, part of ongoing efforts to present itself as a world leader in those areas.
- Domestically, China has been beset by sluggish spending, a protracted property sector crisis and a demographic crunch as its population starts to decline.