WEF26: Saudi Arabia positions itself as ‘connector economy’ amid shifting global trade
Saudi Arabia is seeking to leverage changes in global trade and supply chains to position itself as a “connector economy,”...
Economy
Reason for the GCC’s prosperity is that it is willing to take risks: Tadeu Baldani Caravieri
The Gulf economies face disruptions but embrace risk to grow, says Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, founder of Prototypes for Humanity, on...
Economy
Geostrategy
Norway’s wealth fund to enlist AI for managing climate risks
Oslo, Norway -- Norway's sovereign wealth fund said Wednesday that it would incorporate artificial intelligence tools into its investment analysis...
- The fund's head of active ownership, Wilhelm Mohn, said AI along with its own analysis tools would allow it to "streamline processes and enhance decision-making".
- The fund urges the more than 8,600 companies it invests in worldwide to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Business
OpenAI unveils search browser in challenge to Google
San Francisco, United States - ChatGPT-maker OpenAI on Tuesday announced an "Atlas" search browser, leveraging its artificial intelligence prowess in...
- "This is an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT," OpenAI chief Sam Altman said in a streamed presentation
- OpenAI has ramped up its challenge to Google, which has responded by rapidly building more AI capabilities into search and across its platform
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.
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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
WEF26: Saudi Arabia positions itself as ‘connector economy’ amid shifting global trade
Saudi Arabia is seeking to leverage changes in global trade and supply chains to position itself as a “connector economy,”...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
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...
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 --...
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,...
Economy
Most Read
Economy
Saudi powers forward with deficit spending to fund diversification of its oil-dependent economy
Saudi Arabia greenlit its 2026 budget Tuesday, projecting a deficit of 165 billion riyals ($44 billion) as the kingdom presses...
- The Arab world's largest economy is overseeing a major push to slash its dependence on oil revenues, with officials pouring billions into projects to attract investment and tourism
- The budget figures will be keenly watched by energy industry experts, with the hopes of gleaning insights into where Saudi Arabia expects oil revenues to head in the near future
Economy
Kuwait rises on the strength of collaboration: Airlines deal and sweeping reforms fuel economic revival
In addition, Kuwait hosted a major joint meeting between the GCC and the United Kingdom in October focused on a...
- As S&P upgrades Kuwait’s credit rating and non-oil sectors surge, the country’s 2025 policy strategy proves that collaboration can be a catalyst for long-term sustainable growth
- Major fiscal reforms, new regional agreements, and a booming non-oil economy position Kuwait for stronger investment flows and renewed global confidence
Economy
How China leveraged its rare earths dominance over the US in tariff war
China's stranglehold on the rare earths industry -- from natural reserves and mining through processing and innovation -- is the...
- Rare earths are crucial for the defence sector -- used in fighter jets, missile guidance systems and radar technology -- while also having a range of uses in everyday products
- At a high-stakes meeting in South Korea late last month, Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year truce in tariff war between the world's top two economies