Qatar’s non-energy private sector shows strong growth in 2024
Doha, Qatar – Qatar’s non-energy private sector recorded robust growth in the final months of 2024, according to the latest...
Economy
Females make up 37.6% of the GCC population of 57.6 million
Muscat, Oman - The population of the six GCC countries reached 57.6 million in 2023, compared to 56.6 million in...
Economy
Economy
US Fed rate cuts become question of when, not if
Washington, United States -- The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to start cutting interest rates in the coming months, as...
- In economic forecasts published alongside the last Fed decision, policymakers indicated that they expect as many as three quarter percentage-point rate cuts this year.
- Fed interest rate cuts can help reduce the cost of consumer loans, making everything from cars to mortgages more affordable for millions of households.
Economy
Egypt’s wheat and oil reserves sufficient for several months, says minister
Cairo, Egypt-- Egypt has enough reserves of wheat to last it for many months, according to Dr. Ali Al-Moselhi, the...
- The minister said that 100 tonnes of sugar have been produced from the cane crop so far, and that preparations are underway to receive the beet crop in mid-March
- The country purchases around five million tonnes of wheat annually from abroad, and subsidised bread is available to more than 70 million of its 104 million population
Economy
Embracing renewables secures UAE’s green future
"COP28 saw all parties reach an agreement on the historic ‘UAE Consensus.’ This consensus includes achieving a well-organized, responsible, fair,...
- UAE, under Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber's leadership, actively promotes global renewable energy.
- The 'UAE Consensus' at COP28 sets specific goals for a zero-carbon energy system, Al Jaber adds.
Iran, Turkiye ink contract to connect power grids
Ankara, Turkiye – Iran and Turkiye signed contract to connect their power grids during the visit of Iranian president Ibrahim...
- The Khoy-Van grid line is set to become operational as part of the agreement between the Iran Grid Management Company and the Turkish Electricity Transmission Company
- The contract signed by Iran’s Mehdi Moghimzadeh and Turkiye's Orhan Kaldirim clears the decks for connection of the 400-kilovolt BtB HVDC line between Khoy (Iran) and Van (Turkiye)
Market Report
Paris stocks hit record thanks to luxury
Europe's main stock markets shot higher, with Paris closing at a record high as shares in LVMH surged on record...
- Hong Kong stocks slumped after rallying for much of the week, as traders awaited guidance on more Chinese stimulus.
- Oil prices fell as traders banked profits from a strong week for crude.
Economy
US Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge rises before rate decision
The US Federal Reserve's favored measure of inflation ticked higher last month, according to government data published. The latest announcement...
- The closely watched "core inflation" measure, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, continued to ease.
- This will likely reassure the Fed that trends are moving in the right direction, despite the latest uptick in headline prices.
Economy
Indians queue for Israel jobs as war in Gaza rages
India's urban unemployment rate -- the percentage of people wanting work who cannot find a job -- dipped to 5.1...
- Recruiters are aiming to fill a labour shortage in Israel exacerbated by nearly four months of fighting against Palestinian fighters in Gaza
- For the hundreds of Indians in line, almost all men, the chance of a skilled construction job in Israel - and wages up to 18 times higher - outweighs their fears
Arts & Culture
Riyadh Season 2023 on track to outshine previous edition with over 15m visitors
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Riyadh Season 2023 is poised to surpass the record set in 2021, with over 15 million...
- The accomplishment was announced on Wednesday, highlighting the success in achieving the target number of visitors before the conclusion of the event
- Comparatively, the first edition of Riyadh Season in 2019 attracted more than 9.6 million visitors, while the third edition in 2022 saw a turnout of over 13 million visitors
Economy
US economy defy expectations to grow stronger in Q4 2023
Washington, US - US economic growth was stronger than expected in the final months of 2023, government data showed Thursday, offering...
- The US economy expanded at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter, fueled by a resilient jobs market and consumer spending, the Commerce Department said
- The fourth quarter GDP jump "reflected increases in consumer spending, exports, state and local government spending" and other areas, it added
Economy
ECB to urge patience on rate cuts in battle against inflation
The central bank is tipped to leave rates unchanged for a third consecutive meeting, keeping the benchmark deposit rate at...
- Frankfurt institute launched an unprecedented rate hiking cycle in mid-2022
- ECB watchers will be more interested in president Christine Lagarde's press conference
Qatar’s non-energy private sector shows strong growth in 2024
Doha, Qatar – Qatar’s non-energy private sector recorded robust growth in the final months of 2024, according to the latest...
Economy
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Record high Gold prices amidst expected September FED rate cut
Gold prices continued to notch new records Wednesday, lifted by increasing conviction that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates...
Economy
Transformative New Murabba Stadium design in Riyadh revealed by PIF
Equipped with cutting-edge sporting technology, the stadium will offer an immersive and personalized experience for fans. Additionally, it will act...
Economy
Powell indicates Fed won’t wait until inflation is down to 2% before cutting rates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Monday that the central bank will not wait until inflation hits 2% to cut...
Economy
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Economy
UK’s Labor Party wins enough seats to form majority government
The Labor Party has officially won enough seats in the UK’s 2024 general election to have a majority in parliament,...
- 61-year-old Keir Starmer led Labor to victory over Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party in Thursday’s election
- With more than half of all 650 seats counted, Labor looks set to secure one of its biggest-ever majorities in the House of Commons
Economy
Top Middle East sovereign wealth funds invested $38.2 billion in 58 deals
Investments in H1 2024 led by the top Middle East sovereign wealth funds reached$38.2 billion in 58 different deals, according...
- The amount invested by the ‘Oil Five is more than double what the ‘Maple Eight’deployed
- Mubadala re-opened its Beijing office in 2023 to manage its $10 billion JV with SAFE and CDB
Economy
China factory activity contracts for second straight month
Beijing, China - Factory activity in China shrank for a second straight month in June, data showed Sunday, underscoring the country's...
- The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) registered at 49.5 in June, identical to May's figure, according to the National Bureau of Statistics
- Policymakers are due to convene in the capital Beijing in mid-July for a highly anticipated political gathering expected to focus on economic recovery