INSEAD Day 4 - 728x90

Economy

Samsung biggest chip investor

The tech giant invested nearly $59.2bn in 2025.

flynas to set up new hub

Five destinations in first phase of operations.

AD Ports Group acquires CLI

CLI is Brazilian agri-bulk terminal operator.

$1.59bn Makkah project awarded

A consortium will develop two districts in the Holy City.

2PointZero posts profit surge

Growth driven by merger consolidation.

UAE realty sector poised for growth as central bank forecasts 6.2% GDP growth in 2025

Factors such as increased foreign investment, ambitious urban projects, and favorable regulatory reforms are expected to propel the real estate...
  • Factors such as increased foreign investment, ambitious urban projects, and favorable regulatory reforms are expected to propel the real estate market forward
  • As the UAE continues to strengthen its economic diversification efforts, the real estate sector remains a cornerstone of stability and growth

RTA launches Phase II Study of Intelligent Traffic Systems Initiative

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started the study and design of Phase II of ITS Improvement and Expansion...
  • This phase to cover 100 percent of Dubai's main roads, adopt latest smart technologies and software
  • The project has improved incident monitoring by 63 percent, reduced response times by 30 percent

UAE ranks among the world’s most competitive economies in 2024, says Switzerland’s IMD ranking

The country has risen to the 7th spot in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, highlighting its robust economic growth, strategic...
  • The assessment, based on comprehensive factors including GDP, productivity, political stability, social cohesion, and cultural impact, underscores the UAE's robust economic growth
  • Over the past year, the UAE has made significant strides in bolstering its economic foundations, supported by proactive government policies and strategic investments

UAE, Qatar Central banks keep interest rates unchanged towing the line with US Fed

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and Qatar Central Bank (QCB) have decided to keep interest rates unchanged, following...
  • The US Fed funds rate was maintained at the 5.25% - 5.50% range
  • The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed no increase in May

Saudi Arabia launches ‘National Semiconductor Hub’ 

At least 50 semiconductor design companies will be established in Saudi Arabia by 2030 after a new initiative was launched to develop...
  • To be supported by deep tech venture capital fund that exceeds $266 million
  • Hub is a strategic effort to establish a semiconductor design industry ecosystem in Saudi worth SR50 billion 

Concerns and optimism on World Environment Day as Arabian Gulf takes bold initiatives

Political and business leaders in the Arabian Gulf region push for sustainability agenda to secure clean environment for the future...
  • "In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We are not only in danger. We are the danger", says UN chief
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid says: "We renew our call to the younger generations to make all efforts to ensure its [environment's] sustainability."

Economic outlook brightening but political risks loom large in 2024, say chief economists

Geneva, Switzerland – The latest Chief Economists Outlook released on May 29 presents a growing sense of cautious optimism about...
  • The survey reveals a boost in the outlook for the US, where nearly all chief economists (97%) now expect moderate to strong growth this year, up from 59% in January
  • Expectations for China are slightly less optimistic, with three-quarters expecting moderate growth and only 4% predicting strong growth this year

Egypt hikes subsidized bread price for first time in decades

Cairo, Egypt - Egypt's cabinet decided Wednesday to raise the price of subsidized bread for the first time in 30 years,...
  • The price of a loaf, long set at five piastres ($0.001), would quadruple to 20 piastres ($0.004) from June 1, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly told a news conference
  • Madbouly acknowledged the move would be unpopular but emphasised the need to "rationalise the burden on the state treasury to ensure the sustainability of subsidies."

The U.S. playing the waiting game with inflation

Federal Reserve official Neel Kashkari has reiterated the Fed’s wait-and-see approach about possible rate cuts.  In a recent interview on CNBC, Kashkari, who serves...
  • The labor market remains strong in the U.S.
  • The consensus is that the first rate cut won’t arrive before September

The Middle East fastest growing Real-Time Payments market globally

For the second consecutive year, the Middle East is the fastest-growing real-time payments market globally, according to the 2024 Prime...
  • The region saw a remarkable YoY growth of 33.6% in 2023 with 855 million real-time payment transactions
  • Transaction value in the Middle East is projected to rise from US$230 billion in 2023 to US$903 billion by 2028

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.

Latest News

Saudi Bank credit grows by over 116 billion in one year by June 2025

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Bank credit extended to the public and private sectors in the Kingdom continued its upward trend,...

25 countries suspend postal services to United States over tariffs: UN

The Trump administration said late last month that it will abolish a tax exemption on small packages entering the United...

Saudi non-oil exports increase by 17.8 percent in second quarter

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rose by 17.8 percent in the second quarter of 2025, according to...
INSEAD Day 4- 300x600
INSEAD Day 4- 300x600

Most Read

Israeli bulldozers uproot hundreds of trees in West Bank village, most of them olive trees

"The goal is control and forcing people to leave. This is just the beginning -- it will expand across the...
  • Abdelatif Mohammed Abu Aliya, a local farmer from the village near Ramallah, said he lost olive trees that were over 70 years old on about one hectare of land
  • "They completely uprooted and levelled them under false pretences," he said, explaining he and other residents had already begun replanting the pulled-up trees

Creators HQ attracts 2,415 active members from 147 countries with combined following of over 2 billion

Dubai, UAE – Creators HQ, the first headquarters for content creators in the UAE and the Middle East, has seen...
  • Creators HQ also brings together content creators and industry leaders worldwide to amplify their impact, develop their work, and support the sustainability
  • In addition, it attracted 78 global companies in the content sector from 24 countries to relocate to the UAE, with the UK, Pakistan, the US, India, France, leading the list

India’s Modi dangles tax cuts as US tariffs loom

Mumbai, India -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to slash consumption taxes on everyday goods could deliver billions of...
  • The prospective measure has clouded the outlook for the world's fifth-largest economy, with Indian exporters warning of plunging orders and severe job losses.
  • His proposed cuts to the goods and services tax (GST) would make everything from small cars to air conditioners cheaper for consumers, economists say.