Fitch sees Saudi fiscal pressure persisting through 2029
Fitch Ratings expects Saudi Arabia’s fiscal deficits to remain wider than previously budgeted, with higher spending and conflict risks weighing...
Economy
OpenAI halts GPT-6.1 Astra release over safety concerns
The decision comes before OpenAI’s annual developer conference, where the company is expected to face scrutiny over AI safety.
Business
Economy
Building the Gulf’s Knowledge Future: Education, Innovation, Talent
Florin Vasvari of London Business School says a knowledge economy requires educated local talent, global expertise and supportive regulation, tax...
- A knowledge economy rests on educated local talent supported by global expertise, enabling innovation and diversification in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Florin Vasvari told TRENDS
- Technology investment must be matched by strong leadership, risk-taking culture and lifelong learning to drive real productivity gains, he adds
Economy
Building the New Creative Engine of the Knowledge Economy: Mark Penn
Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell, explains how AI and global tech partnerships are reshaping marketing and the GCC’s...
- AI is expanding creative and data-driven marketing capabilities at unprecedented scale, Mark Penn told TRENDS
- The GCC must now focus on building sustainable, talent-led innovation ecosystems beyond experimentation, he adds
Economy
The Gulf’s next currency isn’t petroleum. It’s know-how
The post-oil Gulf has the chance to redefine authenticity itself—as a deliberately trained, global hospitality culture built by people, not...
- The Gulf’s true wealth is shifting from oil reserves to human capability—what can be called the rise of “brain gold.”
- Tourism is quietly becoming the region’s most powerful engine for building future-ready skills that AI cannot replicate
Economy
How the Middle East is positioning itself at the crossroads of a changing world
AI, geopolitics, climate, and demographics are reshaping the Middle East’s growth model beyond oil.
- Geopolitical fragmentation has strengthened the Middle East’s role as an East–West connector
- A young population and impact-driven innovation are powering the shift to a knowledge 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...
- The region’s prosperity is linked to its willingness to experiment and take calculated risks, with cities like Dubai leading in financial innovation, Caravieri tells TRENDS
- Innovation relies on strong local institutions, including government policies, and the ability to produce scalable solutions, with capital as a critical enabler, he adds
Economy
From Summit to Strategy: Qatar Builds Global Investment Hub
This year’s edition is expected to welcome more than 30,000 participants from over 120 countries, including 1,500 startups, 700 investors...
- This year’s edition is expected to welcome more than 30,000 participants from over 120 countries, including 1,500 startups, 700 investors and 600 media representatives
- For a country with a population of under three million, this represents a remarkable concentration of global innovation and capital within a compact economic landscape
Business
Oil prices gain, as equities extend record run higher
Oil prices have experienced choppy trading since the surprise US raid Saturday on Caracas that saw Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro...
- Brushing off geopolitical concerns, some major stock markets have begun the new year with new all-time highs, having smashed records in 2025.
- Seoul rose more than one percent Tuesday to top 4,500 points for the first time, helped by another strong rally in chip giant SK hynix.
Economy
Global economy set for “sturdy growth” in 2026, MENA growth to outpace global economy
The Middle East and North Africa region is expected to outperform the global economy in 2026, with GDP projected to...
- Goldman Sachs Research has projected that the world economy will expand faster than widely expected next year, saying its economists expect sturdy global growth of 2.8%
- The Middle East and North Africa region is expected to outperform the global economy in 2026, with GDP projected to grow by 3.6% year on year compared to global growth of 3.1%
Business
SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41bln investment
Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after...
- Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted SoftBank towards artificial intelligence (AI).
- SoftBank had announced in April its planned investment of up to $40 billion in Open AI, and on Wednesday it said that the second tranche of $22.5 billion was completed.
Economy
Syria reveals new post-Assad banknotes
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa unveiled on Monday new banknotes replacing those showing ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and his family, hoping...
- Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, the pound has plunged from 50 to around 11,000 against the greenback
- The removal of the zeros, which does not impact the currency's value, was done to make transactions easier
Fitch sees Saudi fiscal pressure persisting through 2029
Fitch Ratings expects Saudi Arabia’s fiscal deficits to remain wider than previously budgeted, with higher spending and conflict risks weighing...
Economy
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Saudi, UAE startups join World Economic Forum’s global tech cohort
Saudi Arabia was represented by intella, which develops Arabic-language speech recognition and analytics tools, and Nommas Technologies, which provides AI-powered...
Geostrategy
PIF assets reach $910 billion by 2025 end, below Vision 2030 target
According to the latest Vision 2030 annual report, the real non-oil GDP reached $892 billion against a target of $904...
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s economy expands as oil and non-oil sectors grow
According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), all major economic sectors recorded positive annual growth during the quarter, reflecting...
Economy
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Economy
China’s foreign exchange reserves rise by $31bn to $3.44 trillion
Dubai, UAE -- China’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $3.4422 trillion at the end of May, their highest level in...
- SAFE attributed May's increase primarily to exchange-rate valuation effects and changes in prices of global financial assets.
- China remains the world's largest holder of foreign exchange reserves, providing a key buffer against market volatility and external shocks.
Economy
UN food organization sees global cereal output falling in 2026/27
Dubai, UAE -- Global cereal production is expected to decline by 2% in the 2026/27 season to 2.982 billion tons,...
- Record 2025/26 harvests helped build global cereal inventories despite forecasts of tighter supplies in the coming season.
- Lower wheat and barley trade volumes are expected to offset stronger maize and rice shipments worldwide.
Economy
Energy costs push OECD inflation to highest level this year
Dubai, UAE -- Annual inflation across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) accelerated to 4.4% in April from...
- Energy inflation reached 13.2% across the OECD, with 31 member countries reporting higher energy costs during April.
- U.S. inflation rose to its highest level since May 2023, while Britain's core inflation fell to four-year lows.