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...
Business
Saudi Arabia’s high-stakes race toward Vision 2030: Diversifying amid global uncertainty
Moving forward, lower oil revenues will continue to pose challenges to the Saudi economy and its overall targets. Earlier this...
Economy
Economy
UAE passport most powerful in MENA region, 11th in global index
Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE passport has climbed two positions to secure the 11th spot in the 2024 Passport...
- The UAE has been the most improved nation on the Index over the past decade, adding an impressive 106 destinations to its visa-on-arrival list since 2014
- The country's passport continues to lead the region, outpacing other Gulf nations, with Qatar at 53rd, Kuwait at 55th, Bahrain at 59th, Oman at 60th, and Saudi Arabia at 61st
Economy
World adds 50% more renewable energy capacity in 2023
The International Energy Agency said that the renewable energy capacity added to energy systems went up 50 percent in 2023,...
- The IEA said the largest growth took place in China, with wind power additions rising by 66%
- Europe, the US and Brazil also hit all-time highs in renewable energy capacity
Economy
US regulators authorize first bitcoin funds on public markets
The authorization of the ETFs - which are comparable to stocks or mutual funds as far as accessibility to everyday...
- Regulators approved proposals for 11 ETFs to list on leading exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a 22-page order
- Exchange-traded funds are traded on public markets, granting investors exposure to price movements in asset prices without taking direct ownership of the underlying assets
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Saudi, UAE report highest levels of gross debt
Among the Arab countries, Egypt recorded the highest debt-to-GDP ratio of 92.7 percent while US and China are on an...
- Developing countries spent a record $443.5 billion to service their external public and publicly guaranteed debt in 2022, the World Bank said recently.
- The increase in costs shifted scarce resources away from critical needs such as health, education, and the environment.
Business
Five new residency programs to attract talent to Saudi Arabia
These residency products offer several benefits, including the ability to conduct business and invest in Saudi Arabia, own real estate,...
- Special Talent Residency: is focused on attracting healthcare professionals, scientists, and researchers with exceptional expertise and experience.
- Entrepreneur Residency is geared towards aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators eager to launch and grow their startups in the Kingdom.
Business
Saudi Arabia raises mineral resources estimates to $2.5 trillion
The Kingdom raised its mineral resources estimates from $1.3 trillion in 2016 on the exploration of nearly 30 percent of...
- The estimates were revised for phosphate, gold and rare earths. Moreover, the Kingdom’s reserves potential grew by 90 percent, the minister said.
- Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in terms of mineral wealth, the Kingdom is the world's fourth-largest importer of minerals.
Economy
WEF 2024 aims to bridge trust gaps amid global discord
Geneva, Switzerland - The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 is set to gather over 2,800 global leaders in Davos-Klosters,...
- The WEF 2024 entails sessions addressing global security, economic growth, climate action, technological disruption, and health and well-being
- The forum will emphasize public-private collaboration to translate ideas into actionable solutions, acting as an accelerator for cooperation among leaders and initiatives
Economy
Arab region faces soaring youth unemployment crisis
The region, with the world's highest youth unemployment rate, requires the creation of 33.3 million jobs by 2030 to accommodate...
- The region, with the world's highest youth unemployment rate, requires the creation of 33.3 million jobs by 2030 to accommodate the large number of candidates.
- Arab countries are required to transform their education systems to align with the evolving labor market and create job opportunities for youth in the region.
Economy
UAE economy likely to grow by 3.8 percent in 2025, says World Bank
WASHINGTON, US - The World Bank expected the UAE's real GDP to grow by 3.4 percent in 2023, rising to...
- The World Bank forecast the growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to rise to 3.6 percent in 2024 and 3.8 percent in 2025.
- The report said that the growth rate in the Middle East and North Africa region slowed down sharply to 1.9 percent in 2023.
Economy
Boost investment to avert ‘decade of wasted opportunity’: World Bank
Global growth is set to slow from an estimated 2.6 percent in 2023 to 2.4 percent this year, 0.75 percentage...
- Growth in advanced economies is expected to slow to just 1.2% this year, while emerging market and developing economies should see growth ease slightly to 3.9%.
- After seeing reasonable growth in 2023, the United States and China -- the world's two largest economies -- are both likely to slow in the year ahead, the World Bank said.
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...
Business
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United Kingdom renationalizes first train operator under Labor reforms
London, United Kingdom -- Britain's South Western Railways on Sunday becomes the first private train operator to be returned to...
Economy
Trump fires new 50% tariff threat at EU, drawing stiff response
Washington, United States - President Donald Trump rekindled the US trade war on Friday, threatening to impose a 50 percent...
Economy
Trump threatens Apple with a 25% tariff if iPhones aren’t made in US
Washington, United States -- US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened Apple with a 25 percent tariff if the iPhones...
Business
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Business
China’s Xiaomi to invest nearly $7 bn in chips
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi will invest 50 billion yuan ($6.9 billion) in developing high-end smartphone chips, the firm's founder said...
- Xiaomi, which sells goods from smartphones to vacuum cleaners and EVs, is one of China's most prominent consumer electronics firms.
- Xiaomi took initial steps into semiconductors for smartphones with the launch of the firm's first in-house chip - the Surge S1 - in 2017.
Economy
China factory output beats forecasts, weathering tariffs
Beijing, China - Factory output in China grew at a faster rate than expected last month, official data showed Monday,...
- Industrial production in the export powerhouse grew 6.1 percent on-year in April, according to figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)
- The reading was higher than the 5.7 percent forecast in a Bloomberg survey, but still lower than the 7.7 percent jump recorded for March
Business
General Gulf inflation rate logs 1.7% by end of Dec 2024
Muscat, Oman -- The general inflation rate in the GCC countries rose by 1.7 percent at the end of December...
- The increase is primarily driven by a 5.9 percent increase in housing prices and a 2.8 percent rise in the prices of goods and services.
- The culture and entertainment group recorded a 1.8 percent increase, while both the food and beverages group and the education group rose by 1.2 percent each.