Hamas negotiators ‘not in Doha’ but political office not closed: Qatar
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, had led months of fruitless negotiations for a truce in the Gaza...
Geostrategy
End of a love affair: news media quit X over ‘disinformation’
Paris, France -- News outlets have begun quitting X, formerly Twitter, once a favorite of global media but now accused of...
Geostrategy
Business
Aramco Digital, Groq to build world’s largest AI inferencing data center
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Aramco Digital Company and Groq, a leader in artificial-intelligence (AI) inference, have announced their partnership to...
- The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Global AI Summit (GAIN Summit), which concluded in Riyadh on Thursday.
- The facility will process 5.28 million tokens per second by the end of 2024 and 53 tokens per second by 2025.
Business
Dubai tourism shines: 25 percent repeat visitors, rising AI use
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) has confirmed that 25 percent of visitors to Dubai...
- The high return rate is a proof that visitors are happy with what we offer them, said Issam Kazim, CEO of DCTCM.
- He added that the use of artificial intelligence can remove daily routine tasks and allow individuals to focus on the most important work.
Business
Rightmove rejects £5.6bn Murdoch bid
The property website said the bid was undervalued.
- REA made public its interest in Rightmove on September 2, noting "clear similarities" between the pair "in terms of their leading market positions in the core residential business"
- Sector-watchers said REA could be attracted by the prospect of more interest-rate cuts in Britain which would lower mortgage costs for buyers.
Business
UAE banking sector assets exceed $1.16 trillion by the end of June
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) revealed that total banking assets, including bank acceptance certificates,...
- The assents registered a month-on-month increase of 0.5Â percent, compared to AED 4.28 trillion in May 2024.
- The total foreign assets of the Central Bank of the UAE exceeded the AED 770 billion barrier at the end of June, for the first time in its history.
Geostrategy
WTO says trade alone won’t bridge gap between economies
The WTO's 2024 report on global trade looked at the role that commerce has played to narrow the gap between...
- The report found that low- and middle-income economies tend to engage less in international trade, receive less foreign direct investment and depend more on commodities.
- WTO chief economist Ralph Ossa added: "Less trade will not promote inclusiveness, nor will trade alone."
Science
First step for Europe’s hyperloop vehicles with test launch
Veendam, Netherlands -- The dream of hurtling between European cities at speeds of more than 700 kilometers per hour moved a...
- For the moment, the speed is relatively slow at 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) per hour but operators hope to reach 100 kph (62 mph) by the end of the year.
- Amsterdam to Berlin in 90 minutes or Milan in two hours -- the technology has the potential to revolutionize travel in Europe.
Geostrategy
Iran’s president to visit Iraq on first foreign trip, sign MoU on security
Tehran, Iran -- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian will visit neighboring Iraq on Wednesday, state media reported Sunday, in what will be...
- Pezeshkian will head a high-ranking Iranians delegation to Baghdad to meet senior Iraqi officials.
- Since taking office, Pezeshkian has vowed to "prioritize" strengthening ties with the Islamic republic's neighbors.
Business
Market capitalization of 20 UAE listed firms reaches $762 billion
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The market capitalization of the top 20 listed companies in the local stock markets by market...
- The 20 listed companies accounted for 77.6 per cent or AED 2.79 trillion of the total market capitalization of the local equity markets of AED 3.59 trillion.
- Global Holding came out on top with a market capitalization of more than AED 912.29 billion, equivalent to 25.4 percent of the capitalization of local markets.
Economy
Global stock markets wobble as investors weigh US jobs data
Since US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stated last month that the time for interest rates to begin coming down...
- Another big miss for August would have solidified perceptions that the US economy is slowing more sharply than initially thought.
- Government data showed Friday the world's biggest economy added 142,000 jobs last month, an increase from July's figure which was revised notably lower to 89,000.
Geostrategy
German foreign minister heads to Middle East in Gaza truce push
The talks will focus on "the dramatic situation in the region", and especially to discuss the issue of coordinating humanitarian...
- Pressure has mounted on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal to end the fighting
- Baerbock will set off Wednesday evening for Saudi Arabia where she will hold talks with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud
Hamas negotiators ‘not in Doha’ but political office not closed: Qatar
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, had led months of fruitless negotiations for a truce in the Gaza...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
UAE records 37% increase in greenfield FDI to $16 billion in 2023
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The UAE has witnessed a 37% increase in greenfield investments in 2023 to reach US$16 billion,...
Business
Saudi Arabia opens resort island at futuristic mega-city NEOM
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's planned futuristic mega-city known as NEOM announced on Sunday the opening of its "first physical...
Geostrategy
Saudis part ways with coach Mancini after a run of poor results
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's football body said it was ending the contract of national coach Roberto Mancini after 14...
Arts & Culture
Most Read
Interview
Bridging skills gap: UAE, Singapore lead the way
The two countries have adopted a people-centric and collaborative upskilling approach, says Till Leopold, Interim Head of Knowledge Communities at...
- In the UAE, impressive progress has been made in defining key skills and raising national awareness on human capital development.
- Leopold highlights AI-driven energy demand as a key sector for transformation, with significant job creation in sustainable energy.
Geostrategy
Beirut’s suburbs ravaged by Israeli air raids as Blinken urges de-escalation with Iran
Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah's southern Beirut stronghold destroyed six buildings in the deadliest assault since the war began, despite U.S....
- In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes pounded Tyre, leaving swathes of its centre in ruins and sparking a new exodus from the once vibrant coastal city
- Concerns are mounting over tens of thousands of civilians trapped by fighting in Gaza's aid-starved north, where Israel launched a major air and ground assault this month
Interview
WEF Dubai: UAE fosters global dialogue
The UAE has agile governance and it is not beholden to short-termism, Maroun Kairouz, Head of Regional Agenda for the...
- This year’s knowledge-share platform touched on a wide range of socio-economic challenges, from the ongoing humanitarian crises in the region to the shifts reshaping GCC industries
- Kairouz calls for a unified regional vision that can inspire a positive outlook on the future and provide alternatives to the deprivation that plague parts of the Middle East