The global price tag of war in the Middle East
The asymmetry at the heart of this war’s economic geography is stark. The US imports relatively little oil through Hormuz....
Geostrategy
TECOM shareholders approve $229 million cash dividend for 2025
Dubai, UAE - TECOM Group PJSC shareholders approved the financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2025 and endorsed...
Business
Geostrategy
Carney’s UAE mission: A new era for Canada’s global trade ambitions
The latest visit of the Canadian PM is a part of his efforts to find new markets for his nation’s...
- With US tariff uncertainty looming, Ottawa turns to the Gulf to secure diversified markets and deeper investment ties.
- Carney’s economic diplomacy meets the UAE’s diversification drive, opening pathways in energy, agriculture, AI, and advanced technology.
Geostrategy
Israel receives bodies of two more hostages returned by Hamas
The issue of hostage bodies still in Gaza has become a sticking point in the ceasefire implementation, with Israel linking...
- Relief agencies have called for the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to be reopened to speed the flow of food, fuel and medicines.
- Gaza rescuers, meanwhile reported fresh violence in some areas despite the truce.
Arts & Culture
Wed by app: Abu Dhabi launches virtual marriage for all
Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Couples from anywhere in the world can now get married using the Abu Dhabi government's...
- The idea of online marriage is still in its infancy, with Ukraine launching a service last year allowing couples separated by war to tie the knot using its government app.
- The United Arab Emirates experimented with allowing online ceremonies for people living in the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Geostrategy
Hamas back on Gaza streets, acts against gangs and armed clans
For many Palestinians rebuilding their homes and lives amid Gaza's rubble, the sight of the Hamas forces was reassuring. Many...
- When bus loads of prisoners freed from Israeli jails arrived in Gaza on Monday, fighters from Hamas's Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades provided crowd control.
- Hamas accused Israel of breaking the truce by opening fire during the clashes. The military said it had only fired when unidentified Palestinians approached the Yellow Line.
Geostrategy
Hamas will not govern post-war Gaza: Hamas source close to negotiating committee
Doha, Qatar -- A Hamas source close to the group's negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that it will not...
- Hamas' leadership has in the past been divided on key issues, including on the future administration of Gaza.
- But where there appears to be no division among top members is on the question of disarmament, which the group has long described as a red line.
Business
OpenAI unveils ChatGPT app integration feature
San Francisco, United States - OpenAI on Monday unveiled a new feature for ChatGPT, the leading generative AI model with...
- Chief Executive Sam Altman announced the new tool to a crowd of enthusiastic developers gathered in San Francisco for the company's annual "Developer Day."
- The new feature, Apps SDK, allows ChatGPT to interact with various apps to select music, search for real estate or explore hotel and flight booking sites
Trump’s Gaza plan wins Netanyahu backing, but hinges on Hamas disarmament
The plan calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli...
- Hamas had yet to give its judgment on the proposal that Trump unveiled at the White House alongside Netanyahu, leaving uncertainty swirling around the fate of the 20-point plan
- The plan calls for a ceasefire, release of hostages by Hamas within 72 hours, disarmament of Hamas and gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, followed by a transitional authority
Geostrategy
ChatGPT to get parental controls after teen’s death
Paris, France -- American artificial intelligence firm OpenAI said Tuesday it would add parental controls to its chatbot ChatGPT, a...
- Parents will also receive notifications from ChatGPT "when the system detects their teen is in a moment of acute distress," OpenAI added.
- The company had trailed a system of parental controls in a late August blog post.
Science
Human ancestor Lucy gets first European showing in Prague
Prague, Czech Republic --The 3.18-million-year-old bone fragments of human ancestor Lucy, which rarely leave Ethiopia, went on display in Prague...
- The ancient remains of the Australopithecus afarensis were discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.
- The find was, at the time, the most complete ever made and revolutionized the understanding of humanity's ancestors.
Geostrategy
Expectations high as Trump, Putin set to meet at Alaska: What each side wants
In a draft peace plan published in June, Russia called on Ukraine to withdraw its forces from the Kherson, Lugansk,...
- For Putin, who has faced years of isolation from the West since the invasion, the summit is an opportunity to press Russia's hardline demands for ending the conflict
- In addition to territory, Russia wants Ukraine to ensure the "rights and freedoms" of the Russian-speaking population and to prohibit what it calls the "glorification of Nazism".
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
The global price tag of war in the Middle East
The asymmetry at the heart of this war’s economic geography is stark. The US imports relatively little oil through Hormuz....
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
How To Enhance Human Potential? The answer: Cognitive Cities, AI, and Leadership in MENA
Joseph Bradley, former CEO of Tonomus, shares with TRENDS his views on how AI and leadership can help MENA build...
Economy
Dubai Media City bets on AI to cement its global creative hub status
Dubai Media City has moved decisively beyond real estate into intellectual and digital value creation to support the next generation...
Interview
Trump at Davos demands ‘immediate’ Greenland talks but rules out force
Trump's quest to take control of Greenland, which he said was needed for national and international security, dominated his address...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
G42 launches ‘digital embassies’ model to help governments deploy sovereign AI
Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence group G42 on Tuesday launched what it calls a Digital Embassies framework and an operating model...
- It allows governments to deploy AI while retaining legal authority and control over data and systems, even when infrastructure is located outside national borders.
- The initiative comes as governments seek to accelerate the use of AI in areas such as public services, healthcare, national security and energy.
Interview
MENA’s gaming sector projected to ‘touch $6 billion by 2027
Nikita Matsokin, Executive Director of MGVC (MY.GAMES, shares his thoughts on the MENA region’s creative talent, government support, and rapid...
- The region’s gaming sector is already a multibillion-dollar powerhouse, projected to reach $6 billion by 2027—twice its 2021 value.
- Dubai alone is home to more than 350 gaming companies, including 260 specialized developers, and the program aims to create 30,000 new jobs.
Geostrategy
Who has been invited to be on Trump’s Gaza boards?
The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant...
- BOARD OF PEACE - The White House says this body will focus on issues such as "governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction.
- NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF GAZA - This body, made up of technocrats, will "oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions.