Gulf sovereign funds line up for landmark SpaceX listing
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Kuwait Investment Authority have each submitted orders worth between $1 billion and $5 billion....
Business
Geostrategy
EU tells Israel to reverse move to cut off Palestinian banks
Brussels, Belgium -- The EU on Wednesday urged Israel to undo a move by a far-right minister that threatens to...
- Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich announced Tuesday that Israel had cancelled a waiver allowing its banks to work with Palestinian ones.
- The Palestinian financial and banking system is dependent on the regular renewal of the Israeli waiver.
Science
UN says 70% chance that 2025-2029 average global warming will exceed 1.5C threshold
The planet is therefore expected to remain at historic levels of warming after the two hottest years ever recorded in...
- The planet is therefore expected to remain at historic levels of warming after the two hottest years ever recorded in 2023 and 2024
- The WMO forecasts that the global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2025 and 2029 will be between 1.2C and 1.9C above the pre-industrial average.
Arts & Culture
Turkey’s 5,000-year-old bread finds new life
Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimeters (five inches) in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba,...
- In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey.
- Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe -- with customers lining up to buy it.
Arts & Culture
Is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Saudi Arabia? Cryptic post fuels speculation
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia --Â Questions swirled over Cristiano Ronaldo's future in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, hours after the superstar indicated...
- The 40-year-old Portuguese forward joined Al Nassr in 2022 from Manchester United and his contract with the Saudi club ends this summer.
- Ronaldo's potential exit from Saudi Arabia will likely raise fresh questions about how the Saudi Pro League would fare in his absence.
Arts & Culture
Iraq’s first ever director in Cannes wins best feature debut
Hasan Hadi won the top prize for his childhood adventure under economic sanctions in "The President's Cake".
- Also from the Middle East, Palestinian director Tawfeek Barhom received his award for his short film "I'm Glad You're Dead Now".
- Gazan twin brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser on Friday received a directing award in the Certain Regard parallel section for "Once Upon A Time In Gaza".
Science
Microsoft strikes deal with Elon Musk to host Grok AI
Seattle, United States - Microsoft on Monday said its business cloud servers will now host technology from xAI, days after...
- Musk told an event hosted by Microsoft that his company's models "aspire to truth with minimal error," adding that "there's always going to be some mistakes that are made."
- The Grok models from xAI will be available on Microsoft's Azure AI Foundry, a platform that makes hundreds of models available for paying developers to build their own AI models
Geostrategy
Morocco to reopen embassy in Syria after Assad fall
Morocco said Saturday it will reopen its embassy Damascus, closed since 2012, signalling renewed support for Syria after the overthrow...
- The decision was announced in a letter from King Mohammed VI to Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa
- The letter said Morocco backed the Syrian people "in their quest for freedom, security, and stability."
Geostrategy
US announces new sanctions against Iran amid talks
The United States announced new sanctions Monday against Iran over its nuclear program, despite ongoing negotiations between the two countries...
- The latest sanctions target three Iranian citizens and an Iranian entity with links to Tehran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research,
- The discussions began last month and aim to seal a new accord that would prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies seeking to build one
India and Pakistan rivalry boils after Kashmir attack
India took a raft of punitive diplomatic measures against arch-rival Pakistan on Wednesday, accusing Islamabad of supporting "cross-border terrorism" after...
- India's measures, including the suspension of a key water-sharing treating and closure of the main land border crossing
- The killings have shocked New Delhi, as they marked a dramatic shift targeting civilians and the area's vital tourism industry
Geostrategy
Israel security chief accuses PM of demanding personal loyalty
Israel's internal security chief, whom the government is trying to sack, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday of demanding personal...
- Ronen Bar's accusations, in a sworn statement to the Supreme Court, are the latest twist in a legal and political saga pitting him against Netanyahu
- Bar's dismissal, announced by the government last month but frozen by the court, triggered mass protests
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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
Gulf sovereign funds line up for landmark SpaceX listing
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Kuwait Investment Authority have each submitted orders worth between $1 billion and $5 billion....
Business
Company News
Latest News
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
The Middle East has become our living lab for digital reinvention
In the MENA region, we see an extraordinary opportunity to shape a digitally empowered workforce aligned with national transformation agendas,...
Interview
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...
Geostrategy
Most Read
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.
Interview
UAE is converting talent, trust, and technology into a Knowledge Nation
Dr. Lolowa AlMarzooqi, Associate Vice Provost at New York University Abu Dhabi, tells TRENDS that the UAE’s real competitive edge...
- At the early childhood level, today’s learners are growing up in an environment that encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and bilingual fluency.
- By university and early-career stages, Emirati youth are more globally aware, digitally confident, and purpose-oriented than ever before.
Geostrategy
Trump threatens European nations with tariffs over Greenland
Trump aimed his ire at Denmark, a fellow NATO member, as well as several European countries that have deployed troops...
- If realized, Trump's threats against Washington's NATO partners would create unprecedented tension within the alliance.
- It was not immediately clear what authority the US leader would invoke to impose the threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent.