AWS outage in Gulf raises reliability concerns as services remain disrupted over a week after strikes
Cloud services operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the Gulf region continue to face disruptions more than a week...
Economy
MEA market decision-making cycle is fast but risk-averse: Ralph Melis
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) markets are characterized by rapid growth, high owner influence, diverse operator models, and a...
Interview
Geostrategy
Arab leaders propose Gaza reconstruction under Palestinian Authority, reject Trump’s takeover plan
The prospect of the Palestinian Authority (PA) governing Gaza remains far from certain, however, with Israel having ruled out any...
- Tuesday's Arab League summit in Cairo offered an alternative with the adoption of a "comprehensive Arab plan."
- It announced the establishment of a trust fund to pay for the territory's reconstruction, and urged the international community to back it
Arts & Culture
West Bank eviction film ‘No Other Land’ wins best documentary Oscar
Jerusalem -- No Other Land, a documentary about Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, has won the best documentary award...
- Shot in Masafer Yatta near the West Bank city of Hebron, the documentary follows a young Palestinian struggling with forced displacement.
- After a long legal battle with Palestinian communities, an Israeli supreme court ruling in 2022 paved the way for the eviction of the area's more than 1,000 residents.
Geostrategy
Israel blocks humanitarian aid to Gaza as ceasefire’s first phase ends, sparking global outrage
Truce mediators Egypt and Qatar accused Israel of blatantly violating the ceasefire deal by halting the aid, a move left trucks...
- Early on Sunday Israel had announced a truce extension until mid-April that it said United States Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed
- But Hamas has repeatedly rejected an extension, instead favouring a transition to the truce deal's second phase that could bring a permanent end to the war.
Geostrategy
Iran ready to negotiate with US but not under ‘maximum pressure’: minister
In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia to regulate its...
- In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia to regulate its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international
- However, in 2018, during his first term, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement and reinstated heavy sanctions on Tehran, despite European opposition
Geostrategy
Trump doubles down on Gaza shock plan, says Israel will turn over the territory to US
Trump said that by the time of the handover, Palestinians "would have already been resettled in far safer and more...
- Trump first made the stunning proposal to audible gasps during a joint press conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday, whom he was hosting at the White House for talks
- Suggesting "long-term ownership" by the US, Trump said he would make Gaza the Riviera of the Middle East, and that "this could be something that could be so magnificient".
Morgan Stanley sees upswing in MENA M&A deal volumes and values
After a challenging year where M&A activity in the Middle East and North Africa took a tumble, Morgan Stanley forecasts...
- 2024 saw 1,111 M&A transactions with exposure to the MENA region, totaling US$75 billion in value
- MENA outbound M&A transactions totaled US$40.2 billion, down 3 percent
Geostrategy
Syrian President’s first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia signals Syria’s shift away from Iran’s influence.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, marking his first foreign visit and signaling...
- Al-Sharaa’s visit signals Syria’s pivot away from Iran and closer ties with the Gulf states
- Saudi Arabia is leading efforts to reintegrate Syria into the regional fold and push for sanctions relief
Business
Dubai’s real estate sector records $207 billion in transactions in 2024
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai’s real estate sector recorded a total of 2.78 million procedures in 2024, the highest in its...
- Real estate transactions alone totaled 226,000, a remarkable 36 percent growth in volume and 20 percent growth in value year-on-year.
- The sector recorded 217,000 investments valued at AED526 billion, reflecting impressive growth rates of 38 and 27 percent in number and value respectively.
Business
UAE most attractive Arab destination for auto investment, business
Kuwait -- The UAE has topped the Arab list as the best and most attractive destination for investment and business...
- The automotive sector in Arab countries attracted 184 foreign projects valued at more than $25 billion, providing more than 102,000 jobs.
- Five countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Algeria, Morocco and Kuwait had around 75 percent of overall vehicle sales in the region by the end of 2024.
Business
SIB’s 2024 profit $272m
The profit surpassed AED 1 billion for the first time in bank's history.
- The bank's net profit before tax increased by 36.5 percent, reaching AED1.15 billion.
- The bank saw a significant increase of 45.3 percent in fee and commission income, reaching AED400.4 million
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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
AWS outage in Gulf raises reliability concerns as services remain disrupted over a week after strikes
Cloud services operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in the Gulf region continue to face disruptions more than a week...
Economy
Company News
Latest News
Gaza ceasefire enters phase two despite unresolved issues between Israel and Hamas
The most contentious questions remain Hamas's refusal to publicly commit to full disarmament, a non-negotiable demand from Israel, and Israel's...
Geostrategy
MEA market decision-making cycle is fast but risk-averse
MEA markets feature rapid growth, high owner influence, diverse operator models, and younger hotel infrastructure, says Ralph Melis, co-founder and...
Interview
WEF flags geoeconomic confrontation as top global risk for 2026
Experts warn economic warfare, misinformation and unchecked AI could amplify global shocks as cooperation weakens across political and trade blocs.
Geostrategy
Most Read
Economy
World Bank lifts 2026 growth forecast, warns of softer demand
The bank expects world GDP growth of 2.6 percent this year, according to its latest global economic prospects report. The...
- But the rate still marks a slowdown from the 2.7% pace seen in 2025, with the Bank warning that the 2020s are "on track to be the weakest decade for global growth since the 1960s".
- As countries adjust and policy uncertainty recedes, the bank anticipates that trade growth will firm up again in 2027.
Interview
Cybersecurity must evolve from blocking threats to safeguarding the innovation process
When businesses increasingly rely on AI to make decisions, a manipulated dataset can cause more harm than a ransomware attack,...
- Collaboration without guardrails is often where breaches begin.
- The challenge is enabling people to work freely without exposing the organization to unnecessary risk.
Business
Gold hits record high, dollar falls as US targets Fed
Fed Chair Jerome Powell confirmed the "unprecedented" subpoenas against the bank in a rare video address on Sunday, which he...
- European stocks wavered after a strong showing in Asia, seen on the back of solid gains on Wall Street before the weekend.
- Gold climbed close to $4,600 an ounce while silver approached $85 an ounce as investors sought traditional safe havens.