AI to become the new internet: Kamel Al-Tawil on MENA’s tech evolution
Historically, the region was a key player in commerce through the Silk Road, and today, it has the potential to...
Interview
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...
Geostrategy
Business
Talabat IPO offer price range announced
The subscription will close on 27 Nov for UAE retail investors.
- A total of 3.493 billion shares will be made available in the offering, representing 15% of the company’s total issued share capital.
- All Shares to be offered are existing shares held by the company’s sole shareholder, Delivery Hero MENA Holding.
Geostrategy
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...
- "The mediation process right now... is suspended unless we take a decision to reverse that which is based on the positions of both sides," spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said
- "The office of Hamas in Doha was created for the sake of the mediation process. Obviously, when there is no mediation process, the office itself doesn't have any function," he said
Geostrategy
US envoy in Beirut says ‘real opportunity’ to end Israel-Hezbollah war
US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
- US special envoy said he was in Beirut because he saw "real opportunity" to end the Israel-Hezbollah war
- "I came back because we have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end," Hochstein said
Geostrategy
UN climate chief at deadlocked COP29: ‘Cut the theatrics’
As the UN climate talks limp into a second week in Azerbaijan, the world is no closer to a finance...
- Nations have until Friday to break the impasse over how to raise $1 trillion a year for developing countries to cope with global warming.
- Climate-vulnerable countries want developed nations to commit to substantially raising their existing pledge of $100 billion a year.
Economy
Egypt’s middle class cuts costs as IMF-backed reforms take hold
Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt's economy has been in crisis for years, but as the latest round of International Monetary Fund-backed reforms...
- The world lender has long backed measures in Egypt including a liberal currency exchange market and weaning the public away from subsidies.
- Foreign debt quadrupled since 2015 to register $160.6 billion in the first quarter of 2024. Much of the debt is the result of financing for large-scale projects.
Arts & Culture
Magritte’s ‘Empire of Light’ to fetch nearly $100m at New York auction
New York, United States -- With a Magritte painting estimated to sell for nearly $100 million, drawings by pop artist Keith...
- The seminal 1954 work is one of a series of paintings from the Surrealist master depicting the interplay of shadow and light.
- Its estimated price is $95 million, which would easily shatter the previous record for a Magritte, $79 million in 2022.
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...
- Sweden's newspaper of reference, the left-liberal Dagens Nyheter (DN), on Friday became third major media outlet to stop publishing its articles on X.
- "Since Elon Musk took over, the platform has increasingly merged with his and Donald Trump's political ambitions," said editor-in-chief Peter Wolodarski.
Geostrategy
Lebanon economic losses top $5 billion in year of clashes: World Bank
Beirut, Lebanon -- More than a year of clashes that recently escalated into war have cost Lebanon more than $5 billion...
- The losses are "largely concentrated in the commerce and tourism and hospitality sectors... as well as in the agriculture sector", the Bank said in a report.
- "The final cost of damage and losses for Lebanon associated with the conflict is expected to significantly exceed those presented in this assessment," the report said.
Business
Salik 9M net profit $223m
The company's third-quarter profit increased by 8.8 percent.
- Salik reported 355.6 million revenue-generating trips, which increased 5.1 percent YoY to drive total revenue of AED1.640 billion.
- Revenue from toll usage, comprising 86.7 percent of total revenue, rose 5.1 percent YoY to AED1,422.2 million in the nine-month period.
Geostrategy
Saudi-hosted summit says Mideast peace requires end to Israeli occupation
The summit's closing statement said that "a just and comprehensive peace in the region... cannot be achieved without ending the...
- The international community should "launch a plan with specific steps and timing under international sponsorship" to make a sovereign Palestinian state a reality, it added.
- The leaders also condemned "horrific and shocking crimes" by Israel's army, saying they occurred "in the context of the crime of genocide".
AI to become the new internet: Kamel Al-Tawil on MENA’s tech evolution
Historically, the region was a key player in commerce through the Silk Road, and today, it has the potential to...
Interview
Company News
Latest News
Dubai Airport set for record start to 2025: 4.3m guests in 15 days
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai International Airport (DXB) is on track to welcome 4.3 million guests in the first 15 days...
Business
18 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on northern, southern Gaza
Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that eight Palestinians were killed, and others were injured in an airstrike by the Israeli...
Geostrategy
NDMC arranges $2.5bn credit facility
The Shariah-compliant facility spans a tenure of three years.
Business
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Geostrategy
Israeli forces killed 45,553 Palestinians since Oct 2023: Health ministry
Gaza, Palestinian Territories -- The Israeli forces have killed at least 45,553 Palestinian civilians and injured at least 108,379 others,...
- At least 108,379 other civilians, most of them children, have been injured and thousands remain under debris.
- The ministry said the Israeli forces committed two massacres against Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.
Business
Kamco Invest launches two funds
Kamco's assets under management surpass SAR 1bn.
- The new Shariah-compliant funds are named Kamco Freestyle Saudi Equity Fund and Kamco SAR Murabaha Fund.
- The company said in a statement that the launch of the two funds brings the total number of public funds managed by Kamco Invest in the Kingdom to three.
Business
Saudi PIF’s assets up by $11.44bn by the end of third quarter 2024
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The value of assets under Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) assets—both...
- The number of subscribers recorded a 51 percent increase, representing nearly 528,000 subscribers, to reach 1,570,452 subscribers, compared to 1,042,484 at the end of Q3 2023.
- Foreign investment assets recorded an annual growth of 15.1 percent, increasing by over SAR 3 billion to reach SAR 25.656 billion, which accounts for 16% of the total asset value.