Qatar’s real estate department records weeklong deals worth $71 million
Doha, Qatar -- Real estate sales contracts worth 251.25 million qatari riyals were registered with the emirate's Real Estate Registration...
Business
PIF completes $7 billion inaugural murabaha credit facility
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Monday announced its first murabaha credit facility for the...
Business
Business
IHC Q1 net profit $2.17bn
The company launches Share Buyback Programme
- IHC's robust performance in Q1 2024 led to a Profit after Tax margin of 41.6 percent and earnings per share of AED 2.17.
- This growth was propelled by strong performances across IHC’s core sectors of Real Estate & Construction, Technology, Marine & Dredging, Food, and Services & Others.
Business
Dubai records 5.18m international overnight visitors in Q1
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai welcomed 5.18 million international overnight visitors from January to March 2024, an 11 percent rise over...
- Dubai begun 2024 by being named the No.1 global destination for an unprecedented third successive year in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.
- From January to March, the Western Europe region was Dubai’s biggest source market with 1.138 million arrivals, a 22 percent overall share.
Business
Gaza truce talks resume in Egypt, without Israel for now
Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been waiting for Hamas to respond to a proposal that, according...
- The WHO says 1.2 million people, half of Gaza's population, have sought refuge in Rafah, which has been repeatedly threatened by Israel with an invasion.
- US has reiterated its objections to a Rafah offensive, saying Israel has not presented a plan to protect the civilians sheltering there.
Geostrategy
United Nations estimates rebuilding Gaza will cost $30bn to $40bn
"The scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented... This is a mission that the global community has not dealt...
- He added that Gaza's reconstruction through the normal process could take decades, and the "Palestinian people do not have the luxury of waiting for decades".
- "It is therefore important that we act quickly to re-house people in decent housing and restore their lives to normal -- economically, socially, in terms of health and education".
Business
Miral Destinations to showcase latest attractions at ATM 2024
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Miral Destinations, a subsidiary of Miral and promotional partner for Yas Island and Saadiyat Island Abu...
- Scheduled to take place from 6-9 May in Dubai, ATM offers a stage for Miral Destinations to demonstrate its dedication to innovation and sustainable tourism, media reports said.
- Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi is launching the ‘Elevate your Senses’ campaign during Arabian Travel Market.
Geostrategy
Hamas official insists Gaza ceasefire must be permanent
Hamas is considering a plan for a 40-day ceasefire and the exchange of scores of hostages for larger numbers of...
- He said it was premature to say whether the Hamas envoys, who have returned from talks in Cairo to their base in Qatar, felt any progress was made.
- A source with knowledge of the negotiations said Qatari mediators expected a response from Hamas in one or two days.
Geostrategy
More war debris in Gaza than Ukraine: UN Mine Action Service
And the danger for clearance work is restricted not just to unexploded ordnance but includes possible exposure to toxic substances...
- "There's estimated to be over 800,000 tons of asbestos, for instance, alone in the Gaza rubble," said Mungo Birch, head of the UNMAS program in the Palestinian territories.
- Birch said he hoped UNMAS, which works to mitigate the threats posed by all types of explosive ordnance, would become the coordination body for mine action in Gaza.
Business
UpLink launches initiatives to push circular carbon economy transition
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- UpLink, the World Economic Forum community dedicated to supporting early-stage impact-focused entrepreneurs, has announced the launch...
- In collaboration with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Economy and Planning and Ministry of Energy, UpLink unveiled its Circular Carbon Economy Partnership.
- The partnership aims to select a cohort of 10-20 early-stage startups to receive support in scaling their impact over the next year.
Geostrategy
Saudi Arabia calls for ‘real commitment’ towards a Palestinian state
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia has called for a "real commitment to a two-state solution that is a credible, irreversible...
- At the WEF meeting, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of Energy, said a just and equitable energy transition will only be achieved by using a range of energy sources.
- Saudi Arabia's tourism sector has nearly doubled, growing from $35 billion to $66 billion, and set its sights on reaching $80 billion this year.
Business
McDonald’s profits up 7%
The quarterly profits increased despite weak Middle East sales.
- "The continued impact of the war in the Middle East more than offset positive comparable sales in Japan, Latin America and Europe," McDonald's said of the division.
- Earlier this month, McDonald's agreed to acquire Alonyal, which owns 225 McDonald's restaurants in Israel which have been hit by calls for a boycott over Gaza onslaught.
Qatar’s real estate department records weeklong deals worth $71 million
Doha, Qatar -- Real estate sales contracts worth 251.25 million qatari riyals were registered with the emirate's Real Estate Registration...
Business
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Elon Musk asks US court to block OpenAi’s for-profit conversion
Washington, United States -- Elon Musk has again asked a US court to stop ChatGPT-maker OpenAI from converting into a for-profit...
Business
Turkish-backed jihadists breach Aleppo, displacing thousands and cutting vital highway to Damascus
By Friday, the jihadists and their allies had taken more than 50 towns and villages in the north and entered...
Okonjo-Iweala’s second term: Trump’s disdain for WTO biggest challenge
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to head the WTO, is the only candidate in the race,...
Geostrategy
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Geostrategy
How are countries regulating the wild west of social media for minors?
Paris, France -- A handful of nations are trying to clean up social media with measures including robust privacy provisions and...
- Among the countries taking action is Australia, which on Thursday passed a landmark law banning children under 16 from social media.
- In June 2023 France passed a law requiring social media platforms to check the age of users and obtain parental consent for those under 15 years of age.
Geostrategy
OPEC+ postpones meeting amid signs of ‘discord’ on output plans
The 22-member OPEC+ group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia was due to decide on its 2025 output policy at...
- An OPEC spokesman told AFP that the December meeting will be held online.
- In a bid to boost crude prices, eight OPEC+ members announced earlier this month they were extending supply cuts until the end of December.
Interview
EVs just the start, urban mobility needs a holistic approach
Cities must adopt EVs alongside shared transport, robust infrastructure, clean energy, and inclusivity, says Jamie Wylie, an urban mobility expert.
- One of the biggest hurdles to EV adoption is ensuring a network of accessible, reliable charging stations.
- According to the Global EV Outlook 2024, public charging infrastructure is expected to increase sixfold by 2035, with a focus on cities.