Yemen presidential council says Saudi coalition to lead all southern forces
The announcement comes a few days after Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia recaptured large swathes of territory from the...
Geostrategy
First European Union airline flight in 35 years lands in Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq's transport ministry said Tuesday that a flight operated by Greece's Aegean Airlines had been the first...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
ByteDance’s dilemma: Defending TikTok’s ‘secret sauce’ from US interference
Seoul, South Korea - As a US campaign to sever TikTok from its Chinese parent heads to the Senate, analysts say...
- Under new legislation, TikTok could be banned in the United States if it does not cut all ties with Chinese tech giant ByteDance
- US lawmakers and security agencies say TikTok presents a threat because China can access and use the vast troves of data the app collects for influence and espionage
Business
$37.30 million Saadiyat Island penthouse sets new Abu Dhabi record
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- A three-bedroom penthouse at Nobu Residences on Saadiyat Island was sold for a record AED137 million...
- Aldar said the sale represents the highest price per square meter achieved in the emirate, at more than AED96,000 per sqm.
- The record sale of the Nobu Residences Abu Dhabi penthouse follows a recently sold four-bed duplex sky villa at the same development for AED130 million.
Business
EITC to offer fintech services
The company has been licensed for fintech services by the CBUAE.
- The licenses granted by CBUAE enable du to introduce innovative financial solutions that will contribute to the development of an advanced financial ecosystems in the UAE.
- The licenses will also enable du to offer a range of digital financial services that align with the evolving needs and preferences of customers in the digital era.
Business
ADNOC and SEFE sign agreement
ADNOC will supply 1 million mtpa of LNG to SEFE Singapore.
- The LNG will primarily be sourced from ADNOC’s lower-carbon Ruwais LNG project, currently under development in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Abu Dhabi.
- This is the second long-term LNG supply agreement from the Ruwais LNG project, following the 15-year agreement with China’s ENN Natural Gas in Dec 2023.
Business
50% of firms attracted to Dubai by DIC in 2023 Asian and Australian
Dubai, UAE -- Nearly 50 percent of the Multinational Corporations (MNCs) that opened businesses in Dubai during 2023 are based...
- Latin America and Europe, and the Middle East and Eurasia, accounted for 23.5 percent each of the total number of MNCs attracted during 2023.
- Companies from Africa represented 3 percent of the total number of corporations attracted by the chamber.
Geostrategy
UN envoy urges Syria to rejoin Geneva constitution talks
Damascus, Syria -- Visiting United Nations special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen urged Damascus Sunday to rejoin talks to revise the...
- Syria's war, which began 13 years ago with the repression of pro-democracy protests, has killed more than 500,000 people.
- Geir Pedersen has been trying to make progress with a so-called constitutional committee for Syria to rewrite or amend the war-torn country's constitution since October 2019.
Business
ROSHN and Saudi cybersecurity organization partner on tech advancement
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- ROSHN Group, the PIF-owned giga-project and real estate developer, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)...
- Both parties will develop joint initiatives aimed at enhancing the abilities of the Saudi IT and cybersecurity sectors.
- ROSHN will look to explore the use of drone technologies in its operations, and also participate in SAFSCP’s Bug Rewards Platform (Bug Bounty)
Business
SAIC net profit $39 million
The company's Board announces a dividend of $11.79 million.
- The company's fourth-quarter net profit increased 89.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) to SAR 38 million, from SAR 19.85 million in 2022.
- In a Tadawul filing, the company attributed the rise in net profit to sale of shares in associated companies and the sale of financial assets at fair value through profit or loss.
Geostrategy
European Union and Egypt to sign $8 billion funding package
Cairo, Egypt -- The European Union, which is seeking to stem the inflow of irregular migrants, announced Sunday a 7.4 billion...
- It will include billions in loans over coming years and aims to step up Egyptian energy imports to help Europe "move further away from Russian gas" amid the Ukraine war.
- Egypt already hosts around 9 million migrants and refugees, including 4 million Sudanese and 1.5 million Syrians, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.
Economy
US Fed to provide fresh clues on rate cuts after uptick in inflation
The Fed has raised interest rates to a 23-year high of between 5.25 and 5.50% as it looks to return...
- After two days of discussions, the Fed will publish an updated summary of economic projections (SEP) alongside its rate decision on Wednesday,
- Officials at the US central bank -- led by Fed chair Jerome Powell -- have urged caution about cutting interest rates too quickly, and said they will follow a "data-dependent" path
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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
Yemen presidential council says Saudi coalition to lead all southern forces
The announcement comes a few days after Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia recaptured large swathes of territory from the...
Geostrategy
Company News
BP announces $7bn gas project
Business
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Lulu Retail Q3 profit $35m
Business
Banana taped to a wall sells for $6.2 million
Arts & Culture
Pope again condemns ‘cruelty’ of Israeli strikes on Gaza
"And with pain I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of...
Geostrategy
Tunisia women herb harvesters struggle with drought and heat
In Tunisia's highlands, women harvest wild herbs to earn a living, but drought is making their work harder, shrinking incomes...
Geostrategy
AD Ports Group secures $2.125 billion refinancing deal
The move aims to optimize financing costs.
Business
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Geostrategy
Biden cancels $4.28 bn more in student debt before leaving office
Washington, United States -- US President Joe Biden said Friday he was canceling student loans for an additional 55,000 Americans, which...
- The beneficiaries include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have given back to their communities.
- In the United States, colleges can often cost anywhere between $10,000 and $70,000 a year, leaving some graduates with crushing debt as they enter the workforce.
Business
Honda and Nissan in merger talks as electric vehicle competition intensifies
Tokyo, Japan --Japanese auto giant Honda and its struggling rival Nissan will reportedly begin talks on a merger to boost their...
- At the same time, Taiwanese electronics behemoth Foxconn has approached France's Renault to buy its large stake in Nissan.
- A merger between Honda and Nissan would not be a marriage of equals. Honda's market capitalization is around $41.2 billion, while Nissan's is around $10.5 billion.
Geostrategy
Turkey, Iran leaders at Cairo summit urge action to address Gaza, Syria crises
Cairo, Egypt -- The leaders of Turkey and Iran were in Egypt on Thursday for a summit of eight Muslim-majority countries,...
- The gathering of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, also known as the Developing-8, was being held against a backdrop of regional turmoil.
- The organization includes Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia besides Turkey, which historically backed the opposition to Assad, while Iran supported him.