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,...
Geostrategy
TikTok under fire: Espionage claims, election influence campaigns and controversies
The platform faces accusations of espionage in the United States, while the European Union has launched an investigation into claims...
Geostrategy
Business
Lulu’s IPO raises $1.72bn
The proceeds make it the largest UAE IPO of 2024 to date.
- The Offering achieved aggregate demand of over AED135 billion ($37 billion) from local, regional, and international investors.
- This is a record for a non-Government UAE IPO over the past 10 years, with the IPO oversubscribed by more than 25 times across all tranches (excluding Cornerstone Investors).
Geostrategy
What impact will Donald Trump have on the world economy?
Paris, France -- Donald Trump's return to the White House with his protectionist policies poses threats for the global economy, with...
- During his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, Trump often resorted to punitive tariffs in disputes with trade partners.
- Donald Trump's policies could also rekindle inflation, which cooled following a series of interest-rate hikes that the Federal Reserve began to unwind this year.
Business
Saudi Aramco’s quarterly profit drops 15% on low oil prices
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Energy giant Saudi Aramco reported a 15 percent year-on-year drop in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, citing prices...
- The fall in net income to $27.56bn from $32.58bn in 2023 is the seventh consecutive quarterly drop for Aramco, one of the world's biggest companies by market capitalization.
- Aramco is the chief source of revenue for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform agenda, which aims to remodel the Gulf kingdom's crude-reliant economy.
Interview
Securing the digital future: AI and global cooperation foster cyber resilience
While AI accelerates the detection and management of threats, cybercriminals also leverage this technology for sophisticated attacks, says WEF's cybersecurity expert Filipe Beato.
- Beato said cyber risks are among an organization’s highest priorities, and the threat keeps increasing, a fact emphasized by WEF since 2020.
- With the increased connectivity and dependencies of critical sectors and services, improving ecosystem cyber resilience requires collaborative action.
Geostrategy
B-52 bombers arrive in Middle East: US military
Washington, United States -- American B-52 bombers have arrived in the Middle East, the US military said Saturday, a day after...
- "B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility," the military said.
- The United States announced on Friday evening that it was sending the bombers, fighter and tanker aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the Middle East.
Geostrategy
Pro-Palestinian protesters take Israel sculptures from UK university
London, United Kingdom -- A pro-Palestinian group took two sculptures of Israel's first president from a UK university in a protest marking...
- "Today, Palestine Action have marked 107 years since the Balfour Declaration, by taking two sculptures of Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann," the protest group said.
- Palestine Action also sprayed the London office of charity Jewish National Fund (JNF) with red paint.
Geostrategy
Saudi, US FM says could move ‘quite quickly’ on some deals with US
Since last year Saudi Arabia has been bargaining hard for a defense pact with the United States as well as...
- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last month ruled out recognizing Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
- Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated that normalization was "off the table until we have a resolution to Palestinian statehood".
Business
DAE 9M net profit $310m
The company said this was a 54.9 percent YoY increase in net profit.
- Profit before tax settled at $326.6 million for the same period, compared to $207.5 million last year.
- Total revenue was $1.017 billion for the nine months, a YoY increase of $27.9 million, or 2.8 percent.
Economy
Global economy faces ‘low normal’ growth, widening inequality gap
The organization’s Trade and Development Report 2024 warned that this new “low normal" growth is insufficient to tackle pressing development and...
- While the global South experienced robust annual growth rates of 6.6 percent between 2003 and 2013, that figure has fallen to 4.1 percent over the past decade.
- This has made it harder for nations to expand social services, cover rising energy transition costs and manage mounting public debt.
Geostrategy
Rethink needed to make sustainable tourism work
"Growth at all costs no longer an option," says world-renowned tourism policy, planning and development expert Dr Marina Novelli in...
- Success should also be measured by more inclusive social indicators, moving from purely quantitative to qualitative assessments linked to making tourism a valuable sector.
- Coordinated efforts between government agencies, private companies, and civil society should ensure that sustainable practices are implemented across the tourism value chain.
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,...
Geostrategy
Company News
ADNOC signs deal with PETRONAS
Business
Latest News
Vegetable oil pushes global food prices to seven-month high in Nov
Rome, Italy -- The benchmark for world food commodity prices rose in November to its highest level since April 2023,...
Business
Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 startups secure $1.90 billion in funding, says CEO
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Startups within Hub71, Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem, have secured over AED 7 billion in funding,...
Business
ADNOC signs deal with PETRONAS
Under the agreement, ADNOC will supply 1m tons of LNG per year.
Business
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Economy
OECD warns of protectionism weeks before Trump return
While the organization raised its 2025 global growth forecast to 3.3 percent, it cautioned that "greater trade protectionism, particularly from...
- Trump has threatened blanket tariffs of at least 10% on all imports and since his election has vowed to slap 25% import tariffs against Canada and Mexico, the US trade partners.
- "Increases in trade-restrictive measures could raise costs and prices, deter investment, weaken innovation and ultimately lower growth," the OECD warned in its economic outlook.
Geostrategy
France, Saudi Arabia to co-chair June meet on creating Palestinian state: Macron
The French president said they want to involve both European and non-European allies who are ready to move in this...
- Macron said that France and Saudi Arabia have the "will to move forward" on a deal to sell Rafale fighter jets to the Kingdom.
- Discussions had already been underway for Riyadh to acquire the French-made jets and, though no definitive announcement was expected during Macron's visit.
Business
Tech firms aiming for smaller, leaner AI models
Smaller AI models save energy, reduce costs, and enhance data security but work alongside large models for advanced solutions.