Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Space Agency (SSA) announced Sunday the launch of the Centre for Space Futures, the first of its kind within the network of Fourth Industrial Revolution Centers affiliated with the World Economic Forum. This initiative is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to solidify its...

Tokyo, Japan--Japan is preparing to resume funding to the UN's crisis-hit Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), which coordinates nearly all aid to Gaza, the government said. Once the sixth-largest contributor to the agency, Japan joined more than a dozen countries in pausing funding after Israel claimed that 12 of UNRWA's 13,000...

WASHINGTON, US – A small balloon floating at a high altitude over the US state of Utah was intercepted by fighter aircraft on Friday but deemed to pose no national security or flight risk, a US-Canada military agency said, according to US media. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The UAE's real GDP will grow 5.3 percent in 2024, compared to 3.4 percent in 2023, according to S&P Global Ratings, the world's leading credit rating agency. The credit rating agency in a new report said that UAE banks reported exceptional profits for the full year 2023...

Gazans lamented the suspension of funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees by several donor countries after Israel charged that some UNRWA staff took part in Hamas's October 7 attack. The agency has fired several staff over Israel's accusations and has promised a thorough investigation into these claims, which...

WASHINGTON, US - NASA has lost contact with its tiny helicopter Ingenuity during the hard-working craft's 72nd flight, the space agency said. The agency's engineers are attempting to re-establish communications, which ended abruptly on Thursday as the craft was making its descent from a test flight, NASA said late on Friday....

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has confirmed Saudi Arabia’s credit rating, both in local and foreign currency, as “A/A-1” with a stable outlook. The confirmation comes in view of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to implement significant reforms and achieve structural improvements in recent years, which have supported the sustainable...

Manama, Bahrain-- for "exceeding the scope of the permit." The owner had exceeded the scope of the permit which was issued to him, in accordance with the provisions of the Real Estate Sector Regulation Law,  promulgated by Law No. 27 of 2017 and its amendments and executive edicts. In a statement issued...

The United Nations said it was planning for an outflow of 860,000 people from conflict-torn Sudan, adding that $445 million would be needed to support them just through October. The UN refugee agency said in a statement that it had presented its appeal to donor countries earlier in the day.

Denouncing clashes in Sudan that have left dozens of civilians dead including three workers of the World Food Program, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for swift justice over the killings. He called for an immediate halt to the fighting and "a return to dialogue," and engagement with regional leaders...

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi is expected in Tehran for discussions with officials after International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in Iran found uranium particles enriched to just under weapons-grade level. The visit by the head of IAEA comes with the Vienna-based organization seeking to get Iran to increase cooperation...

Dubai, UAE--The Marine Agency for Wooden Dhows has facilitated the entry of more than 10,500 wooden dhows during 2022, reflecting a 12 percent year-on-year growth. According to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of the Dubai’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), the wooden dhows ferried 1.7 million metric tonnes...

NASA has called off the scheduled Tuesday launch of its uncrewed mission to the Moon due to a tropical storm that is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Florida. After two previously canceled launch attempts, NASA is weighing returning the Artemis 1 mission rocket to its assembly site under the...

The government spending, partly supported by significant revenues from government assets, have enabled Ras Al Khaimah to diversify its economy, says the latest Fitch report.

Environmental assessment and permitting operations carried out by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) in 2021 reveal that 60 square kilometers of marine critical habitats and 850,000 meters square of terrestrial critical habitats have been protected. This is in addition to a reduction of more than 2800 cubic meters...

The UAE-Bahraini Light-1 CubeSat was successfully launched into orbit from the International Space Station, in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Light-1 CubeSat is a collaborative initiative of the UAE Space Agency, Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and New York University (NYU)...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sacked the head of the state statistics agency, according to a decree published Saturday, after releasing data showing last year's inflation rate hit a 19-year high of 36.1 percent. The 2021 inflation figure released by Dincer angered both the pro-government and opposition camps.

Abu Dhabi's Blue Carbon Project is a promising initiative to prevent increased carbon emissions caused by the destruction of ecosystems, which ultimately leads to climate change, said a top official of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (AED). Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the EAD, said Blue Carbon refers...

Saudi Arabia’s economy will benefit from higher oil prices and its successful COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, ratings agency S&P Global has said as it affirmed the Kingdom’s stable outlook in its latest report.

The kingdom’s Public Pension Agency said on Sunday that it had recorded 9.5 percent returns on investments in 2020. Its investments are distributed in most countries, both in developed and emerging markets.

Louise Beveridge, Business Communicator, Educator and Speaker, speaks to TRENDS on why it is important to enhance the Arab women representation in the boardrooms. Beveridge participated in the Top CEO Conference & Awards, which was held at the King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, on April 10 and 11. How...

By Stanislav Shekshnia, Kirill Kravchenko and Elin Williams We often hear that running a large company is one of the most complex jobs in the world. Business schools, strategic consultancies, headhunting firms, training providers, executive coaches all have a tendency to mystify the work of the CEO. However, effective CEOs...

Small island nation Bahrain is spearheading its investment in the technology sector in a bid to position itself as a major technology and innovation hub in the region. During the past few months, many new initiatives have been taken by the government to boost the technology domain while some of...

Because of the ongoing disruptions and also due to the recent introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the region, business top lines are under significant pressure. This has forced companies to look at organizational structures and ways of optimizing and reworking an organization’s cost base. Further, the business leaders...

By Allegra Salvadori Too much have been said about women empowerment that the binomial has now become an overused concept, to the point of losing its original meaning and effect. What we know, is that women empowerment is “something” that must be done. But how and by whom, is not...

By Anthony Khoury Technology has rapidly redefined the way we work and live our lives, allowing for new forms of collaboration across long-held business boundaries. Indeed, history is filled with examples that have fundamentally transformed the way we communicate, ranging from the printing press, to the telegraph, to the personal...

Despite all odds, Russia looks consistent with its Middle East policies as it is relentlessly trying to cement formidable ties with this region. Unlike the US, and despite disturbed geopolitics, Russia has utilized all the available opportunities to find a new ally in the form of Middle East. The academicians,...

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nation Bahrain is pursuing the path of diversification and has been able to diversify its economy quite efficiently in the last few years. Over the time, Bahrain has been able to cash in on the unexplored potential of sectors like tourism and technology. Owing to its...

A recent survey by Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, revealed that organizations that switch from Per Diems to corporate card programs benefit from more efficient operational procedures, increased savings and reduced T&E expenses. Per Diems refer to the daily allowance paid by an organization to...

The recent move of the US president Donald Trump, intended to terminate the 2015-nuclear pact with Iran, has further escalated the environment of uncertainty in the region. Besides indicating toward the upcoming instability and disturbed geopolitical equations in the region, this termination also holds many long-term economic repercussions. After months...

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was the centre of attraction as TRENDS, along with INSEAD Business School, held the Top CEO Conference & Awards 2018 on April 10 and 11. Into its fourth edition, the two-day mega event witnessed scores of top chief executives of publicly...

The fifth edition of arab luxury world, the Middle East’s leading conference on the business of luxury, has drawn to a successful close. This year, regional and global experts from the world of luxury converged at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, to discuss ‘The New Consumer, Consumption, and Change.' The...

In 1978, Egyptian journalist Mohamed Heikal declared in his book Sphinx & Commissar that Soviet influence in the Middle East was a “spent force”, undermined by Moscow’s inability to be both a superpower and “the bastion of world revolution”.  One decade later, as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989-91, some...

Newly discovered oil and gas reserves announced last month by Bahrain open massive economic opportunities for the kingdom at a challenging time in the region. Simon Galpin of the Bahrain Economic Development Board detected an immediate “boost in confidence” both among domestic consumers and would-be foreign investors. Bahrain’s current oil...

Marvin Ammori, General Counsel, Hyperloop One, speaks to TRENDS about the sustainability of future mobility while keeping in mind the fast moving technology and ongoing transformations. How everybody is talking about new innovative concepts that are shaping the transportation sector. Hyperloop is one of the most revolutionary concepts of all....

The private sector can become a positive force of change through competition and innovation. TRENDS talks to Martin Roll, a top-notch Business & Brand Strategist, on why It is critical for businesses to develop products that redefine their category, delighting customers with the unexpected, thereby cementing emotional bonds. Roll will be...

After witnessing sluggish growth rates for the past few years, Middle Eastern nations finally have something to cheer about as the new financial year promises an economic rebound. Most rating agencies and international organizations forecast the regional GDP growth to recover to 2.3 percent on an average in 2018-19, as...

By Ian C. Woodward, Dubai Whether you are a leader of today or tomorrow – and no matter your field – thinking consciously about leadership is essential, as this will affect your choices, decisions and performance. In my research and teaching, I spend most of my time with very senior...

By Tim Kennedy Several millennia ago, the common house cat (Felis silvestriscatus) was revered in ancient Egypt and conferred the name “Mau”, a godlike honorific. Mau were welcome in households because of their ability to kill rats, mice and even snakes such as cobras.  Egypt’s Pharaonic royal families also admired...