Abu Dhabi, UAE - The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) was announced as the home of the newly launched catalytic climate vehicle ALTÉRRA established by Lunate the global alternative investment management company, the world’s largest private climate investment vehicle. The initiative, which saw the UAE commit a US$30 billion in...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met Thursday in Jerusalem that Washington was readying the sanctions, the source said on the condition of anonymity.

"This declaration is the moment when food truly comes of age in the climate process, sending a powerful signal to the nations of the world that we can only keep the 1.5 degree goal in sight if we act fast," said the group's CEO Ani Dasgupta.

Among the host country's guests are Bill Gates and Antoine Arnault, the son of LVMH boss Bernard Arnault, the second richest man in the world after Elon Musk, according to Forbes magazine.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabian consumers are navigating the market with heightened awareness, becoming better-informed buyers, according to the PwC's latest Middle East Pulse report, a segment of its comprehensive Global Consumer Insights Survey. Emergence of Informed Buyers The survey underscores a notable shift in consumer behavior as Saudi...

Dubai, UAE - The Green Zone at the COP28, overseen and managed by the conference presidency team, serves as a central hub for climate-related activities, enriching the experience for visitors to the world's premier climate event hosted by the UAE. It facilitates constructive dialogues on climate action, welcoming participants from...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE and Philippines signed an agreement to create a framework for investment in the digital infrastructure sector, with a special focus on data centers. As physical facilities that organizations use to store critical data and run applications, data centers are vital parts of the digital...

Dubai, UAE – Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru will address the first-ever Faith Pavilion at COP28 on Friday December 1, kicking off a programme of over 70 sessions on interfaith cooperation on climate action. Head of the Isha Foundation and founder of the Save Soil movement will present his vision on...

Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 provided Europe with a wake-up call that it needed to pump more into defense to be able to confront the threat of its bellicose eastern neighbor.

Vienna, Austria - Major producer Brazil will join OPEC+ from next year, the oil cartel announced on Thursday. Brazil is among the world's top 10 producers and has been the largest oil producer in Latin America since 2016. Its crude production hit a record 3.7 million barrels per day in September,...

SAN FRANCISCO, US - Microsoft, the tech titan that has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has been given a seat on the startup's board. The nomination was shared in a memo to OpenAI staff on Wednesday that was later posted to the company's blog and included a list...

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on X, formerly Twitter, that she welcomed the agreement to "protect those who try to reveal inconvenient truths".

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), a leading international financial center of the UAE’s capital, Thursday announced that 14 major financial institutions representing a total Assets Under Management AUM of $452 billion have committed to establishing new operations in ADGM. A year into Abu Dhabi’s “Falcon Economy”,...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Consumer spending in Saudi Arabia increased 4 percent to SAR 110 billion ($29.32 billion) in October, from nearly SAR 105.3 billion during the same month last year, according to the Saudi Central Bank's (SAMA) monthly bulletin.  Consumer spending includes total cash withdrawals, point-of-sale (POS) transactions and...

Dubai, UAE--Rising sea levels, vanishing Arctic landscapes, fading coral reefs, acidic oceans, and raging forest fires are common occurrences today. Climate change is escalating its aggressive posture before a full scale assault on humanity. A new study found that it costs the world $16.3 million per hour. On November 17,...

Dubai, UAE - The world is turning its attention to Dubai where COP28 gathers some of the world’s top leaders from November 30 to December 12, to unite over a vision for the global fight against climate change. Climate change is an indiscriminate killer that has not spared a country...

NEOM, Saudi Arabia – NEOM, a futuristic city planned by Saudi Arabia in its northwestern Tabuk Province, has unveiled Siranna, an exclusive tourism escape. Situated on the Gulf of Aqaba coastline, this ultra-luxurious destination will be home to a 65-key hotel, as well as 35 exclusive residences. The destination offers...

United Nations - Israel’s security can be ensured only through a lasting solution to the Palestinian problem and Russia is sparing no effort to achieve it, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said on Wednesday. "As for tomorrow of this conflict, it is time to think about...

Fujairah, UAE - High in remote mountains in the oil-rich Emirates, a new plant will soon take atmospheric CO2 and pump it into rock -- part of controversial attempts to target planet-heating emissions without abandoning fossil fuels. Using novel technology developed by Omani start-up 44.01, the solar-powered plant will suck carbon...

Ottawa, Canada -- The Canadian government and Google have reached a deal to support the country's media, heading off an imminent threat by the digital giant to block news on its platform, sources said on Wednesday. That threat was made in response to Ottawa's Online News Act, which was due...

Geneva, Switzerland -- The WHO on Wednesday said that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was possible but those with influence were not doing enough to secure it, expressing concern at Gaza's "crippled" health system. The World Health Organization's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there was a high chance of fighting...

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories - An eight-year-old boy and a teenager were killed by the Israeli army on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The ministry said in a statement that "Adam al-Ghul, eight years old, and Bassem Abu el-Wafa, 15 years old,...

Ankara, Turkey - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "the butcher of Gaza" and accused him of spawning anti-Semitism across the world. Erdogan has lashed out repeatedly at Israel for the scale of death and destruction caused by its response to Hamas members' unprecedented...

Dubai, UAE - Aster, an integrated healthcare provider, is separating its India and GCC businesses, subject to regulatory and corporate approvals including Aster India’s shareholders’ approval. The separation plan will unlock value for the shareholders by allowing both the India and GCC businesses to adopt a market-focused strategy and create...

Tehran, Iran--Iran’s export to African countries in the first seven months of the current Iranian calendar year registered a 185 percent hike compared to the same period in 2020, an official said. Iran’s direct and indirect exports to the African continent in the administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi have significantly...

United Nations - The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling upon Israel to withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights, Russian news agency TASS reported. A total of 91 countries voted in favor of the document, including Russia, Brazil, India, China and Saudi Arabia. Eight countries, including the United States...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE and Pakistan recently sealed a significant deal, potentially injecting between $20 to $25 billion into Pakistan's struggling economy, according to media reports. The agreements, covering diverse sectors like energy, ports, food security, and finance, were signed after a meeting between caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul...

Out of the 12, countries in the Horn of Africa were most affected, with Ethiopia and Somalia accounting for about half of the 27 million children facing hunger, Save said.

WASHINGTON, US -  US President Joe Biden has warned Israel that its expected offensive in southern Gaza must avoid the kind of mass displacement of civilians seen during the military's pummeling of the Palestinian territory's north, US officials said. Israel has said it will continue its war on Hamas after an...

ROME, ITALY - The population of Gaza, especially women and children, risk famine if humanitarian food supplies do not continue, the UN's World Food Program warned on Tuesday. The WFP said it had delivered food to 121,161 people in Gaza since Friday, when a four-day truce between Israel and Hamas began....

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) have announced the signing of a financing agreement through which PIF has raised a term loan from a syndicate of nine top international lenders that will be covered by K-SURE. The financing carries a door-to-door...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Operating income of Saudi banks increased by 2.9 percent QoQ, majorly due to net-interest income (NII) growth (+3.8 percent QoQ) but was undermined by a marginal decline in non-core income (-0.5 percent QoQ), reveals global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has released its latest...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Martina A Strong, the US Ambassador to the UAE revealed on Monday that American companies secured over $128 billion in deals for cutting-edge American technology, innovative products, and premium services during the Dubai Airshow, including a $52 billion deal between Emirates Airlines and Boeing. In statements...

Tel Aviv, Israel - Israel has reportedly withdrawn its support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the Expo 2030. The decision, reported by the Kan public broadcaster, comes in the wake of mounting tensions between Jerusalem and Riyadh over the Gaza conflict. Israel had previously signaled its backing for Saudi...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The financial sector in the UAE has experienced a surge of 30 percent in the second quarter of this year. Forecasts predict a continued upward trajectory, with an expected annual growth rate of 13 percent in 2023, according to a senior economic official. Addressing attendees at...

As global temperatures tick higher, with this year on course to be the hottest on record, the UAE is changing its building designs and urban planning to create cooler living environments, even outdoors, Almheiri said.

Beirut, Lebanon -- From Lebanon, Palestinian Fatima al-Ashwah has been praying for relatives in Gaza, but received grim news that Israeli bombing killed around 12 of them days before a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas. "They bombed their house," leaving some of them "in pieces," said Ashwah, drained by...

The shooter, who is still on the loose, was described by police as "a white man with a handgun." The incident occurred amid high tensions, and occasional violence, on college campuses and elsewhere in the United States over the Israel-Hamas war.

Shanghai, China -- In a bid to attract Chinese tourists, the Saudi Tourism Authority recently concluded its first, and the largest, international promotional campaign in China, which resulted in a 277-percent surge in bookings. Running from November 17 to 23, 2023, the campaign unfolded as a grand spectacle, reaching millions...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The world's top heads of multinational companies, policy-makers, and investors will gather in Abu Dhabi today to take part in the three-day long "the Fortune Global Forum" to discuss major challenges faced by the global economy. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the...

Muscat, Oman - The Sultanate of Oman's producer price index (PPI) in Q3 2023 recorded a decrease of 13 percent compared to Q3 2022, according to data issued by the Omani National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The statement explained that the prices of oil and gas products decreased...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), a PIF subsidiary, has announced the fifth entertainment destination in the Kingdom, in Aseer region, that will be developed with an investment of SAR 1.3 billion ($347 million). The destination is strategically located between the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, near...

London, United Kingdom - Irish author Paul Lynch won the 2023 Booker Prize for fiction on Sunday for his novel "Prophet Song," organizers announced during a ceremony in London. Lynch pipped five other shortlisted novelists to the prestigious award for his dystopian work about an Ireland that descends into tyranny. The...

PARIS, FRANCE -  Growing calls for the world to come to grips with the many ways that global warming affects human health have prompted the first day dedicated to the issue at crunch UN climate talks starting next week. Extreme heat, air pollution and the increasing spread of deadly infectious diseases...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- An overwhelming 80 percent of consumers across 16 diverse nations now identify climate change as the foremost global challenge, according to a study conducted by GSMA Intelligence in collaboration with Huawei. The participating countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia,...

Paris, UAE -- Permanent migration to OECD countries reached 6.1 million in 2022, a 26 percent increase compared with 2021, and its highest level since at least 2005, according to International Migration Outlook 2023. Fifteen 15 out of the 38 OECD countries registered in 2022 their highest levels of permanent...

Zhongzhi Enterprise Group managed assets worth more than one trillion yuan ($141 billion), according to investment bank Nomura. But the group has been caught up in China's real estate crisis, leaving it now unable to repay investors.

A four-day truce between Israel and Hamas began on Friday, and a source close to Hizbollah told AFP that the Iran-backed group would also adhere to the ceasefire if Israel did. UNIFIL said "this attack on peacekeepers, dedicated to reducing tensions and restoring stability in south Lebanon, is deeply troubling,"...

Paris, France - The president of a pivotal UN climate summit defended on Saturday the large presence of industry representatives at the negotiations, saying private sector engagement was essential to curb global heating. "Everyone needs to be part of this process and everyone needs to be held responsible and everyone needs...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Around 80% of consumers surveyed across 16 countries now view climate change as the world’s No. 1 challenge, a recent research conducted by GSMA Intelligence with support from Huawei, revealed. The countries include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Pakistan,...