Dubai, UAE - Egyptian comedian and TV host Bassem Youssef's recent interview with British TV host Piers Morgan has garnered widespread attention due to his impassioned and satirical take on the Israel-Hamas conflict.  When asked about his views on the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel, Youssef, while acknowledging the "terrible"...

Washington, United States - US military forces in the Middle East have faced multiple threats from drone attacks in Middle East, Washington Post reported today. A US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea successfully intercepted a salvo of cruise missiles and drones launched toward Israel from Yemen. These actions come...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) signed Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, also known as Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura, to mutually recognize halal certificate. The MoU aims to develop procedures for conformity assessment, standard specifications, and technical...

RAMALLAH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - Israeli troops killed nine Palestinians in multiple clashes across the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the death toll mounts in the territory while war rages in Gaza. At least 75 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West...

Rafah, Palestinian Territories -- Eight sleeping children killed in one strike, doctors fighting but failing to save an unborn child -- such were the stories recounted by Gaza medics on Thursday as Israel stepped up its air strikes. Gaza's Hamas-run government said that children made up 1,524 of the 3,785 people...

HAIFA, ISRAEL –  Hate speech and incitement in Hebrew targeting Palestinians on social media is on the rise, said 7amleh- the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media in a statement. 7amleh has documented over 103,000 instances of hate speech and/or incitement in Hebrew out of 120,000 posts collected...

The European Union has built a powerful armory to challenge the power of big tech with its landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) and a sister law, the Digital Markets Act, that hits internet giants with tough new curbs on how they do business.

PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA - Russia is ready to discuss and consider Turkey’s initiative to establish a guarantor system in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Moscow and Ankara staying in touch on the issue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said here. "We are ready to discuss any constructive proposals. The said initiative...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The tragic developments in Gaza won't have a huge impact on the overall outcome of the FII summit in Riyadh, according to the CEO of the FII Institute Richard Attias. In a virtual press conference, Attias said the seventh Future Investment Initiative (FII) will be very...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s economy is expected to grow by 3.2 percent on average between 2023 and 2026, while the non-oil sector will likely contribute 3.5 percent on average to the Kingdom’s growth in the same period, Moody’s Investors Service said in a recent report. The National Debt Management...

Manama, Bahrain--Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) has attracted $295 million in direct investments within the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector as part of a total projected direct investment worth $1.4 billion, during the first nine months of 2023. Stemming from 14 local and international projects, the direct investments...

Baghdad, Iraq - Saudi banks have offered to fund Iraq's largest housing project, which was previously stalled by South Korea's Hanwha Company due to a financial dispute with the Iraqi government, the official Iraqi daily Alsabah reported on Thursday.  The Bismaya project had already seen the construction of approximately 30,000...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) signed an agreement with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Wednesday, in the fields of fintech and innovation. The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration between the two organizations. It seeks to facilitate their activities in international markets while respecting the...

"In light of (US) President (Joe) Biden's demand, Israel would not foil the supply of humanitarian aid via Egypt," the prime minister's office said, announcing a cabinet decision. The statement noted that aid to civilians in the southern Gaza Strip would be allowed "so long as these supplies do not...

Dubai, UAE - Global tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Zoom and Huawei are among more than 6,000 businesses displaying their latest advancements in fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, mobility and sustainability at the 42nd annual GITEX Global, the biggest tech event of the year. Spanning a five-day extravaganza, the...

Following Hezbollah's call, hundreds of demonstrators scuffled Tuesday night with Lebanese security forces outside the US embassy in the Beirut suburb of Awkar, where protesters hurled stones and set a building on fire, according to AFP correspondents. Palestinian refugee camps in the southern cities of Sidon and Tyre erupted in...

Washington, United States - The US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered the preparation of approximately 2,000 additional U.S. troops for possible deployment to the Middle East in support of Israel, amid escalating tensions in the region, New York Times reported. These troops, currently stationed in the United...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - ADNOC Gas on Wednesday announced a multi-year liquified natural gas (LNG) supply agreement, valued between $500 million (AED1.8 billion) and $700 million (AED2.5 billion), with JERA Global Markets, a trading subsidiary of JERA Co. This agreement builds on the long-standing relationship between the UAE and Japan...

Dubai, UAE--Moro Hub, the digital arm of DEWA, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Digital Dubai Authority (DDA) to deliver state-of-the-art cyber security services to various government entities across Dubai. As part of this agreement, Moro Hub will extend its comprehensive suite of managed cyber security services to...

Paris, France - Several technology industry leaders have decided to boycott one of the sector's biggest annual events after the organizer criticized Israel's actions following the Hamas attacks. Paddy Cosgrave, an Irish entrepreneur and co-founder of the Web Summit, wrote on social media platform X last week that he was "shocked...

London, United Kingdom -- Fitch Ratings has placed Israel's Long-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) of 'A+' on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).This decision also extends to Israel's Short-Term Foreign- and Local-Currency IDRs of 'F1+' and the issue ratings of 'A+' on the nation's long-term foreign currency senior unsecured...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday that it will grant e-visa to visitors from six new countries -- Turkiye, Thailand, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles and Mauritius -- for leisure, business and religious (Umrah only) travel, bringing the total number of such countries to 63. A visitor e-visa...

Qatar's Industrial Production index (IPI) reached 105.2 points in August 2023, a decline by 2.1 percent compared to the previous month (July 2023), and decreased by 0.6 percent, when compared to the corresponding month in 2022. Released by the Planning and Statistics Authority, the IPI is a short-term quantitative index that measures the...

DUBAI, UAE -- Despite many manufacturers integrating AI into their operations, a significant number of them face challenges in meeting their AI-related goals, highlights a recent white paper published by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group.“This is primarily due to inadequate organizational and technological foundations,” adds...

Dubai, UAE -- MENA venture capital funding in the third quarter saw $250 million raised across 78 deals, a 32 percent increase compared to Q2 of 2023, according to the Q3 2023 MENA Venture Investment Premium Report by startup data platform MAGNiTT. This contributed to $1.4 billion raised through 286...

Dubai, UAE - The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) banking sector has witnessed a remarkable 30% year-on-year increase in net profits and a substantial 12.2% growth in net assets, the EY MENA H1 2023 Banking Report revealed on Monday. Returns on equity increased by 6.18%, and the net interest...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Considering opposing views, exchanging ideas and developing pathways for collaboration are essential to improving lives and protecting the planet in an increasingly polarized and fragmented world. That was the key message of the opening sessions of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the Global...

Cairo, Egypt--Egypt has issued the first sustainable Panda bonds in the Middle East and North Africa worth $500 million with a yield of 3.5% over three years, according to a statement by the Ministry of Finance. The recent bond issuance is guaranteed by international banks including the Asian Infrastructure Investment...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran on Monday said time was running short to reach a political solution in the Israel-Gaza conflict, warning of the "possibility of expanding the scope of war and conflict to other fronts". Israel declared war on the Palestinian group Hamas a day after waves of its fighters broke...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi has said that investors from over 170 countries have chosen the UAE to invest, grow and expand over the past decade. He said that this reaffirms the trust of the global investment...

Frankfurt, Germany - The postponement of a Palestinian author's award ceremony at the Frankfurt Book Fair due to the Israel-Hamas conflict triggered condemnation Monday from high-profile authors, while several Arab publishing groups withdrew. The annual fair is the world's biggest publishing trade event, bringing together thousands of book industry players and...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Oman and Etihad Rail Company (OERC), the developer and operator of the UAE-Oman Rail Network, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Emirates Steel Arkan, the UAE’s largest steel and building materials manufacturer, to facilitate the export of raw materials from Oman to the UAE. Under...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Monday announced the launch of Ardara, which will develop AlWadi in Aseer Region in the southwest of the kingdom. This will be Ardara’s first development and will become a vibrant urban center and tourist destination...

Dubai, UAE -- in5, part of TECOM Group and an innovation and entrepreneurship hub in the region, has witnessed a 20 percent increase in the total funding raised by start-ups within its ecosystem since its inception, surpassing AED 2.9 billion ($789 million). In the first nine months of 2023, a...

Beijing, China - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is embarking on a visit to the Middle East next week,  state media agency CGTN reported on Sunday. Wang's visit comes amid escalating tensions in the region and reflects China's commitment to playing a more prominent role in the resolution of the...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Riyadh Season's fourth edition has unveiled a promotional video featuring a range of scenes highlighting its venues and events, along with the eagerly awaited global fight scheduled for its opening ceremony on October 28. The video was produced in Los Angeles over two and a half...

ISMAILIA, EGYPT - Convoys of humanitarian aid stacked up near Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, unable to enter the Palestinian enclave being bombarded by Israel, witnesses told AFP. The Rafah crossing -- the only passage in and out of the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel -- has...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 1.7 percent in September 2023, compared to September 2022, down from 2 percent in August 2023. This stability is due to the early economic measures taken by the Kingdom to counter the global rise in inflation rates, the...

DUBAI, UAE – The Emirate's economy grew 3.2 percent in H1 2023 to reach US$60.9 billion (AED223.8 billion). The performance was driven by a 3.6 percent growth in real GDP in Q2 2023. Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum hailed the strong performance of...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced that Marakeb Technologies will become the first anchor company to develop maritime applications in the Emirate’s new smart and autonomous vehicle industry (SAVI) cluster. Centred in Masdar City, the cluster provides facilities and value-added services within an enabling regulatory...

The top US diplomat has been touring the region after Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel from the blockaded Gaza Strip on October 7 and killed 1,300 people, mostly civilians, and took about 150 hostages. Blinken will travel later Sunday to Egypt, the sixth Arab country he will visit as he seeks...

Dubai, UAE--American cable channel MSNBC has quietly taken three prominent Muslim journalists “out of the anchor’s chair” since the onset of war between Palestinians and Israel, according to a media report. The report said MSNBC quietly took Mehdi Hasan, Ayman Mohyeldin, and Ali Velshi “out of the anchor’s chair” after...

Marrakech, Morocco-- The UAE has allotted $200 million to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) to expand concessional financing for low-income countries. This aligns with the UAE’s unwavering efforts to realize the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) – no poverty – alongside other challenges that the...

Jerusalem - The Israeli military said on Saturday that Gaza City residents must not delay their departure before a military offensive starts, as people leaving the north of the territory again jammed roads south. Ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive against Hamas, which attacked southern Israel on October 7,...

Geneva, Switzerland - The World Health Organization said on Saturday enough basic health supplies to serve 300,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been flown to an Egyptian airport near the Palestinian enclave. The supplies were ready to go in once humanitarian access could be established through the Rafah crossing from...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has reportedly decided to suspend peace talks with Israel and the United States, Bloomberg and Reuters quoted sources as saying.  Although the talks have not been terminated, they are temporarily frozen until the violence in the region subsides, reports said. This decision comes as...

Vienna, Austria--The UAE’s economy remains robust, with constant contributions from the non-oil sector, especially from tourism, leisure, and real estate, according to the OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for October 2023. MOMR noted the UAE’s tourism sector, which accounts for more than 16% of the country’s GDP, continued to...

Dubai, UAE - Gold prices surged over 3% on Friday, heading for their most robust weekly performance in seven months, as escalating tensions in the Middle East prompted investors to seek refuge in safe-haven assets, Reuters reported on Friday. The price of spot gold increased by 3.2% to reach $1,928.15...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - A Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industries (SAVI) cluster was launched at Masdar City on Friday. It aims to position Abu Dhabi as a leading smart and autonomous vehicles hub, making significant contributions across air, land and sea mobility applications. SAVI will support innovation and the commercialization...

Tehran, Iran-- Iran said the United States "can not renege" on an agreement to transfer $6 billion in frozen funds through mediator Qatar following Hamas bloody assault on Israel. Tehran, which financially and militarily backs Hamas, has come under intense scrutiny since fighters of the Islamist group stormed across Israel's southern...