Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Lucid Group, which is partially owned by the Public Investment Fund, launched Wednesday its first international factory in Jeddah-based King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). The manufacturing unit extends over an area of more than 1.35 million square meters, occupying about 31% of the total area allocated...

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE - Ras Al Khaimah’s is building its first organic soil fertilizer project at a cost of $20 million. Being built by Uterra Middle East Agro Industries, the project aims to transform agriculture, address environmental challenges and promote sustainability A part of a multi-national UniPax Investment Group,...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Commission launched Wednesday "Saudi Football Trouq", a unique initiative that is dedicated to the documentation of Saudi football club chants. This endeavor, driven by the commission's commitment to preserving the Kingdom's diverse musical and artistic heritage, is carried out in collaboration with the Saudi...

Dahran, Saudi Arabia -- Aramco and Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Company (Eastern Shenghong) Wednesday signed a cooperation framework agreement to facilitate discussions relating to the possible acquisition by Aramco of a 10 percent strategic equity interest in Jiangsu Shenghong Petrochemical Industry Group (Shenghong Petrochemical). Shenghong Petrochemical, a wholly owned subsidiary of...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Following the resounding success of its inaugural edition in February 2023, the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is set to make a triumphant return for its second edition in 2024.  The tournament, hosted by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in partnership with Mubadala and presented by Abu...

Dubai, UAE - Israel's energy minister and the CEO of the UAE's renewable energy firm, Masdar, have met to advance a significant water-for-energy deal with Jordan, according to the Israeli energy ministry, as reported by a section of media.  The meeting was held in preparation for an anticipated signing ceremony...

New Delhi, India - Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India on Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China. US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – China on Tuesday granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) to the Gulf Kingdom. The bilateral agreement, signed on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia allows Chinese citizens to travel to the Kingdom in group tours in addition to facilitating greater ease of access. ADS...

WASHINGTON, US -  The sea ice around Antarctica likely had a record low surface area when it was at its maximum size this winter, a preliminary US analysis of satellite data showed.  As the southern hemisphere transitions into spring, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said in a statement...

PARIS, FRANCE - Soaring demand for the raw materials needed for the transition towards renewable energy is creating dilemmas for investors weighing the economic, environmental and human rights risks of such projects. With demand for fossil fuels expected to peak by the end of the decade, the focus is shifting towards...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia on Tuesday condemned an attack on its territory that killed two Bahraini military personnel near the border with war-torn Yemen. Bahrain's military said late Monday that one officer and one enlisted soldier had been killed in what it described as a drone attack perpetrated by Yemen's Houthi...

New Delhi, India - Indian government has given the green light for the export of 75,000 tonnes of non-basmati white rice to the United Arab Emirates, reports in Indian media said.  The decision comes in the wake of restrictions placed on non-basmati white rice exports on July 20, aimed at...

New York, US-- The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed has held talks with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, and pledged to further develop cooperation as part of the two countries' strategic partnership. The two ministers met on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has attracted 135 million visitors to events hosted in 120 cities up to the first half of 2023,Turki Alalsheikh, the head of  Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced it on social media. The GEA has been instrumental in transforming Saudi Arabia's entertainment landscape,...

Tel Aviv, Israel - The United States will declare its participation in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) this week,  Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.This move would grant Israeli citizens visa-free access to the United States starting in November. "Israel joining the Visa Waiver Program is a diplomatic achievement and...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The mining sector’s contribution to the non-oil GDP of the United Arab Emirates is set to increase to 5% by 2030, Khaled Al Hosani, Director of the Geological and Mineral Resources Department at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said on Monday.  The ministry has  launched...

Brussels, Belgium - EU member countries on Monday adopted a watered-down deal on curbing car emissions, after auto manufacturers complained stricter measures could undermine electric vehicle investments. Led by France and Italy, the 27 nations voted for a less ambitious plan than the one put forward by the European Commission in...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - A Pablo Picasso masterpiece expected to fetch at least $120 million at auction went on show Monday in Dubai, kicking off a set of rare viewings outside the United States. "Femme a la montre", the 1932 portrait of Marie-Therese Walter, Picasso's mistress and "golden muse", is...

Tokyo, Japan-- The UAE and Japan have held discussions to boost partnership in various sectors of the economy even as the first ministerial meeting of the comprehensive strategic partnership took place between the two countries in Tokyo. In this regard, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced...

New York, US-- Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt have pledged to cement the partnership between themselves in order to boost cooperation in several economic and political fields. In this connection, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Expatriates Ayman Safadi participated in a tripartite meeting with his Iraqi and...

Dubai, UAE -- Future100, a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Economy and the Government Development and the Future Office, has forged 25 strategic partnerships, which are aimed at supporting the top 100 emerging companies that play a vital role in bolstering the competitiveness of the UAE’s future economy sectors....

New York, US--Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, has stressed the importance of strengthening ties with the United Kingdom, including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is an essential element of the strategic partnership and will contribute to achieving common interests. This came during Albudaiwi’s meeting...

Jakarta, Indonesia-- The UAE and Indonesia have discussed mechanisms to expand regional cooperation and opportunities for trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. In this connection the two countries have reviewed a number of economic and investment issues of common interest in the fields of energy, mining, tourism, real...

Benghazi, Libya - Libya's flood-devastated port city of Derna will host an international conference next month to aid reconstruction efforts, authorities in the east of the divided country said. There was no immediate reaction from the internationally recognized government in Tripoli nor any details on how the rival administration would accommodate...

JERUSALEM - Israel offered its congratulations to Saudi Arabia on the kingdom's national day on Saturday as the two countries move closer towards a possible normalization of ties. "We send our sincere congratulations to the king, government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the...

Sharjah, UAE -- A cooperation agreement was signed between the Sharjah Academy of Astronomy, Space Sciences & Technology (SAASST), the Department of Town Planning and Survey, the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA), and the Sharjah Municipality, to work on implementing the Cube Satellite project, Sharjah Sat-2. Sheikh Sultan...

JERUSALEM - Israeli and Lebanese troops exchanged tear gas fire on Saturday on a disputed and highly militarised section of the demarcation line with the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, the two armies said. The Israeli army said its troops used "riot dispersal means" to turn around a Lebanese earthmover that had...

Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq is working to complete the necessary preparations for the visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani to Moscow in the next few weeks, said Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein. "Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, met with Sergey Lavrov, on the...

Doha, Qatar -- The volume of real estate trading in sales contracts at the Department of Real Estate Registration at the Ministry of Justice between 10 Sept. and 14 Sept. 2023 reached more than QR 218 million ($60 million). Total sales contracts for residential units in the Real Estate Bulletin...

Doha, Qatar -- Qatar Central Bank (QCB) issued treasury bills worth QR 500 million ($137 million) for a one-week term, due on Sep. 28, at an interest rate of 5.7550 percent. Earlier this month, QCB issued treasury bills for one week that amounted to QR one billion. Treasury bills are...

New York, United States - Following the historic normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, six or seven additional Muslim nations are poised to make peace with Israel, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Friday in an interview with KAN News. The revelation comes on the heels of Prime Minister Benjamin...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended a reception for the UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi after his return from his six-month mission to space. The reception was organized by his father Saif Muftah Al Neyadi in the Umm Ghafa...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The volume of trade exchange between the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia grew by 28 percent in 2022, reaching US$37.4 billion (AED 137.51 billion), compared to US$29 billion (AED 107.41 billion) in 2018. The total non-oil trade between the UAE and Saudi Arabia rose...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai has maintained its ranking among the top five global maritime centres on the 2023 International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index for the fourth consecutive year. The city also earned the top rank for sea freight and logistics services in the Arab world, as per the latest...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--UAE stock markets Thursday continued to capitalize on improved investor sentiments, defying US Fed's decision to keep interest rates steady on Wednesday, while projecting an increase by year-end. Blue-chip real estate, banking, and energy stocks lead the gainers in the Capital's bourse, as giant property Emaar drove DFM...

Beijing, China -- A total of 34 deals worth approximately AED1.73 billion ($471 million) were signed at the conference on high-quality modern agricultural cooperation, one of the activities of the 6th China-Arab States Expo (Expo), held in Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Friday. As...

New York, United States - YouTube has unveiled a suite of innovative AI-powered tools aimed at revolutionizing the world of content creation for both emerging and established creators worldwide, with a special focus on the Middle East and North Africa. These AI-driven capabilities promise to unleash new avenues of creative...

Dubai, UAE - Yahsat Government Solutions (YGS), the government services arm of Yahsat has been awarded $5.1 billion satellite capacity and managed services mandate by the UAE Government for a period of 17 years.  The contract will involve providing the UAE Government with secure and reliable satellite capacity and related...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Anti-Money Laundering Permanent Committee (AMLPC) hosted a coordination meeting with relevant Saudi permanent committees on Thursday to discuss enhancing systems of countering money laundering, finance of terrorism, and proliferation. The meeting was chaired by Ayman Al-Sayari, governor of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and AMLPC...

Cairo, Egypt – The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) decided to maintain interest rates at current levels during its meeting on Thursday. The CBE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the overnight deposit rate, overnight lending rate and the rate of the main operation at 19.25 percent, 20.25 percent and 19.75...

Beirut, Lebanon - A gunman fired more than a dozen bullets at the US embassy in Beirut, Lebanese officials said on Thursday, with the diplomatic mission reporting no casualties in the late evening incident. "At 10:37 pm local time (1937 GMT), small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the...

AJMAN, UAE – The Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has revealed that the volume of exports from the emirate grew 19.6 percent during the first half of 2023 (H1 2023). The emirate’s total exports reached US$1.2 billion (AED4.57 billion) in H1 2023, compared to some US$1.1 billion (AED4.3...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve in Saudi Arabia has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the Kingdom's first UNESCO Natural Heritage Site. The decision was taken during the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh between the 10th...

New York, United States -- At a meeting on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of Iraq respecting the sovereignty of Kuwait. The ministers underscored the...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- In the wake of the US Federal Reserve's decision to maintain its interest rates, GCC countries, including the UAE and Qatar, have opted to follow suit. The US Federal Reserve, on Wednesday, voted to keep interest rates at a 22-year peak, suggesting that these rates might...

LONDON, UK- The UK looked set to backtrack on Wednesday on policies aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2050 with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expected to water down some of the government's green commitments. The move comes amid growing concern over the potential financial cost of the government's policies to...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM- Mahsa Amini, the Iranian Kurdish woman who died in custody a year ago, and billionaire Elon Musk were among a field of nominations put forward on Wednesday for the EU's top rights prize. The European Parliament's three biggest political groups each backed Amini as the recipient for this year's Sakharov...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The European Commission is proposing to renew the use of the controversial and widely used herbicide glyphosate in the EU for 10 years in a text published on Wednesday, after a report saw no reason to block it. The European Union's 27 member states will discuss the proposal...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is reaching new highs, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday. “We are determined to implement the entire set of our planned activities despite opposition from the US and its Western allies,” Shoigu said during talks with Iranian Defense Minister...

YINCHUAN, CHINA - In the run-up to the sixth China-Arab States Expo, guests from countries and regions along the Belt and Road expressed their expectations for further cooperation with Beijing. On Tuesday, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region opened its third international friendship-cities forum in Yinchuan, the regional capital. Among...