PARIS, FRANCE - French firm TotalEnergies and Indian group Adani unveiled plans on Wednesday to create a joint venture to develop wind and solar electricity production in India. The joint venture will include wind and solar assets that Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) already operates and is building and developing in India,...

Damascus, Syria - Syrian President Bashar Assad is set to make his first visit to China this week, highlighting China's continued support throughout Syria's 12-year conflict.  China has been expanding its presence in the Middle East, mediating between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this year and aiding Assad's regime, which...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Abu Dhabi Media Network is all set to launch an English edition of its existing Al Ittihad Arabic newspaper. The yet-to-be-named daily will be a second English newspaper in the UAE’s capital city besides The National, which is owned by the International Media Investments (IMI). The...

Dubai, UAE - The total spending in the UAE's space sector witnessed a 6.61 percent increase compared to the previous year with the government spending accounting for 55.7 percent of the total spending, marking a 12.7 percent increase year-on-year, while commercial expenditure made up 44.3 percent of the total, revealed...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The new UAE sports aims to establish a unified governance framework for all sports organizations and categories in the UAE, fostering collaboration between public and private sectors.  Unveiled by the UAE General Authority of Sports (GAS), the law encourages participation in sports across society, and aims...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) and Korea Customs Service have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding mutual recognition of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program. ZATCA Governor Eng. Suhail bin Mohammed Abanmi and Korea Customs Service Commissioner Kwanghyo Ko signed the MoU, which...

Clearance of goods transactions increased by 35.8%.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- The Airports Council International (ACI) for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East has established its first office in Riyadh. Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saleh Al-Jasser, inaugurated the office yesterday. Al-Jasser...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt met in Abu Dhabi to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation between their countries.  The two presidents deliberated on economic, investment, and development collaborations between the two countries,...

Dubai, UAE - The UAE's $1.5 billion bond issue saw five times oversubscription, attracting over $7.4 billion in bids, the Ministry of Finance announced on Monday. The 10-year bond, with a yield of 4.917%, will list on the London Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Dubai, maturing in September 2033.  The allocation...

Tunis, Tunisia -- UNESCO announced Monday it was adding the Tunisian resort island of Djerba to its list of World Heritage Sites because of its ancient ruins, whitewashed villages, mosques, churches and synagogues. The United Nations cultural organization took the decision in Saudi Arabia, during its 45th world heritage committee meeting....

"President Erdogan called on Tesla to establish its seventh factory in Turkey," the Turkish leader's office said.

This would be for the first time that the painting has been exhibited outside of the United States in over 50 years. (Sotheby's)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Middle Eastern countries are increasingly embracing the Mandarin language, extending China's soft power influence in the region. While interest in learning Mandarin has declined in the West, Middle Eastern nations are mandating Chinese language education in their schools, , a report in South China Morning Post...

Ankara, Turkey - Turkey is engaged in “intensive negotiations” with regional partners to propose an alternative to the India-Middle East trade corridor plan agreed upon at the recent G20 summit, Financial Times reported on Sunday. The country aims to reinforce its historical role as a vital transport route for goods...

Dubai, UAE-- Emirates Health Services will employ AI technology in the application of patient room monitoring system to further enhance the standards of healthcare services that align with the strategic priorities and goals of the government and EHS. In this connection, Dr. Mohammad Salim Al Olama, Chairman of the Board...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, during its 45th session held in Riyadh, unveiled fifteen new additions to its World Heritage List, drawing attention from both historical enthusiasts and geopolitical spectators alike. "Tell es-Sultan-Jericho", a prehistoric site near the Palestinian city of Jericho, was inscribed, a move...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - Turkish divers searched on Sunday for the bodies of three firefighters who died when their helicopter crashed into a water reservoir near the western resort city of Izmir. The helicopter went down while picking up water to douse a forest fire on Saturday night. The team included three...

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The head of the World Health Organization told the Financial Times he was ready to send a new mission of experts to China to investigate the origins of Covid-19.   "We're pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral...

A million people have crossed Sudan's borders since April, fleeing the devastating war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, according to the United Nations. That figure would probably be higher, were it not for the fact that many like Omar needed passports renewed or issued from...

Tehran, Iran -- Iran’s annual steel production capacity is expected to increase by more than 22 percent within the next two years to reach 55 million metric tons (mt) by 2025, a senior member of the Board of Directors of the Iranian Steel Producers Association (ISPA) said. Bahador Ehramian stated that...

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...

Istanbul, Turkey - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused the European Union of pulling away from Turkey, whose efforts to join the bloc have stalled amid criticism of Ankara's efforts to address democracy and rule of law concerns. Erdogan secured a pledge from Brussels to resurrect the membership talks first...

Sanaa, Yemen - Flooding and lightning strikes in Yemen have killed eight civilians, an official and a doctor told AFP on Saturday, underscoring the threat of extreme weather in the war-ravaged country. The lightning strikes occurred on Friday in the Al-Layha and Al-Zahra districts of Hodeida governorate on the Red Sea...

Hong Kong - The Saudi Arabia-China Entrepreneurs Association (SCEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The agreement was signed during the eighth Belt and Road Summit, a two-day event themed "Ten Years of Cooperation for Mutual Benefit," which saw participation from...

CAIRO, EGYPT - An Egyptian court has sentenced prominent dissident Hisham Kassem to six months in prison, his lawyer and political movement said, a move barring him from taking part in campaigning for next year's presidential election. It comes one day after Egypt's only candidate campaigning so far for the election,...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -  Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has announced its agreement to acquire a 100% equity stake in Esmax Distribusción from Southern Cross Group,  a Latin America-focused private equity company.  The acquisition marks Aramco's entry into the South American retail market.  Esmax...

Moscow, Russia--The UAE and Russia are looking to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in higher education, scientific research, space, and engineering between the two countries. In this regard, Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, and Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia, held discussions in Moscow. Al...

Tel Aviv, Israel - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering a trip to the Middle East in October as part of Washington's ongoing efforts to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to a report published in The Times of Israel.  The proposed visit would...

Paris, France - Irish regulators on Friday handed out a 345-million-euro ($369-million) fine to TikTok over data breaches, part of a battle between the European Union and big tech firms on issues from tax avoidance and hate speech to data privacy and monopolistic practices. Here is a summary of the tussles...

TRIPOLI, LIBYA - Over a decade of bloody power battles in Libya have resulted in vital infrastructure falling into disrepair, culminating in the catastrophic death toll in Sunday's flood, politicians and analysts have said.   Wracked by conflict and division ever since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer...

Tehran, Iran - Iran has seized two oil tankers allegedly carrying smuggled fuel in the Gulf and arrested their crews, state television announced on Friday. "The Revolutionary Guards naval forces seized two ships over the course of the last two days," state television said, citing Mohammad-Sharif Shirali, a Guards commander. "The...

London, United Kingdom -- Qatar's Hamad International Airport has been named as the best airport in the Middle East, and the second-best airport in the world at this year's Business Traveller Awards. Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said, "This recognition reaffirms our commitment to...

DUBAI, UAE - A total of 2,329 real estate transactions worth over US$3.4 billion (AED 12.7 billion) were conducted during the week ending September 15, 2023, according to figures released by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The DLD report showed that 549 plots were sold for US$1.1 billion (AED 4.25...

Dubai, UAE -- The talks between Turkey and China to build a nuclear power plant in eastern Thrace are progressing and a deal is possible in a few months, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Thursday. Middle East Eye reported that Bayraktar told reporters that senior officials from the Chinese government...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A substantial 62% of employees in Saudi Arabia are eager to acquire improved digital skills in their daily work with computers and other digital devices, a survey conducted by Kaspersky, a cybersecurity company, has revealed.  The findings also exposed a troubling trend, with 45% of respondents...

Sharjah, UAE -- The UAE-based technology firm AstraTech is seeking to expand across India, Pakistan, and Egypt in the near future as part of its global expansion strategy. “Last month, we acquired a banking company in the Philippines as part of our global expansion, and now we are looking at...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence and the COP28 Presidency have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote tolerance, coexistence, and human fraternity during COP28 slated to  take place from November 30 - December 12.  The UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahayan...

SIDON, LEBANON - Palestinian fighters agreed a new ceasefire on Thursday after more than a week of deadly violence in Lebanon's largest refugee camp, two Palestinian officials told AFP. At least 17 people have been killed and around 100 wounded in the fighting in Ain al-Helweh refugee camp, on the outskirts...

Vladivostok, Russia -- Russian Post is working on opening a company in the UAE, CEO Mikhail Volkov told TASS in an interview at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). "We are currently working on opening of a company in Dubai, the UAE, and are also considering other countries. We as logistical...

Brussels, Belgium--On Wednesday, Members of European Parliament (MEPs) approved a new law to increase the uptake of sustainable fuels, such as advanced biofuels or hydrogen, in the aviation sector. The RefuelEU aviation rules are part of the “Fit for 55 package”, the EU’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by...

Tel Aviv, Israel - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the launch of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as the "largest cooperation project in our history" that will have a profound impact on the Middle East, Israel, and the world. Leaders from the United States, India, Saudi...

Moscow, Russia--Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean into space, Russian news agencies quoted Putin's spokesman as saying. President Putin and the North Korean leader held talks on Wednesday at a spaceport in Russia's far east. "We talked about the fact that if the...

New York, UN - The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will discuss the revival of the grain deal with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as with presidents of Turkey and Ukraine Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Zelensky next week. The discussions will be held during personal meetings...

Dubai, UAE – The United Arab Emirates and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Wednesday hosted regional forum on global minimum tax as a part of the UAE's commitment to international standards around taxation. “The UAE adopts financial and tax policies, legislation and systems that serve its...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The Arab Monetary Fund said Wednesday that global credit card fraud losses incurred by financial institutions and individuals reached around US$32.3 billion in 2021. The losses increased substantially by 13.8 percent compared to the previous year, WAM reported. The Fund released a study titled "The Role...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/Guangdong, China -- Saudi-listed ACWA Power has signed MoUs with two Chinese firms to bolster collaboration in China and globally in green hydrogen and ammonia, global renewable energies and integrated smart energies. The agreements were signed with state-owned China Southern Power Grid International Company and clean energy integrated...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Investments of banks operating in the UAE reached AED 580 billion ($157.90 billion) at the end of July 2023, the highest level in history, according to the latest statistics of the UAE Central Bank. The data showed that investments of banks operating in the country increased...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The total assets under management (AUM) held by capital market institutions licensed by Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) rose 7 percent, or SAR 53 billion ($14 billion), quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) to SAR 823.6 billion in Q2 2023, according to the authority’s data. The total AUM held...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE ranks among the top world leaders in solar energy use, according to a recent report published by the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy. With three of the planet’s largest solar sites, the UAE is the 6th highest per capita consumer of solar...