Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is the latest star name to make the move to Saudi Arabia after signing a deal to become head coach of Al-Ettifaq. The 43-year-old has been out of the game since being sacked by Aston Villa in October. Gerrard had previously said he...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai's real estate market recorded deals worth AED1.4 billion on Monday, according to Dubai Land Department. The deals included 495 sales transactions worth AED1.15 billion on Friday, in addition to 79 mortgage deals totaling AED 297.58 million, and six gift deals amounting to AED7.52 million. The sales...

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT -  Kuwait reinvited Iran on Monday to talks on their sea borders after Tehran said it was ready to start drilling in a disputed gas field in the resource-rich Gulf. Kuwait insisted it held "exclusive rights" to the maritime field along with Saudi Arabia, after the neighboring countries...

In April, several OPEC+ members opted to slash production voluntarily by more than one million bpd -- a surprise move that briefly raised prices but failed to bring about lasting price recovery.

On current policy trends, the planet will be 2.8C warmer by the end of the century, according to the UN's IPCC climate science advisory panel.

ABU DHABI, UAE -  UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF) released its annual report for the year 2022 highlighting performance, initiatives, national projects and international participation. The report is entitled "Remarkable Achievements Shaping Promising Financial Prospects",  includes MoF's most prominent achievements, leadership councils and committees, and strategic objectives. Minister of State...

London, United Kingdom--Over 100 British lawmakers on Monday expressed concern at the lack of progress in the case of a jailed British-Egyptian activist and urged the UK government to adopt "fresh approaches" to secure his release. Alaa Abdel Fattah -- a key figure in the 2011 revolt that topped Egyptian autocrat...

New York, US - The number of people suffering from drug use disorders has surged by 45 percent over the past decade, reaching a staggering 39.5 million individuals, reveals the recently released UN Drug Report 2023. The report highlights a substantial increase in global drug usage, with over 296 million...

Baghdad, Iraq - Saudi Arabia and the UAE have allocated $6 billion to support their operations in Iraq, the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce (FICC) announced on Sunday. The FICC signed an agreement with the two countries to create business councils. The FICC's president Abdul al-Razzaq al-Zuhairi told the...

DUBAI, UAE- Dubai Customs has assisted Japanese customs authorities in intercepting a significant quantity of illicit drugs. Up to 700 kilograms of "methamphetamine" powder, valued at approximately US$310 million, were concealed within a cargo ship originating from an Asian country and bound for Japan. The successful operation led to the...

Baghdad, Iraq - Iraq's Ministry of Oil has said that the country's crude oil exports reached over 100 million barrels in June, generating revenue of approximately $7.115 billion. The preliminary statistics issued by the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) revealed that the majority of these exports - amounting to almost...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia will take part in the 15th Arab Games, "Algeria 2023," which is set to commence next Wednesday. Algeria will host the event until July 15th, with the involvement of all Arab nations. Saudi Arabian athletes will compete in 17 different sports, including 14 Olympic disciplines, such...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has developed an in-house, versatile gateway that can connect terrestrial sensors to satellites and ground networks. The gateway was developed by DEWA's Research and Development (R&D) Centre as part of the Space-D program. The gateway has various physical, operational technology (OT)...

Tehran, Iran-- Iran has earned revenue to the tune of $54 billion last year from the export of oil, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimate. OPEC members earned about $888 billion in net oil export revenue last year. That’s what the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates in...

Muscat, Oman--Oman's gross domestic product (GDP) at constant prices recorded an increase of 4.7 per cent to reach $22.59 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2023. The GDP at constant price was $21.71 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according to the initial data issued by...

WASHINGTON, US - Europe's Euclid space telescope is scheduled to blast off Saturday on the first-ever mission aiming to shed light on two of the universe's greatest mysteries: dark energy and dark matter. The launch is planned from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 11:12 am local time (1512 GMT) on...

AMMAN, JORDAN  -  The pharmaceutical and medical supplies sector of Jordan has experienced an impressive 29.7 percent growth in exports during the first five months of this year compared to the corresponding period last year. Fadi Al-Atrash, the sector's representative at the Jordan Chamber of Industry, revealed that exports from...

GABORONE, BOTSWANA -  Botswana has reached an eleventh-hour deal with diamond giant De Beers after months of tense negotiations that saw the continent's top producer threatening to cut ties with the storied company. The Botswana government and Anglo-American, the majority owner of De Beers, have reached an "agreement in principle", the...

New York, US--The Arab Group has welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly by consensus of a resolution on continuing intergovernmental negotiations on reforming the UN Security Council  during the next session. The step will allow member states to continue working collectively, in order to formulate a common understanding...

London, UK - Masdar, the UAE’s renewable energy company, has committed to invest £1 billion in British battery storage, following its acquisition of Arlington Energy in October 2022.  Masdar has partnered with Octopus Energy to license its technology platform, Kraken, to manage its battery portfolio at low cost and with...

Amman, Jordan-- Trade between Jordan and non-Arab Asian countries has shot up in the first quarter of 2023, with the value of the kingdom's exports to the countries surging to about $1.16 billion, compared to about $1.07 billion for the same period last year, according to foreign trade data issued...

Yerevan, Armenia – Non-oil trade volume between the UAE and Armenia reached $1.53 billion in 2022, with a growth rate of 673 percent compared to 2021, the UAE news agency Wam reported on Friday.  The total UAE non-oil exports to Armenia amounted to almost $229 million in 2022, with a...

VIENNA, AUSTRIA -  A new US$60 million loan by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and partners is expected to significantly strengthen energy security in northwest Tanzania. The project will include constructing a 166km overhead transmission line connecting the Kagera region to the national grid, replacing the current energy...

RAS AL KHAIMAH,  UAE - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has announced the addition of over 1,500 new companies in the second quarter of 2023. This robust growth represents a remarkable 132 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022, further cementing RAKEZ’s role as an accelerator for...

Moscow, Russia -- Iran will be formally approved as a member of the regional Shanghai Cooperation Organization with China, Russia and Central Asian countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday. "At the meeting of heads of state on July 4, the full membership of Iran will be approved," Lavrov said...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - ADNOC Gas Procession, an ADNOC subsidiary, has awarded $700 million contract to Petrofac for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) project at its Habshan Complex. The contract was awarded to Petrofac Emirates and involves the construction of a new gas compressor plant, aimed at bolstering gas output...

Dubai, UAE - There will be a 25 percent increase in gift purchases for men in 2023 in the MENA region compared to the previous year, during which men received only 3 percentof all gifts, Flowwow, an online gifting marketplace said in its latest research.  This significant rise in sales...

London, Britain - In Britain to attend London Climate Action Week 2023, COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, urged investors to fund climate technology and also consulted with youth climate advocates to help shape the COP28 agenda. Dr Al Jaber also collaborated with the UK Government on policies which enable greater...

Geneva, Switzerland - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine crisis and the climate crises are having a devastating effect on progress towards the SDGs. The UNCTAD released the fifth edition of its annual SDG Pulse, a global reference for tracking progress towards achieving...

Arkadag, Turkmenistan -- Turkmenistan on Thursday inaugurated Arkadag, a $ 5-billion "smart" city built in honor of former strongman leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, cementing one of the most extraordinary personality cults in the world. Serdar Berdymukhamedov, his son and current president, unveiled the city around 30 kilometres (18 miles) southwest of the...

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Asian Development Bank's financing partners committed US$11.4 billion to confinance projects in 2022 that boosted the resilience of developing member countries in Asia and the Pacific, said a Partnership report. The Partnership Report 2022: Driving Growth, Boosting Resilience showcases how ADB and its partners are helping developing...

Washington, United States - City parks and green spaces help counter heat, boost biodiversity, and instill a sense of calm in the urban jungle. They also help slow biological aging, with people who have access to green spaces found to be on average 2.5 years biologically younger than those who do...

Baghdad, Iraq-- An advisor to Iraq's Prime Minister said the country has effective price monetary policy tools to manage public funds. Mudher Muhammed Salih, the advisor to the Prime Minister for Financial Affairs, emphasized the effectiveness of quantitative and price monetary policy tools in managing public funds and discussed factors...

Ankara, Turkiye - The World Bank has announced its approval of $1 billion in financing to assist Turkiye in the reconstruction of rural housing and essential public services in earthquake-affected regions. In a statement Wednesday, the World Bank highlighted that the "Turkiye Earthquake Resilience and Reconstruction Project" will contribute to...

Responding to reports of a possible renationalization, a government statement said Thames Water's present situation was "a matter for the company and its shareholders".

"Once the data act enters into force, it will unlock the economic and societal potential of data and technologies and contribute to an internal market for data," said Sweden's minister for public administration Erik Slottner.

Kuwait -- Kuwait's General Administration of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 28 to regulate air operations between the two countries and increase their cooperation in civil aviation. The MoU, which amends the agreement signed...

Dubai, UAE -- Qatar's nominal GDP is expected to reach $227.3 billion in 2023 and $228.8 billion in 2024, driven by higher oil prices and increased production by GCC countries, a report by Emirates NBD said. The report forecasts real GDP growth to reach 2.3 percent in 2023 and 2.6...

Tehran, Iran-- Qatar has renewed its willingness to boost economic cooperation with Iran, ramping up investment in order to strengthen the overall relations between the two countries. In a phone call on Tuesday with the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani voiced...

Paris, France-- The19th UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture was awarded to Kassem Istanbouli, Lebanese actor-director, and Hajer Ben Boubaker, French researcher and sound director, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on June 26, 2023. The event, organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture in collaboration with UNESCO, celebrated the achievements of...

Paris, France - Kuwait and France discuss bilateral relationship and cooperation on regional and global issues of shared interests on Tuesday.  The discussions took place during the meetings between the visiting Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) on Tuesday announced that Razer, the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers, will be the gaming gear partner at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide. This is the second year in a row that SEF...

MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA- If a landmark reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran has eased tensions in the Gulf, clouds have also lifted at the hajj pilgrimage, where Iranian visitors finally feel welcome again. Seven years of enmity between the Sunni and Shiite powers had made for a cool reception for Iranian...

Copenhagen, Denmark - The World Health Organization's European office on Tuesday warned the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region. The global health body on May 5 announced that the Covid-19 pandemic was no longer deemed a...

ROME, ITALY - Building on growing momentum to tackle environmental problems by addressing the ways in which our food and fiber are produced, the Global Environment Facility has approved 26 projects led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). "To achieve the 2030 Agenda we need...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s imports from Gulf Cooperation Council countries fell 15 percent year-on-year to SAR 5.6 billion ($1.49 billion) in April 2023, compared to SAR 6.57 billion in 2022, the Kingdom's General Authority for Statistics said. Compared with March 2023, the Kingdom's imports from GCC dropped by...

Manama, Bahrain - This week’s BD 70 million issue of Treasury Bills of Government of Bahrain have been oversubscribed by 109 percent.  The bills, carrying a maturity of 91 days, are issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), on behalf of the Government of Bahrain.  The issue date of...

PARIS, FRANCE -  More than 6,500 people have been arrested following the 2020 dismantling of EncroChat, an encrypted communications tool used by organized crime, Europol said on Tuesday. Close to 200 of the arrests were of "high-value targets", said the organization that assists EU members in international investigations, adding that nearly...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai's real estate market has recorded its highest semi-annual sales figures ever, with 61,000 deals worth AED 179.34 billion ($47.8 billion) taking place in the first half of 2023, according to W Capital Real Estate Brokerage. CEO of W Capital, Al Zarooni, said the growth rate in...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The International Security Alliance (ISA) has seized narcotics estimated to be worth US$750 million from a large transnational drug trafficking ring, and arrested 597 suspects, in a wide operation spread over many continents, dealing a big blow to organized criminal groups trafficking in drugs. The ISA, a working...