Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh have explored opportunities to further strengthen ties between the two countries in a meeting between the two leaders in Riyadh. The president and prime minister met on the sidelines of the joint summit between...

Samarkand, Uzbekistan - The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) approved the re-election of Saudi Arabia as president of its executive council for 2024, at the 120th Executive Council meeting held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand. The Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Executive Council of UNWTO, Ahmed...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - The probability that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will launch a ground operation against Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip is over 50 percent, Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi said. “A state of war has been declared. During the period of a state of...

Baghdad, Iraq - US troops stationed at two bases in Iraq have been targeted with rocket attacks that caused no casualties, US and Iraqi military sources said Friday, against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. Armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack US interests in Iraq over Washington's support...

Berlin, Germany - Bayern Munich on Friday said defender Noussair Mazraoui would not be suspended, after a probe into the Moroccan player over his social media posts on the Israel-Hamas conflict. In the wake of the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas, Mazraoui had put up several pro-Palestinian posts, including one...

SHARJAH/ ABU DHABI, UAE -  Air Arabia announced the launch of a new route operating between Sharjah and Giza city in Egypt. The non-stop flights will connect Sharjah International Airport with Sphinx International Airport with a frequency of five weekly flights starting from  December 6, 2023. Group Chief Executive Officer,...

London, United Kingdom - European and US stock markets fell Thursday as investors worried over rising US Treasury yields and the Israel-Hamas crisis potentially growing into a wider conflict in the Middle East. Wall Street opened higher after falling the previous day, but slid into loss during morning trading, while Europe's...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Thursday successfully priced its first dollar-denominated Shariah-compliant trust certificates (sukuk). The total amount of the issuance is $3.5 billion, consisting of two tranches - a $2.25 billion, 5 years sukuk maturing in 2028 and a $1.25 billion, 10 years sukuk...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) and Enterprise Singapore signed an MoU here, focusing on standardization and the coordination of standards. The signing ceremony occurred during the third session of the Saudi-Singapore Joint Committee on Wednesday. The primary objective of the MoU is to...

Last week, Indonesian FA president Erick Thohir had said the country was in talks with Australia for a possible joint 2034 World Cup bid, despite the Asian confederation having declared its support for Saudi Arabia's candidacy. But Thohir --  who also serves as a government minister and was formerly the owner...

Netflix shares leapt more than 12 percent to $43.31 in after-market trades on the Nasdaq exchange. The streaming service said in an earnings report that its nascent ad-supported offering was gaining traction, with the number of users increasing nearly 70 percent over the quarter.

Dubai, UAE-- G42 has announced a partnership with OpenAI to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions to the UAE and regional markets. The partnership between the two will focus on leveraging OpenAI’s generative AI models in domains where G42 already has deep expertise including financial services, energy, healthcare and public services. OpenAI...

In announcing Biden's visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel had agreed to work with the United States on a plan to let aid into Gaza, which has been besieged and bombarded for 12 days and under an Israeli blockade for 16 years. Israel is threatening a ground...

Stockholm, Sweden - You snooze, you lose? Swedish researchers said Wednesday that might not be the case, after their study even saw some benefits for those struggling with morning drowsiness. While for many, a reach for the snooze button on the alarm clock is how most days start, researchers at Stockholm...

Washington, United States - The United States on Tuesday said it was tightening curbs on exports of state-of-the-art AI chips to China, sending the share price of Nvidia and other semiconductor companies plummeting on Wall Street. The measures are the latest chapter in the policy started under the Trump administration to...

Markets had enjoyed a healthy run Tuesday on optimism that while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing for a ground offensive in the blockaded territory, the crisis could be contained.

Paris, France-- Achieving all national climate and energy goals will require adding or replacing 80 million kilometres of power lines by 2040 – an amount equal to the entire existing global grid – according to the International Energy Agency. Major changes to how grids operate and are regulated are also...

Dubai, UAE--Masdar City and Huawei have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable the UAE to power its way to net zero target. The agreement, signed today at GITEX GLOBAL 2023 by key Masdar City and Huawei leaders, will lead to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in net-zero development, help reduce...

ABU DHABI, UAE – Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, Head of the Investment Office of the Turkish Presidency, said that the cumulative foreign direct investment from the United Arab Emirates to Turkey has surged to $5.6 billion (AED 20.6 billion) from 2002 through August 2023. Speaking to the WAM during the eighth...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) has signed two memorandums of understanding with the Saudi Export Development Authority and the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority (LCGPA) to promote national products. The MoU with the development authority entails exchange of expertise in...

Nicosia, Cyprus - A first group of evacuees from Israel arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday aboard a US-chartered cruise ship as the island's authorities announced plans for a twice-daily ferry link for those wishing to leave. The 159 evacuees on board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Rhapsody of the Sea primarily...

Shanghai, China - China will this week weigh into the Israel-Hamas war by sending its special envoy to the Middle East, after the United States asked it to use its influence to stop the conflict from spreading. Washington says it hopes China's friendship with Hamas backer Iran could help calm the...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom’s Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser here launched a significant mega bus transport services project aimed at linking 200 cities and provinces.   The project will have a capacity to accommodate six million passengers annually. The project operates through three...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Archer Aviation on Tuesday announced that it has entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) with plans to commence air taxi operations in Abu Dhabi in 2026. As part of this initiative, ADIO plans to support Archer with incentives for establishing its first...

Amman, Jordan - Jordan and Egypt have signed an MoU to foster cooperation in economic and development policy formulation, as well as the valuable exchange of planning expertise. The MoU emphasizes the importance of coordination and the development of bilateral relations in technical cooperation between planning institutions in the two...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, Amaala and The Red Sea, has completed the installation of the largest off-grid electric vehicle (EV) charging network in Saudi Arabia. The network includes more than 150 charging stations spread across...

Jerusalem, Undefined - The Israeli military on Monday raised the figure to 199 people confirmed to have been abducted by Hamas to the Gaza Strip in the militants' cross-border attacks which sparked a devastating war. "We have updated the families of 199 hostages," military spokesman Daniel Hagari told a media briefing,...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company, has announced the takeover of the very large gas carrier (VLGC) North Gas. This strategic move marks the second VLGC delivery under the US$134 million (AED495 million) deal signed by ABGC DMCC, a joint venture...

Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest sank 4.79 percent to 4,351 yen and chip-making equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron gave up 3.84 percent to 20,395 yen. High-tech investor SoftBank Group fell 2.04 percent at 6,375 yen, Sony Group dropped 1.87 percent to 12,610 yen and Panasonic dived 3.18 percent to 1,565.5 yen.

Dubai, UAE-- CEOs from around the world consider geopolitics and political uncertainty as the greatest risk to the growth of their business — be it navigating a company’s presence in a conflict zone or attempting to navigate disrupted supply chains and manage price fluctuations. The conclusion emerged from a survey...

Tehran, Iran-- President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, has warned of an escalation in the war in Palestine if in his worlds the Zionist regime of Israel doesn't stop the killing of the people of Gaza and end the blockade of the enclave. He made the remarks in a phone call...

Marrakech, Morocco-- In spite of economic disruptions, policymakers in the GCC countries have successfully alleviated the economic ramifications of the challenges they have faced, according to Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He added that the GCC nations experienced substantial growth in their gross domestic...

DUBAI, UAE: DMCC – the world’s flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – has welcomed the Solana Foundation – a non-profit organization– to the DMCC Crypto Center as an ecosystem partner. The partnership compliments DMCC’s existing offerings and collaborations by increasing its members’ ability...

Hezbollah and other Palestinian factions in Lebanon have exchanged cross-border fire with Israel since Hamas's surprise October 7 attack on Israel ignited a war that has killed more than 1,300 people in Israel. Palestinian gunmen also seized an estimated 150 hostages while Israel's retaliatory air and artillery bombardment has killed...

The presence of the USS Eisenhower and its affiliated warships in the eastern Mediterranean signals Washington's "ironclad commitment to Israel's security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement. The Eisenhower joins the USS...

Jerusalem - International aid groups and major powers have pleaded with Israel to set up safe zones in Gaza where thousands struggled on Saturday to get out of the north of the Palestinian territory, under threat of attack. With thousands of Israeli troops massed around Gaza's borders, uncertainty over when...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Egypt and Israel have agreed to let US citizens leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing on Saturday as Israel carries out strikes against Hamas, a US official said. The two US partners agreed to keep the sole crossing from Gaza to Egypt open from 12:00...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The United Arab Emirates, represented by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korea to enhance their bilateral air transport relations. This MoU includes an agreement to increase the number of national carrier flights between the two countries...

MARRAKESH, MOROCCO - The CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, signed an additional US$20 million loan agreement with Central African Republic (CAR) Prime Minister Félix Moloua. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 2023 World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual...

The spokesman, who blamed the decision on the "current situation in the Middle East", confirmed information from two passengers who had been unable to fly from Frankfurt to Beirut. On Saturday Lufthansa cut its flights to Tel Aviv, citing "the current security situation".

Marrakesh, Morocco-- Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) have signed a memo of understanding (MoU) to create a joint technical cooperation framework in developing countries' development finance field. The memo was signed by KFAED's Director-General Waleed Al-Bahar and CABEI's Executive...

Marrakesh, Morocco-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attaches great importance to finding solutions to economic problems such as the eradication of poverty and enhancing food security, according to the GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi. He made the remarks in connection with the participation of the council member states in...

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Israel risked waging an "unacceptable" siege in Gaza comparable to the Nazi blockade of Leningrad during World War II, and called for mediation. Fears for Gaza's Palestinian inhabitants have grown since the Israeli army called for 1.1 million people --...

"Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt," the group said in a statement.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The business sector in the Kingdom reported a 24 percent rise year-on-year (YoY) in operating revenues to US$1.35 trillion (SAR 5.07 trillion) in 2022. Operating revenues are the cash revenues generated from core or other sub-activities, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). The business...

TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA - Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations - The Red Sea and Amaala - celebrated the take-off of its first seaplane flight operated by its subsidiary company, Fly Red Sea. Established as the first seaplane company in Saudi...

EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton raised the alarm in letters sent to Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, whose Meta group includes Facebook and Instagram. He demanded late on Tuesday each of them provides details within 24 hours on how "illegal content and disinformation" is being removed from their platforms in...

DOHA, QATAR - The volume of real estate trading in sales contracts at the  Department of Real Estate Registration at Qatar’s Ministry of Justice during the period from October 1 to 5, 2023 reached US$68 million (QR 249,404,838). Total sales contracts for residential units in the Real Estate Bulletin for...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) reported an 11.66 percent surge in container traffic across its trade hubs during September, handling 732,293 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit in comparison to 655,831 TEUs a year earlier. Monthly statistics further show an 18.2 percent increase in exported containers from 198,529 TEUs...

Dubai, UAE - Qatar has signed two agreements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on its contributions towards IMF's poverty reduction and sustainable initiatives. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the IMF in...