ABU DHABI, UAE -  The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced that Unit 4, the fourth and final unit at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, has begun its operational readiness preparations. The operations team at Barakah have now commenced the operational readiness testing required to demonstrate...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Riyadh and Washington urged Western governments Thursday to repatriate citizens who joined the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, where thousands still languish in prisons or camps. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said it was "disheartening and absolutely unacceptable" that some wealthy countries had not...

Sharjah, UAE - Sharjah Taxi reports successful transport of 1.465 million passengers during the first quarter of 2023. With a fleet of 750 vehicles of various models and brands, the company remains committed to ensuring passenger satisfaction, safety, and comfort. Khalid Al Kindi, the Executive Director of Sharjah Taxi, emphasized...

The romance of a Barcelona return and prospect of eye-watering riches in Saudi Arabia fell by the wayside as Messi opted to join MLS, with Miami a city he has holidayed in on previous occasions. Messi said he would have loved to return to Barcelona but was afraid that the...

His comments were a rare acknowledgement by a senior Abbas ally of waning fortunes for the party which has dominated the West Bank since Israel and the Palestinians signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993.

Stockholm, Sweden -- Sweden's H2 Green Steel company said Wednesday it would supply German car maker Mercedes-Benz with 50,000 tons of steel made without using fossil fuels as of 2025. The two companies also signed an agreement for the potential supply of green steel produced in North America. H2 Green Steel,...

Tehran, Iran-- With the restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the talk in government circles in Tehran is now focused on cooperating with Riyadh on peaceful nuclear technologies. A hint of the potential cooperation between the two former adversaries came in a tweet by a media outlet...

Sharjah, UAE - Bybit, the world’s third most visited crypto exchange, will contribute AED 1 million ($272,257) via a partnership with the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in a move to advance crypto adoption in the UAE. The partnership will see the establishment of a scholarship fund that is likely...

Speaking at the opening of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said his government had sent a "clear message" to Egypt: "We expect that the joint investigation will be exhaustive and thorough."

ABU DHABI,  UAE - A high-level UAE delegation at the 66th session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) said the country believes in promoting a safe and sustainable outer space environment. The UAE delegation is headed by Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign...

Geneva, Switzerland - Qatar's labor minister was on Monday appointed without a vote to head the International Labour Organization's annual decision-making conference, despite criticism from some unions amid concerns over labor conditions in Qatar. Asian and Pacific nations, which according to a regional rotation had dibs this year on selecting the...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - The chairman of Turkish Airlines said Monday that the company will make a final decision on plans for a record-breaking order of 600 aircraft in two months. The airline is in talks with US aircraft maker Boeing and its European rival Airbus to purchase 400 single-aisle planes along...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has announced the launch of Traders District to support the thousands of traders thriving in its business ecosystem. It is designed to offer traders a host of benefits, including business set-up solutions, simplified access to global supply chains, networking...

Tehran, Iran-- Iran has called for expansion of ties between Tehran and Ankara after the victory of the incumbent president of Turkey in the recently held elections in the country. The sentiment was expressed by Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Foreign Minister...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The adoption of  artificial intelligence (AI)  is critical to propelling diversification of economic growth in the United Arab Emirates, said managing director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his particiupation in the commencement ceremony of the Mohamed bin Zayed University...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--AD Ports Group has signed a 25-year agreement with the Singapore-based company Crystal Offshore, a recognised one-stop logistics solution provider to the marine & offshore Industry. Under the agreement’s terms, a 20,000 square metre plot of land and an associated quay wall in Khalifa Port will be allocated...

Dubai, UAE - Dubai Islamic Bank launched DIB alt, a full-fledged digital umbrella brand to house all of the bank's digital offerings and capabilities under one roof. DIB ‘alt’ is a full-service transformative digital banking experience that is set to enhance the banking experience for DIB’s customers by many folds,...

Istanbul, Turkey - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday called on Ankara to drop its opposition to Sweden's bid to join the defense alliance, saying Stockholm has addressed Turkey's security concerns. "Sweden has taken significant concrete steps to meet Turkey's concerns," Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Sweden...

The last truce was agreed to allow desperately needed humanitarian aid and safe passages into areas of Sudan ravaged by the fighting, but like all that preceded it was routinely violated by both sides.

SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has successfully concluded its trade mission to India after five days of fruitful meetings and discussions with Indian business and industrial associations in New Delhi and Mumbai. The trade mission, organized by the Sharjah Exports Development Center, visited New...

ABU DHABI, UAE -  UAE Ministry of Economy organized two workshops, in Arabic and English, to promote the awareness of suspicious transactions among traders and business owners in the gold and precious stones sector. The workshops, through the Department of Anti-Money Laundering, also made the traders and business owners aware...

The visit by Faisal Mekdad comes weeks after the Arab League agreed to end Syria's suspension from the 22-member bloc, bringing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad back into the regional fold after years of civil war. Iraq remained an ally to Damascus throughout the wider Arab boycott, never severing...

"Transportation disruptions, market devastation and the absence of financing... will have catastrophic impacts on the food security of the people of Sudan and the surrounding region," said the head of the Khartoum-based Arab Organisation for Agriculture Development, Ibrahim al-Dakhiri. Although some farmers have sown crops like maize, millet or oilseeds...

In March, alarmed that ChatGPT creator OpenAI was releasing its latest and more powerful AI model with Microsoft, Marcus signed an open letter with more than 1,000 people including Elon Musk calling for a global pause in AI development. But last week he did not sign the more succinct statement...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia has been re-elected to represent the MENA region on the board of the Global Research Council (GRC) during its 11th annual meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands. Dr. Munir Eldesouki, the President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, will continue to represent Saudi Arabia...

SHARJAH, UAE- The fourth edition of Jewels of Emirates Show at the Expo Center Sharjah has so far seen record footfall as it runs into its third consecutive day. The event received an overwhelming response from visitors, with exhibitors unveiling a stunning array of exclusive and rare jewelry pieces. It...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) extended water transmission pipelines of 64 kilometers lengths in several areas here in 2022 at a cost of around US$97 million (AED 358 million). The pipelines have a diameters of 600, 900 and 1200 mm in different areas across Dubai. The...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE -  Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) successfully participated in the second edition of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology's (MoIAT) Make it in the Emirates Forum. The forum brought together industry leaders, government officials and prominent stakeholders to discuss the role of industrial zones...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and MEXT signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement the UAE’s Industrial Technology Transformation Index (ITTI) and deploy the index overseas for the first time. The move is part of the UAE's efforts to accelerate decarbonization and...

Dubai, UAE -- French multinational aerospace and defense technologies company Thales has launched 'Go to UAE' initiative with the support of UAE's Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology to promote Made-in-the-Emirates mark products and expertise worldwide, and developing a skilled local talent pool, as part of the Make it in...

SHARJAH, UAE - The fourth edition of the Jewels of Emirates Show, the first Emirati exhibition dedicated to diamond jewelry, gold, silver, pearls, luxury watches, and perfumes commenced here on Thursday. The Expo Center Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) is hosting the...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The UAE and Switzerland have discussed opportunities for cooperation between the Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution Office and the Swiss Public Prosecution Office and the means to develop the services provided. Ali Mohammed Alblooshi, Attorney-General of Abu Dhabi, met with Stefan Blatler, Attorney-General of Switzerland and Massimo...

European Central Bank vice president Luis de Guindos on Wednesday previewed the slowing eurozone inflation rate, calling it "positive" but cautioning that "I would not say that the victory is there".

Abu Dhabi, UAE--AD Ports Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi Residents Office (ADRO) to promote the benefits and initiatives which aim to attract and retain top talent in Abu Dhabi. The partnership will develop a joint strategy to inform relevant parties and employees about the...

Dubai, UAE - Standard Chartered will partner with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in hosting the DIFC Treasury Leadership Forum, which will bring together senior treasurers from leading banks, multinationals and services providers to focus on how to optimize treasury operations for growth and the key trends shaping treasury...

Russia has for years been issuing passports to people living in the eastern Donbas areas held by pro-Moscow separatists since 2014 as well as in annexed Crimea.

Neither the army nor the defence ministry commented on their role in Monday's developments at Homesh when contacted by journalists. The United States, Israel's top ally, said this month it was "deeply troubled by the Israeli government's order that allows its citizens to establish a permanent presence in the Homesh...

Sharjah, UAE--With an aim to bolster the country's capital markets, the Sharjah-based company Dana Gas has revealed that it will raise its foreign ownership limit to 100 percent. The company said that it had obtained the approval of the regulatory authorities to raise the percentage of foreign ownership from 49...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Abu Dhabi Quality Conformity Council (QCC) has joined Setup in Abu Dhabi, a comprehensive SME enabling platform, to support SMEs, providing local businesses with guidance and services related to export product standards and compliance. Setup in Abu Dhabi was  launched by Creative Zone in 2022 in...

The key deadline is June 5 -- when, according to Treasury estimates, the government will no longer have the funds required to pay all its debts and bills.

The Israeli military said "suspects fired heavily at the forces, who responded with fire toward the armed men" during a raid in Jenin. Since the start of the year, at least 155 Palestinians, 20 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian have been killed in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,...

Since the start of the war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against regime positions as well as Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces, allies of Damascus and arch-foes of Israel. Israel rarely comments on the strikes on a case-by-case basis, but says it seeks...

Doha, Qatar--Qatar has posted a trade surplus of $6 billion in April 2023, according to a report by the country’s Planning and Statistics Authority.   The figures, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority, reflect a 3.5 percent increase over March while a 35.6 percent decline on an annual basis....

Ajman, UAE - The Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has discussed expanding the trade and joint investment with Turkiye at the Ajman-Türkiye Business Forum. Organized by ACCI, the forum acted as a platform for exchanging experiences, expanding business networks, developing partnerships, and leveraging the opportunities available in both...

ABU DHABI, UAE -  Emirates Development Bank (EDB), a key financial engine for the economic development and industrial advancement of the UAE, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paraguay’s Development Finance Agency (Agencia Financiera de Desarrollo, AFD). The signing was witnessed by José Agüero Avila, Ambassador of Paraguay to...

In a country where political agreements are concluded after endless negotiations between political parties, the objection of the Kurds is delaying a parliamentary vote on the budget. The changes in budget text says the Kurdish region must first deliver 400,000 barrels of oil daily to the federal authorities, along with...

Protesters gathered in other major cities, Haifa and Beersheba, as well as at dozens of junctions and locales throughout the country, to decry what they perceive as a threat to Israel's democracy. The government's reform proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over...

Tehran, Iran-- Urging OPEC member countries to preserve cohesion and unity among them, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said that several Western countries were seeking to divide OPEC member states. The Iranian president made the remark in a meeting with the Secretary-General of OPEC Haitham al-Ghais in Tehran on Saturday. Considering the...

WASHINGTON, US - President Joe Biden said that Democratic and Republican negotiators were on the verge of resolving a debt ceiling standoff, as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic US default was pushed back to June 5. "It's very close and I'm optimistic," Biden told reporters at the White House on...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Two of Masdar's spokespeople will address key issues, challenges, and opportunities in electric vehicle innovation during the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS) 2023. It is a part of Masdar City’s efforts to foster the adoption of sustainable urban transportation. The three-day summit is scheduled to take...