Geneva, Switzerland - The 14th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions is scheduled to take place between 27-29 June in Tianjin, China. The WEF meeting is happening when the global economy is going through the process of transformation. COVID-19 pandemic as well as fast-changing, macro-economic landscape...

Iranians are accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to evade restrictions and access prohibited websites or apps, including the US-owned Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The authorities went as far as imposing total internet blackouts during the protests that erupted after the September death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, following...

Muscat, Oman--Qatar Chamber (QC) Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani has called for a unified policy for purchase of food and medicine at a meeting in Muscat. This came during his participation in the consultative meeting between GCC ministers of commerce and heads of unions and chambers of commerce and...

AI has the ability to create human-sounding recordings -- at assembly-line speed -- while bypassing at least part of the services of the human professionals who for years have made a living with their voices. Many of them are already seeing a sharp drop off in business.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -  The EU imported US$524 billion (€482 billion) worth of high-tech products from extra-EU countries in 2022 (+22 percent compared with 2021), according to an estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union . Exports to these countries reached US$485 billion (€446 billion) (+16 percent...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Emirates Development Bank (EDB) displayed its flexible and customized financing solutions in the Annual Investment Meeting, held at ADNEC here, local media reports said. The two-day event served as a platform for networking and connecting with experts, investors, companies, and SMEs. EDB's CEO, Ahmed Mohamed Al...

DUBAI, UAE - The UAE presented its legislative ecosystem - which regulates the local labor market, provides social security and ensures decent social security to workers - the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC). Several UAE federal, local government entities and civil society organizations were part of the delegation for the...

Tehran, Iran--Iran will begin to receive the first batch of Russian SU-35 fighter jets next week, according to Mehr News Agency. Tehran and Moscow have embarked on deepening cooperation amid massive Western sanctions. Iran and Russia have signed major deals in recent months to boost economic, trade, energy and military...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Chambers has hosted a workshop for commercial attachés of EU Diplomatic Missions to provide them with an overview and key highlights of the UAE's Corporate Tax Law. The workshop, organized  in collaboration with Al Tamimi & Company Law Firm, brought together 13 officials representing the commercial...

DUBAI, UAE -  The UAE has topped several global labor market indices issued by international entities and institutions in a new accomplishment that reflects UAE’s pioneering global model for development. The UAE ranked first globally in the Talent Attractiveness Index as per the Global Prosperity Index 2023, issued by the...

Dubai, UAE: The economic potential of the Middle East-China trade corridor was the focus of discussion at an exclusive International Connections briefing organised by HSBC and the UAE China Business Council, for Chinese businesses and clients based in the UAE. HSBC hosted Chinese ambassador to the UAE Zhang Yiming and...

Cairo, Egypt--Egypt's annual urban consumer inflation in April dipped to 30.6% from 32.7% in March, data from the state statistics agency CAPMAS showed on Wednesday Month-on-month, urban inflation slowed to 1.7% from 2.7% in March and 6.5% in February. Inflation had steadily crept up over the last year after a...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - ADNOC and Baker Hughes announced Wednesday a deal to accelerate the development and commercialization of technology solutions for green and low-carbon hydrogen, as well as graphene. The agreement will see ADNOC collaborate with Baker Hughes as a strategic partner to study and pilot, the deployment of...

Vienna, Austria - Austria said on Wednesday it will ban TikTok on federal employees' work phones, joining a growing list of Western nations cracking down on the Chinese-owned social media platform due to security concerns. The decision followed advice from Austria's intelligence services and several ministry experts. Similar measures have recently...

Tehran, Iran-- Oman is keen to improve the military and defense ties with Iran in order to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. This was stated by Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik in a meeting in Muscat on Tuesday with the visiting...

CUACOS, SPAIN -  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine were "not possible at this moment," in an interview published by Spanish daily El Pais on Tuesday. His statement came as the leaders of Russia and Ukraine called for victory during events commemorating the end...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A delegation of Saudi Arabia discussed steps to enhance cooperation in maritime transport and ports with South Korea, local media reports said. Led by Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, the delegation visited South Korea and met Cho Seung-hwan, Minister of Oceans and...

MADRID, SPAIN -  The World Tourism Barometer published its second report of the year, which showed that international tourism is making a strong comeback to pre-pandemic levels. During the first quarter of 2023, twice as many people traveled internationally than in the same period of 2022, with a total of...

Koerner will be the only executive from Credit Suisse to remain on board after the bank is absorbed by UBS. The Swiss government strongarmed UBS into buying its rival for $3.25 billion after the collapse of three US lenders in March raised concerns about Credit Suisse's own financial health following...

ABU DHABI, UAE -  Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has signed an agreement with the government of Mauritania to finance a project aimed at providing potable water to the city of Kiffa, which will be sourced from the Senegal River. The contribution from the ADFD towards this strategic project...

DUBAI, UAE -  The private sector and financial institutions in the Middle East should enhance reporting by including information about how they both impact and depend upon nature and natural capital, says a report.    The report titled 'Nurturing Natural Capital: The Middle East Imperative' was released by the World Government...

BEIRUT, LEBANON -  An air strike killed a major drug smuggler and his family in southern Syria on Monday, a war monitor said, attributing the strike to Jordan though Amman did not immediately confirm. Drug dealer "Marai al-Ramthan, his wife and six children were killed in a Jordanian air force strike"...

Amman, Jordan-- With an eye on boosting its exports to North America, a range of companies from Jordan will showcase their products at the 18th edition of SIAL Canada food fair, which will kick off in Toronto on Tuesday. The three-day event, which is one of the largest international food...

A second Rocket Lab-built vessel is due to launch in about two weeks carrying two more satellites to complete a small constellation of four storm-tracking satellites. The information gathered on rainfall, temperature and humidity could help scientists determine where a hurricane will make landfall and how intense it will be,...

Tehran, Iran--The 13th government has been able to export goods worth more than $50 billion since taking office, breaking the record in recent 40 years, the Iranian president said. Addressing the ceremony of the fifth Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRAN EXPO 2023), President Raisi hailed...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Saudi Arabia is keen to deepen trade and economic ties with Italy from the current volume of trade estimated to be around US$8 billion. In this connection, the members of the Saudi business sector delegation, represented by the Saudi-Italian Business Council, concluded their visit to Italy, during which...

AMMAN, JORDAN -  The ninth session of the Joint Jordanian-American Committee, which was held in the United States, discussed cooperation in trade, agriculture, food security and labor.Secretary General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply Dana Zoubi chaired Jordan's delegation and Deputy Representative of US Trade Jayme White represented...

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -  Iraq Prime Minister Muhammad Shia'a Al-Sudani said that the country is continuing regional economic communication. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's media office said, "Muhammad Shia' al-Sudani received the Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water Walid Fayyad and the Deputy Director of the Lebanese State Security...

Baghdad, Iraq -- Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani has said the Iraqi government was keen to support the Lebanese people and consider their fuel needs. Abdul-Ghani received the Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayyad, and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, they discussed prospects for bilateral relations and...

The 69-year-old has become one of Turkey's most important and divisive leaders since his Islamic-rooted party ended half a century of secular rule and launched an era of social transformation. Turkey became a strategic player with a vibrant economy and a modern army of drones that shifted battlefields in wars...

Tehran, Iran--Iran has reported a large increase in its purchases of domestically-grown wheat in the months of April and May. Saeid Raad, CEO of Government Trading Corporation (GTC) of Iran, said on Saturday that wheat purchases in seven provinces with warm climate in south and southeastern Iran had reached some...

AMMAN, JORDAN  -  The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC)'s export of goods and commodities to Arab and other countries increased during the first three months of 2023 by 58.2 percent compared to the same period last year.According to the chamber's statistical data obtained by Petra, "ACC's exports during the January-March...

This will be the third port relocation of a Dragon crew spacecraft, following previous relocations during the Crew-1 and Crew-2 missions.

New York, USA - Omar Sultan AlOlama, UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, called for the use of digital technologies to build and sustain peace during a United Nations Security Council open debate on “peacebuilding and sustaining peace.” “The emergence of new, powerful...

“The United States is a long-standing trade and investment partner for the UAE – and an important ally in the battle to develop alternative sources of energy,” said Al Zeyoudi, UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade.

Frankfurt, Germany - The European Central Bank delivered a smaller interest rate hike Thursday as higher borrowing costs begin to take their toll, but said it had "more ground to cover" in fighting red-hot inflation. It was the seventh-straight increase in the ECB's unprecedented campaign of monetary tightening that began last...

DUBAI, UAE -  Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has added Samsung Pay to its many options for customers to pay their bills conveniently and securely on various digital channels. DEWA is the first government entity in Dubai to adopt the Samsung Pay option within its digital channels. Users can...

Risks from AI include its potential uses for fraud, with voice clones, deep-fake videos and convincing written messages. A range of experts in March urged a pause in the development of powerful AI systems to allow time to make sure they are safe.

Athens in 2020 erected a 37.5-kilometre (23-mile) steel barrier in this remote northeastern area after tens of thousands of migrants tried to break through, clashing for days with Greek security forces. With the country headed into a tight general election later this month, the conservative government has vowed to extend...

Cairo, Egypt--Egypt’s current account deficit fell 77.2 percent to $1.8 billion in the first half of the North African country’s current fiscal year. According to its central bank, the deficit reduction was fueled by Egypt’s current account turning a $1.41 billion surplus in the October to December quarter of 2022...

PARIS, FRANCE -  Some 258 million people needed emergency food aid last year because of conflict, economic shocks and climate disasters, a UN report said Wednesday, a sharp rise from 193 million the previous year. "More than a quarter of a billion people are now facing acute levels of hunger, and...

Dubai, UAE-- Seeking to take advantage of the boom in the Middle East's hospitality sector, Radisson Hotel Group will triple its presence in the region by 2030. The hotel group, running 52 hotels and resorts in the Middle East, is planning to have 150 properties in operation and under development...

Since 2020 though, the world has been hit with an exceptionally long La Nina -- El Nino's cooling opposite -- which ended earlier this year, ceding way to the current neutral conditions. And yet, the UN has said the last eight years were the warmest ever recorded, despite La Nina's...

Diplomatic efforts have intensified to end more than two weeks of war in Africa's third-largest country as warnings multiply about a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis. Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), "have agreed in principle...

Sharjah, UAE - The Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) approved Tuesday the "Genetic Coding Programme" project to classify biodiversity in Sharjah, the first of its kind in the region. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the SEC approved the program....

DUBAI, UAE- DIFC Academy announced a collaboration with PwC’s Academy to offer a globally recognized diploma program aimed at upskilling tax practitioners in the UAE. Under the deal, DIFC Academy will offer the UAE Corporate Tax Diploma Program in collaboration with PwC’s Academy, becoming the first institution alongside PwC’s Academy...

Former president Michel Aoun's term expired in October, with no successor lined up. Countries including France, the United States and Saudi Arabia hold regular consultations on Lebanon. Their representatives met in February in Paris to discuss the crisis, without achieving any tangible progress.

Cairo, Egypt--Egypt has signed its biggest investment package with Japan aimed at supporting the North African country's transportation development plan. According to a statement released by Egypt's Cabinet, the agreement, worth 100 billion yen ($734 million), will be used to finance Cairo’s metro expansion, a 30-km stretch of land that...

Dubai, UAE-- The World Free Zones Organisation’s (World FZO) ninth Annual International Conference & Exhibition (AICE) will begun in Dubai from today. Held under the theme ‘Global Trade 2.0: Zones, An Ecosystem of Trust Driving Prosperity,’ this year’s two-day event reflects the organisation's commitment to facilitating the contribution of free...

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he was not giving estimates of Ukrainian casualties because "they are the victims here. Russia is the aggressor." The White House will not put "information in the public domain that makes it any harder" for the close Western ally, whose army is being...