Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Renewables maintain their cost leadership in global power markets, IRENA’s new report on Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2024 confirms. The report confirms that renewables maintained their price advantage over fossil fuels, with cost declines driven by technological innovation, competitive supply chains, and economies of scale....
Qatar all set to successfully begin the FIFA World Cup : Official
Qatar is ready for the launch of a safe and exceptional tournament, the Head of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Safety & Security Operations Committee, Brig. Ibrahim Khalil Al-Mohannadi said. Local media reports quoted Al-Mohannadi as saying the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Security Last-Mile Conference, which kicked off...Winners for Kuwait’s municipal council polls announced
The winners for the 13th Legislative session in Kuwait's eight constituencies were announced Saturday on Kuwait State Television. The Judges announced 10 winners and members of the new municipal council, and they are: The winner in the first constituency is Hasan Kamal with 2,755 of the votes. The winner in...
DEWA research facility registers patent for drone charging system
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA)’s Research & Development Centre has registered a new patent for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) charging system that enables continuous charging for UAVs, providing longer flying hours with a large storage capacity. This is in addition to improving the efficiency of charging and facilitating...
Iraq’s financial reserves may reach $40 billion by 2022 end: Official
Iraq's financial reserves are expected to reach $40 billion in case the current fiscal year ends without enacting a budget law, according to Mazhar Muhammad Salih, advisor to Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Local media reports quoted Salih as saying that "it is not possible to pass any law by...
Qatar Chamber signs deal with Spanish firms to promote trade
Qatar Chamber signed a deal with two Spanish organizations by which it seeks to enhance economic, commercial and trade cooperation with Spain. The two Spanish organizations are Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services, according to Qatari media reports. Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa...
Iraq will have a surplus of the difference in selling oil: FM
Iraq's Finance minister said during a Television interview, "Iraq will have a surplus of the difference in selling oil, up to 20 billion dollars," stressing that "in light of the current financial abundance, it is unlikely to resort to borrowing."
Central Bank of Iraq increases its capital to $3.42 billion
The Central Bank of Iraq has announced an increase in its capital to 5 trillion dinars ($3.42 billion) Iraqi media reports said recently that the bank decided to its capital from 3 trillion dinars to 5 trillion dinars. "This increase comes to enhance the results of its balanced policies with...
For Iraqis back from Syria, life on hold in ‘rehabilitation’ camp
Iraqi Foreign Minister said his country is determined to repatriate all the families stuck in the Syrian camp after "security checks" are completed.
Boeing’s Starliner docks with ISS in high-stakes test mission
NASA is looking to certify Starliner as a second "taxi" service for its astronauts to the space station a role that Elon Musk's SpaceX has provided since succeeding in a test mission for its Dragon capsule in 2020.
Al-Daghmi: Jordan is strong under its ‘wise Hashemite leadership’
Al-Daghmi said Hashemite leadership had built Jordan hand in hand with his sons to be a model in the Arab region.
Top film bodies part of Saudi contingent at Cannes Festival
Saudi Arabia will participate in the 75th Cannes International Film Festival, which will be held during the period from 17 to 28 May, with a national pavilion supervised by the Film Commission. The Ministry of Investment, the Red Sea Film Festival, the Al-Ula Film, the King Abdulaziz Center for World...Dubai sees increased trade through commercial wooden dhows in Q1
Dhows coming from outside the country have been given direct access to local markets, including through Deira Wharfage and Al Hamriyah Port.
Dubai Customs launches ‘Training Doses’ initiative
The initiative will also help in consolidating controls and combat all customs violations, including smuggling.Egypt raises overnight interest rates to tame inflation
In order to tame soaring prices in the country, the Central Bank of Egypt has raised its overnight interest rates by 200 basis points.
Two Iran activists out on bail sent to jail again on ‘plotting supicion’
Earlier this week Tehran academic Saeed Madani Ghahfarokhi was arrested on suspicion of "maintaining links abroad and carrying out activities that threaten national security".Israel’s government in minority after Arab MP resigns from Knesset
The MP Zoabi said: "Again and again the heads of the coalition have taken hawkish, rigid and right-wing stances regarding basic issues of utmost importance for Arab society".UAE and Turkey export credit agencies to enhance trade ties
Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE Federal export credit company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkey’s export credit agency, Turk Eximbank, to enhance trade and support business relations between the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. The two export credit agencies will work together to facilitate trade and...
All work-related leaves in UAE fall under contribution period: GPSSA
Government sector employers are mandated to bear full contributions due from the insured in cases where he/she is accompanying a spouse for study leave
Etihad Rail signs expertise-exchange MoUs with Spanish, UK firms
Etihad Rail has signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Renfe, Spain’s national railway operator; High Speed 1, the first high-speed railway in United Kingdom (UK) and GB Railfreight, the British rail freight company. The MoUs are based on exchanging knowledge, expertise, and best practices in freight and passenger rail...
Saudi Foreign Minister meets Algerian counterpart
Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, the Saudi Foreign Minister had arrived in the Algerian capital earlier on Wednesday evening.Robot hives in Israel kibbutz hope to keep bees buzzing
They function as normal hives, but apiaries built at a kibbutz in Israel's Galilee are decked out with high-tech artificial intelligence systems set to ensure longevity for these vital pollinators." There are two million bees here," said Shlomki Frankin as he walks into a 12-square-meter container in Kibbutz Beit Haemek...
Dubai issues 32,564 Instant Licenses since launch of initiative in Aug 2017
A total of 32,564 Instant Licenses have been issued by the Business Registration and Licensing (BRL) unit at the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) in Dubai since the launch of the initiative in August 2017. While 59 percent of these licenses were professional, 41 percent were commercial. Instant licenses...
Dubai Museum of the Future, Binance to launch first-ever NFT collection
Dubai’s Museum of the Future will develop and launch several digital products on the blockchain, starting with the first-ever NFT collection. The collection, named The Most Beautiful NFTs in the Metaverse, and other products will be developed in collaboration with Binance NFT, the NFT marketplace of Binance. The Museum, which...Morocco ‘breathing again’ as tourists return after Covid curbs
Morocco this week reopened land borders with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, two years after they were shut due to Covid and a major diplomatic rowIMF and Pakistan to discuss release of funds as economy falters
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who took power with a coalition that removed Khan in a no-confidence vote last month, has vowed to jumpstart the moribund economy
Sandstorm disrupts life in Riyadh, likely to affect Makkah and Medina
A sandstorm engulfed Saudi Arabia's capital and other regions of the desert kingdom Tuesday, hampering visibility and slowing road traffic. A thick grey haze made iconic Riyadh buildings such as Kingdom Centre nearly impossible to see from more than a few hundred meters (yards) away, though there were no announced...Russia may cut gas supplies to Finland over Ruble payment refusal
Russia may cut gas supplies to Finland soon over the Nordic country's refusal to pay Gazprom in rubles, Finnish state-owned Gasum said on Tuesday. Gasum said it would take its dispute with Gazprom Export to arbitration, a move that risks angering neighboring Russia further as Helsinki prepares to submit its...
Morocco, Spain reopen borders after two-year closure
The gates opened shortly after 11:00 pm local time (2200 GMT) on Monday night, letting dozens of cars and queues of pedestrians pass in both directions.Lebanon vote weakens Hezbollah bloc as reformists book gains
Scuffles and cases of voter intimidation were reported on polling day, although Interior Minister insisted when announcing partial results that their number was "very low".NEOM will be subject to Saudi sovereignty and rules: Report
Saudi Arabia has rejected claims that its planned futuristic megacity known as NEOM will have different rules from the rest of the kingdom and function like a "country within a country". Media reports said that in an interview published last week by the UAE's The National newspaper, Andrew McEvoy, head...Eighth sandstorm since mid-April brings Iraq to a halt
On Monday a thick cloud of dust enveloped the capital Baghdad in an orange glow and blanketed many other cities.Blue-chip shares surge as Wall Street stocks bounces back
Investors remain cautious as to whether China will ease its zero-Covid policy, which has added to the disruption of the world's supply chains.
Ryanair cuts annual net loss to $369 million
Ryanair expects cost increases as a result of surging oil prices fueled by the war, it hopes "to return to reasonable profitability" in its current financial year.
Lebanon votes to bring about change in dire economic crisis
For many voters, the election was a chance to vent their anger at the entire ruling elite.
Sanctions-hit Iran considering gas exports to Europe: official
Iran is considering the possibility of exporting gas to Europe, an oil ministry official said Sunday against the backdrop of soaring energy prices due to Russia's war in Ukraine. "Iran is studying this subject but we have not reached a conclusion yet," deputy oil minister Majid Chegeni was quoted as...
Somali MPs vote in prez election as famine threat looms
Somali lawmakers gathered in Mogadishu Sunday to vote in the country's long-overdue presidential election, with 35 candidates vying for the top job in the troubled Horn of Africa nation as it battles an Islamist insurgency and the threat of famine.
2,000 attend new Tunisia opposition alliance demonstration
A crowd estimated at more than 2,000, lower than expected, took part Sunday in the first demonstration of a new alliance to oppose a power grab by President Kais Saied. "We shall overcome," and "We are united, not divided," read banners of the National Salvation Front protesters gathered in front...
Blinken offers ‘deep condolences’ to family of Palestinian journalist
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the family of slain Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh after criticizing Israel's use of force at her funeral, an official said Sunday. Blinken, during his flight Saturday to Berlin for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, offered "deep condolences" in a phone...G7 criticizes India for its decision to ban wheat export
India, the world's second-largest wheat producer, said that factors including lower wheat production and sharply higher global prices because of the war meant that it was now worried about its own "food security"Tutu foundation decries Israeli beating of Palestinian mourners
Israeli police charging the funeral of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is "reminiscent" of violence during apartheid South Africa, the foundation of late Archbishop Desmond Tutu said Saturday.Finnish President speaks with Putin on NATO membership
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday regarding the Nordic country's application for NATO membership, which is expected to be officially announced this weekend, his office said.Russian embargo won’t result in global oil dearth : IEA
The IEA said "steadily rising" output from the United States and Middle Eastern members of the OPEC+ oil cartel will help offset losses from Russia.Tourism recovering, but not back to pre-pandemic levels
Global tourism is roaring back to life despite Covid travel headaches and the effects of the war in Ukraine, but it has yet to return to its pre-pandemic health. International tourist arrivals worldwide have more than doubled, up 130 percent in January 2022 on the same period last year, according...
Arab nations at UN seek probe of killing of Al Jazeera reporter
Arab countries at the United Nations called Wednesday for an independent, international probe into what they called the assassination of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead as she covered an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank.Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine down by almost a third
Ukraine is a major supply route for Russian gas to Europe and the two sides have kept flows going even after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24Scarce French rainfall adds new cloud to global food market
World food prices hit an all-time high in March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which accounted for 20 percent of global wheat and maize exports over the past three yearsIraq strikes deal with Iran to secure summer gas imports
Iraq has agreed to pay $1.6 billion in debt to Iran by June 1 to secure a steady gas supply for power generation through the summer, its electricity minister said.How will Lebanon vote impact the crisis-hit economy?
Here’s a look at the challenges that await incoming lawmakers in a country where there is little consensus on a roadmap for financial recovery.
Syrian refugees in Turkey: Political tool in crisis times
With the lira's value tumbles to historic lows and annual inflation runs at nearly 70 percent, the refugee question regularly pops up in political debates in Turkey.
Spain, Morocco agree to reopen enclave land borders
The move helps draw a line under a major diplomatic standoff on the back of coronavirus restrictions that together closed the crossings for two years.
