March sees GCC Index drop as heavyweight sectors lag
GCC equity markets experienced a March downturn, influenced by seasonal selling pressure during Ramadan, leading to a 3.0% drop in the MSCI GCC index with Qatar suffering the steepest decline at 6.0%.
Abu Dhabi discusses investment cooperation with Egypt
The Abu Dhabi Development Fund received a delegation from the Central Bank of Egypt.IMF board meets with Georgieva amid data manipulation probe
The investigation by law firm WilmerHale released last month found that during Georgieva’s time as World Bank CEO, she pressured staff into changing data to China's benefitSaudi to lift ban on Qatar’s beIN Sports: source
Saudi Arabia banned the major broadcaster, which holds the rights to the English Premier League (EPL) and other top competitions, in 2017 at the start of a diplomatic and transport blockade of Qatar which ended in January. "Saudi Arabia's 4.5-year illegal ban on beIN is going to be reversed," a...Rise in oil prices gives strength to Gulf markets
The Muscat Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday, up 0.17%, or 6.9 points, from the previous trading session, which amounted to 3,947 points, after Cyclone Shaheen forced its closure.World Bank official for GCC says Saudi GDP to touch 3.3 percent in 2022
With an improvement in global oil demand, the World Bank has predicted Saudi Arabia’s average gross domestic product to reach 2.4 percent in 2021 and 3.3 percent the next year.Natural gas market soars to record heights
Europe's reference Dutch TTF gas price hit 162.12 euros per megawatt hour and UK prices leapt to 407.82 pence per therm in morning deals.IMF: Global inflation nearing peak, stabilizing next year
The full report will be published next Tuesday and updates the estimates the IMF made in July, when it predicted inflation would return to pre-pandemic levels at some point next year. Prices worldwide have crept up throughout this year as economies bounce back from the sharp contraction the Covid-19 pandemic...Thousands of Gazans apply for Israeli work permits
The total number of permits being granted by Israel to Palestinian labourers in Gaza is 7,000.Lebanon’s telecom, internet sector could collapse in days
Telecom companies in Lebanon have joined the long list of at-risk industries and institutions because of the financial and economic crisis that has led to shortages of, among others, fuel to make electricity. Telecom services, including the internet, were intermittently suspended in several regions in recent months.Jordan to support industry with national projects
Jordan’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply will be establishing these projects as part of its implementation of the government's economic priorities towards improving investment environment in the country. This requires a review of the current support and incentive program for industrial activities.Kuwait private sector partner in boosting trade ties: UAE chambers
KUWAIT: A delegation from the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and officials of the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry have discussed ways of boosting cooperation and promoting investment opportunities in the two countries. The discussion happened at a meeting attended by Abdullah Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Chairman...In Iraq vote, big blocs lurk behind ‘independents’
A new electoral law in Iraq will mean that when Iraqis go to the polls on Sunday, they will vote for individuals rather than parties. This is the country’s fifth election since the US toppled the Saddam Hussien regime in 2003.Bahrain VAT rate hike may boost sales of UAE retailers
Bahrain plans to double its VAT rate to 10 percent, which is likely to drive its citizens to shop in the neighboring United Arab Emirates.Saudi non-oil private sector grows fastest in seven years in September: IHS
There has been a sharp growth in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector in September, the fastest in seven years, according to HIS Markit.UAE, Australia discuss economic relations
UAE Minister of State Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh recently met with Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan for discussions.DFSA enhances regulatory framework for the future of finance
The DFSA set up the Innovation Testing Licence (ITL) Programme to encourage innovation in the Dubai International Financial Centre and protect the market against risks.Saudi Arabia contactless payments highest in MENA region
Saudi Arabia had achieved contactless payment adoption of 94 percent, which is higher than even the EU.UAE’s new data law promises privacy
The law to include features of gold-standard data protection regulations such as Europe's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the UK's Data Protection Act, the DIFC's Data Protection Regulation and the ADGM's Data Protection Regulation.Regional divergences mark global trade rebound: WTO
Supply-side issues such as semiconductor scarcity and port backlogs may strain supply chains and weigh on trade in particular areas, but they are unlikely to have large impacts on global aggregates. The biggest downside risks come from the pandemic itself.Jordan discusses economic recovery with World Bank
Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Sunday received World Bank Group President David Malpass at the Basman Palace.R&D in Arab world: Challenges and successes
Raging political crises across the region have negatively impacted the economies of several countries. Consequently, spending on research has barely increased since 2014.S&P revises Oman’s credit rating to positive on the back of fiscal improvement
S&P has revised up Oman’s credit outlook to positive from stable on the expectation that the sultanate’s reform program will limit increases in government debt in the coming years.Saudi Arabia to have budget surpluses from 2023: Ministry of Finance
Saudi Arabia is confident that it will have budget surpluses from 2023 with the kingdom’s economy showing a “noticeable and anticipated uptick.”Kuwaiti women play big role in development: Diplomat
Fahad Hejji, the First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations, has said at the UN that women from his country play a significant role in the development and modernization of society, and they have offered invaluable contributions to the national efforts to...Saudi Arabia announces vaccine mandate for public
Saudi authorities will require people to have double immunization starting at 6 am on October 10 if they are to go to places.UN agency for Palestinian refugees needs $800m
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that the organization needed "predictability" for its operations.OPEC’s crude oil reserves up 0.3% to 1,237 bn barrels in 2020
World’s proven crude oil reserves stood at 1,549 billion barrels in 2020, increasing by 0.2 percent from the level of 1,546 billion barrels recorded in 2019, according to the 2021 edition of its Annual Statistical Bulletin. The publication contains time-series data detailing key aspects of the petroleum industry, such as...E-Sports a billion-dollar industry in GCC
The Middle East has 25% of the worldwide gaming audience, followed by Latin America 13.9%, the Asia Pacific 9.2%, Western Europe 4.8%, and North America 4%.Al-Rajhi Capital predicts Saudi oil revenues to touch $145.3bn at the end of 2021
Al-Rajhi Capital believes that Saudi oil revenues will touch $145.3 billion at the end of 2021, while total state revenues could go up to $246 billion. The assessment was made on the Saudi budget forecast released on Thursday.Jordan, Lebanon discuss cooperation
Jordanian Prime Minister Bishr Khasawneh met his Lebanese counterpart Najib Mikati to discuss cooperation and help Lebanon.Saudi Arabia to strengthen trade ties with Austria
The Saudi delegation of the trade system was headed by Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Qasabi.Dubai Expo 2020 to attract 25 million business, tourist visits
The full expo site has opened its doors to exhibitors from almost 200 countries.Seamless Middle East 2021 held in Dubai
The event, sponsored by the Arab League and organised by Terrapinn, was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.US Pavilion to inspire ‘spirit of freedom’: Commissioner General
Robert Clark praised the UAE for transforming “the sands of the desert into a thriving World’s Fair site, complete with spaces for 192 nations to connect.Kuwait Expo 2020 pavilion will be ‘biggest’ in terms of size and activities, says director
DUBAI: Kuwait's participation at Expo 2020 Dubai is "biggest" in terms of pavilion size and range of activities, the pavilion's director said on Thursday. A total 200 government and private bodies across a diverse array of sectors are set to contribute to the booth over the coming six months, Bader...Digital transformation helps GCC banks prosper
Digital transformation brought about by COVID-19 has made banks more open to branchless and cashless banking enabling them to perform better in H1 2021 than they did in the same period last year.Kuwait to push for more private sector jobs in order to reduce state wage bill
Kuwait will nudge job seekers in the country toward the private sector in order to reduce state wage bill. The country’s cabinet has asked its Manpower Authority to get another 100,000 citizens working in the private sector in the next four years.Tunisia’s new PM faces economy battered by political turmoil
Heavily in debt, with spiraling inflation and widespread unemployment worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, Tunisia is hoping for a bailout package from the IMF. But talks have been suspended since President Kais Saied on July 25 sacked the government.Saudi Arabia expects 2.7 percent budget deficit this year, 1.6 percent in 2022
Saudi Arabia expects to post a deficit of 2.7% of gross domestic product this year and to reduce it further next year, to 1.6% of GDP, it said in a preliminary budget statement for 2022.Algeria-Morocco standoff threatens Spain gas supplies
Algeria has been using the Gaz-Maghreb-Europe (GME) pipeline since 1996 to deliver several billion cubic metres per year to Spain and Portugal.Saudi employers prefer men over women in Q2 as unemployment rate dips
Saudi males found securing jobs was easier than women in the kingdom in the second quarter of 2021, lowering unemployment rate to 11.3 percent.2021 a year of recovery in oil market: OPEC Sec Gen
Barkindo underscored the importance of the efforts by the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) Participating Countries in accelerating the rebalancing process in the global oil market.Infrastructure push spurs job growth in GCC
The UAE and Qatar are hosting global events like EXPO 2020 this October and FIFA World Cup in 2022 respectively and initiating infra projects worth billions of dollars.Morocco, Algeria slam France’s decision to slash visas
France on Tuesday said it would sharply reduce the number of visas granted to people from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, accusing the former French colonies of not doing enough to allow illegal immigrants to return.Saudi MSMEs get new three-month payment respite
The Deferred Payment Program was launched on March 14 last year, as Covid-19 was spreading across the world. According to the central bank, it benefited more than 107,000 contracts with a total value of SAR174 billion ($46.4 billion) in deferred payments.Non-oil sector fuels Bahrain economy growth
The results are said to be showing signs of economic recovery of Bahrain.SEDCO Capital, Lombard Odier launch Shariah-compliant fund
The Fund's composition reflects a convergence of SEDCO Capital's Prudent Ethical Investment (PEI) approach with Lombard Odier's investment expertiseDEWA partners with Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit
DEWA has implemented Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and the Internet of Things to drive the transition to a low-carbon future while contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic development in the UAE and globallySaudi Arabia digitizes 50m realty papers under National Transformation Program
Saudi Arabia has managed to digitize some 50 million real estate documents under the Real Estate Title Digitization Initiative. It is one of the initiatives of the Ministry of Justice in the National Transformation Program.Higher oil prices, widespread vaccine roll-out to drive Saudi economic rebound: S&P
Saudi Arabia’s economy will benefit from higher oil prices and its successful COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, ratings agency S&P Global has said as it affirmed the Kingdom’s stable outlook in its latest report.



















































