DOHA, QATAR - The merchandise trade balance of Qatar (difference between total exports and imports) recorded a surplus of US$6.7 billion (QR60.9 billion) Q3 2023, down from US$28 billion (QR102.1 billion) in Q3 2022. According to the press release on Quarterly Foreign Merchandise Trade Statistics, Q3 2023 State of Qatar,...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Saudi-Algerian Business Forum concluded its activities with the two countries signing eight agreements aiming at enhancing trade and investment. The agreements covered trade, investment, information technology, business incubators and accelerators, tourism services, elevators, and spare parts. The agreements were signed on Thursday by the Federation...

Japanese auto giant Nissan will invest up to £1.12 billion.

New Delhi, India - With the world's largest biometric ID database, a pioneering digital payment system for daily transactions and a flagship space and satellite programme, India knows the power of connected technology. But when trouble brews with political unrest or sectarian violence, authorities are quick to sever internet service to stem...

Both main crude contracts slipped more than one percent on news that the much-anticipated gathering of the major producers would be put back by four days to November 30. Reports said the decision was made after Angola and Nigeria pushed back at lower targets urged on them, with Saudi Arabia...

Paris, France--The International Energy Agency on Thursday called on oil and gas companies to devote half of their investments to clean energy by 2030, urging them to face a "moment of truth" at next week's COP28, the largest UN climate change conference ever held. The IEA urged producers to make the...

Manama, UAE--The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) has partnered with UpGradelle, a leading French-based consultancy firm, to develop capabilities in the field of digital transformation. The agreement was signed during the visit of Eric Giraud-Telme, the Ambassador of France, who serves to strengthen education and training ties between...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has signed an agreement with Emirates Steel Arkan to develop a pioneering project utilising green hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions in the UAE's energy-intensive steel industry. Marking the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, this innovative...

Dubai, UAE--Dubai International Chamber has attracted a total of 92 businesses, including 15 multinational companies and 77 SMEs, to the emirate between January and September 2023. The chamber has also supported the successful expansion of 33 Dubai-based companies into global markets, either by increasing their exports or helping them to...

The current output strategy by OPEC+ that saw nine members led by Riyadh to cut production in recent months to boost prices has failed to bring about lasting recovery. Some analysts have pointed to possible discord between top crude oil producers Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Texas, US--Oil prices hardly moved during Asian trade on Wednesday as the market awaited potentially mixed news on the supply front, with the OPEC+ producers group expected to discuss output cuts and U.S. crude stocks forecast to show a big build-up. Brent crude futures fell 3 cents, or 0.04%, to...

Tehran, Iran--Iran will begin construction work on joint railway projects with Russia as part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). "The preliminary steps and obtaining the necessary permits for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway have been carried out by the Iranian side, and we hope that with the...

ShareAction said banks amplify "green credentials to their customers and shareholders" but there is a "structural" lack of transparency on what their green finance activities achieve. It examined the green finance commitments and activities of Europe's top 20 banks. Banks are widely criticised for slow progress on the transition to...

Muscat, Oman--Oman LNG has entered into a sale-and-purchase agreement (SPA) with BP to deliver a total of 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) of LNG to BP. The agreement strengthens the robust relationship between Oman LNG and BP, with which the company has previously signed SPAs to supply reliable...

Paris, France - Tax havens are blamed for lower public revenues elsewhere as they lure away multinational firms but a study published on Tuesday showed that tax breaks in high-rate countries are also heavily exploited. Half the profits booked by multinationals benefiting from low tax rates were from countries that have...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--ADNOC and Santos have signed a strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) to build a joint global-carbon-management platform that could support the decarbonisation journey of customers throughout Asia-Pacific. The SCA also provides companies with the opportunity to work together to advance critical carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies necessary to...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE has solidified its stature as a key player in the global financial landscape, through launching economic projects and initiatives that have made it an ideal partner for the NYSE in exploring new markets, said John Tuttle, Vice Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and...

Dubai, UAE--The Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Nasdaq Dubai, and Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further strengthen the ties between the capital markets of Dubai and China. This partnership marks a significant milestone in cross-border collaboration. It will not only facilitate the exchange of...

PARIS, FRANCE -  Countries' greenhouse gas-cutting pledges put Earth on track for warming far beyond key limits, potentially up to a catastrophic 2.9 degrees Celsius this century, the UN said Monday, warning "we are out of road". The UN Environment Program's annual Emissions Gap report is released just ahead of crucial...

DUBAI, UAE – Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has achieved significant growth in membership during 2023. A total of 48,616 new member companies registered between January and September this year, representing an impressive year-over-year (YoY) increase of 42.9 percent...

Dubai, UAE--In order to reduce food loss and waste by 50 percent, the UAE has launched Ne’ma Food Loss and Waste Reduction Roadmap, looking to achieve the target by 2030. The project was unveiled by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment The roadmap was announced...

DUBAI, UAE - Fitch Ratings has affirmed the critical role that COP28 will play in raising awareness of sustainability issues in the region and steering investment and financial requirements towards a more environmentally responsible approach. Bashar Al-Natoor, Global Head of Islamic Finance and Managing Director at Fitch Ratings, expressed optimism...

DUBAI, UAE – Dubai Customs has experienced a robust 13 percent increase with 21.6 million transactions during the first nine months of this year. This surge contrasts with the 19 million transactions recorded during the same period last year. The upswing aligns with the targets of Dubai’s economic agenda D33,...

Announced in February 2021, Saudi Arabia's regional headquarters (RHQ) program is widely seen as a bid to compete with Dubai in the neighboring United Arab Emirates, a favorite base for global firms with business in the Middle East. Despite complaints from some executives that there remains a lack of clarity...

Dubai, UAE-- With its financing packages for the renewables sector to support the transition to clean and sustainable energy sources, Emirates Development Bank (EDB) underscores its commitment to driving the development and growth of solar power adoption across the emirates. The bank, in line with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050...

Manama, Bahrain-- Bahrain and Thailand have held discussions to enhance economic cooperation in a meeting between top officials of the two countries. In this regard, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Political Affairs Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, today met Worawoot Pongprapapant, Director-General, Department of South Asian,...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- The third edition of the Investopia summit will be held in Abu Dhabi in February next year, drawing prominent local and international figures, investors, government officials, decision-makers and entrepreneurs. Al Marri announced the details of the upcoming edition of the Investopia summit to be held under the...

A report by S&P Global Ratings forecasts improved fiscal positions due to higher oil prices, fiscal consolidation and a robust non-hydrocarbon activity.

KHAN YUNIS, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES - One of the last grain warehouses in the Gaza Strip has been damaged by Israeli strikes and a key flour mill in Khan Yunis -- where hundreds of thousands have fled -- has stopped working for lack of fuel. The store, also in Khan Yunis in...

Alibaba is a key player in China's expansive digital economy and the operator of a major online shopping platform. The Hangzhou-based group's performance is considered a barometer of domestic consumption, which has flagged in recent months.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Global credit agency Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund's (PIF) long-term foreign- and local-currency issuer default ratings at "A+" with a stable outlook. In its assessment, Fitch highlighted the PIF’s robust financial autonomy and its critical role in bolstering Saudi Arabia’s non-oil gross...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Since its foundation, the Kingdom has been keen to build bridges of communication with all the countries in accordance with a clear policy to build positive relationships based on respect, cooperation and common interests. The Kingdom's interest in establishing relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) stemmed...

Manama, Bahrain-- Bahrain and Russia have held discussions to enhance cooperation in various fields of the two countries' economies. In this regard, Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, met Roman Panov, the President of the Russian GEOTEK company, a...

Tehran, Iran--Senior Iranian and Russian diplomats held talks in Tehran to discuss the BRICS group and its fields of activities in the spheres of trade, finance and economy. Mahdi Safari, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy hosted the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the country's special envoy for BRICS affairs...

According to a report "Fragile Equilibrium: LNG Trade Dynamics and Market Risks" China has surged ahead of Japan to become the world's largest LNG importer. The US became the top LNG exporter in 2023. The IEF's secretary general said that demand for LNG has grown and continues to "enhance energy...

DOHA, QATAR - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for October 2023 reached 108.09 points, showing an increase of 1.08 percent when compared to CPI of September 2023. Compared to CPI of October 2022, on a year on year(Y-o-Y) basis, an increase of 2.52 percent has been recorded in the CPI...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's consumer price index experienced a slight decrease in October, dropping to 1.6 percent from 1.7 percent in September, according to the latest official data. The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reported that this decrease in inflation was primarily due to a 0.8 percent reduction...

Dubai, UAE--Dubai Airports is expecting annual passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) to touch 86.8 million – surpassing 2019 traffic, propelled by strong growth throughout the first three quarters of the year and anticipation of an exceptional surge in guest numbers in the final quarter. DXB commenced the second half...

Tehran, Iran-- Iran is linking up its electricity grids with Russia via Azerbaijan in order to make up for its power shortfall. The Islamic republic's minister of energy said the electricity grids of Iran and Russia would be connected, adding that feasibility studies for the connection via the Republic of...

It posted a 189% jump in revenue in Q3 to US$1.15bn.

Washington, US--Google has warned users against trying to obtain its Cold generative artificial intelligence (AI) model from external sources currently available on the Internet and confirms in an official statement that the copies are spyware that will expose users to danger. Google continues to work on Bard tools, which are...

The expected injection of billions of dollars into the retail business through sale of varied items can turn out to be a much-needed boost for a sector experiencing "sales fatigue."

The expected injection of billions of dollars into the retail business through sale of varied items can turn out to be a much-needed boost for a sector experiencing "sales fatigue."

Dubai, UAE - UAE's Tawazun Council, an independent government entity that works closely with the Ministry of Defense and security agencies to maximize value through acquisition systems, announced signing of nine deals worth $1.27 billion with local and international companies on day 1 of the Dubai Airshow 2023. The announcement...

Vienna, Austria--The UAE's non-oil economic activities continued to see robust performance and are expected to extend healthy development into 2024, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said. In its OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report for November 2023, the organisation anticipated the upward trend in non-oil activities to continue...

Dubai, UAE--ENOC Group will reach more than one billion gallons of jet fuel sales at the end of this year by supplying more than 153,000 commercial, military, and general aviation flights around the world. The company made the announcement on the sidelines of the 18th edition of Dubai Airshow, which...

SHARJAH, UAE – A total of 3,798 transactions were conducted here in October 2023 across various regions of the emirate, amounting to US$980 million (AED3.6 billion) in trade value and involving 8.2 million square feet, the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department said in a report.   This surge reflects a...

Dubai, UAE--Egypt's annual core inflation rate decelerated by 1.6 percent in October, recording 38.1 percent, down from 39.7 percent in September, according to data released by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on Sunday. The monthly core inflation rate rose to 1.8 percent in October compared to 1.1 percent in...

Istanbul, Turkey-- The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is keen to enhance economic cooperation with Turkey, according to its Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. The secretary general stressed that the GCC Ministerial Council, which held its 155th session in March this year, resumed the strategic dialogue with Türkiye, and adopted the...

DUBAI, UAE – The biggest edition of the Dubai Airshow, a significant global event for the aerospace, space and defense industries, will begin here on Monday. Under the theme ‘The Future of the Aerospace Industry’, the 18th edition of the event, which runs till November 17, will see industry trailblazers...