The Hague, Netherlands—Police have dismantled a huge drugs "super-cartel" that controlled a third of Europe's cocaine trade, arresting 49 people in various countries including six top suspects in Dubai, Europol said Monday. The huge international operation seized 30 tonnes of the drug and also involved arrests in France, Spain, Belgium and...

Amman, Jordan— Jordan has seized a big haul of drugs being smuggled into the kingdom from Syria in two different attempts. According to Jordan News Agency the country's security forces have foiled two attempts to smuggle large quantities of drugs from Syria in two days. Border guards at the Jaber...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia—The Arab Monetary Fund has signed a $1 billion agreement with the Yemeni government to shore up the war-scarred country's economic reform program. Sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the program seeks to contribute to backing efforts made to implement reforms to strengthen the financial status of...

Appealing to guilty parties to hand themselves in and return all the money, the prime minister of Iraq has revealed that the country has recovered part of $2.5 billion in public funds fraudulently withdrawn from a government account. A wealthy businessman implicated in the theft had given back $125 million.

Ninety percent of Egyptian LNG exports will be destined for European Union countries, El Molla said.

It is logical for the FRB to halt the wave of escalation of interest rates on the dollar, which was projected to witness a final round next December at a rate of 0.25 percent, due to the approaching winter season and the intensification of the cold wave in western Europea,...

MENA startups had begun the year with a deluge of funding from investors, but toward the year end a dark cloud hovers over new businesses as global crises dip the enthusiasm.

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- NEXT50 today launched PLATFORM50, a one-stop-shop solution for organizations to maximize business value and address tomorrow’s challenges. The announcement was made at NEXT50’s inaugural Executive Day – which spotlighted the latest in state-of-the-art technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and real-world applications accelerating a data-driven future in...

The United States will provide Jordan with over US$845 million in annual financial support, officials in Amman said as the country remains heavily dependent on foreign aid. Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh was present at the signing ceremony for the allocation of annual financial support of $845.1 million, a Jordanian government...

DUBAI, UAE - Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai has approved the Dubai Countryside and Rural Areas Development Master Plan, spanning an area of 2,216 square kilometers. The Plan seeks to preserve the nature of areas including Lehbab, Margham, Al Marmoom, Al...

Dubai, UAE---Dubai Chambers unveils plans to establish new country-specific business councils operating in the emirate and expand their roles to support efforts aimed at boosting Dubai’s non-oil foreign trade and create new channels of economic cooperation with promising markets around the world. The announcement was made by Abdul Aziz Al...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Engineer Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli inaugurated Sunday the Aquatic Animal Diseases Network in the Middle East in the Kingdom. The inauguration took place in the presence of the Director General of the World Organization for Animal Health...

SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) discussed business and investment opportunities in the UAE and Russia with the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting that took place at Expo Center Sharjah (ECS) brought together Abdallah Sultan Al-Owais, SCCI's Chairman, and Vladimir Platonov, Chairman...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has commissioned a new 132/11kV substations in Al Awir First with a transmission capacity of 150 MVA, at a total cost of US$49 million (AED180 million). DEWA also inaugurated a new transmission 400/132kV substation in Jebel Ali First and overhead cables...

The quarterly GDP growth rate reached its highest value in six years during the second quarter of 2022 which hit 11.7 percent compared to the same quarter last year, according to Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi (SCAD).

Amman, Jordan— The Kingdom of Jordan intends to foster a "robust partnership" with the private sector of the country that plays a key role in propping up the economy and generate jobs. According to Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and Minister of Labor Yousef Shamali, the government is serious...

In a rare display of anger against the Chinese government, scores of protestors took to the streets of Shanghai early Sunday calling for an end to lockdowns. China has been facing wide criticism over its zero-Covid policy. A fire spurred an outpouring of anger in Xinjiang region as many blamed...

It is essential to adopt sustainable water management practices to build resilience, sustain peace and improve the well-being of local populations. Coordinated action is needed urgently to tackle the water crisis in the MENA region, which has reached unprecedented levels, he adds.

DOHA, QATAR - Robert Lewandowski scored the first World Cup goal of his prolific career on Saturday when he netted in Poland's 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia, bursting their bubble following the team's giant-killing act against Argentina. Barcelona forward Lewandowski was almost overcome with emotion after making sure Poland took...

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - Denmark's autonomous Faroe Islands have renewed a fishing quota deal with Russia for one year despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a local minister said on Saturday. "The Faroe Islands are totally right to extend their existing fishing agreement with Russia," the North Atlantic archipelago's minister of fisheries...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that negotiating with the United States would not put an end to the "troubles" that have rocked the Islamic republic over the past two months. Iran has seen weeks of demonstrations sparked by the September 16 death in custody...

AL AIN, UAE - The College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at the United Arab Emirates University launched an awareness campaign entitled "Food Waste Audit". The campaign was launched in cooperation with the Office of the Associate Provost for Research and participation of the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer)...

US authorities announced a ban on the import or sale of communications equipment deemed "an unacceptable risk to national security" - including gear from Chinese giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE. Both firms have been on a roster of companies listed as a threat by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Turkish and Qatari official are in the final stages of talks to work out the modalities of extending the funding.

Marrakesh, Morocco—The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) convened its 117th Executive Council in Marrakesh, Morocco, as the sector’s recovery continues to gather pace. According to UNWTO data released this week, international arrivals are on track to reach 65% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. However, building on...

The quarterly GDP growth rate reached its highest value in six years during the second quarter of 2022.

Abu Dhabi, UAE— The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has partnered with Prototype Interactive to support inventors in developing their ideas into innovative digital and technological applications that will contribute to a sustainable economy. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between COAD and Prototype Interactive, allows inventors to...

Increased energy costs and supply chain disruptions caused by the epidemic would be a considerable burden for Gulf countries, which rely heavily on imports, says a report.

ABU DHABI, UAE - The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has announced the launch of the first permanent livestock auction market in Abu Dhabi to help breeders market their animals, develop the livestock sector and promote self-sufficiency. During a press conference, ADAFSA announced that the first auction...

PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - Members of the UAE-EU Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Federal National Council (FNC), headed by Sarah Mohammed Falkinaz met with the members of the UAE-Czech Parliamentary Friendship Committee, headed by Margita Balaštíková. The meeting was also attended by Afraa Al Basty, FNC Assistant Secretary-General for Parliamentary...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), which is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), has announced that the company’s second General Assembly meeting will be held physically and virtually on December 12, 2022. The assembly will vote on the recommendation of the Board of Directors to...

The AIM Global 2023 is supported by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technologies, with the ADDED as a lead partner.

DHAKA, BANGLADESH - The UAE participated in the Indian Ocean Rim Association's (IORA) 22nd Council of Ministers (COM) meeting and the 24th Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) meeting held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 22 to 24. The UAE delegation was led by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State...

Gross domestic product grew "despite difficult general conditions in the global economy such as the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, delivery bottlenecks, continuing price rises and the war in Ukraine," it said. A separate survey on Friday showed that German consumer confidence has edged up again following a long period of decline,...

The United Nations had previously handled the repatriation of refugees from Libya, but the deal between authorities in the west, east and south has enabled the Interior Ministry's agency tackling illegal migration to work in a unified way across the country.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, who is also Dubai’s Higher Committee of Future Technology Development and Digital Economy Chairman, said this while approving the new phase of the Dubai Metaverse Strategy aimed at enhancing the digital economy and implement measures to empower the use of future technologies.

With the latest cut, the rate has reached "a sufficient level with regard to growing risks concerning global demand", the bank's council said in a written statement. Turkey's monetary policymakers are bucking the global trend of central banks raising interest rates to combat inflation, as high borrowing rates cool down...

Firm said this will help bolster its presence in kingdom.

AMMAN, JORDAN - Jordan's Minister of Energy Saleh Kharabsheh stressed on the importance of conducting an electrical interconnection project to supply Europe with green energy from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He made the remark during a meeting on Thursday with a British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU)...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Insurance shares distributed among beneficiaries is one of the most essential privileges in the Federal Law No. 7 of 1999 for pension and social security, said the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) on Thursday. The authority stressed that shares are distributed to the daughter,...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has completed the e-link project with four freezones to integrate and create a unified database of economic licenses in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. These include KEZAD Group, which consist of 12 economic zones, Abu Dhabi Airports Free...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - EU energy ministers met Thursday to debate measures to mitigate the energy crunch in Europe but were divided over a gas price cap proposal slammed by many as a "joke". They were to discuss a proposal by the European Commission, unveiled just two days earlier, that would...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia---Saudi Arabia has deposited 891 million riyals in subsidy to the beneficiaries of a housing program, Iskan, aimed at raising the percentage of homeownership to 70 percent by 2030 under the kingdom’s Vision 2030 transformation initiatives. The subsidy for the month of November was deposited into the accounts...

Wednesday's much-anticipated minutes showed most US central bank chiefs felt smaller increases would "likely soon be appropriate" as the economy shows signs of weakness following almost a year of monetary tightening.

The curbs in Zhengzhou are part of China's national zero-tolerance approach to Covid, which involves grueling lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing. However, nearly three years into the pandemic, Covid cases are now higher than they have ever been in China. There were 31,444 domestic cases on Wednesday, the National...

An estimated 340 million international arrivals were recorded in the third quarter of 2022 alone, almost 50% of the nine-month total.

A pick-up in aircraft orders boosted demand for big-ticket US manufactured goods in October, with numbers rising more than expected, government data showed. Durable goods orders rose one percent to $277.4 billion last month, up from a revised 0.3 percent bump in September, the Commerce Department reported. Transportation equipment led...

ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT - Jordan's Minister of Transport Maher Abu Al-Samen discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Kamel Al-Wazir ways and means of cementing bilateral cooperation in various spheres of transportation. The talks were held on the sidelines of the Council meeting of Arab Transport Ministers in Alexandria during which Al-Samen, also...

ABU DHABI, UAE - The Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy (ADJA) celebrated the graduation of the first batch of the foundation training program for legal researchers. The 'Certified Government Legal Advisor' program was implemented in cooperation with Abu Dhabi School of Government (ADSG), with a total of 554 training hours and...

In a dry country where access to water is already far below the 1,700 cubic meters per resident per year the United Nations defines as "water stressed", the drought-tolerant cactus is a safer bet compared with thirstier crops.