• Dubai receives 3.67 million visitors in first two months of 2024

    Dubai, UAE--Dubai received 3.67 million overnight visitors in January-February 2024, with an increase of over 18 percent year-on-year (YoY), figures released by Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) showed. According to the DET's Tourism Performance Report for January-February 2024, Dubai recorded 1.77 million international visitors in January, and 1.9...

  • ENEC inks MoU with OSGE

    Aim is to help in decarbonization of the Polish power sector.

  • Saudi clubs spent $875.4m on new players from June 1- Sept 1, says FIFA

    Spending by Saudi Arabian football clubs in the transfer window just closed was second only to that by teams in the English Premier League, said separate reports by FIFA and Deloitte. The sport's world governing body said Saudi Pro League teams had spent $875.4 million on new players from June...

  • 2023 likely to be hottest year in human history, says EU climate monitor

    "2023 is the year that climate records were not just broken but smashed," said Mark Maslin, a professor of climatology at University College London.

  • Turkish Airlines orders 10 A350 Airbus

    The airline disclosed no financial details in a statement.

  • ADNEC Group launches charter flights to Europe, Central Asia to draw tourists to Abu Dhabi

    Abu Dhabi, UAE - ADNEC Group, through its tourism arm Tourism 365, has launched new charter flight services in the UAE, enhancing travel options for international tourists from multiple destinations. The new service, available from Europe and central Asia, is poised to increase visitor arrivals to the UAE, while further...

  • At 5%, Middle East has highest GDP share from tourism: report

    Dubai, UAE - The Middle East has seen the strongest rebound in the post-pandemic global tourism recovery, according to a new report from HSBC Global Research. The report, Jet, set, go! shows that the region is unique in recording a total recovery in terms of tourist arrivals in the first...

  • French President says change in existing world order would weaken West, Europe

    PARIS, FRANCE - Attempts to change the existing world order threaten to weaken the West and especially Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron said at the annual conference of his country’s ambassadors here. “The situation on the international arena is becoming more complicated, which is fraught with the risk of the...

  • Gazprom delivers 41.5m cu.m of gas to Europe per day through Ukraine

    Moscow, Russia -- The volume of Russian gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine is 41.5 million cubic meters per day, a Gazprom spokesman said. "Gazprom continues to supply Russian gas for transit through Ukrainian territory via the Sudzha gas pumping station in an amount approved by Ukraine. The volume is...

  • stc Group begins work in Europe

    stc’s subsidiary TAWAL buys assets in eastern Europe.

  • Facebook and Instagram users in Europe to have greater viewing control

    One of the changes announced by Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, includes giving European users of Facebook and Instagram the option to view different types of content not based on profiling, a requirement under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).

  • Stocks advance but traders wary of US rates outlook, China concerns

    The gains, including a jump in US tech stocks, "looked more like a correction than a reaction to fresh news, as there was no fresh news that went against the slowing China rhetoric" or indication of a possible shift in policy by US monetary policymakers, said Swissquote Bank analyst Ipek...

  • GCC steps up to diversify Europe’s natural gas supply

    Amid Russian-Ukrainian war, Europe aims to diversify its energy sources, with Gulf countries like Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia offering alternative natural gas options.

  • Iran-China cooperation at its best in various fields: envoy

    Tehran, Iran-- China's ambassador to Iran has affirmed that his country's cooperation with Iran is at its best in various fields, voicing hope that both sides will further improve ties. Chang Hua made the remarks in a Saturday meeting with the governor of the northwestern Iranian province of West Azarbaijan...

  • Brazil star Neymar arrives in Saudi Arabia ahead of unveiling ceremony

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Neymar was greeted with much fanfare Friday as he arrived in Saudi Arabia where he joins a growing list of big names lured to the oil-rich kingdom. The 31-year-old Brazil forward who will be unveiled as an Al-Hilal player on Saturday after six seasons with French champions Paris Saint-Germain...

  • Tunisia arrests bakery union chief for ‘monoply’ amid bread shortage

    Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisian authorities have arrested the head of the national bakery owners' union, accusing him of a "monopoly" as the country faces a weeks-long shortage of subsidized bread, local media reported Thursday. The government in August banned some 1,500 privately-owned bakeries that produce European-style breads and pastries from purchasing...

  • Saudi Arabia lures football stars with big money

    From Cristiano Ronaldo to Neymar, the kingdom is offering eye-watering salaries to international football stars to bring them over from clubs across Europe.

  • Lebanon detains 134 Europe-bound migrants near Syrian border

    BEIRUT, LEBANON -The Lebanese army arrested 134 migrants near the northern border with Syria on Saturday after foiling their attempt to take a boat to Europe, it said in a statement. The group of would-be migrants -- made up of 130 Syrians and four Lebanese nationals -- were taken into custody...

  • Two dead as Europe bound migrant ship capsizes off Tunisia

    Tunis, Tunisia - At least two Tunisians including a baby died when their Europe-bound boat sank Saturday off the North African country's southeastern shores, the coastguard said, adding five others were missing. The vessel carrying 20 Tunisians went down at 2:00 am (0100 GMT) 120 meters (395 feet) from the beach...

  • Tunisia, Libya collaborate to help stranded migrants at border

    In a collaborative bid to address the migrant crisis, Tunisia and Libya have announced a shared responsibility for hundreds of migrants stranded at their border. These migrants, primarily from sub-Saharan African countries, had been left in the desert area of Ras Jedir. The deal aims to provide shelter and essential...

  • 6 MNCs among new businesses attracted by Dubai Chamber in H1

    Dubai, UAE - Dubai International Chamber attracted 56 businesses to the emirate during H1 2023, including six multinational corporations and 50 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), local media reports said. It also supported the expansion of 15 local and national companies into global markets, either by increasing their exports or...

  • Germany leads Europe push to boost chip manufacturing

    Paris, France -- Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC agreed Tuesday on a multibillion-dollar deal to build a plant in Germany, part of a push to put Europe at the center of the global semiconductor industry. The United States and China are embroiled in a fierce rivalry to dominate the chip industry, and Europe...

  • Lufthansa profit soars

    The German airline's net profit climbed to US$964m in Q1.

  • Global trade in goods, services worth US$31trn in 2022: WTO

    Dubai, UAE--Trade in goods and services amounted to US$ 31 trillion in 2022, a 13% rise year-on-year. According to the World Trade Statistical Review 2023, issued by the World Trade Organization, while trade in goods exceeded pre-pandemic levels already in 2021, trade in services caught up in 2022. China remained...

  • European LNG imports fall to lowest level since start of Ukraine war

    Brussels, Belgium - Europe's liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell to the lowest level since the start of the Russian military operations in Ukraine after a drop in prices reduced the regions appeal. LNG deliveries fell 7% in July from a year earlier to 8.6 million tons, the least since...

  • In a warming world, is an air-conditioned future inevitable?

    Washington, United States - They are ubiquitous in the United States, controversial in Europe and coveted in South Asia. As heatwaves intensify across the world, air conditioning has taken center stage. For better or for worse, these power-hungry appliances are among the most common adaptations to a warming world. They have...

  • Saudi league’s transfer window can affect Europe’s clubs, says Liverpool

    Singapore, Singapore - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Tuesday urged football authorities to address the late closure of the transfer window in the Saudi Arabia league, fearing it may have a detrimental effect on European clubs. Speaking in Singapore on the eve of his team’s pre-season friendly against German champions Bayern...

  • Migrants suffer between life and death in Tunisia-Libya desert

    In the midday heat, a Libyan patrol near the border with Tunisia comes across a black African man collapsed on the desert. The man is just one among hundreds of migrants arriving daily in Libya after being abandoned in the desert borderland by Tunisian security forces, according to Libyan border...

  • Cash rich Saudi football league ‘changed market’, says English club

    SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said on Saturday that the Saudi Pro League had "completely changed the market" and he expects more and more high-profile players to move there. City winger Riyad Mahrez this week became just the latest big name to move to Saudi football, following...

  • Will climate change hit Mediterranean tourism?

    In Spain, the thermometer has shot 15 degrees above normal summer season levels. Italy has also laboured under heatwaves with the island of Sardinia melting under 48 Celsius while, on Monday, Tunis endured 49C. Tourism plays a key role in the region's economies -- the sector accounts for nearly a...

  • KNPC exports first shipment of 95 octane motor fuel to Europe

    Kuwait City, Kuwait--The Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) has exported the first shipment of 95 octane motor fuel and low-sulfur to European markets. Ghanim Al-Otaibi, the deputy CEO of Fuel Supply Operations and official spokesman for KNPC, said that the volume of the shipment that was exported from Mina Al-Ahmadi...

  • Saudia Cargo signs deal with Jan de Rijk

    It will enable Saudia Cargo to widen network in Europe.

  • Tata to build car battery factory in UK

    The $5.2bn factory is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs.

  • Chinese president vows solid ties with Algeria, eyes energy supply

    China's President Xi Jinping has pledged stronger ties with Algeria, highlighting the importance of their comprehensive strategic partnership. Algeria, Africa's largest natural gas exporter, has been seeking to join the BRICS economic group, and China has shown support for this goal.

  • Tunisia and EU sign ‘strategic’ deal on economy, migration

    The deal between the two countries will include partnership on irregular migration, economic development and renewable energy. Tunisia has been criticized over its treatment of migrants after President Kais Saied accused "hordes" of migrants from sub-Saharan African countries of a "plot" to change the country's demographic makeup.

  • Almost the entire world is experiencing record heatwaves

    Record heat is forecast around the world from the United States, where tens of millions are battling dangerously high temperatures, to Europe and Japan, in the latest example of the threat from global warming. The heatwaves come after EU's climate monitoring service said the world saw its hottest June on...

  • EU clears biodiversity bill seeking natural habitat protection

    The parliament's biggest political grouping, the conservative European People's Party (EPP), had sought to shoot down the text, arguing that it would reduce EU food security and limit possibilities to build wind and hydroelectric energy facilities.

  • Meta loses more: Zuckerberg takes threads fight to European Union

    Threads, billed as the killer of Twitter, a platform that has tumbled into chaos under the leadership of mercurial tycoon Elon Musk, has added more than 100 million users in its first week in app stores.

  • Dubai Investments, E20 Investment to develop agricultural land in Angola

    Dubai, UAE--Dubai Investments and E20 Investment have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop 3,750 Ha of agricultural land in Angola, harnessing the potential of the country’s agricultural sector for sustainable growth and economic development. E20 Investment, specializes in investing in and operating farms and processing facilities across the...

  • Libya court sentences 37 traffickers to prison over migrant deaths

    A statement from the prosecution said that the appeals court pronounced the verdict against a "criminal gang" whose members organized for migrants to travel on a "dilapidated boat, resulting in the death of 11 of them. Libya is a key departure point for migrants, with many risking the perilous sea...

  • Algeria firm sign $740m contract with TotalEnergies

    Algiers, Algeria - Algeria's state oil company Sonatrach said on Sunday it had signed contracts to boost gas production under an existing agreement worth about $740 million with French giant TotalEnergies. The companies will increase output from two Sahara desert fields in southeastern Algeria, for export to France and elsewhere in...

  • Iran emerging as a hub for health tourism in West Asia: Raisi

    Tehran, Iran--Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has claimed that health tourism in the country has attracted patients from neighboring countries and even Central Asian states who prefer to get medical care in Iran rather than in Europe. Raisi made the remarks on Friday as he inaugurated Ghadir Major Hospital in the...

  • Libya court imposes prison terms on three for human trafficking

    One of the three, whose identities and nationalities were not given, was sentenced to life in prison and the other two to 20 years each. Considered to be the first convictions in Libya in human trafficking cases, the court found the three guilty of "trafficking in human beings" and having...

  • Energy prices may jump if output slashed, warns Shell CEO

    LONDON, UK - Shell's chief executive told the BBC on Thursday that cutting gas and oil output would be "irresponsible" because it could further lift energy bills and worsen the cost-of-living crisis. Wael Sawan was asked about recent comments from UN head Antonio Guterres, who had declared it was "moral and...

  • Meta launches Twitter rival Threads, 10m sign-ups in first few hours

    More than 10 million people have signed up to Threads, Meta's rival to Twitter, within the first few hours of its launch, the company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. The app went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries at 2300 GMT on Wednesday, and will run with...

  • Oil prices increase after Saudi Arabia and Russia cut crude output

    In April, several OPEC+ members opted to slash production voluntarily by more than one million bpd -- a surprise move that briefly raised prices but failed to bring about lasting price recovery.

  • Universe’s mysteries in focus as Europe launches Euclid space telescope

    WASHINGTON, US - Europe's Euclid space telescope is scheduled to blast off Saturday on the first-ever mission aiming to shed light on two of the universe's greatest mysteries: dark energy and dark matter. The launch is planned from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 11:12 am local time (1512 GMT) on...

  • Greater data access and control for users as EU modifies digital policy

    "Once the data act enters into force, it will unlock the economic and societal potential of data and technologies and contribute to an internal market for data," said Sweden's minister for public administration Erik Slottner.

  • Rescue ship saves 86 migrants off Libyan coast: charity

    The UN's International Organization for Migration estimates that 1,724 migrants had disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year, up from 1,417 last year. According to the Italian interior ministry, around 90,000 migrants have arrived by sea so far this year.

  • Muslims mark Eid al-Adha with prayers, festivities

    Hundreds of millions of Muslims in their best dresses packed mosques in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas to mark the festive occasion.

  • Most markets rise but traders fret interest rate hikes, Russia situation

    The more positive environment came as concerns over Russia subsided following an aborted uprising, though developments in the nuclear-armed country are being closely followed. Sentiment was also boosted by comments from Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who said the government would roll out fresh measures to kickstart the nation's struggling economy...