Muscat, Oman - The population of the six GCC countries reached 57.6 million in 2023, compared to 56.6 million in 2022. Males accounted for 62.4% of the total population, while females made up 37.6%. The report also indicates that the population density was 23.9 people per square kilometre, with the...

Gaza, Palestinian Territories - The Israeli forces have decimated 90 percent of 2,500 poultry and cattle farms in Gaza during their ongoing offensive, according to a government report in Gaza. QNA reported that the report, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture in the Gaza Strip, said 850,000 breeder hens, which...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Renowned luxury fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli shared his insights on building a global brand and the future of fashion with Saudi creatives and entrepreneurs during a special event hosted by the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) in AlUla. The event, held in collaboration with the Fashion Commission,...

The airline operated the inaugural flight from Dubai to Edinburgh.

Julani’s appeal comes as Syria signals a shift in its diplomatic tone. Maher Marwan, Damascus’ new governor, told NPR that Syria seeks peace and harbors no hostility toward Israel or any other nation. “We have no plans to interfere with anything that could undermine Israel’s safety. Our people yearn for...

"Vulnerable people, including at least seven infants, have died from hypothermia, and these tragic deaths underscore the urgent need for shelter and other help to get to the people of Gaza immediately,” said Amy Pope, IOM Director-General.

Singapore - Oil prices extended gains on Friday after closing at their highest in more than two months in the prior session, amid hopes that governments around the world may increase policy support to revive economic growth that would lift fuel demand. Brent crude futures rose 16 cents, or 0.2...

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai International Airport (DXB) is on track to welcome 4.3 million guests in the first 15 days of the year, setting the stage for its busiest January yet. Daily traffic is projected to peak on 3rd January, with over 311,000 guests expected. With an average of 287,000...

Five of seven GCC equity market indices under coverage ended 2024 on the rise, according to an in-depth report on GCC equity markets.  Dubai Financial Market (DFM) led its peers, wrapping up 2024 with an annual rise of 27%

Dubai’s real estate market has had a record-breaking year, with new milestones being set throughout 2024, culminated in an all-time peak of 180,900 transactions worth AED 522.1 billion (US$145 billion)

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Dakar Rally 2025, the largest and longest race in the world of motorsports, is set to kick off on Friday from Bisha, marking the sixth consecutive year the Kingdom hosts this thrilling event.Over 800 participants are poised for the fierce competition, which runs until January...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia’s trade balance recorded a 30% monthly growth, achieving a surplus of SAR 20.769 billion ($5.6 billion) in October 2024, according to the Kingdom’s recently released global trade bulletin. This marks an increase of over SAR 4 billion ($1.08 billion) from SAR 15.999 billion ($4.32...

Manufacturers see AI as critical for decarbonization (66%), improving ESG scores, energy monitoring (55%), advancing digital twins (68%), and enabling predictive maintenance (64%), driving sustainability and operational gains.

Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported that eight Palestinians were killed, and others were injured in an airstrike by the Israeli forces on a road intersection west of Gaza City in the north. Additionally, four other Palestinians were killed when the Israeli forces bombed a group of citizens near a mosque...

The Shariah-compliant facility spans a tenure of three years.

Dubai, UAE -- Dubai’s real estate market recorded 180,900 transactions worth AED 522.1 ($142.1 billion) in 2024, a market report said. The report by fäm Properties said 2024 saw big leaps of 36 percent and 27 percent respectively on the previous high of 133,100 sales worth AED 411.1 billion in...

The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday ordered the suspension of broadcasts by Qatar-based Al Jazeera across the Palestinian territories, accusing the network of airing "inciting content", official media reported.

New Orleans, United States - The celebratory atmosphere of Bourbon Street in New Orleans, long an American byword for indulgence and revelry, was dimmed Wednesday as residents and visitors alike reeled from a deadly truck attack on New Year's crowds. Several square blocks of the main entertainment district were blocked off...

Gaza, Palestinian Territories -- The Israeli forces have killed at least 45,553 Palestinian civilians and injured at least 108,379 others, most of them children, since the beginning of their onslaught on the occupied territory in Oct 2023. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said today that the Israeli forces committed two...

Kamco's assets under management surpass SAR 1bn.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The value of assets under Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) assets—both domestic and foreign—in the Saudi financial market recorded an annual growth of 37 percent (by nearly SAR 43 billion or $11.44bn) by the end of the third quarter (Q3) of 2024. This...

Paris, France - Despite political upheavals, stock markets and bitcoin smashed records in 2024, fuelled by investor enthusiasm for Artificial Intelligence (AI), falling interest rates, and hopes of tax cuts. Here are four of the most remarkable aspects of 2024 for financial markets: Stock records fall like dominoes Wall Street's three main...

Damascus, Syria -- Syrian authorities have appointed Maysa Sabreen as interim central bank governor, a bank official told AFP on Tuesday, the first time a woman heads the financial establishment. Sabreen, until recently the bank's first deputy governor, took her new position on Tuesday, said a department manager at the Central...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Unemployment rate among Saudi nationals reached 7.8 percent in the third quarter of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 1 percentage point from the similar period last year. Data released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said that the Saudi and non-Saudi labor force stood at...

From AI-powered content creation to automated feedback systems, technology is streamlining operations and improving patient care.

The experts called for urgent, independent and thorough investigations into alleged serious violations of international law, saying Israel's continued impunity sends a dangerous message.

Non-oil sectors' contribution to GDP reaches 75%. Economy minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri says the growth reflects the dynamic nature of the country's economy.

London, United Kingdom -- Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) tools may soon "covertly influence" users' decision making in a new commercial frontier called the "intention economy", University of Cambridge researchers warned in a paper published Monday. The research argues the potentially "lucrative yet troubling" marketplace emerging for "digital signals of intent" could,...

The "Santa Claus rally" got off to a good start but US stocks then fell across the board on Friday, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both dropping more than one percent. Tech stocks led the way, with Elon Musk's electric car giant Tesla closing around five percent lower

Indians, long employed in Israel as caregivers, diamond traders, and IT professionals, are now increasingly recruited for the construction sector following the escalation of the Gaza war.

Cairo, Egypt -- Egypt has tested a new 10-kilometre (6.2-mile) extension to the Suez Canal as it tries to minimize the impact of currents on shipping and increase the key waterway's capacity. Two ships used the new extension on Saturday, a statement from the Suez Canal Authority said. Authority chief Osama...

The two tranches will be converted into equity at the earliest opportunity.

The World Health Organization said the operation had put the "last major health facility in north Gaza out of service". "Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burnt and destroyed during the raid," it added in a statement on X.

Mount Qasyun, once closed due to war, reopens as a vibrant community space where Damascus residents gather to reclaim joy, freedom, and a sense of normalcy after years of hardship.

Mexico City, Mexico -- The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico's luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. According to industry experts, Mexicans are increasingly switching from traditionally dominant sedans to Chinese vehicles due to a...

Seoul was an outlier in Asia with shares plunging as South Korea's political crisis deepened with a second impeachment vote. London was flat and Paris gained.

Israeli air strikes pummeled Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday, with Huthi rebel media reporting six deaths. The strikes targeting the airport, military facilities and power stations in rebel areas follow rising hostilities between Israel and the Huthis,

Leaders can utilize AI tools to streamline this challenging process by efficiently identifying individuals who are qualified matches to participate in trials. Companies such as Johnson & Johnson apply machine learning and AI algorithms to bring trials directly to patients, she added.

Palestinian Territories -- A Palestinian TV channel said five of its journalists were killed Thursday in an Israeli strike on their vehicle in Gaza. A missile hit the journalists' broadcast truck as it was parked in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to a statement from their employer,...

The bank's monetary policy committee decided to reduce the policy rate from 50 percent to 47.5 percent, with a statement citing improvement in "inflation expectations and pricing behavior". The last cut was in February 2023.

17 people were killed Wednesday in clashes in Tartus province after security forces sought to arrest an officer under deposed leader Bashar al-Assad. "14 members of the General Security force" of Syria's new authorities were killed,

Hamas accuses Israel of stalling the truce with new demands on troop withdrawal and prisoner release, while Netanyahu’s office counters, accusing Hamas of lying and creating obstacles in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

Rome, Italy -- Pope Francis called Wednesday for "arms to be silenced" around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the "extremely grave" humanitarian situation in Gaza. He used his traditional message to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics to...

Washington, United States -- The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that it has reached a deal with Egyptian authorities allowing the country access to about $1.2 billion. The funding access is subject to executive board approval. "The Egyptian authorities have continued to implement key policies to preserve macroeconomic stability, despite ongoing...

Kabul, Afghanistan - Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border province of Afghanistan killed 46 people, the Taliban government spokesman told AFP on Wednesday. "Last night (Tuesday), Pakistan bombarded four points in the Barmal district of Paktika province. The total number of dead is 46, most of whom were children and...

Jerusalem, Undefined - The Israeli army said Wednesday it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the country from Yemen. Air raid sirens sounded over a wide swathe of central Israel as a precaution against falling debris, but the army said it shot down the projectile before it entered Israeli territory. No...

Syria's new leaders announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement with the country's rebel groups on their dissolution and integration under the defense ministry. Absent from the meeting were representatives of the US-backed, Kurdish-led forces that control swathes of Syria's northeast.

The surge came after the auto giant announced a $7bn buyback.

It acquired an 80 percent stake in Global Medical Supply Chain.

Paris, France -- Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk's startup xAI said it had raised $6 billion from investors in its latest funding round, as it battles stiff competition in the artificial intelligence market. The firm, whose flagship product is the Grok chatbot, garnered support from US venture capitalists, chipmakers NVIDIA and...