Are China and Russia taking over the US power in the Gulf Cooperation Council region? Khaled Janahi, chairman of Vision 3, tends to disagree. “I would question the question because there are a lot of people thinking that already China and Russia are taking over. There is difference between relationship...

To expand and upgrade the metaverse, 6G, Wi-Fi 6, and edge computing capabilities will be critical. Just as the internet created safety, privacy, and security challenges, the metaverse will add even more challenges, he says.

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic teaches several lessons to regional businesses, says UAE Minister Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi.

TRENDS takes an in-depth look at how the regional govts are reshaping their policies to make the technological ecosystem more lucrative and useful for metaverse and blockchain.

The Gulf countries still need to develop more laws since the use of Metaverse and Blockchain will expand in only some regions, something that "undermines the idea of a single, cohesive region in this sector, he adds.

Qatar Chamber (QC) said in its quarterly report that the export value of private sector in Q1 2022 hiked to QAR 7.7 billion($2.11bn) with a 46 percent growth compared to QAR 5.3 bn($1.46bn) in Q1 2021. The report also mentioned the impact of the certificates of origin on the exports'...

Saudi Stock Exchange's general index fell by nine points. Abu Dhabi market was below 9,200 points, Dubai market rose above 3,200 points

Payment on metaverse will take place through cryptocurrencies. NFTs and virtual goods will become popular once metaverse becomes mainstream. Therefore, it is curcial for the metaverse that NFTs and virtual property be implemented. Additionally, banks will need to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment for these products.

As the complexity of the pandemic and supply chain challenges have affected building material prices, the region should look for alternatives, says Nizam Abdul Baki of Purity.

The global aviation sector's losses, which rose to around S138 billion in 2020, dropped to nearly $42 billion in 2021. The IATA hopes that making profits this year appeared is within reach for the airlines as people are traveling in greater numbers and freight is doing very well despite economic...

Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, has said UAE is keen to enhance efforts aimed at building sustainable food and agricultural systems in GCC. She was speaking at the 32nd Meeting of the GCC Agricultural Cooperation Committee. Almheiri commended the Committee and hoped that...

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the UK began negotiations in Riyadh to boost trade, which stands at $34 billion.

In spite of high inflation, residents of the GCC countries are seeking newer destinations in Europe and beyond to travel to, Trupt Shah of Musafir.com tells TRENDS.

The global inflation wave -- affecting the US, EU and China and spreading to the Gulf countries -- is forcing common people to look for solutions away from the govt actions.

The Gulf region seems to have a better fiscal positions thanks to high oil prices and the recovery of the economies from the Covid-19 related woes.

The international arrivals in Qatar exceeded 166,000 people in May, making it the month with highest number of visitors in 2022. Qatar Tourism said that unique events in the previous months like ‘Eid in Qatar’ were also a reason for large influx of visitors in Qatar. The figures represent more...

European Union has unveiled a new strategic partnership with the GCC, aiming to deepen the ties with the Gulf countries.

In 2020, women held 3.5 percent of all board positions in the UAE. The next year, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) set a quota for all listed companies to put at least one woman on their boards by 2025. As of June 2022, women hold 8.9 percent of the...

Intelligent transportation system, speedy 5G deployment and heavy investment in AI are pushing region's smart city growth, says Omar Christidis, CEO & Founder of Arabnet.

Aiming to strengthen the financial sector and achieve economic unity by 2025, the regional governments are working on an agreement to link the payment systems.

The report of Qatar Aviation body is updated with the IATA Air Transport data (Airport-IS) related to schedule statistics until the end of 2022.

Economic growth in the MENA region is forecast to accelerate to 5.3% in 2022 before slowing to 3.6% in 2023, according to the World Bank. Find out the country-wise breakup.

The strength of the Dubai economy, the flexibility of the emirate's merchants and the value of Dubai Chamber of Commerce services drive chamber members' exports to grow by 15.8 percent during January-May 2022, said Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chambers.

The two sides launched their negotiations on June 6, during which they discussed many topics aimed at enhancing investments between the two sides.

Security and lack of IT skills have cast a shadow over the pursuit of digital transformation in the Middle East, despite enthusiasm for the cloud, Rackspace Technology believes.

The region's countries have embarked on ambitious transformative plans to reduce dependence on oil and diversify their economies.

Google's yearly report of top trending searches reveals the most popular keywords and topics across different categories, such as 'How to' or 'the most searched recipes'.

About 25% of ransomware data theft attacks in the GCC are reported from the UAE followed by Saudi Arabia (15.5%), Qatar (7%), Oman and Kuwait (2% each), and Bahrain (1%).

A meeting between the Committee of Heads of Red Crescent Societies and bodies in GCC concluded its 18th meeting. The committee issued a set of decisions including approving the Saudi Red Crescent Authority's bid to organize the third Gulf Forum for Voluntary Work for the Red Crescent bodies and societies...

Many GCC airlines have teamed up to create an air bridge to fly the fans to watch World Cup games during November and December, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker tells TRENDS.

Beside halal food business, Islamic banking holds the largest share of the Sharia-compliant industry, says Nik Joharris Nik Ahmad, country head of Maybank Islamic Dubai-DIFC.

The Chairman of the GCC Negotiating Team, Abdulrahman bin Ahmed Al-Harbi, stressed the importance of pursuing negotiations with Pakistan.

The two Gulf countries score high consistently on all seven parameters used to measure the status of an economy.

It was a week of mixed fortunes for various stock exchanges of the GCC, with TASI remaining flat through the week, even as Abu Dhabi's index began posting gains on Frdiay.

Even as SMEs in GCC seek to do more to end gender disparity , UAE proactively leads the region in pursuing the diversity agenda, says Marketa Simkova, Partner at KPMG Lower Gulf.

Gold consumption in the GCC region reached 47 tons in the first quarter of 2022, up 18 percent from the prior year. UAE consumption reached 12.50 tons in Q1 2022.

Abu Dhabi Development Fund for Development has financed AED6.5 billion worth of development projects in Jordan.

Energy, utilities and natural resources account for 42% of the total IPO proceeds, TMT 27% and financial services 21%, Odin Financial Advisors MD Omer Unsal tells TRENDS.

The use of CX capabilities, digital media, predictive analytics can help banks develop personalized Shariah-compliant services, says Dubai Islamic Bank Group CEO Dr Adnan Chilwan.

Although the number of female STEM graduates is high in GCC, this couldn't translate into proportionate increase in workforce, says Christine Harb from Global Brand Council at VISA.

Although the last several months have been hard for listed businesses in the Middle East, yet many have defied the dire predictions to dominate capital markets.

The most transparent and credible business awards in the Arabian Gulf celebrate leaders of the stock market-listed companies in the region.

One of the biggest challenges for women in the GCC is the lack of possibilities in the workplace, Novonda founder Jean-Pierre Calvez tells TRENDS.

Bassel Gamal, the Group CEO of Qatar's second-largest bank, tells TRENDS that leaders should empower their employees to make decisions.

There has been a 94.8% increase in the number of Indian businesses registering with Oman MoCIIP’s Invest Easy portal, up from 450 in 2019 to 877 in 2021.

The companies must also strive for more delegated authority and accountability as delays and poor follow-up lead to disaster, says Rabih I Khoury, Partner & Chief Exit Officer, MEVP.

The UK Home Office affirmed that “an electronic visa waiver allows the holder to travel to the UK without obtaining a visa provided they complete an online waiver for each visit.

It is essential to know that the governments can't and shouldn't do everything independently to encourage their national talents. A practical partnership between the public and private sectors is the only way forward in terms of cultivating and encouraging indigenous talent, he adds.

The growth rate of Arab economies is expected to increase to around five percent in 2022 on the back of rising oil production and its prices in the international markets.

Inflation spawns numerous hurdles as GCC business leaders struggle to find a way to surmount the difficulties aggravated by geopolitical events.