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.

There is enormous potential for NFTs in the fashion and beauty business, says Louis Chen, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer at Perfect Corp.

If there is one country in the GCC where the idea of sustainable shopping can take off, it is the UAE. Yet, there is a lot for it to do in order to make the concept work.

CEOs and market veterans from the region will review how the pandemic, which accelerated digital transformation, has given a competitive edge to innovative businesses.

From overseas to the domestic circuit, the tourism industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council is witnessing a welcome resurgence, especially after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A rising number of tech-savvy millennials, 60 percent of whom shop online, is one of the most important factors responsible for the rising ecommerce sales.

The spending through the month of April has been widespread, including a broader increase in sales volume and a diversification of family-oriented retail options that enhance the prosperity of the local market.

Here’s a look at which countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have how much debt, and how they compare to their GDP.

Against the backdrop of mounting concerns about the supply of crude oil, the stock markets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE remained subdued this week.

Certain FMCG companies benefited from the pandemic since people spent more time at home baking and spending time together. As a result, sales of packaged foods, for example, surged during the pandemic.

Carbon credits can be traded on legal carbon markets, such as the Emissions Trading System of the European Union. They can also be generated and traded on voluntary carbon markets worldwide, with examples developed in Singapore, Sydney, New York, and London.

Now, hotel bookings will rise for Eid Al-Fitr, with Gulf markets predicted to see a considerable spike in travel bookings from April 28 to May 5, 2022, which coincides with the resumption of large exhibitions in several GCC capitals.

The expected growth rate for 2022 reflects the rise in the growth of the Arab oil-exporting economies to 5.6 percent due to the anticipated increases in the output of the oil and gas sectors.

The GCC personal luxury market will continue to be on a ‘strong growth trajectory,’ Chalhoub Group Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Jasmina Banda tells TRENDS.

From the UAE to Saudi Arabia, Qatar to Kuwait, the GCC countries have posted robust growth in the real estate sector, with the transactions touching $137.4 billion in 2021.

Disasters caused by climate change since 2000 have killed approximately 2,600 people, affected seven million others, and caused $2 billion in direct material damage. It may have also reduced annual economic growth by 1-2 percentage points on a per-capita basis, it adds.

From the UAE to Saudi Arabia, the main indexes made up for their losses as the week came to a close.

The shopping behavior has changed a lot in the region in past two years as consumers are looking for promotions and offers especially in food, perishables, groceries and home appliances. Studies suggest that consumers are spending more on cross-border goods, particularly consumer packaged products, during Ramadan this year.

Businesses in the region are increasingly adopting cloud to protect their data, apps and infrastructure from fraudulent activities while supporting compliance and confidentiality.

UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are the three top performing GCC markets when it comes to appetite for high-end cars, Hamid Haqparwar, MD of BMW Group Middle East, tells TRENDS.

Artificial Intelligence, wired into the economic plans of many GCC countries, is likely to contribute 12.4 percent to Saudi GDP and 14 percent to the UAE's GDP by 2030.

Countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman appear on track to take giant strides in diversifying their portfolios when it comes to power generation.

Of recent, Islamic banking has been getting quite a boost from governments and financial institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Here’s a broader look at how the region has prioritized solid-waste recycling and the production of alternative fuels to deal with the trash they generate.

The UAE and Saudi stock markets posted considerable gains this week even as oil prices took a dip with the US tapping into its reserves to tame high crude oil prices.