GCC countries host nine million Indians, UAE alone home to 3.55 million
New Delhi, UAE - The number of Indians living in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has crossed nine million, India's Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told Parliament yesterday.Indians are employed in a wide range of professions from highly qualified fintech, healthcare, information technology, engineering and...
Gulf tourists await possible easing of EU travel rules
Under the current restrictions, people from only 7 countries, including Australia, Israel, Singapore, can enter the EU Gulf residents are expected to spend heavily on holidays this year as borders are opened European Union has agreed on Wednesday to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions on visitors from around the world ahead...
Gulf residents can’t wait to visit Europe as travel curbs ease
EU to lift curbs on high-spending tourists from the GCC Thousands of travelers from the Middle East are expected to visit the continent European Union has agreed on Wednesday to ease COVID-19 travel restrictions on visitors from around the world ahead of the summer tourist season. Ambassadors from the 27...How is technology changing the fortunes of Bahrain?
Small island nation Bahrain is spearheading its investment in the technology sector in a bid to position itself as a major technology and innovation hub in the region. During the past few months, many new initiatives have been taken by the government to boost the technology domain while some of...
Businesses under fire; how can transformation come to rescue?
Because of the ongoing disruptions and also due to the recent introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the region, business top lines are under significant pressure. This has forced companies to look at organizational structures and ways of optimizing and reworking an organization’s cost base. Further, the business leaders...
Women empowerment in GCC; from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’
By Allegra Salvadori Too much have been said about women empowerment that the binomial has now become an overused concept, to the point of losing its original meaning and effect. What we know, is that women empowerment is “something” that must be done. But how and by whom, is not...Why is Bahrain pursuing unconventional path of diversification?
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nation Bahrain is pursuing the path of diversification and has been able to diversify its economy quite efficiently in the last few years. Over the time, Bahrain has been able to cash in on the unexplored potential of sectors like tourism and technology. Owing to its...How future of mobility will look like in GCC?
Marvin Ammori, General Counsel, Hyperloop One, speaks to TRENDS about the sustainability of future mobility while keeping in mind the fast moving technology and ongoing transformations. How everybody is talking about new innovative concepts that are shaping the transportation sector. Hyperloop is one of the most revolutionary concepts of all....
Algerian pharmaceutical market; model of positive growth
The Algerian pharmaceutical sector, which depended upon massive imports to fulfill medical supply needs, is now on a path of rapid and positive progression. With an aim of improving the local medicine and medical supply needs, and to acquire scientific, technological and technical know-how, Algeria is working on important partnerships...“Arab Women Forum” to make a stylish debut in Saudi Arabia
For the first time ever, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the “Arab Women Forum” as part of the fourth edition of the “Top CEO Conference and Awards,” which is set to return to the country for the second time on 10th and 11th April at King Abdullah Economic...Saudi to host world’s biggest solar unit; larger than many global cities
A massive economic diversification exercise is underway in the Middle East to gradually end dependency on fossil fuels for a sustainable future. One sector, which has immensely benefitted from the exercise is that of renewable energy. Over the years, it has not only emerged as a reliable and viable means...“Top CEO Conference” returns to Saudi Arabia for the second time
The “Top CEO Conference and Awards” will return to Saudi Arabia for the second time on 10th and 11th April 2018 at King Abdullah Economic City, where business leaders and more than 40 expert speakers from across the Arab Gulf and the Middle East will gather to discuss the burning...
Top CEO Conference & Awards; rewarding excellence
CEOs in the Middle East today operate in a very complex environment, characterized by fast-evolving regulations, start-up challenges, changing consumer behavior and technological disruptions, among others. Their job becomes even more demanding taking into consideration the fact that the region itself is witnessing a massive and rapid change amid low...How execution challenge is haunting GCC corporate?
Executing project is never as simple as formulating it. New projects have emerged in the GCC, creating high hopes for investors and businessmen in the region and abroad. However, plagued by bad track records on delivering on their promises, the GCC region needs to tackle the execution challenges. Majority of...
How EB-5 Investor Program reform will boost GCC investment in US
The US Congress is likely to pass a long-term reauthorization of Employment-Based (EB-5) Investor Immigration Program in March before the program expires on March 23, 2018, that would reform and extend the popular immigration through investment program and help the US create more jobs, a top official said. “The US...What it takes to accelerate region’s movement toward sustainability
Clean energy and sustainability have gone beyond just being buzzwords for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. The governments in the region have laid down energy plans and huge investments are being made to meet set targets. This pursuit becomes even more relevant for the region due to the abundance...Increasing tourist footfall pushing GCC economy
Even as there’s pressure on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to curtail spending and prioritize projects, the tourism sector has remained above such considerations and is driving the diversification plan. In the run up to the mega-ticket events in the region, like the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, the...
Heading into 2018, different aims for US foreign policy in the region
During the Cold War, the then-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States had different foreign policies in the Middle East. Fortunately, these policies did not really conflict. The US had focused heavily on Israel and Iran as regional allies and buffers, and on oil-producing countries, such as the...GCC banks up against fresh challenges
It was more about fiscal consolidation than being adventurous in 2017 for the banking sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which has felt the ripples of continued low oil prices most. Though banks warded off liquidity concerns by keeping capital buffers intact and adopting more stringent lending criteria, the...Despite volatility, GCC healthcare industry witnesses good run
Private healthcare in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, estimated at $62 billion in 2016, is forecasted to expand 8.7 percent annually, to reach $94 billion in 2021, according to MENA Research Partners (MRP), a leading research company in the region. Saudi Arabia and the UAE together represent more than...
Will Kingdom Holding’s shares look up this week?
Saudi Arabia’s billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who was freed from nearly three-month detention on Saturday in Riyadh, is expected to return to his normal life at the earliest. Chairman of Riyadh-based Kingdom Holding Co. Alwaleed, who also owns stakes in Citigroup Inc., Twitter and the ride-hailing service Careem, will stay...
GCC education marches forward in 2018
When the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, attended the opening of the iconic Louvre Abu Dhabi during his visit to the UAE on November 8, the 39-year-old former Rothschild banker had a message for the youth of Arabia. “Youth has the choice to show hatred for others or to build...
