AI, geopolitics, climate, and demographics are reshaping the Middle East’s growth model beyond oil.
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...
