BONN, GERMANY - Artificial intelligence (AI) can make substantial contributions to climate-resilient and low-emissions development. UN Climate Change’s Initiative on Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action (#AI4ClimateAction) explores the role of AI as a powerful tool for advancing and scaling up transformative climate action in developing countries. In line with the...

The UN human rights chief said that he was absolutely "disgusted" by the "sharp rise in hatred globally" since the war between Hamas and Israel began on October 7. Volker Turk strongly deplored the surge in cases of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other hate-speech, both online and offline.

The Hamas government in Gaza said that 195 people had been killed in Israeli strikes this week on Jabalia refugee camp. Meanwhile hundreds more wounded and foreign passport holders hoped to escape the war-torn Gaza Strip as Israeli forces bombed and fought intense ground battles with Hamas.

The firms will continue to work closely on future global projects.

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Q3 net profit fell 55% to $280 million.

The Federal Reserve will likely announce it is holding interest rates at a 22-year high on Wednesday, as it looks to tackle inflation without damaging the resilient US economy. Analysts and traders parsing recent Fed speeches overwhelmingly expect the US central bank to hold rates steady for the second meeting...

The JV will set up a facility to make tires in Saudi Arabia.

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The UAE's Ministry of Interior and the Gulf Police Service hosted the seventh edition of the strategic dialogue focused on developing an efficient, multilateral framework for global police work. This dialogue serves as a global platform under INTERPOL's auspices, uniting regional police organizations and major intergovernmental bodies concerned...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company, has announced the takeover of the very large gas carrier (VLGC) North Gas. This strategic move marks the second VLGC delivery under the US$134 million (AED495 million) deal signed by ABGC DMCC, a joint venture...

Dubai, UAE-- CEOs from around the world consider geopolitics and political uncertainty as the greatest risk to the growth of their business — be it navigating a company’s presence in a conflict zone or attempting to navigate disrupted supply chains and manage price fluctuations. The conclusion emerged from a survey...

PARIS, FRANCE - Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock loses over 30 years, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said on Friday. Floods, droughts, insect infestations, storms, disease and war have caused about $123 billion per year in lost food production between 1991 and...

The company’s revenues rose 11 percent to $15.5 billion.

The IMF kept its 2023 global growth forecast unchanged but warned that the economy is "limping along" as inflation remains high and the outlooks for China and Germany were downgraded. The IMF's updated World Economic Outlook still sees growth of 3.0 percent for this year but it cut its forecast...

Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip and cut off the water supply as it kept bombing targets in the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise assault it has likened to the 9/11 attacks. Israel has counted over 700 dead and launched strikes on Gaza that...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai remains the top global destination for attracting Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, with the emirate attracting 511 such projects in H1 2023, as per Financial Times ‘fDi Markets’ data - the comprehensive online database on cross-border greenfield investments. Dubai continues to set new benchmarks in...

ROME, ITALY - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) raised its forecast for global cereal production in 2023 to 2,819 million tonnes, now 0.9 percent higher than the previous year. The higher forecast is almost entirely based on recent and more positive yield estimates for the...

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Dry conditions, particularly in China, caused a "historic" global drop in hydropower in the first half of 2023, a new analysis shows, highlighting the effects of climate change. The research by renewable energy think tank Ember argues the drop is a "warning shot that hydro output could negatively...

PARIS, FRANCE - A new roadmap to reduce the environmental risks from chemicals and waste was adopted at a United Nations conference on Saturday as part of a drive to manage damaging chemical exposure. The Global Framework on Chemicals was adopted by governments, companies, and NGOs at the fifth International Conference...

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - Israel's US$3.5-billion sale of its Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, sparked by security fears after Russia's Ukraine invasion, is the biggest yet for the small country's outsized arms sector. With its armed forces steeled by a tragic history of war, Israel is now the ninth...

According to the country's economy minister, around 1.5 million acres of public land -- nearly the size of Kuwait -- have been set aside for green hydrogen and ammonia plants. Morocco is looking to become North Africa's top player in the emerging "green hydrogen" sector, with plans to export the...

WASHINGTON, US -  The sea ice around Antarctica likely had a record low surface area when it was at its maximum size this winter, a preliminary US analysis of satellite data showed.  As the southern hemisphere transitions into spring, the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said in a statement...

MANAMA, BAHRAIN - The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) and the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) have decided to jointly provide training programs aimed at strengthening the global Islamic finance community.The programs cater to professionals from financial institutions, regulatory bodies, supervisory authorities and legal experts within the Islamic...

NEW YORK, US – UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri called upon the global community to utilize the opportunity offered by COP28 in the Emirates to drive climate action by focusing on food systems transformation and promoting nature-based solutions. She made the comments during...

Iran said it had called in the Swiss envoy to deliver a protest over a “provocative” US statement on its decades-old dispute with the UAE over three Gulf islands. The foreign ministry was reacting to a joint statement issued by the US and six Gulf Arab states backing UAE calls...

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The head of the World Health Organization told the Financial Times he was ready to send a new mission of experts to China to investigate the origins of Covid-19.   "We're pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The Kingdom’s Governor of the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) Dr. Mohammed Saud Al-Tamimi participated in the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development annual meeting in New York. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The...

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – The total global Jewish population rose to 15.7 million over the last year, while the number of those living in Israel hit 7.2 million, the Jewish Agency said. The agency’s data showed that the global Jewish population grew by some 100,000 over the past year. Israel...

Von der Leyen said the proposed AI group should be similar to the UN's IPCC panel, whose reports establish scientific consensus on climate change. "I believe we need a similar body for AI –- on the risks and its benefits for humanity. Yes, with scientists, but also tech companies and...

Geneva, Switzerland - The World Food Program said Tuesday that shrinking funding was forcing it to drastically slash rations in many operations, warning that 24 million more people risked being pushed to the brink of starvation. The United Nations agency said it had been struggling to meet growing global needs for...

Countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia must work together to combat sand and dust storms made increasingly severe by climate change, the United Nations and Iran said. “I urge you to use your time in Tehran to build partnerships, increase cooperation and commit to practical action,” UN chief...

NEW DELHI, INDIA- Indian prime minister and G20 host Narendra Modi said on Saturday the body had reached consensus on its leaders' declaration and announced its adoption. "Because of our team's hard work, and with your support, there is a consensus on the New Delhi G20 Leaders' Summit declaration," he...

NEW DELHI, INDIA - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Comprehensive Economic Partnership between the two countries. The two leaders also discussed sustainable development and strengthening ties between the countries and their people. The...

Some 175 nations are working to reach a landmark agreement by end-2024 that will curb plastic pollution, which ends up in oceans, birds' stomachs and on mountain peaks. Microplastics have even been detected in blood and maternal milk.

ABU DHABI, UAE - The global space economy has great potential in terms of economic prospects, with the sector going past the half-a-trillion-dollars mark in 2022, only a few decades after the term “space economy” came into existence. Several studies by specialized global institutions indicate that the global space sector...

ABU DHABI, UAE - Over the course of a six-month space mission on board the International Space Station (ISS), UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi conducted over 200 advanced research experiments and studies that took about 585 hours. These research experiments were held in collaboration with 10 international space agencies and 25...

TEHRAN, IRAN   – Iran President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday said that the country’s money is only blocked in South Korea and that all other foreign assets are at the Central Bank of Iran’s disposal. “We have already made it clear that the only blocked money was in South Korea. In...

DUBAI, UAE - The global Islamic microfinance industry has surpassed US$60 billion in value within the $3.8 trillion Islamic finance landscape. This achievement highlights the growing recognition of Islamic microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation. The industry's potential to bridge financial gaps while adhering to Shariah principles positions it...

TABUK, SAUDI ARABIA – NEOM has announced plans to establish a world-class education, research and innovation (ERI) center, following last year’s appointment of Andreas Cangellaris as the founding president of NEOM U, NEOM’s flagship university. NEOM’s ERI will consist of four interconnected pillars: NEOM U; the Education, Research and Innovation...

PARIS, FRANCE - Attempts to change the existing world order threaten to weaken the West and especially Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron said at the annual conference of his country’s ambassadors here. “The situation on the international arena is becoming more complicated, which is fraught with the risk of the...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to visit Russia "soon" for talks with Vladimir Putin on reviving a deal to ship grain across the Black Sea, his party spokesman said. The meeting will take place in Russia's Sochi city, Erdogan's ruling party spokesman Omer Celik said, adding Turkey hoped to...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - Russia still has not heard any reaction from international organizations regarding the assassination of journalist Darya Dugina as well as other ‘atrocities’ committed against media representatives, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday. "A year after the tragic death of Darya Dugina we have not heard...

GANDHINAGAR, INDIA - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the G20 India presidency announced a new Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) on Saturday at the Health Minister’s Meeting of the G20 Summit hosted by the Government of India. The new GIDH initiative will operate as a WHO-managed network and...

ABU DHABI, UAE - A two-day meeting of world leading economists and finance leaders convened by the COP28 Presidency has stated the next steps needed to establish a new framework for international climate finance and to drive progress at COP28 and beyond to COP29 and COP30. World-leading economists from the...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - The 11th Moscow Conference on International Security, held at the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Center here, saw high-level discussions between Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and military representatives from Saudi Arabia and Iran. In a meeting with Talal Abdullah Al-Otaibi, military adviser to the Saudi defense...

The number of new COVID-19 cases reported worldwide rose by 80 percent in the last month, the World Health Organization said, days after designating a new "variant of interest". The WHO declared in May that Covid is no longer a global health emergency, but warned the virus will continue to...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran on Sunday appointed Mohammed Jafar Montazeri, who is under US and British sanctions, to head the Islamic republic's top court. Montazeri was named the supreme court chief after the "opinions of all the court judges" were taken into consideration, the judiciary's Mizan Online website said. The 75-year-old,...

The investments are expected to localize partnerships.

DUBAI, UAE – UAE Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri highlighted the importance of collective action and collective finance to strengthen sustainable development. She also called upon G20 countries to fulfill their commitment to providing the pledged financial support for global climate initiatives. Almheiri addressed...

DUBAI, UAE - Dubai Customs has, to date, processed 214 customs transactions worth US$38.7 million (AED142.2 million) under cover of the International Road Transport (TIR Carnet) system, the global customs transit procedure. Dubai Customs cleared the first transit consignment under the TIR carnet in 2020. Dubai Customs is a signatory...

MOSCOW, RUSSIA -  Egypt's president on Friday called on Russia and Ukraine to find "urgent solutions" to allow the resumption of Ukraine grain exports to Africa, after Moscow's withdrawal led to the collapse of a Black Sea pact. The Ukraine grain deal was agreed last year and allowed around 33 million...