Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - A delegation of Saudi Arabia discussed steps to enhance cooperation in maritime transport and ports with South Korea, local media reports said.Led by Saleh Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, the delegation visited South Korea and met Cho Seung-hwan, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries....

Saudi Arabia regularly announces seizures of amphetamine pills without specifying whether they are captagon, used by wealthy Saudis as a party pill.

Since the beginning of 2023 alone, three digital and physical platforms have been launched by Qatar, Oman and Kuwait to facilitate investments by foreigners and the local private sector.

TEHRAN, IRAN- Iran said on Thursday it had "forced" a US submarine to surface as it was crossing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf, a claim the Americans promptly denied.Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of Iran's navy, told state TV the USS Florida nuclear submarine was "approaching and passing...

"The technical committees are now doing their work in this context, and it is expected that there will be exchange visits to consider the procedures we need to reopen embassies." foreign ministry spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari told a briefing. A UAE official confirmed that the reopening of embassies is "under process".

Doha, Qatar: Chinese oil giant Sinopec on Wednesday became the first Asian firm to get a stake in Qatar's expansion of North Field East, the Gulf country's energy company announced.North Field contains the world's biggest natural gas reserves and extends under the Gulf into Iranian territory.China is already the biggest...

The delegation's arrival comes roughly a month after China helped broker a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fuelling hopes for progress on ending the Yemen conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Omani mediators arrived in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday.

Iran's foreign ministry said a delegation will visit Saudi Arabia by April 14 to pave the way for reopening its diplomatic missions there following a similar move by Riyadh. The announcement comes a day after a Saudi delegation arrived in Tehran and follows a historic meeting between the two Gulf...

The poll discovers people struggling across the Middle East to cope with high cost of living in the holy month of Ramadan, with inflation in some places reaching 100.

Cuts by the Saudis, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Algeria and Oman from May to the end of the year will total more than one million barrels per day -- the biggest reduction since the OPEC+ cut 2 million bpd in Oct. A Saudi official called it a measure "aimed at supporting...

The UAE is likely to remain the top e-commerce market in the GCC in 2023 but Saudi represents the largest potential growth over the medium and long term.

It suffers from constant stand-offs between elected lawmakers and cabinets installed by the ruling Al-Sabah family, despite a parliamentary system in place since 1962.

Abu Dhabi, which normalized relations with Assad's government in 2018, has led aid efforts in the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria, killing tens of thousands. A diplomatic momentum generated by aid efforts in the quake's aftermath could bolster Damascus's relations with Middle...

There is chaos in the crypto market and the dust rises with an episode of failure, but failures must not be generalized, says Don Tapscott of Blockchain Research Institute.

According to state newspaper Al-Ahram, a decision by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli published in the official gazette,  says the premier can now "grant Egyptian nationality" to applicants that meet one of four conditions. Foreigners can either buy at least $300,000 of real estate in Egypt, invest $350,000 in the country,...

BEIRUT, LEBANON - Lawmakers attending an inter-parliament gathering in Bahrain's capital this week should seize the "opportunity" to address the Gulf state's "dismal rights record", rights groups have said.Parliamentarians from around the world are planning to attend this year’s Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the oldest and largest organization of parliaments in the...

As the governments and private organizations in the region are taking measures to encourage and support women entrepreneurs in the tech industry, their prospects across the setor are improving, and there is a growing sense of optimism that more women will continue to break through the glass ceiling in this...

New tracks have been launched in the Gulf common market to supplement the 10 current tracks. The bloc also seeks collaboration with the private players in the region.

Sultan Haitham and Assad "held official talks" at the royal palace in Muscat, Oman's foreign ministry said in a statement. The Omani ruler "extended anew his condolences and sincere sympathy to.... the president and to the brotherly Syrian people for the victims of the devastating earthquake", it added.

Qatar-based Gulf International Service has successfully accomplished the merger.

The annual expansion of more than 100 fuel stations in the Gulf countries add around US$500,000 per day to companies' revenues in each country in the region, say experts.

Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan "has ordered the provision of an additional US$50 million as relief aid for quake-affected people in Syria", reports said.

Experts say the deals could be a win-win for all sides, but unlike old Gulf largesse of unconditional aid, the new deals will require reforms. Cairo hopes the cash injection will plug what the IMF warns is "a financing gap of about $17 billion over the next four years".

Rayyana Barnawi will join fellow Saudi male astronaut Ali Al-Qarni on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) "during the second quarter of 2023".

More dams are being built in the region to shield the residents against floods, offer a lifeline during drought and work towards food sufficiency by enhancing agriculture output.

Spending will rise by 11.7 percent to more than $86 billion, with 80 percent going on civil service wages and public subsidies.

Robust monetary policies curtail the impact of geopolitical tensions, energy crisis, worsening inflation rates and market volatility on the region during 2022, a report highlights.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ - The Civil Aviation Authority announced the work to conclude new air agreements with the Gulf states. A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority, Jihad Al-Diwan, told local media agency: "We have agreements with all Gulf countries and all Gulf national carriers that land in Iraqi airports, except for...

The region's SWFs more than doubled their investments in Western economies to $51.6 billion in 2022 from $21.8 billion a year earlier, says the latest Global SWF report.

The Saudi market's general index, TASI, rose 1.19%, Dubai Financial Market 0.47%, Abu Dhabi Stock Market Vadax 15 index 0.133% by the end of the trading session.

The agreement comes as Pakistan grapples with a major foreign exchange crisis, holding enough reserves to pay for just three weeks of imports.

The Global Innovation Index ranks the countries on 81 indicators across seven categories, including Business Sophistication, Infrastructure and Technology Outputs among others.

The summit, which will be held from 23-25 Jan, 2023, ""will shed light on the strong impetus and promising prospects of the IPO sector in Dubai". The emirate's media office said the summit comes on the back of a record IPO activity in 2022.

The Gulf Cup brings together the hosts as well as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It will be held in Iraq's southern city of Basra from January 6-19.

"China will continue to firmly support the GCC countries in maintaining their own security... and build a collective security framework for the Gulf," Chinese President Xi said at the start of the China-GCC summit.

Various IPOs raised nearly $4.8 billion in the GCC in the first five months of 2022 alone, which was higher than in Europe.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Bahrain, the first visit by an Israeli head of state to the small Gulf kingdom since the two countries normalized relations in 2020. Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, was greeted at the airport by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, according to pictures posted...

The AFC chief lavished praise on the Gulf country's organisation of the tournament."The organisation is luminous, the environment is positive," he said. "Our (Qatari) brothers didn't fail in delivering the facilities and stadiums." Qatar has repeatedly accused its critics of "double standards" and even "racism", pointing to their recent reforms...

The kingdom has long been obsessed with football, but interest in playing -- not just watching -- has surged in recent years amid a government push to promote physical activity.

The Gulf ministers review projects aimed at strengthening joint Gulf action in tourism as well as strategic partnerships between the GCC and other countries and stakeholders.

The UAE is a key player in the 13-nation OPEC oil cartel which, with its 10 allies headed by Russia, angered Washington by cutting production by two million barrels a day from November, adding renewed upward pressure on crude prices.

The countdown to the World Cup in Qatar has begun as the first such tournament held on the Arab soil will kick off on Sunday when the host country face Ecuador. The event marks the culmination of Qatar's campaign first to host the tournament and then to build infrastructure worth...

GCC, which has been investing heavily in Asia with an eye on protecting its petrochemicals and oil exports, is engaging in growth industries like fintech and logistics.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said the world needs to keep investing in oil production, just days before the COP27 climate summit aimed at curbing global warming. Sultan Al Jaber, the head of UAE oil giant ADNOC, warned that under-investment could cause a shock to the world economy.

Despite soaring inflation and murky economic prospects worldwide, the IMF maintained its projection of 5.0 percent growth for the region in 2022, dropping to 3.6 percent in 2023. But the figures, although higher than elsewhere in the world, don't reflect the region's "challenges", Middle East and Central Asia director Jihad...

"Negotiations with the European league began eight months ago, and its goal is to involve a club from Dubai in the prestigious tournament, in addition to hosting some matches in the city," said Al Naboodah, the former president of Dubai's Al-Shabab Al-Ahli football club.

The 2022 Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index compares 44 retirement income systems against more than 50 indicators and benchmarks.

BAGHDAD, IRAQ - In drought-hit Iraq, six out of 10 households have had their access to drinking water disrupted and a quarter of farmers have seen crop yields drastically fall this year, said a survey published Monday. Iraq has been battered by three years of drought, low rainfall and reduced...

Beyond oil and gas, Gulf companies have made some strategic investments in sectors with strong potential for growth, including fintech, e-commerce and logistics. For example, in 2020, Saudi fintech startup Tamara established operations in Vietnam, and the UAE's B2B e-commerce provider Distichain set up a base in Singapore.

Nearly 32 percent of respondents to a TRENDS poll saw metaverse as a good investment for GCC businesses, as two biggest economies in the region invest heavily in this sector.