Riyadh--Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf countries on Tuesday accused streaming giant Netflix of broadcasting content that "contradicts Islamic and societal values" and threatened legal action if it was not removed. A statement issued jointly by the Saudi media regulator and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, headquartered in Riyadh, did not...

The $2.7m loan was financed by "Rasmala" for a vessel.

The US Central Command's 5th Fleet said a support ship from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, the Shahid Baziar, was spotted towing the seven-meter (23-foot) Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel (USV) late Monday.

Despite ease in the measures set to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, electronic payments in the Gulf countries surged more than cash transactions in several other Arab countries.

The move comes as Qatar, which has a population of 2.8 million, tries to accommodate an expected 1.2 million visitors during the November 20-December 18 World Cup, and as Saudi Arabia ramps up efforts to attract tourists.

Qatar on Tuesday announced two major solar projects that will more than double its energy output from the renewable source within two years. Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi hailed the new development as a major step in efforts to "increase the reliance on high-efficiency renewal energy" in the Gulf state,...

GCC countries are accelerating economic integration by activating the financial links between companies, banks, and stores to make life smoother for citizens and residents.

Getting the football hordes around the city and between the eight stadiums promises to be one of the biggest challenges. In the first scrutiny of their years of preparations, organisers mimmicked the schedule for the busiest days of the tournament when about 300,000 fans could be in Doha at the...

GCC countries have witnessed financial surpluses in their budgets for the first time in a long time on the back of increase in oil prices, strengthening their credit ratings.

The opening match is scheduled to be held at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium, one of seven new venues purpose-built for the tournament since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010.

Diminished leverage in the Gulf region makes Washington a less compelling partner than it once was, says Chas W Freeman, Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

A futuristic Saudi megacity is to feature two skyscrapers extending across a swathe of desert and mountain terrain, according to the latest disclosures on the project by the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The parallel structures of mirror-encased skyscrapers extending over 170 kilometres (more than 100 miles), known collectively...

Saudi oil giant Aramco has built new refineries in Jazan to boost its production capacity to 400,000 barrels a day to compensate for the fuel shortage triggered by curbs against Russia.

75 percent of respondents in Kuwait and 60 percent in Qatar said their country has a shortage of people with specialised skills.

The Gulf region seems to have a better fiscal positions thanks to high oil prices and the recovery of the economies from the Covid-19 related woes.

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'.

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.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Friday they seized another vessel smuggling fuel in the Gulf and arrested its seven crew members, the second such incident in as many weeks. "Naval forces have seized a vessel carrying smuggled fuel in the Persian Gulf," said Gholamhossein Hosseini, a public relations official of the...

The 200 volunteers at work in Baghdad remove garbage from a stretch of one of the mighty rivers that gave birth to the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized a foreign boat smuggling fuel in the Gulf and arrested its 11 crew members, a senior justice official said Saturday.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority said Wednesday it had raised $6.1 billion for the Gulf's second-largest IPO since 2019. Some nine billion shares will be listed from April 12 on the Dubai stock exchange, with the price set at $0.68.

US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will travel to the Gulf starting March 28 to continue leading U.S. diplomatic efforts to advance a durable resolution to the conflict in Yemen and bring immediate relief to the people of Yemen, US State Department said in a statement. Yemenis deserve a...

The AlUla Festival for Recreation and Relaxation, which is considered the largest festival of relaxation and wellness in the Gulf region and the first of its kind, began on Saturday in the Saudi tourist destination of AlUla. The festival kicked off with the opening of the “Five Senses Sanctuary”, which...

Gulf Arab countries are seeking to host rare talks between Yemen's warring parties, including the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, in Riyadh at the end of the month, officials said on Tuesday. Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country, has been wracked by a devastating war since 2014, pitting the Houthis against the...

However, Gulf countries have an interest in acting in coordination — both within OPEC, and with Russia-led allies in the OPEC+ group — to avoid a price war and keep control over the market.

Central bank action and risks to financial stability must be carefully monitored and managed as loose monetary policy is unwound. A sudden rise could cause a shock to the Gulf economies leading to a recession.

Bahrain has a $90 per barrel breakeven oil price, so the country is moving forward with serious economic diversification plans among which is to become the Fintech hub.

E-commerce in the F&B industry is booming with recent research forecasting it to reach USD71.62 billion by 2028, registering a compound annual growth rate of 17.8 percent. The steep upward trajectory is driven by several key factors, including sweeping consumer shifts towards online shopping for groceries, ready-to-eat food deliveries and...

The Gulf Cooperation Council region witnessed a 40 percent rise in job creation in the last quarter of 2021 compared to the corresponding period of 2020, and hiring activity will continue to strengthen in 2022, said recruitment specialist Cooper Fitch. Job creation across the region was driven primarily by a...

Since connecting with neighbors is of utmost importance in Iran’s foreign policy, the current administration has set a transparent framework for this policy.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz, making his first visit to Bahrain, said the memorandum of understanding, that covers intelligence, procurement and joint training, takes the countries' relationship to "new heights". Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) normalized relations with Israel in Sept. 2020.

The index draws its data from a number of indicators issued by reputable international organizations, such as the World Competitiveness Yearbook.

In the United States, the 5G usage near airports have been opposed by many airlines, which claim that it may disrupt aircraft radar measurement devices, which inform pilots of the height of their aircraft above the ground. Several Arab countries, meanwhile, have already embraced 5G, and others are expected to...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed that his country places "tremendous value" on the role that Kuwait plays as an "advancer of peace." Blinken was quoted by local media as saying, "Kuwait plays, an almost unique role that it plays as a facilitator, mediator, advancer of peace and leading...

Saudi Arabia has launched a group to develop its video gaming industry, state media reported Wednesday, as the kingdom seeks to diversify its oil-dependent economy. Video gaming and esports have grown in popularity in the kingdom of some 35 million people, the majority of whom are under the age of...

Sukuk issuance volumes will not grow significantly in 2022 as global interest rates rise and funding needs for Gulf economies fall, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings.

Chairman of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Mohammad Al-Saqer called for more bilateral efforts to achieve the desired economic goals.

On 12th October 2021, the European Commission issued its first-ever NextGenerationEU green bond

Kuwait has called on its citizens to avoid travel to several European countries hit hard by the Omicron coronavirus variant. In a series of statements overnight Sunday, the oil-rich Gulf state also urged  Kuwaitis already there to return home because of the surge in cases on the continent. The foreign ministry...

Authorities in several Gulf countries renewed weather warnings on Sunday as several days of heavy rains batter the usually arid region. Gulf countries usually experience mild winters, with the exception of rare and brief episodes of flooding rains between November and January. Such weather is highly disruptive in the region,...

The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is an annual bedouin event held in the desert northeast of Riyadh that lures breeders from around the Gulf with prize money of up to $66 million.

Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday made a rare public appearance, hosting Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tareq and his wife, Sayyida Ahad bint Abdullah, at Windsor Castle. The 95-year-old monarch has cut back on her engagements since an overnight hospital stay in October that raised fears for her health and prompted...

The conference was organized by the ACSR, under the patronage of the Arab League.

This week's TRENDS Explainer video tries to find the rationale behind curtailing the number of days in the UAE's workweek to 4.5.

As per the system, the insured will receive end of service benefits in accordance with the retirement law in the person’s own country.

UAE is the first country in the world to offer a national work week that is shorter than the five-day global week, as well as the first Gulf country to do so.

Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discuss ways to support and enhance security and stability in the region.

The value of the drugs seized by the Bahrain-based Combined TCommander of CTF 150, Royal New Zealand Navy Captain Brendon Clark, said the drugs came from a number of countries around the region, without specifying. "It's all about maritime security operations... preventing illicit activity from non-state actors in the region,"...

Iraqi fishermen live in constant fear of arrest by Iran or Kuwait for mistakenly straying across frontiers.

The expected breakthrough coincided with a visit to the Gulf by French President Emmanuel Macron, who has spearheaded international efforts to help Lebanon out of its worst ever economic crisis. Macron started his two-day tour in Abu Dhabi but was also due to visit Qatar, which Michel Aoun also visited...