DUBAI, UAE -  Dubai International Boat Show 2023 attracted over 30,000 visitors and industry players from across the globe for five days of demonstrations, displays, seminars, launches and workshops. The global boat-building market is expected to reach over US$47 billion in 2027, at a CAGR of 7.5 percent, and the...

Amman, Jordan--Standard Chartered has decided to sell its Jordanian business to Arab Jordan Investment Bank (AJIB), according to both the parties. Standard Chartered, the emerging markets-focused lender, plans to exit seven markets in Africa and the Middle East. The bank entered into an agreement with AJIB, subject to central bank...

The region will benefit from investment in training institutes for nursing and health professionals, Amanat Holding CEO Mohamed Hamade tells TRENDS during an interview.

The investment bank is working on five diverse sectoral IPOs in the GCC market which will be launched between the second and fourth quarters of the year.

Young women in the MENA region are more likely to be in the workforce, while the GCC countries — particularly the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar — have seen advances in labor force participation, according to a PwC report published in December last year. However, they are yet to gain...

The artificial intelligence is expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of region's financial services, Tarabut Gateway CCO Adnan Erriade tells TRENDS.

In 2023, some Middle Eastern economies appear to be more resilient than most developed markets, Maroun Kairouz, Director for MENA at the World Economic Forum, tells TRENDS.

The DXB achieved the highest growth rate among the top 10 airports in the number of international passengers worldwide, according to OAG Aviation company.

Startups in the Middle East and North Africa raised $3.94 billion in 2022, a 24 percent increase in investment value compared to 2021, according to Wamda.

The latest data from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) shows that global tourist travel in 2022 was 37 percent lower than 2019.

The two biggest economies of the region are leaving no stone unturned to hire the most talented professionals in order to run the ever-expanding companies.

Dubai, UAE--Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has started receiving requests from researchers and scientists to submit their research papers for the first Middle East and North Africa Solar Conference 2023, which DEWA will organise from 15th to 18th November 2023. The research papers focus on a wide range of...

Over the next decade, the Kingdom's tourism industry is projected to develop at an annual rate of 11 percent, making it the region's fastest-growing tourism market.

There is a rise in the interest of foreign investors in the MENA startup ecosystem as their share increased from 20 percent in 2021 to 47 percent in 2022, reports suggest.

Solar-photovoltaic panel in a GCC country produces twice as much output as it would in Germany or any similar European country, ZOLA Electric CEO Bill Lenihan tells TRENDS.

Dubai, UAE-- On the second day of the MENA IPO Summit Dubai 2023, many experts called for the creation of a a dynamic and advanced regulatory structure for capital markets and educating market participants on the best practices. During the summit’s workshops and discussions, securities companies and experts talked about...

Non-Gulf countries' contributions to the digital economy in the region will increase to more than 35 percent during this time, says a latest report.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia---The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit, the Islamic Development Insurance arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Saturday signed an MoU with the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) as part of its goals to transition to renewable and clean energy in markets...

Overall, the two Gulf countries will continue to be major beneficiaries of the inflow of funds this year, says Nazar Musa, CEO of PRO Partner Group.

Despite the challenges of the digital transition in some MENA countries and the rising unemployment, about 90% of professionals in the region remain enthusiastic about 2023.

Dubai, UAE-- Top industry experts will share first-hand knowledge of the IPO process and the opportunities and challenges of becoming a public company at the MENA IPO Summit, to be held in Dubai from 23 to 25th January. The event will also showcase a roadmap for startups and SMEs in...

Across the region, parents struggle to shield children from unsavory elements prowling the cyber world, as risks grow with the spread of the internet.

SHARJAH,  UAE - Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) has announced the completion of all preparations for the 18th edition of the SteelFab (SteelFab 2023) exhibition, the largest event of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region. The event is being organized by ECS, with the support of the...

The final match, that saw Argentina claiming their second World Cup trophy after beating France 4-2 on penalties, recorded 242.8 million views on beIN SPORTS free-to-air channel.

Insurance claims are the ‘moment of truth’ for the customer and the biggest cost in the potential profit and loss, especially for retail businesses. That is why getting it right matters, the two experts highlight, referring to one of the latest research conducted by Arthur D. Little.

“E-commerce sales via marketplaces will continue to grow in double-digit percentages in 2023, driven by a higher proportion of cross-border shopping, and ongoing increase in the adoption of credit cards, and logistics services such as Aramex’s Shop & Ship, MyUS and DHL’s Easy Shop,” he adds.

The adoption of digital currencies can help open new business segments as the use of these assets increases with time, Daniel Takieddine, CEO of MENA BDSwiss, tells TRENDS.

The MENA region remains largely uneven, and the democracy and human rights situation looks bleak with little prospect of improvement in 2023, say experts at International IDEA.

Young women in the MENA region are more likely to be in the workforce, while the GCC countries have seen advances in labor force participation, says the latest PwC report.

The Egyptian economy has been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

MENA startups had begun the year with a deluge of funding from investors, but toward the year end a dark cloud hovers over new businesses as global crises dip the enthusiasm.

It is essential to adopt sustainable water management practices to build resilience, sustain peace and improve the well-being of local populations. Coordinated action is needed urgently to tackle the water crisis in the MENA region, which has reached unprecedented levels, he adds.

AMMAN, JORDAN - Jordan's Minister of Energy Saleh Kharabsheh stressed on the importance of conducting an electrical interconnection project to supply Europe with green energy from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He made the remark during a meeting on Thursday with a British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU)...

Riyadh has surpassed all other MENA cities in terms of startup activities with higher literacy rate, faster average broadband speed, a latest report points out

Abu Dhabi, UAE---Binance, world's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, announced that it has received a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The permission will enable Binance to provide custody to professional clients, provided they meet the conditions of the FSP...

Passion for football in the Middle East runs deep, but a week before the start of the World Cup, the fervor is not universal as high costs are keeping many MENA fans away.

The offering size was SAR 2.3 billion ($611 million), making it the second largest Accelerated Bookbuild Offering to ever take place in the Saudi market and the GCC region. It sold 12 million shares and its remaining stake is equivalent to 72 million shares or 60 percent of the Company's...

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media platforms have reportedly blocked campaigns aimed at influencing opinion in Central Asia and the Middle East.

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.

Inflation has a significant cost-push pressure on cost of living and will impact the daily set of requirements of people in the region, one of the experts had said at the event.

UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini met with Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dr. Jihad Azour.

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...

According to a TRENDS poll, fear of being robbed online by fraudsters prowling on the web is keeping many MENA buyers from making their purchase online.

Consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are among the most excited to search for Black Friday compared to Brazil, UK, and US, Google’s internal data suggest.

MENA residents' satisfaction and expectations about how services can and should be delivered have been radically altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buy Now, Pay Later services provide customers the functionality of credit cards-- easy payments with no cash. But BNPL usually eliminates fees and interest in exchange for an agreement that you'll pay back the loan within a fixed term of up to six weeks.The approval process for BNPL is quick...

It plans to deploy $1bn in sustainable energy projects.

According to a PWC estimate, the MENA region's blockchain market would reach $3.2 billion by 2024, and the UAE is working to become a major player in the field.

The average price of a barrel of Brent crude oil is expected to be $101 in 2022 and $84 in 2023. However, Brent oil prices may fall to $75/b by 2025 and $70/b by 2027, says a report.

The UAE-based NIFTY Souq, the MENA region’s first NFT marketplace which launched in 2021, has announced they’ve secured $1.5 million in seed investment.  Confirmed investors include Palm Ventures, Falak Investment Hub and Fitzy Fund alongside angel investors from the UAE, KSA and the US. The seed-fund investment will be used...