• Oxfam blames Israel for ‘deliberately’ blocking aid to Gaza

    Oxfam said in a report that Israel continued to "systematically and deliberately block and undermine any meaningful international humanitarian response" in the Palestinian territory. It alleged that Israel was defying an order by the ICJ in January to boost aid in Gaza, and was failing its legal responsibility to protect...
  • Middle East leads way in global methane mitigation

    The Middle East is emerging as an important region in the battle against methane emissions, crucial for curbing global warming. say a latest IEA report.
  • Seven children among 22 dead as boat capsizes off Turkish coast

    Istanbul, Turkey - Twenty-two migrants including seven children have drowned after a boat capsized off the Turkish coast, local officials said on Friday. Two people were rescued by the Turkish coastguard and another two managed to make it out of the water on their own, officials said. The victims' nationalities were...
  • Qatar says Israel and Hamas are ‘not near a deal’ on Gaza truce

    "We are not near a deal, meaning that we are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreement over the implementation of a deal," said foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari. He added that he could not "offer any timeline" on an agreement.
  • Jafza reports 28% year-on-year growth in 2023 of new Indian companies

    DUBAI, UAE – Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) is a major contributor to the growing trade between India and the UAE. There's been a significant increase in Indian businesses setting up there, with 28 percent more new companies in 2023 compared to the previous year. This resulted in over 190...
  • UAE’s e-commerce sector projected to earn $9bn revenue in 2024

    Dubai, UAE - The UAE's online shopping market is gearing up for unprecedented growth, with revenue projections hitting $9 billion by the end of 2024 and an impressive $17 billion forecasted for 2025. The trajectory is emblematic of the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's e-commerce landscape, poised...
  • China Eastern Airlines to operate three weekly fights between Shanghai and Riyadh

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi Air Connectivity Program (ACP) and China Eastern Airlines have entered into a strategic partnership to launch a new air route in an effort to enhance air connectivity between the two countries. Beginning on April 8, China Eastern Airlines will introduce three weekly flights directly...
  • Doha Bank bond issue oversubscribed four times

    Doha, Qatar - Doha Bank has successfully issued $500 million in international bonds, garnering a total order book of $2 billion, marking an oversubscription of 4 times. The investor base includes prominent asset managers, banks, private banks, and insurance companies from the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East....
  • Muslims pray for end to Palestinian suffering as Ramadan nears

    Other parts of the Islamic world may be grappling with their own challenges, from conflicts to high inflation. But many Muslims say their thoughts are with Palestinians this year.
  • Saudi tech show LEAP 2024 to close on ‘record-breaking’ note

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--The biggest tech show in the Middle East, LEAP 2024, hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, is preparing for what organizers are terming as "record-breaking" final day with more announcement of investments expected to be made on the occasion. Abdullah Al-Swaha, Saudi minister of communications and information technology,...
  • Middle East commercial aircraft services market to grow to US$28bn

    Abu Dhabi, UAE--The MENA region's commercial aircraft services market will more than double in value by 2042, according to Airbus’ latest Global Services Forecast (GSF). Growing to US$28 billion from US$12 billion, and registering a 4.4 percent average annual growth, the regional expansion will surpass the global average growth of...
  • Middle East saw surge in new CEO appointments in 2023: Report

    Dubai, UAE – The Middle East witnessed the highest percentage of new CEO appointments globally, averaging at 16 percent, with Saudi Arabia leading with an impressive 20 percent, a report said. This trend is paralleled by markets such as Poland and Switzerland, with similarly high rates of new appointments, according...
  • Middle East emerges as a major player in global CEO appointments: report

    Dubai, UAE - The Middle East has emerged as a prominent player in global CEO appointments, securing 68 out of a total of 1,221 positions at the largest public listed companies worldwide. Heidrick & Struggles revealed in a report titled "Route to the Top 2023". The countries contributing to these appointments...
  • 89% of Saudi CEOs hopeful of kingdom’s economic growth over next 12 months

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - About 89% of CEOs in Saudi Arabia are optimistic about the country's economic growth over the next 12 months, surpassing the global average of 44%, the Middle East average of 73%, and the GCC average of 81%, reveals the 27th Annual CEO Survey by the PwC...
  • Web Summit: 24 MoUs signed between Qatari institutions and global tech firms

    Doha, Qatar - Web Summit Qatar 2024, the world's largest tech events debut in the Middle East and Africa, ended on a high note with the signing of 24 memorandums of understanding between Qatari institutions and the most prominent international technology companies, with the aim of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship...
  • Unit 4 of UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant commissioned

    Abu Dhabi, UAE - The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) on Friday announced that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, has successfully started-up the reactor of Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant (Barakah Plant). The reactor has begun initial production of heat through nuclear fission, used...
  • Air France-KLM posts profit

    The airline reported record revenue of US$32.49bn in 2023.
  • Arab League organizes workshop to discuss BRICS role in MENA region

    Cairo, Egypt--The Arab League (AL) on Sunday organized a workshop in Cairo to discuss the role of BRICS for African and Middle Eastern countries. Titled BRICS: Potential Roles, Challenges Facing African and Middle Eastern Countries, the one-day workshop discussed new memberships, expectations, and needs related to the mechanism. New BRICS...
  • Middle East and Africa smartphone shipments surge 30% YoY in Q4 2023

    Dubai, Riyadh - Smartphone shipments in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region witnessed a remarkable surge, growing by 30% year-over-year (YoY) and 9% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) in the final quarter of 2023, according to Counterpoint’s Market Monitor Service.  The MEA region demonstrated the highest YoY growth globally during this period,...
  • Broad support among G20 for two-state solution in Middle East: Brazil

    There was "virtual unanimity for the two-state solution as the only possible solution," Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told journalists at the close of a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the world's biggest economies. "The only reason (Vieira) didn't simply say 'unanimity' is that not every speaker addressed the...
  • Construction costs set to rise in UAE, Saudi Arabia in 2024: Report

    Dubai, UAE -- Construction costs are set to increase in the UAE by 2-3 percent, and in Saudi Arabia by 5-7 percent in 2024, following an increase of 3 percent and 7 percent respectively in 2023. Increases will challenge construction firms, which will need to develop new processes and capabilities to...
  • Saudi Arabia ranks 1st in international tourist arrivals growth in 2023

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia topped the UN Tourism’s ranking for the growth of international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019 among large destinations, achieving an increase of 56%, according to the World Tourism Barometer report released last month. The kingdom recorded a remarkable tourism recovery rate of...
  • IEA warns on plummeting oil stocks as growth in demand ebbs

    "As the IEA celebrates its 50th anniversary this week, oil supply security remains as critical as ever," said the agency created half a century ago by the OECD to help rich countries weather the 1970s oil crisis which wreaked widespread economic havoc. "Given heightened geopolitical risks and low global oil...
  • Ford Middle East sales up 63%

    Growth fueled by Ford Territory, F-150 and other models.
  • Higher prices boost Coca-Cola sales despite Middle East hit

    Chief Executive James Quincey described consumers in North America as "holding up well," although he acknowledged "a little softening" through 2023 in the United States due to persistently higher prices that have pressured low-income shoppers. Coca-Cola projected 2024 revenue growth of six to seven percent when foreign exchange and the...
  • Global conflicts herald ‘dangerous decade’, says military think-tank

    "The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.
  • IMF, World Bank say Gaza and Red Sea attacks risk to world economy

    World Bank President Ajay Banga said that "what's going on Gaza, but also the challenges of Ukraine... and the Red Sea" are among the top challenges to the global economic outlook. "When you add variables to what is turning out to be probably the lowest growth of the last 55...
  • IMF chief forecasts higher economic growth for Arab region in 2024

    Dubai, UAE -- International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva has forecasted that the total GDP growth for the Middle East region would reach 2.9 percent this year, surpassing the figures from 2023. Speaking on the sidelines of the pre-summit day of WGS 2024's Eighth Arab Fiscal Forum, Georgieva emphasized...
  • In Middle East, ‘manufacturing’ is a new buzzword

    From Saudi Arabia to the UAE and Qatar to Kuwait, governments across the region compete to jumpstart industrial sector but doubts remain whether it can be pulled off.
  • In Middle East, ‘manufacturing’ is a new buzzword

    Form Saudi Arabia to the UAE, Qatar to Kuwait, governments of the region compete to jumpstart an industrial sector. But doubts remain whether it can be pulled off.
  • Iranian President Raisi accuses US of disrupting Middle East security

    "The presence of US forces in our region has no justification," Raisi said in a Tehran ceremony ahead of the 45th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution on February 12.
  • Blinken in Israel voices hope for Gaza truce deal to free hostages

    "There's a lot of work to be done, but we are very much focused on doing that work and hopefully being able to resume the release of hostages that was interrupted" after a week-long truce in November, he said. The US top envoy, on his fifth Middle East tour since...
  • Halting funding to UNRWA perils Middle East stability: Arab League

    Cairo, Egypt -- The potential termination of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) due to a lack of funds poses a danger for the entire region, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said. "The cessation of the work of this UN...
  • OECD predicts rise in global economy amid Middle East ‘risk’

    The OECD raised its 2024 world economic growth forecast Monday but warned that the Middle East conflict posed a risk, with disruptions in Red Sea shipping threatening to increase consumer prices. Global growth "proved unexpectedly resilient" in 2023, reaching 3.1 percent as inflation declined faster than anticipated..
  • McDonald Q4 profit up

    McDonald's cited war in the Middle East as a drag.
  • Gaza situation ‘indescribable’ as Blinken starts another Mideast tour

    On his fifth trip to the region since the war broke out, Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel and mediators Egypt and Qatar. Ahead of the trip he stressed the need for "urgently addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza", after aid groups have repeatedly sounded the alarm over the devastating impact...
  • Blinken to arrive in Middle East to press for truce

    The US secretary of state is expected to discuss a proposed truce hammered out in a Paris meeting in January of top US, Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. The diplomatic push has become more urgent with the surge in attacks by Iran-backed groups in solidarity with Hamas, triggering counterattacks by...
  • GCC ministers hold discussion on food security in the region

    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), held a virtual meeting with ministers from the region to discuss a strategy for food security in the Middle East. Ministers responsible for agriculture and food security from the GCC countries attended the meeting. The meeting discussed...
  • Solutions-Devoteam deal completed

    Devoteam Middle East is a subsidiary of Devoteam Group.
  • Hamas says US strikes in Iraq and Syria is putting ‘oil on fire’

    Palestinian group Hamas condemned overnight US strikes in Iraq and Syria, saying Washington had poured "oil on the fire" in the Middle East. The US "bears responsibility for the consequences of this brutal aggression against both Iraq and Syria, which pour oil on the fire," the group said in a...
  • No Middle East escalation, urges EU foreign policy chief after US strikes

    European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on all parties to avoid further escalation in the Middle East after US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria and Iraq. "Everybody should try to avoid that the situation becomes explosive," Borrell said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
  • Yemeni Houthis claim missile strike on Israel

    The attack was the latest in a series of drone and missile strikes launched by the Houthis since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and Palestinian fighters group Hamas nearly four months ago. The Houthis have also repeatedly targeted vessels in the Red Sea with strikes they say...
  • US retaliatory strikes hit Iran-linked targets in Syria, Iraq

    "The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond," US president Joe Biden said.
  • ‘AR, VR and video analytics shaping imaging industry’

    Canon focuses on innovation, integrating AI-driven features, deep learning and machine learning to meet changing customer needs, says a top executive of Canon Middle East.
  • Iraq’s pro-Iran Al-Nujaba group to continue attacks on US troops

    "Any (US) strike will result in an appropriate response," Al-Nujaba leader Akram al-Kaabi said in a statement, adding the group would continue its actions until its demands are met for US troops to leave Iraq and an end to Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.
  • Pegasus used in Jordan to spy on key figures, says report

    Paris, France - Hackers have used the notorious Pegasus spyware to break into the phones of dozens of journalists and activists in Jordan over the past four years, according to the findings of an investigation released Thursday. The Access Now NGO highlighted 35 cases of hacking that date back to 2019,...
  • Air cargo demand rebounds in 2023 amid economic uncertainty

    Geneva, Switzerland-- Air cargo demand rebounded in 2023 with a particularly strong fourth quarter performance despite economic uncertainties, according to new data for global air-freight market released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). As per the new data full-year demand reached a level just slightly below 2022 and 2019....
  • Middle Eastern carriers record 1.6% increase in air cargo demand: IATA

    Geneva, Switzerland -- Middle Eastern carriers reported a 1.6 percent increase for global and international demand in 2023 compared to 2022 and an increase in capacity of 13.5 percent (13.6 percent for international operations), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said. In December, airlines in the region posted an 18.3 percent increase in...
  • Two million people may die in Gaza without world’s help: Turkish foreign minister

    Ankara, Turkey - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday expressed serious apprehensions about the escalating situation in the Gaza Strip, warning that unless the global community takes immediate action, two million people may die. "Humanitarian aid and medical supplies are not allowed into Gaza. This is a harbinger of...
  • AD Ports launches Noatum Logistics Middle East

    The firm said the new brand will replace MiCCO Logistics.
  • US vows to respond after troops killed in Jordan

    US President Joe Biden held Iran-backed fighters responsible for the killing of US troops and vowed to hold the perpetrators to account. It is the first time American soldiers have been killed by hostile fire in the region since Israel launched its war on Gaza, and the incident will further...