Dubai, UAE - Deloitte Middle East has announced the launch of its Middle East Centre of Excellence for Oracle AI Agents, a specialized innovation platform aimed at accelerating the adoption of agentic AI – AI capable of autonomous thinking and action to enhance human decision-making – throughout the region. Bringing...
Taking the wheel
Bruce Robertson, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover MENA, speaks to Sunil Kumar Singh on the future of self-driving cars in the Middle East and more. How would you describe Jaguar Land Rover’s journey so far in the Middle East? Despite all the talk about a slowdown, I believe the region...Turkey sets sights on Africa
Turkey is working to raise its profile across Africa, seeking to expand its trade, diplomatic ties and, significantly, its security profile throughout the continent — and especially in and around the Horn of Africa — to the discomfort of other regional powers concerned about a resurgent Turkish political and military...What it takes to accelerate region’s movement toward sustainability
Clean energy and sustainability have gone beyond just being buzzwords for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. The governments in the region have laid down energy plans and huge investments are being made to meet set targets. This pursuit becomes even more relevant for the region due to the abundance...
Mastercard to further disrupt financial transactions in MENA region
TRENDS speaks with Jorn Lambert, Group Executive, Digital Channels in Emerging Payments, Mastercard, about how Mastercard is offering richer experiences to its regional clients and sees massive opportunities in this region that are beyond developed markets. When it comes to evolving payment technology, how do you look at Middle East region? Today, consumer...Timeline; recent plane crashes involving Iran
Tehran-based Aseman Airlines flight, from Tehran to Yasuj, crashed on Sunday morning killing all 66 passengers on board. Following is a timeline of some major crashes involving Iran in the last 10 years: September 1, 2006 An Iran Air Tour Tupolev passenger plane catches fire on landing at an airport...Passenger plane crashes in Iran: 66 people on board dead
Scores of people are feared dead after an Iranian commercial aircraft crashed into a mountain in southern Iran valley on Sunday, reported a semi-official news agency in Tehran. Though rescue work is still on, till the writing of this report, but it was presumed that all 66 passengers on board...
Heading into 2018, different aims for US foreign policy in the region
During the Cold War, the then-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States had different foreign policies in the Middle East. Fortunately, these policies did not really conflict. The US had focused heavily on Israel and Iran as regional allies and buffers, and on oil-producing countries, such as the...
Arab News launches Pakistan edition as part of global expansion
Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily, has recently announced the launch of a Pakistan online edition, as part of the newspaper’s ongoing global and digital expansion. The service — available in English at www.arabnews.pk — covers news and views from Pakistan and the wider region, with a special...Middle East’s financial landscape transforming at rapid pace
The digitally connected world has made the consumer the real king. With rapid technological advancement and innovation, the entire focus has shifted toward delivering services to consumers online in a secured way. The financial service industry is witnessing an upheaval with fintech startups gaining stronghold and challenging the traditional business...Tech-tonic shift; AI taking the Middle East region by storm
Artificial intelligence (AI), undisputedly the best technological gift of the digital age, together with Internet of Things, blockchain and data analytics is fueling the Fourth Industrial Revolution around the world. And, the Middle East and North Africa nations, especially those in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have occupied a pioneering...How energy landscape to evolve in the Middle East in 2018?
A massive economic diversification exercise is underway in the Middle East to gradually end dependency on fossil fuels for a sustainable future. One sector that has immensely benefited from the exercise is that of renewable energy. Over the years, it has not only emerged as a reliable and viable means...US Vice President’s Middle East visit evokes mixed reactions
US Vice President Mike Pence started his three-nation Middle East visit on Saturday amidst a lot of dilemmas and confusions erupting because of US’ latest stance on the status of Jerusalem. If on one hand, many Middle East nations have expressed resentment over US’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s...Is it a do-or-die battle for media and telecom companies?
Historically, the advances in technology have affected all business sectors. The Industrial Revolution disrupted manufacturing sector in the 20th century and, currently, digital technologies are affecting all facets of business and economy. Companies in the telecommunications and media sectors are facing a dire need to innovate their products and services,...WISEUp: Taking a literary route, to counter extremism
In late 2016, Daisy Khan, a New York-based global-peace activist, grew increasingly alarmed by the surge in violent extremism worldwide and the resultant demonization of Islam in America. Khan, a long-time advocate for equality and justice for Muslims around the world, immediately saw a connection between the angry anti-Islamic rhetoric...
Are sands shifting in Turkey’s Middle East policy?
The past year has seen Turkey distance itself from some of its long-standing political alignments, easing away from the West and adopting a more Eastern-focused stance with regard to the Middle East, gravitating into an orbit that includes Iran, Qatar and Russia, though many analysts feel this shifting of poles...
