At the top of the invitation list to China's Belt and Road Initiative forum is Russia's President Vladimir Putin, on his first trip to a major global power since the Ukraine invasion threw his regime into international isolation.

Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest sank 4.79 percent to 4,351 yen and chip-making equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron gave up 3.84 percent to 20,395 yen. High-tech investor SoftBank Group fell 2.04 percent at 6,375 yen, Sony Group dropped 1.87 percent to 12,610 yen and Panasonic dived 3.18 percent to 1,565.5 yen.

Beijing, China - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is embarking on a visit to the Middle East next week,  state media agency CGTN reported on Sunday. Wang's visit comes amid escalating tensions in the region and reflects China's commitment to playing a more prominent role in the resolution of the...

As Israeli politicians look to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into neighbouring Egypt, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has categorically rejected the idea, saying they should be able to stay as Israel battles Hamas. Blinken is on a crisis tour of the Middle East after Hamas fighters attacked...

Wang's remarks, made on a call to his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday, came as Israel appeared poised for a ground offensive against Hamas fighters in Gaza. Israel should listen earnestly to the calls of the international community and the UN secretary general, and cease its...

Amidst the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict, an alarming number of journalists have been killed, injured, or missing, underscoring the importance of ensuring their safety.

The envoy "will visit the Middle East next week to coordinate with various parties for a ceasefire, to protect civilians, ease the situation, and promote peace talks," a CCTV video report said. The report came as Israeli forces appeared poised for a ground offensive into the Gaza Strip already reeling...

The Middle Eastern region, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is swiftly becoming a global esports hub, driven by its vast gamer community and strategic investments.

Jerusalem - International aid groups and major powers have pleaded with Israel to set up safe zones in Gaza where thousands struggled on Saturday to get out of the north of the Palestinian territory, under threat of attack. With thousands of Israeli troops massed around Gaza's borders, uncertainty over when...

Calling for an end to "Israeli occupation" and the "liberation" of the Palestinian territories, protesters took up multiple blocks in a city that serves as a crossroads for religions and nationalities spanning the world. The largely youthful protest -- which drew demonstrators of all origins, some sporting Palestinian flags and...

Dubai, UAE - Gold prices surged over 3% on Friday, heading for their most robust weekly performance in seven months, as escalating tensions in the Middle East prompted investors to seek refuge in safe-haven assets, Reuters reported on Friday. The price of spot gold increased by 3.2% to reach $1,928.15...

"No to the occupation! No to America!" chanted demonstrators gathered in central Baghdad after Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr called for a protest "in support of Gaza" and against Israel, an AFP journalist reported.

Lucknow, India - The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation announced a change in the design of the mosque to be constructed on a five-acre plot in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village, as awarded by the Supreme Court in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid verdict. The trust, responsible for building the mosque and other community facilities,...

The bank’s revenues rose 22 percent to US$39.9 billion.

Qatar, where Blinken will head immediately after Jordan, has longstanding ties with Hamas and has been seen as an intermediary in freeing the hostages. "We'll continue pressing countries to help prevent the conflict from spreading, and to use their leverage with Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages," Blinken...

Marrakesh, Morocco-- The war between Israel and Hamas has cast a shadow over the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Morocco, with warnings on Thursday that it has darkened the outlook for an already sluggish global economy. The global lenders are holding their gathering, which brings together finance ministers and central bankers...

Dubai, UAE: US dollar sukuk issuance for 2023 is on course to outpace 2022 due to funding needs and diversification strategies, Fitch Ratings said in a new report. However, the third quarter sukuk issuance in all currencies ($51.7 billion equivalent) issued in core markets was 12.3 percent lower YoY, while bond...

Since 2008, Israel has conducted four major military operations in Gaza, resulting in significant casualties and widespread destruction.

"Equity markets are bouncing back on Tuesday after a risk-averse start to the week, buoyed... by some promising Fed commentary," said analyst Craig Erlam at trading firm OANDA.

MARRAKESH, MOROCCO - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that the UAE's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow by 3.4 percent in 2023 and 4 percent in 2024. The IMF's forecast is in line with that of the World Bank, which released a similar estimate two days ago. The...

With potential spikes in oil prices and uncertainty surrounding major projects like the IMEC, the world faces a complex economic future shaped by Middle Eastern tensions.

Anguished at the horrifying images coming out of the Gaza Strip and Israel, celebrities like Madonna and Mark Ruffalo have pleaded for dialogue to end differences.

Israel imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip and cut off the water supply as it kept bombing targets in the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise assault it has likened to the 9/11 attacks. Israel has counted over 700 dead and launched strikes on Gaza that...

The attack and Israel's declaration of war in response to it have raised concerns that a potential broadening of the conflict could draw in the United States and Iran. "Key for markets is whether the conflict remains contained or spreads to involve other regions, particularly Saudi Arabia," said ANZ Group's...

Caught unawares by the surprise attack, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Israelis to prepare for a "long and difficult war" with Hamas, raising concerns of a much wider conflict.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - The president of the upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai called on Sunday for governments to abandon the "fantasy" of hastily ditching existing energy infrastructure in pursuit of climate goals. "We cannot unplug the energy system of today before we build the new system of tomorrow. It...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Jisr, the largest platform for digitizing human resources operations in Saudi Arabia, has closed an investment round worth 30 million US dollars (SR 112.5 million). This marks the largest Series A investment round for a Software as a Service (SaaS) company in the Middle East. The...

It will join the UAE's FDI program to expand footprint.

Tehran, Iran - Iran's top diplomat on Wednesday played down a spat with Saudi Arabia that prompted the cancelation of an Asian Champions League match, insisting relations with its longtime rival were improving. The row, over a statue of assassinated Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani in the stadium in Iran's third...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Kazakhstan's BSG Technology is looking to expand its operations into the Middle East, and begin operations in the UAE next year. According to Serik Baimukhanbetov, Deputy Director for Business Development of BSG Technology, the company expects to launch its operations in the UAE market in 2024 and...

A transformative shift is unfolding in the region as more people transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric ones, an in-depth TRENDS report reveals.

A transformative shift is unfolding in the region as more people transition from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric ones, an in-depth TRENDS report reveals.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has so far issued 162 regional center licenses to the companies relocating their headquarters to the Kingdom, Saudi ministry of finances said. The Regional Headquarters Program, a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Ministry of Investment and the Royal Commission for Riyadh, is working diligently...

Last year, Saudi Arabia led the Middle East in military investments, ranking fifth globally with a defense budget of $75 billion. This surpassed many European nations, emphasizing the strategic defense priorities of Middle Eastern countries amidst global powerhouses. Qatar's military expenditure, meanwhile, reached $15.4 billion last year, ranking close to...

Vienna, Austria -- Qatar Friday called for intensifying international efforts to subject all Israeli nuclear facilities to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, and for Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of nuclear weapons as a non-nuclear state. Chairman of the National Committee for the Prohibition of Weapons Dr....

Washington, United States - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held discussions in Washington, highlighting the potential of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. The significant initiative, born out of India's G20 presidency, aims to foster transparent, sustainable, and high-standard infrastructure investments. "At the...

Dubai, UAE - Chinese luxury electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr, a subsidiary of Geely, is set to make its debut in the Middle East next year, as part of its global expansion efforts leading up to a planned initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, Financial Times reported on Friday. ...

AlUla, Saudi Arabia – The world's most popular obstacle-course racing challenge, Tough Mudder, announced the launch of a Tough Mudder Infinity race for the first time in the Middle East, to be held on February 24 next year in AlUla Governorate, one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the...

The contracts to install traffic systems are worth US$211m.

Facing tourism seasonality challenges, the region diversifies offerings, enhances infrastructure, and collaborates, for year-round success despite temperature fluctuations.

Washington last week slapped sanctions on "seven individuals and four entities" based in Iran, China, Russia and Turkey it said had facilitated shipments and financial transactions involving Tehran's military hardware program. The United States accuses Iran of supplying Russia with drones, which have become a major feature of Moscow's war...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - A Pablo Picasso masterpiece expected to fetch at least $120 million at auction went on show Monday in Dubai, kicking off a set of rare viewings outside the United States. "Femme a la montre", the 1932 portrait of Marie-Therese Walter, Picasso's mistress and "golden muse", is...

The 2023 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking placed the UAE among the world's 10 most competitive economies.

New York, United States - YouTube has unveiled a suite of innovative AI-powered tools aimed at revolutionizing the world of content creation for both emerging and established creators worldwide, with a special focus on the Middle East and North Africa. These AI-driven capabilities promise to unleash new avenues of creative...

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas's address came a day after Netanyahu discussed Saudi normalization in a meeting with US President Joe Biden. Israel and the United States believe that the Jewish state's normalization with Saudi Arabia -- guardian of Islam's two holiest sites -- would be a game-changer for the Middle...

RAS AL KHAIMAH, UAE - A delegation from Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), led by Group CEO Ramy Jallad, successfully wrapped up its roadshow in China’s Guangdong province to explore new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation. The delegation aims to foster deeper ties with local enterprises, prominent trade...

China becomes one of only a handful of countries outside the Middle East that Assad has visited since the 2011 start of a civil war that has since killed more than half a million people, displaced millions more, and battered Syria's infrastructure and industry. Assad also becomes the latest in...

In a bid to diversify their economies, Middle Eastern nations are turning to the sports industry, marked by significant investments in global tournaments and infrastructure.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The cooperation between Moscow and Tehran is reaching new highs, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday. “We are determined to implement the entire set of our planned activities despite opposition from the US and its Western allies,” Shoigu said during talks with Iranian Defense Minister...

Damascus, Syria - Syrian President Bashar Assad is set to make his first visit to China this week, highlighting China's continued support throughout Syria's 12-year conflict.  China has been expanding its presence in the Middle East, mediating between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this year and aiding Assad's regime, which...