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...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - About 92% of respondents in Saudi Arabia consider ‘critical national infrastructure’ and are willing to pay more for sustainable broadband with roughly a quarter of them prepared to pay over 20% more for eco-friendly connectivity., a Cisco survey in the kingdom has found.  The survey, encompassing...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- The Airports Council International (ACI) for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East has established its first office in Riyadh. Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saleh Al-Jasser, inaugurated the office yesterday. Al-Jasser...

Energy, banking and financial services, and industrial sector companies are among the largest in the Middle East, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Middle Eastern countries are increasingly embracing the Mandarin language, extending China's soft power influence in the region. While interest in learning Mandarin has declined in the West, Middle Eastern nations are mandating Chinese language education in their schools, , a report in South China Morning Post...

Hong Kong - The Saudi Arabia-China Entrepreneurs Association (SCEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The agreement was signed during the eighth Belt and Road Summit, a two-day event themed "Ten Years of Cooperation for Mutual Benefit," which saw participation from...

Tel Aviv, Israel - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the launch of the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as the "largest cooperation project in our history" that will have a profound impact on the Middle East, Israel, and the world. Leaders from the United States, India, Saudi...

Ankara, Turkey - Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that India-Middle East trade corridor proposed during the G20 summit in India could not be established without Turkey's involvement. "We say that there is no corridor without Turkey. Turkey is an important production and trade base,” Erdogan said. “The most...

Despite Israel's strong determination and increasing US mediation efforts, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv-Riyadh still face serious obstacles.

This TRENDS Explainer Video explores how the Middle East is fueling its economy with renewables like solar, wind, and green hydrogen, catalyzing a global clean energy shift.

Countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia must work together to combat sand and dust storms made increasingly severe by climate change, the United Nations and Iran said. “I urge you to use your time in Tehran to build partnerships, increase cooperation and commit to practical action,” UN chief...

In recent years, the Middle East and China have fortified economic ties, with the former supplying half of latter's oil and sealing a landmark 27-year LNG deal with Qatar.

New Delhi, India - President Biden, along with the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is likely to ink a railway deal to connect the Middle East during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a report published in Axios.com said.  The initiative aims to establish...

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran resumed operations last month. In June, Iran marked the reopening of its embassy in Riyadh with a flag-raising ceremony. Last month Iran's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, preached unity and dialogue during his first visit to Saudi Arabia since the surprise rapprochement was announced,...

Dubai, UAE - Middle East needs a ‘New Deal’ to deliver for its 600 million people more jobs, better education, greater dignity, better governance, and a broader, fairer distribution of economic opportunities and resources.  “The status quo of state-dominated economic activity will be hard to sustain, especially for heavily indebted...

Dubai, UAE - The annual Belt and Road Summit being held on September 13 and 14 in Hong Kong will feature a dedicated session focused on the Middle East, South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.  The Belt and Road Initiative, China's ambitious plan to boost international trade and connectivity,...

Dubai, UAE - The Middle East has seen the strongest rebound in the post-pandemic global tourism recovery, according to a new report from HSBC Global Research. The report, Jet, set, go! shows that the region is unique in recording a total recovery in terms of tourist arrivals in the first...

BEIJING, CHINA – The director of China’s Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs met with the speaker of the Arab Parliament Adel Al Asoomi here. Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that Beijing is willing to...

London, Britain - The Biden administration has implemented restrictions on the sale of Nvidia's advanced microchips to certain Middle Eastern countries, citing rising worries about China's access to crucial artificial intelligence resources, Telegraph reported on Wednesday.  Nvidia, a tech giant valued at $1.2 trillion, has been directed to obtain permission...

Combining elements of everything from boxing to judo and Muay Thai, mixed martial arts (MMA) had a limited following in Saudi Arabia just a decade ago, but that started to change when the kingdom hosted the popular regional Desert Force competition in 2014.

Dubai, Riyadh - PureHealth, the largest healthcare group in the Middle East, has entered into an agreement to acquire Circle Health Group, the UK's largest independent operator of hospitals, for a substantial AED 4.41 billion ($1.19 billion).  PureHealth's existing roster of companies includes healthcare names such as SEHA – Abu...

A significant 16% of Middle Eastern organizations have fully implemented Responsible AI policies and processes, a latest report highlights.

Cairo, Egypt - Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania Al Mashat, said the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) is likely to address climate change issue and its effects on countries and people, local media reports said. The UAE will host...

The Middle East, with its vast resources and strategic position, can play a crucial role in BRICS' vision of a more equitable and democratic global order as the BRICS move to include countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE can further reduce the alliance's dependence on Western financial institutions,...

In 2023, data breach costs in the Middle East soared to $8 million, marking a 155.9% rise over a decade, with the financial sector bearing the brunt, a report points out.

South Africa has revealed potential BRICS expansion plans at the Johannesburg summit, with keen interest shown by Middle Eastern nations, notably UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Mixed Martial Arts became popular in the kingdom since 2014, when it hosted the regional Desert Force competition.

As Middle Eastern countries rise economically and their populations grow, Malaysia sees a bigger role in fulfilling the region's growing demand for edible oils and fats.

Al-Sudairi, the current ambassador to Jordan, will also serve as consul general in Jerusalem, a new position announced amid speculation about possible future ties with Israel. The file for the Palestinian Territories has traditionally been handled by Saudi Arabia's embassy in Amman.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- For the first time, Riyadh will host the Peace and Sport Middle East Forum, powered by the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee on 18-19 October. The forum will be held under the theme, “Sport is an answer for peace”, at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh-based Diplomatic...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -  In recent days, speculation has grown about the Biden administration's attempts to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This potential diplomatic breakthrough, akin to climbing Mount Everest, has significant implications for the Middle East and global geopolitics. While the road ahead is fraught...

Dubai, UAE - Dubai International Chamber attracted 56 businesses to the emirate during H1 2023, including six multinational corporations and 50 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), local media reports said. It also supported the expansion of 15 local and national companies into global markets, either by increasing their exports or...

TRENDS Infographics explores prominent Arab nations in the latest Global Soft Power Index, with the UAE leading the way by entering the top 10, a first for the Middle East.

With an estimated IT spending of $175.5 billion in 2023, the region is embracing digital solutions, leveraging advanced technologies, and investing in flagship projects.

Lower oil production, high inflation, tighter monetary policies, increased borrowing costs, and the rising cost of servicing debt continue to strain the region's finances, data and analytics company GlobalData said in its Global Risk Report Quarterly Update -- Q1 2023. The region's risk score went up from 54.3 out of...

The company reported revenues of $1.24 billion for H1.

Dubai, UAE - Vox Cinemas, the prominent Middle East exhibitor partnering with Warner Bros. for distribution, has decided to postpone the Middle East release of the popular Greta Gerwig film to August 31.  Initially slated for a July 19 release – just two days before its US debut – the...

Amidst the escalating crackdown on key cryptocurrency players, the Middle East is emerging as a potential beneficiary and a new frontier for the crypto industry.

Dubai, UAE - The International Data Corporation (IDC) has forecasted that the Middle East will spend $3 billion on AI in 2023, with this figure expected to more than double to $6.4 billion by 2026. CEOs in the region are recognizing the significance of AI for their businesses, with over...

"It is unfortunate that the concerned authorities claiming freedom of expression continue to provide licenses to repeat these acts contrary to international law, and this leads to a lack of respect for religions," OIC Secretary-general Hissein Brahim Taha said. Around the time Taha was speaking, two men set the Quran...

Dubai, UAE - Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a Mumbai-based Indian company, has announced plans to collaborate with banks in the Middle East, the Indian newspaper The Hindubusinessline reported.  The primary objective of this tie-up is not to seek financing for projects, as L&T will continue to self-finance its project execution...

Amidst the escalating crackdown on key cryptocurrency players, the Middle East is emerging as a potential beneficiary and a new frontier for the crypto industry.

The decision by the central banks, in the US and most of the Middle East, to hike interest rates are designed to fight off inflationary pressures and maintain economic stability.

A projected decline in the Middle East and Central Asia from 5.4 percent in 2022 to 2.5 percent in 2023 has been attributed to a steeper-than-expected growth slowdown in the Kingdom from 8.7 percent in 2022 to 1.9 percent in 2023, a negative revision of 1.2 percentage points.

Mumbai, India: The world's biggest rice exporter India has banned some overseas sales of the grain "with immediate effect", the government said, in a move that could not only drive international prices even higher but also impact Middle East. However, India has not banned export of Basmati rice - a...

The US-Arab Strategic Dialogue discussed Middle East peace and the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, among other issues. The dialogue concluded successfully and the US and Arab League issued a joint statement on several issues. They statement said that they will counter terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms.

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has commenced the construction of the Middle East's inaugural high-speed hydrogen refueling station. The station, situated in Masdar City and spearheaded by ADNOC, will utilize an electrolyser powered by clean grid electricity to produce clean hydrogen from water. Hydrogen, a...

The region, rich in history and culture, is expected to accumulate substantial global AI benefits, reshaping its traditional sectors and driving innovation, reports suggest.

Dubai, UAE - The United States has announced plans to bolster its military presence in the Middle East in response to Iran's recent actions involving the seizure and harassment of commercial shipping vessels in key waterways. Reuters reported on Monday.  The Pentagon will be sending additional F-35 and F-16 fighter...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Aramco, TotalEnergies and SABIC have completed for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region the first conversion of oil derived from plastic waste into circular polymers certified with the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC+). The plastic pyrolysis oil, also called...