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 - Six years after imposing a comprehensive blockade on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain have nearly restored ties with the country. However, underlying tensions persist, as changing dynamics in the Middle East drive competing foreign policy priorities. These unresolved issues have the potential...

Recent global data indicates an alarming rate of pollution in several Arab countries, with Lebanon, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia among the top most polluted nations. The problem extends throughout the Middle East, as evidenced by high rankings for Iran and Turkey as well. Despite environmental initiatives and efforts towards sustainability,...

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority ($853 billion) and Kuwait Investment Authority ($803 billion) ranked fourth and fifth respectively, while Saudi Arabia's PIF was sixth in terms of assets. ADIA invests, on behalf of the government of Abu Dhabi, in equities, bonds, real estate and infrastructure., with most of its investments concentrated...

Dubai, UAE - Indian officials are concerned about China's growing influence in the Middle East and how it will impact India's national interests in the region, an article carried by Middle East Institute says.  “The difference in strategies being employed by India and its partners in the Middle East, including...

Tel Aviv, Israel - Israel's parliament adopted in a first reading a controversial bill that would limit court powers, in a new offensive to push ahead with a judicial overhaul that has split the nation. The changes, proposed by the hard-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have sparked one...

The Boston Consulting Group survey found that 58 percent of Middle East employees, managers, and leaders believe that AI will have a positive impact on their work.

A TRENDS exclusive report takes a hard look at how tens of thousands of white-collar workers in Middle East are falling victim to burnout brought about by workplace stress.

A TRENDS exclusive report takes a hard look at how tens of thousands of white-collar workers in Middle East are falling victim to burnout brought about by workplace stress.

The new British sanctions regime will expand existing penalties imposed by creating new criteria under which individuals and entities can be hit. They include any Iranian activities "undermining peace, stability and security in the Middle East and internationally", and the "use and spread of weapons technologies from Iran".

The country received the fourth largest number of greenfield projects (997), an 84 per cent increase, behind only India (1008), the UK (1230) and the US (2075), according to the UN Investment Report 2023. UAE's impressive numbers led to an increase of the projects in West Asia by two thirds.

DIFC provides a platform for AB to expand its wings.

PIF ranked seventh with a score of 92 (on the GSR score of 100), followed by Mubadala (88), among the SWFs. Regionally, the Middle East saw the biggest improvement from 32 percent in 2020 to 52 percent in 2023. It said Saudi PIF is managing to make its unparalleled growth sustainable by...

Israel has approved buying a third squadron of advanced F-35 fighter jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin in a $3-billion deal, the defense ministry said. Israel is the only Middle East nation with F-35s which is stealth capable and can be used to gather intelligence, strike deep into enemy territory and...

Middle Eastern technology professionals are more open to office-based roles than their counterparts in Central Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and France and Benelux.

Under a heavy police presence, Salwan Momika stomped on the Quran before setting several pages alight in front of Stockholm's largest mosque. Police in the Swedish capital had granted him a permit for the protest but said later they had opened a probe into the man over "agitation".

Iraq has long been transit country for captagon, but officials say it is increasingly becoming a consumer market for the illicit drug. In March, the authorities announced the seizure of three million captagon pills at the Al-Qaim border crossing with Syria.

Hundreds of millions of Muslims in their best dresses packed mosques in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas to mark the festive occasion.

Despite a global economic slowdown in 2022, high-net-worth individual wealth in the region experienced growth on the back of strong earnings in the oil and gas sectors.

Doha, Qatar--Qatar participated in the 58th regional meeting of director general of customs of the North of Africa, near and Middle East region, and the 141st/142nd Sessions of the WCO Council, held at WCO headquarters in Brussels. Qatar was represented by chairman of the General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed...

Tehran, Iran-- The future of relations between Iran and the United Arab Emirates is promising and in line with the interests of both nations, according to Iran's ambassador to the UAE. "The two countries intend to find ways to have warmer and closer relations in light of developments in the...

The peace deal has ignited debates on its potential to transform Middle East from a region hit by conflicts to a peaceful place. Dive into an in-depth analysis from TRENDS.

The bilateral peace agreement has sparked intensified debates about its potential to transform the Middle East from a conflict-ridden region to peaceful and prosperous place.

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland issued a warning on Monday against changes made by the Israeli government that will simplify procedures to authorize settlements in the occupied West Bank. The alterations, expected to expedite settlement expansion, have caused international concern.

China's approach, characterized by a combination of economic incentives and a focus on development, contrasts with the more assertive and unilateral approach often associated with the United States. For Arab nations, China's appeal also lies in its geo-economic-centric relationship, he adds.

Businesses are getting ready for COP28 by moving from starting ESG programs to growing them, and those who know the benefits of ESG Reporting may gain a lot, say experts.

Dubai, UAE - Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region ranks among the top three regions most prone to mobile financial scams, a recent report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has revealed.  The study indicates that 14 percent of installations of potentially unwanted mobile financial apps on Android phones were made...

ABU DHABI,  UAE -  Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi – KEZAD Group on Friday announced the signing of a land lease agreement with Spain's Tubacex Group for the development of a state -of-the-art manufacturing facility for OCTG-CRA tubular solutions. This would be the first such manufacturing facility in the Middle...

Dubai, UAE -- High net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in the Middle East are increasingly looking for alternative investments, such as private equity and real estate, as they seek to diversify their portfolios, the 2023 EY Global Wealth Research Report said while analyzing key trends in the Middle East wealth management market....

Lima, Peru - The UAE and Peru signed an air services agreement for cooperation between the two countries and promote intra-trade. Mohammed Abdullah Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Peru, signed the deal on behalf of the UAE and Gervasi Díaz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing Peru. Al...

Dubai, UAE:  The UAE’s target of attracting 40 million tourist visits by 2030, and its subsequent economic contribution of AED 450 billion ($123 billion) to the country’s national GDP, will further boost the leisure and entertainment (L&E) sectors of both the nation and the region, Fever, the leading global live-entertainment...

Abu Dhabi, UAE  -- Abu Dhabi will host the Middle East premiere of the eagerly-awaited Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One at a red-carpet event at Emirates Palace on June 26 to be attended by the movie’s cast and crew, including star Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie. Both...

Continued economic recovery, ease of travel restrictions, and the growing popularity of the region as a tourist destination have been credited for the sector's resilience.

Iran is set to reopen its embassy in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday following a seven year closure, Tehran and a diplomatic source said, sealing a Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal announced in March. Riyadh severed relations with Tehran in 2016 after its embassy and consulate in Iran were attacked during protests.

TRENDS investigation uncovers Media-Public Relations Nexus as PR companies in the region are found crossing ethical boundaries to secure favorable coverage.

TRENDS investigation uncovers Media-Public Relations Nexus as PR companies in the region are found crossing ethical boundaries to secure favorable coverage.

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- AstraZeneca has announced the launch of its revolutionary cancer medication, IMJUDO® (tremelimumab) in the UAE. The launch makes the UAE one of the first countries in the Middle East to receive access to the medication that marks a significant advancement in the treatment of cancer. Clinical...

DUBAI, UAE -  The UAE is poised to play a pivotal role in global trade with its exports projected to reach around US$544 billion (AED2 trillion) by 2030, showcasing a robust annual growth rate of 5.5 percent. according to a Standard Chartered research study. The report, titled 'Future of Trade:...

"The 2022 Saudi census marks the "most comprehensive and precise population survey conducted in the Kingdom's history," the General Authority of Statistics said. It set the total population of the country at 32.2 million: 58.4 per cent Saudi nationals and most others from South Asia or elsewhere in the MENA...

Dubai, UAE--Dubai held the first trial of medical delivery by drones at the Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), in yet another unique public-private sector partnership. The completion of the trial makes Fakeeh University Hospital, an academic-focused smart healthcare facility based in DSO, the first healthcare provider in the Middle East to...

SHARJAH, UAE - The Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Project, the first of its kind in the Middle East, has strengthened its efforts to divert waste from landfills and contribute to the production of clean energy. Since its launch one year ago, the plant has increased its waste diversion rate from 76 percent...

Baghdad, Iraq--Iraq is looking to deepen cooperation with Iran in the transport sector and facilitate the movement of pilgrims between the two countries. The issue was discussed in a meeting in Baghdad between the Iranian and Iraqi ministers focusing on the ways to expand cooperation between the two countries. The meeting...

Since the start of the war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against regime positions as well as Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces, allies of Damascus and arch-foes of Israel. Israel rarely comments on the strikes on a case-by-case basis, but says it seeks...

Iraq presented an ambitious plan to turn itself into a regional transportation hub by developing its road and rail infrastructure, linking Europe with the Gulf and other Middle East countries. Once completed, the US$17 billion project known as the "Route of Development" would stretch 1,200 kilometers from Turkey to the...

In a world where Turkey and Russia are both sceptical of Western military, political and economic dominance, Putin and Erdogan see each other as reliable partners. "Russia must have breathed a sigh of relief," said a Western diplomat, referring to the outcome of the first round on May 14.

The new envoy, Alireza Enayati, previously served as Iran's ambassador to Kuwait, assistant to the foreign minister and director general of Gulf affairs at the foreign ministry, the English-language Iran Daily said. There was no immediate confirmation of his appointment from the foreign ministry of the Islamic republic.

Development and operation of the Mirfa 2 Reverse Osmosis Independent Water Project, and the running of six power and water plants in the country are also a part of ENGIE's investments.

Amid rapid tech growth and rising environmental concerns, understanding the current automotive industry trends, especially in luxury, is vital, says Dr Manfred Bräunl of Porsche.

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Seeking to deepen the UAE's economic and trade relationship with China, First Abu Dhabi Bank hosted more than 60 Chinese entrepreneurs, executives, and government officials on Friday. The bank showcased the UAE's potential as an investment gateway for Chinese companies by hosting a China-Arab Entrepreneurs' Summit in...

The summit in Saudi Arabia comes at a time when the world's biggest oil exporter is flexing its diplomatic muscle across the Middle East and beyond. It follows a frenetic stretch of high-stakes diplomacy triggered by the kingdom's surprise Chinese-brokered rapprochement deal with Iran announced in March.