Sultan Al Neyadi, the UAE astronaut, honors Bahrain and Qatar from his orbital viewpoint 400km above Earth, describing them as "two shining pearls".

Air strikes and artillery exchanges shook the Sudanese capital and armed men ransacked the Qatari embassy as the country's warring generals kept up their struggle. Khartoum residents said that heavy fighting raged despite repeated global calls for a truce. The area around the state television building in Omdurman was also...

Dubai, UAE -- The International Monetary Fund expects Qatar's real GDP to grow by 2-2.5 percent in 2023-24 on robust domestic demand and the ongoing LNG expansion, with inflation moderating gradually to around 3 percent. It said that after very strong growth in 2022 boosted by the World Cup, the...

Manama, Bahrain - Beyon has announced a major investment of more than $250 million in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure in Bahrain which will support the growth of the country’s digital economy.  Batelco, part of the Beyon group, has joined the SEA-ME-WE 6 (Southeast Asia - Middle East - Western Europe) consortium,...

The GCC is the third largest source of foreign investment in Turkey, with 1,973 Gulf companies currently operating in the country.

The construction contract was awarded to a joint venture of France's Technip Energies and Consolidated Contractors Company for the North Field South project.

Dubai, UAE-- Qatar and Bahrain have agreed to restart flights toward the end of the month, in a sign of warming relations between the estranged countries. According to Bahrain News Agency, the resumption of flights between Bahrain and Qatar “comes within the framework of the brotherly relations between the two...

Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Iran is keen to boost transportation ties with the UAE and has invited investors from the country to take part in transportation projects in the Islamic Republic. In this connection, Iran Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Mehrdad Bazrpash, met with Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,...

"I... take this opportunity to welcome the Syrian Arab Republic to the League of Arab States," Saudi finance minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told the meeting, which was broadcast live by state TV channel Al Ekhbariya. Jadaan added that he was "looking forward to working with everyone to achieve what we aspire...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The Gulf Cooperation Council has hailed Qatar's efforts for its role in the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians that came into effect on Sunday. Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, said the Qatari diplomacy has been successful in dealing deal with several international and...

TEHRAN, IRAN - Iranian authorities have arrested eight people for "leading" a workers' strike at a key gas site in the south of the country, local media reported on Sunday. "Eight main leaders of the workers' strike in the South Pars projects have been arrested by the intelligence services," Akbar Pourat,...

Tehran, Iran--Iran's trade with six Arab states has vaulted to $35.11 billion in the fiscal year of 2022-2023, according to the latest data released by the Islamic Republic. According to Iran Customs Administration, the Islamic Republic traded 58.25 million tons of goods (excluding crude oil exports) worth $35.11 billion with...

The Occupational Heat Stress conference in Qatar, which focused on climate change and how rising temperatures threaten workers' health, heard that tens of thousands of workers around the world have died from chronic kidney disease and other illnesses linked with extreme heat over recent decades.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar and Spain have launched the Qatar Spain Innovation Program (QASIP), a joint venture between the Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation (QRDI) Council and the Spanish Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI). The program is geared to support collaborative research and development projects across all...

Israel told the UN it was justified in carrying out strikes on Gaza, even as its overall human rights record met resounding criticism from several countries. Following the pre-dawn strikes that killed 13 people, including several children, an Israel Defense Forces representative said the attacks adhered to the law of...

Doha, Qatar— More than ten million passengers traveled through Qatar’s Hamad International Airport in the first quarter of the current year, marking a 44.5 percent jump. The airport, according to Qatar News Agency, received 3.56 million passengers in the month of January, followed by 3.24 million in February, and 3.5...

Doha, Qatar-- Uzbekistan has called for establishing a joint forum for businessmen in Doha or Tashkent to review investment opportunities in both the countries. The appeal was made by the visiting Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, Laziz Kudratov. During his meeting with Qatar Chamber Chairman, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim...

Doha, Qatar - Fifty companies listed on Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) have reported a combined net profit of $3.45 billion for the first quarter of 2023. This represents a decrease of 10.04 percent from the same period last year, where the net profit was $3.85 billion. The industries sector saw...

Vlad Marinescu, the IJF director general said that the IJF executive committee voted unanimously to reinstate Russians and Belarusians. The decision to end the ban followed a recommendation of the International Olympic Committee.

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Thursday spoke on the telephone to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them further. The two leaders reviewed current areas of UAE-Qatar...

Doha, Qatar - Inbound visitors to Qatar surged by 183.5 percent YoY in March, according to the 111th issue of the Qatar Monthly Statistics bulletin by the Planning and Statistics Authority.  The total number of visitors reached 433,000 in the month, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to February 2023....

Tehran, Iran -- Iranian authorities have arrested managers at a major petrochemical company for backing a workers' strike over pay and conditions in an energy-producing region in the south, Iranian media reported Wednesday. "A number of managers" were arrested for "having supported the acts of counter-revolutionary elements" and "organized strikes"...

The firm recorded a jump in the net profit to US$3.73mn.

Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's private sector exports hit QR 9.1 billion ($2.49 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, representing a 17.5 percent growth year-on-year (YoY) compared to QR 7.73 billion in Q1 of 2022.According to Qatar Chamber's quarterly report issued Tuesday, exports through the General Model amounted to QR...

The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) said Monday , the PPI of March 2023 for the Mining and Quarrying showed a decrease by 2.94% when compared with PPI of February 2023.

Envoys from the United States, China and Russia as well as major European aid donors and key neighbors such as Pakistan are among representatives from about 25 countries and groups called to the two days of talks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Taliban government has not been invited.

The Labor Force Sample Survey for the October-December 2022 period shows the percentage of male and female wage workers reached 82.6 percent and17.4 percent, respectively. The average monthly wage was QR 11,724 ($3,220).

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar expects a big boost in hotel occupancy rates by at least 80 percent during the Eid holidays in the country. The boost is expected in the wake of the launch of the Haya platform in its new look, which allows 4 types of visas for visitors, and...

New York, United States -  Qatar wants to put the private sector at the centre of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani said at a UN event on sustainable development on Friday.  Speaking at a panel discussion...

The entertainment sector, which includes restaurants, cinemas, and theme parks, attracts customers at record rates during the festive period, especially with the introduction of various smart applications that facilitate e-purchasing and e-payment methods, in line with offers and promotional campaigns that attract more clients.

TRENDS Twitter poll suggests 48% candidates face discrimination during job recruitment process in the Gulf region, while 30% do not, and 22% remain unsure.

Since the beginning of 2023 alone, three digital and physical platforms have been launched by Qatar, Oman and Kuwait to facilitate investments by foreigners and the local private sector.

Customers at a Bahrain jewellery store study displays of pearls that are, unusually, 100 percent natural -- the result of attempts to preserve a centuries-old industry. While rare elsewhere, natural pearls prised from seabed oysters by divers are the only variety produced in the Gulf kingdom, which is fiercely proud...

"The technical committees are now doing their work in this context, and it is expected that there will be exchange visits to consider the procedures we need to reopen embassies." foreign ministry spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari told a briefing. A UAE official confirmed that the reopening of embassies is "under process".

Doha, Qatar-- Inflation in Qatar rose by 4.01 percent year-on-year in March, because of a rise of prices across eight categories, according to data released by the Planning and Statistics Authority.   The Consumer Price Index of March 2023, which is a broad measure of inflation, reached 105.55 points, up by...

DOHA, QATAR - Qatar expects more than five million people to visit the Gulf state in 2023 despite a post-World Cup lull, its tourism chief said on Sunday. Akbar Al-Baker, head of Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism, admitted that hotels had fallen quiet after the World Cup final on December 19....

Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011 over Assad's brutal crackdown of pro-democracy protests. But on Wednesday, in the latest sign of an easing in tensions with Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Jeddah, the first such visit since the war began.

Arab countries gathered in Jeddah on Friday to discuss ending Syria's long spell in the diplomatic wilderness as regional relations shift following Saudi Arabia and Iran's decision to resume ties.

Friday's nine-nation talks in Jeddah, the Red Sea gateway to Mecca, come after Syria's foreign minister arrived on a previously unannounced visit - the first since the outbreak of the country's civil war in 2011.

Qatar bought a 17-percent stake in German auto group Volkswagen in 2009 and paid a reported $1.7 billion for Harrods in 2010. Volkswagen is recovering from a scandal while the landmark London store was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, reporting losses for 2020 and cutting hundreds of jobs.

In 2017, Bahrain joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in imposing a diplomatic blockade on Qatar. The countries' rivalry goes back even further, however, and Bahrain is the last to renew ties. Agreement on the reconciliation was reached in talks at the Gulf Cooperation Council headquarters in...

Doha, Qatar: Chinese oil giant Sinopec on Wednesday became the first Asian firm to get a stake in Qatar's expansion of North Field East, the Gulf country's energy company announced. North Field contains the world's biggest natural gas reserves and extends under the Gulf into Iranian territory. China is already...

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, diplomatically isolated since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, has visited the UAE and Oman over the past two months. An Arab League summit is expected to be held in Riyadh in May.

Doha, Qatar-- Qatar Central Bank has reported an increase in international reserves and foreign currency liquidity in March to $65 billion, an increase of 11.7 percent, compared to $58 billion in the same month last year. The figures issued by the Qatar Central Bank today showed an increase in its...

Doha, Qatar - QatarEnergy has agreed to hold a 25 percent share in the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) - a multi-billion-dollar project aimed at monetizing and developing the natural gas resources of Iraq. The GGIP consortium will be composed of Basra Oil Company (30 percent), TotalEnergies (45 percent), and...

QatarEnergy will hold the interest in the Exploration and Production Agreement pertaining to the C-10 block, while Shell will hold a 50 percent interest and the Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures a 10 percent interest. The C-10 block covers an area of approximately 11,500 sq km.

Doha, Qatar - The Producer Price Index (PPI) of the industrial sector in Qatar for February. 2023 declined 3.42 percent from the previous month and 7.23 percent year-over-year, official data showed Friday. Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) has released the new monthly PPI of the Industrial sector for February 2023,...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - The AD Ports Group has launched a new weekly shipping service that facilitates commercial and logistic connectivity with Qatar and Kuwait. The services are likely to be free for cargo arriving via land transport throughout Ramadan, which will be shipped via container vessels between UAE’s Khalifa...

Gulf countries have substantial financial and other resources to achieve zero- emission goals but they need to identity and address the obstacles.

Doha, Qatar--The Doha-based Global Carbon Council (GCC) and Egyptian Exchange (EGX) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to launch Africa's first regulated voluntary carbon market. The MoU was signed by GCCs founding Chairman Dr. Yousef Alhorr and EGX's Executive Chairman Rami El Dokany. As an outcome of this agreement...