• Hizbollah fires rockets after deadly Israeli strikes on east Lebanon

    Hizbollah announced several other attacks on Israeli sites and troops on Monday, with local media also reporting Israeli strikes on south Lebanon villages. During a funeral procession for one of the group's fighters, Hizbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah lambasted the strikes on Baalbek, a bastion of the Shiite Muslim movement near...
  • Deadly strikes hit ‘pressure cooker’ Rafah ahead of Gaza truce push

    Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled south to Rafah since the outbreak of the war, with the former city of 200,000 now housing more than half of Gaza's two million-plus population, a WHO representative said Friday. The United Nations' humanitarian agency OCHA said it was deeply concerned about...
  • Progress but divisions persist as climate summit fights over fossil fuels

    Colombia, whose left-leaning government has aggressively promoted environmentalism, warned that COP28 was also failing on raising financing for countries to adapt to the effects of climate change. If countries block "goals on adaptation but at the same time oppose the phase out fossil fuel, they need to be held accountable....
  • Pie from the sky: drone delivery lands in America

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who in 2013 unveiled a delivery drone in a CBS interview, predicting that within five years airborne shipments would be routinely zipping from fulfillment centers to customers' doorsteps. Things haven't quite gone that way for the company that has otherwise seeped ubiquitously into aspects of modern...
  • Seven things to look for from the Trump-Kim meeting in Singapore

    All eyes will be on the outcomes of Tuesday’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un. Happening on the neutral grounds of Singapore, this will be the first-ever meeting between the US and North Korea’s top leaders in the last many decades. Trump...
  • Turkey polls: Erdoğan promises reforms, aims for a strong comeback

    Turkey is all set to go for polls on June 24 to elect a head of state and a new parliament in what is widely seen as the most hotly contested and divisive poll in the country’s history, though it is a contest even many in the opposition privately admit...
  • What do you need to know about ‘tech marketing’ world?

    By Hugo Angelmar Breaking the conversation in three parts helps people translate their strengths and interests in the tech world. Specifically, it’s important to look at the target customer, the variety of marketing roles and the stage of financing of the company. Let’s start with the target customer, of which...
  • JCPOA woes: Trump threatens ‘strongest’ sanctions on Iran ever

    Weeks after Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has threatened to impose some of the strongest sanctions on Iran. Terming them as ‘strongest in history’, Pompeo has urged Iran to immediately stop its missile tests, halt its entire nuclear...
  • Why are Iraqis losing faith in government?

    When last December the Iraqi government declared victory over the co-called Islamic State group (IS), many in Iraq and elsewhere spoke of a new era of peace and reconstruction. Haider al-Abadi, prime minister, attributed the defeat of IS to “unity”, and the parliament election of May 12 would, many hoped,...
  • How is technology changing the fortunes of Bahrain?

    Small island nation Bahrain is spearheading its investment in the technology sector in a bid to position itself as a major technology and innovation hub in the region. During the past few months, many new initiatives have been taken by the government to boost the technology domain while some of...
  • Businesses under fire; how can transformation come to rescue?

    Because of the ongoing disruptions and also due to the recent introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the region, business top lines are under significant pressure. This has forced companies to look at organizational structures and ways of optimizing and reworking an organization’s cost base. Further, the business leaders...
  • Women empowerment in GCC; from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’

    By Allegra Salvadori Too much have been said about women empowerment that the binomial has now become an overused concept, to the point of losing its original meaning and effect. What we know, is that women empowerment is “something” that must be done. But how and by whom, is not...
  • Russia’s pragmatic approach toward Middle East

    Despite all odds, Russia looks consistent with its Middle East policies as it is relentlessly trying to cement formidable ties with this region. Unlike the US, and despite disturbed geopolitics, Russia has utilized all the available opportunities to find a new ally in the form of Middle East. The academicians,...
  • Why is Bahrain pursuing unconventional path of diversification?

    Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nation Bahrain is pursuing the path of diversification and has been able to diversify its economy quite efficiently in the last few years. Over the time, Bahrain has been able to cash in on the unexplored potential of sectors like tourism and technology. Owing to its...
  • ‘JCPOA’; how US’ withdrawal scripts economic instability, geopolitical flux

    The recent move of the US president Donald Trump, intended to terminate the 2015-nuclear pact with Iran, has further escalated the environment of uncertainty in the region. Besides indicating toward the upcoming instability and disturbed geopolitical equations in the region, this termination also holds many long-term economic repercussions. After months...
  • How Top CEO draws the future lines of GCC corporate

    King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was the centre of attraction as TRENDS, along with INSEAD Business School, held the Top CEO Conference & Awards 2018 on April 10 and 11. Into its fourth edition, the two-day mega event witnessed scores of top chief executives of publicly...
  • A weighting game: Russia’s balancing act in the Middle East

    In 1978, Egyptian journalist Mohamed Heikal declared in his book Sphinx & Commissar that Soviet influence in the Middle East was a “spent force”, undermined by Moscow’s inability to be both a superpower and “the bastion of world revolution”.  One decade later, as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989-91, some...
  • Bahrain on path of reforming public, private entities

    Newly discovered oil and gas reserves announced last month by Bahrain open massive economic opportunities for the kingdom at a challenging time in the region. Simon Galpin of the Bahrain Economic Development Board detected an immediate “boost in confidence” both among domestic consumers and would-be foreign investors. Bahrain’s current oil...
  • How future of mobility will look like in GCC?

    Marvin Ammori, General Counsel, Hyperloop One, speaks to TRENDS about the sustainability of future mobility while keeping in mind the fast moving technology and ongoing transformations. How everybody is talking about new innovative concepts that are shaping the transportation sector. Hyperloop is one of the most revolutionary concepts of all....
  • Why is it essential to push private-sector potential in Middle East

    After witnessing sluggish growth rates for the past few years, Middle Eastern nations finally have something to cheer about as the new financial year promises an economic rebound. Most rating agencies and international organizations forecast the regional GDP growth to recover to 2.3 percent on an average in 2018-19, as...
  • Leadership: a journey, not a destination

    By Ian C. Woodward, Dubai Whether you are a leader of today or tomorrow – and no matter your field – thinking consciously about leadership is essential, as this will affect your choices, decisions and performance. In my research and teaching, I spend most of my time with very senior...
  • Algeria’s efforts to revitalize and boost mining sector

    In its economic diversification strategy, the Algerian government gives the industrial sector a very high priority, particularly with regard to the mining industry. According to the figures released by the National Agency of Investment Development (ANDI), the overall industrial domain benefited from 88.32 percent of the domestic and foreign investment...
  • Middle East corporate sector; is growth around the corner?

    Years of painstaking efforts toward reforms and diversification undertaken by the governments in the GCC region seem to be finally paying off. The World Bank in its biannual Gulf Economic Monitor report has predicted a new financial year of hope and optimism, with economic growth peaking to 2.1 percent, from...
  • World Earth Day; where GCC is moving?

    In its massive drive to lessen its dependence on hydrocarbons and make earth a better place to live, GCC region is moving fast in the direction of renewables. Right from building the world’s largest solar energy part, to using latest technologies in harnessing wind energy, to going big in the...
  • Turkey’s march toward defense self-sufficiency

    Turkey is stepping up its investments in its defense industries, aiming to reduce its dependence on imports and insulate the country’s military capacity from embargoes and blockades, while also seeking to expand the reach of the Turkish armed forces, though it is doubtful if all of the targets set by...
  • Algerian pharmaceutical market; model of positive growth

    The Algerian pharmaceutical sector, which depended upon massive imports to fulfill medical supply needs, is now on a path of rapid and positive progression. With an aim of improving the local medicine and medical supply needs, and to acquire scientific, technological and technical know-how, Algeria is working on important partnerships...
  • Why Arab world is sceptic over the future of JCPOA

    By Gareth Smyth In the same week during which US President Donald Trump replaced Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA director Mike Pompeo, the Saudi cabinet approved its first national nuclear program on March 13, with 16 reactors costing $80 billion. While Riyadh has stressed the diversification of energy...
  • Saudi Arabia; fostering global ties, winning local confidence

    By Al Emid The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undergone significant transformations in the relatively recent past. In 1927, the United Kingdom acknowledged the independence of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Najd, and, in 1932, the House of Saud proclaimed its unification as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under Ibn...
  • Could 2018 be the year of next financial crisis?

    Plummeting GDPs, fluctuating oil prices, a drying up of liquidity, weaker market sentiments, frequent rising or falling prices due to inflation or deflation… these are some of the predicaments that Middle East region is jostling with for the last over a decade. So are these the signs of another economic...
  • Revealed; the top 100 CEOs in GCC

    The winners of the Top CEO Awards 2018 have been announced following the successful conclusion of the 'Top CEO Conference and Awards', which took place under the “Paradigm Shift” theme at King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia, on April 10-11. The event saw business leaders and more than 30 expert...
  • “Top CEO Conference and Awards” ends on a high note in KSA

    The “Top CEO Conference and Awards” and the “Arab Women Forum”  ended on a high note at the King Abdullah Economic City in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where business leaders and more than 50 expert speakers from across the Middle East gathered to discuss the burning issues facing the...
  • Restructuring businesses new mantra to success, say regional CEOs

    Restructuring businesses in the Gulf and the Middle East has always been a challenge. It was, however, only in 2015 that transformation in the corporate culture started as managements were empowered by their shareholders to achieve the desired efficiencies and return businesses to profitability. Working in this direction, issue of...
  • Top CEO Conference & Awards takes up imperative issues of Arab world

    Various burning issues ranging from ‘The Execution Challenge’, ‘Bureaucracy’, ‘The Private Sector’ and ‘Maintaining Momentum’, will be taken up during the Top CEO Conference & Awards event at King Abdullah Economic City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. In its fourth edition, Top CEO Conference & Awards promises an exceptional opportunity...
  • Arab Women Forum to promote entrepreneurial streak among women

    Empowering women entrepreneurs to take risks could be one of the solutions to increase their contribution to the regional economy. However, there are studies that point toward the poor participation of women in the mainstream business activities citing lack of venture capital as one of the major problems. However, recently...
  • Arab Women Forum attracts best minds, promises stimulating sessions

    The reputation of the Middle East in terms of women empowerment has suffered irreparable damages since a long time due to various reasons ranging from wars to societal bigotry. This has caused harm to the global image of the region and has also been a reason to loss of billions...
  • ‘Top CEO Conference and Awards’: agenda revealed

    The agenda has been released for the ‘Top CEO Conference and Awards’, which will return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the second time on 10th and 11th April at King Abdullah Economic City, and feature the ‘Top CEO Arab Women Forum’ for the first time. Under a ‘Paradigm...
  • “Arab Women Forum” to make a stylish debut in Saudi Arabia

    For the first time ever, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the “Arab Women Forum” as part of the fourth edition of the “Top CEO Conference and Awards,” which is set to return to the country for the second time on 10th and 11th April at King Abdullah Economic...
  • Saudi to host world’s biggest solar unit; larger than many global cities

    A massive economic diversification exercise is underway in the Middle East to gradually end dependency on fossil fuels for a sustainable future. One sector, which has immensely benefitted from the exercise is that of renewable energy. Over the years, it has not only emerged as a reliable and viable means...
  • Top CEO Conference & Awards; rewarding excellence

    CEOs in the Middle East today operate in a very complex environment, characterized by fast-evolving regulations, start-up challenges, changing consumer behavior and technological disruptions, among others. Their job becomes even more demanding taking into consideration the fact that the region itself is witnessing a massive and rapid change amid low...
  • Which city remains Middle East’s favorite for real estate investments

    Middle East investors have always been interested in the real estate market of the British city of London but lately the investment has seen a dramatic upsurge. According to market reports, billions have been poured in by regional investors in commercial as well as luxury residential properties in London and...
  • Why Lebanon is pinning hopes on 2018 to revive fortunes?

    By Gareth Smyth When Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri took to Saudi television in November to resign and accuse the Shia group Hezbollah of planning his assassination, some amount of capital vacated Lebanon. But the market reaction was muted, with private-sector deposits at commercial banks falling just 1.5 percent month-on-month....
  • Saudi Vision 2030: What’s next?

    By Gianmario Pisanu In 2015, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan aimed at diversifying the economy by moving away from oil and encouraging the development of stronger private and public sectors. The plan streamlined and centralized decision-making to ensure better coordination between ministries and...
  • Why Iran is making attempts to strike amiable relations with neighbors

    By Gareth Smyth On December 18, 2017, a visiting delegation from the International Monetary Fund gave a generally upbeat assessment of the Iranian economy, estimating 4.2 percent GDP growth in the current fiscal year ending in March. Ten days later, protests broke out in Iran’s north-eastern Iranian city of Mashhad,...
  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia standing at complex crossroads

    By Al Emid The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia currently stands at so many crossroads — and rather complex ones, it may be added — that a short magazine article cannot do more than just consider some of the more striking examples. The paths that KSA chooses at these crossroads will...
  • 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...
  • Will 2018 see economic growth rebounding in Middle East?

    Steadfast on the path of economic diversification and structural reforms, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) seem to have finally found the equilibrium to adjust to the “new reality” of lower oil prices. This is reflected in the just released outlook for the region in 2018 by...
  • How EB-5 Investor Program reform will boost GCC investment in US

    The US Congress is likely to pass a long-term reauthorization of Employment-Based (EB-5) Investor Immigration Program in March before the program expires on March 23, 2018, that would reform and extend the popular immigration through investment program and help the US create more jobs, a top official said. “The US...
  • 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...
  • Increasing tourist footfall pushing GCC economy

    Even as there’s pressure on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to curtail spending and prioritize projects, the tourism sector has remained above such considerations and is driving the diversification plan. In the run up to the mega-ticket events in the region, like the 2020 World Expo in Dubai, the...
  • Careem to heat up food delivery business in Middle East

    In a move aimed at further strengthening its market position by adding more verticals to its current portfolio, Careem on Sunday announced the taking over of UAE-based RoundMenu at an undisclosed amount. Following this acquisition, it is expected that Careem would start testing food delivery services through the restaurant listing...
  • 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...