As tourism booms across the Middle East and Africa, travel brands face fierce competition. Success now means using data-driven, personalized marketing to reach high-intent, mobile-first travelers at every stage—before, during, and after their journeys.

Oil prices steadied Wednesday after Trump’s demand for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ roiled markets and revived supply fears, as regional diplomacy and major Gulf business deals unfolded alongside.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there’s a fresh opening to free hostages held in Gaza, backing a US-mediated proposal for a 60-day ceasefire as Israel continues its unprecedented military exchange with Iran.

In the financial sector, Fitch Ratings has projected a notable uptick in mergers and acquisitions within Saudi Arabia’s insurance industry. In Jordan, tourism revenue rose 17.5% in May to $630 million, bringing total earnings for the first five months of 2025 to $3.06 billion.

China has extended visa-free entry for up to 30 days to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain—boosting bilateral tourism and commerce from June 9, 2025, through June 8, 2026.

The European Commission said it added Algeria, Angola, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Namibia, Nepal and Venezuela, along with Monaco, to the list of countries subject to extra monitoring of their money laundering controls.

Dubai, UAE -- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has kicked off 2025 with a record-breaking first quarter in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), as deal value soared to $46 billion—a 66% increase year-on-year (YoY). According to Saudi M&A Consulting, this robust growth reflects rising investor confidence, favorable regulatory...

Qatar's foreign reserves rise 3.6 percent year-on-year despite a dip in bonds and treasury holdings, Iraq releases Australian and Egyptian engineers and other developments.

As the region pivots toward a post-oil future, recent developments across the Middle East and North Africa suggest an accelerating shift—driven by policy ambition, digital reform, and investment recalibration.

Sales to countries considered part of the Abraham Accords -- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco who signed groundbreaking normalization agreements with Israel in 2020 -- appeared to have sharply risen from 3 percent in 2023 to 12 percent.

Abu Dhabi, UAE  – ADNOC has expanded its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programme to empower UAE students in artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology through an initiative called ‘STEM for Life: Future of AI Schools Challenge’ which held the finals today at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre....

Under the new law, companies are required to report and reduce their emissions of the greenhouse gases that are responsible for global warming. Ghiwa Nakat, executive director of Greenpeace MENA, called it a "progressive move".

 Dubai, UAE -- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has kicked off 2025 with a remarkable surge in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity, according to the latest EY MENA M&A Insights 2024 report. The first quarter of the year saw a substantial 31 percent increase in deal volume,...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Real estate transactions across five emirates in the UAE surged to over AED 239 billion ($65 billion) in the first quarter of 2025, underpinned by investor confidence, flexible regulations, and expanding project pipelines, official data showed. More than 94,719 sales, purchase, and mortgage deals were recorded...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Ministry of Finance (MoF), in its capacity as the issuer and in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) as the issuing and payment agent, announced the successful completion of the May 2025 auction of UAE Dirham-denominated Islamic Treasury Sukuk (T-Sukuk) amounting to...

This is a 30% YoY increase over Q1 2025.

Executive Director Mohamed Al Rais unveils a tech-human hybrid approach to personalize travel experiences — and announces a strategic India office to tap into Dubai’s largest source market.

Dubai’s short-term rental sector is being reshaped by cutting-edge proptech. From AI-driven guest personalization and immersive VR tours to smart home automation and sustainable energy solutions, technology is enhancing guest satisfaction and owner efficiency. With its strong digital infrastructure and appetite for innovation, Dubai is poised to lead the global...

Morocco on Monday signed deals with an Emirati-Moroccan consortium for energy and water infrastructure projects, which according to one of the companies involved were worth more than $14 billion.

US President Donald Trump on Friday capped off a Gulf tour in Abu Dhabi that has seen the securing of multi-billion-dollar deals, a $1.4 trillion investment pledge from the UAE, as well as historic overtures to Syria and renewed optimism over an Iran nuclear deal.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday a deal was close on Iran's nuclear programme that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling, as he boasted of raising "trillions of dollars" on a Gulf tour.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday closes a Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates as he focuses squarely on seeking deals after billions of dollars of pledges from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The announcement comes after Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun met with his UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, after which it was announced that the ban would be lifted.

Saudi Arabia, along with Russia and six other members of the oil cartel, will implement a production adjustment of 411,000 barrels a day out of the ground, as in May, according to a OPEC+ statement, whereas the initial plan called for an increase of just 137,000 barrels.

The Group's revenue increased 8 percent YoY.

"The security services succeeded in preventing the transfer of a quantity of military equipment to the Sudanese Armed Forces following the arrest of members of a cell involved in unauthorized mediation, brokering and illicit trafficking of military equipment," UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said.

The total dividend paid to shareholders in 2024 $1.3bn.

Dubai, UAE: As 2025 unfolds, travel brands are facing a significant challenge: customer loyalty. Traditional rewards programmes, often based on points systems, struggle to meet the expectations of modern travelers who increasingly value personalised experiences over generic incentives. To stay competitive, brands must move away from price-based rewards like discounts, which can...

Nairobi, Kenya -- A $500-million fund aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa was launched Tuesday in Abu Dhabi at a time when Western countries are sharply cutting aid to Africa. The Beginnings Fund brings together philanthropists including the Gates Foundation and the Mohamed bin Zayed Foundation...

Boeing had pushed back the first delivery to 2026 from 2025.

"Saudi Arabia will go into the Abraham accords," Trump said, referencing the historic agreement struck at the end of his first term in 2020, which saw United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalize relations with Israel.

Dubai, UAE: The Arabian Travel Market, which will take place from Apr 28 to May 1 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will bring together professionals and leaders from all travel sectors and verticals including leisure, business events (MICE), luxury and corporate travel sectors. At a press conference, RX Global,...

Q1 2025 net profit before tax increased 18% YoY.

The bank's profit crossed AED 1bn mark for the first time.

The UAE climbed from 17th to 11th globally in merchandise exports and from 18th to 14th in imports between 2021 and 2024, contributing 2.5 percent to global merchandise exports and 2.2 percent to imports. Exports reached $603 billion and imports totaled $539 billion in 2024.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s merchandise imports increased 8 percent year-on-year (YoY) to SAR 72.6 billion ($19.34 billion) in January, according to data issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). Meanwhile, merchandise imports fell by 8 percent, or nearly SAR 6.4 billion, month-on-month (MoM). Machinery and mechanical appliances,...

Ajman, UAE --  Real estate transactions in Ajman reached AED 2.06 billion ($560 million) in March 2025, marking a significant increase of over 41 percent compared to the same period in 2024. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Ajman's Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation, said the...

Damascus, Syria -- Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose war-devastated country seeks Gulf financial support, traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for his first visit since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow, state media said. Nearly a week after rebels toppled Assad in December, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said his...

Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan "and I just decided to launch negotiations on an EU-UAE free trade agreement," the European Commission president wrote on X. "This agreement will strengthen our bilateral relations and contribute to the prosperity of the broader region."

Dubai, UAE -- A total of 47 international companies have shown interest in developing the seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is based on the independent power producer (IPP) model, said Saeed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). Al...

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- A rare blue diamond valued at $20 million went on pre-auction display on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. The 10-carat Mediterranean Blue, which will go on sale in Geneva next month, is the showpiece of a collection estimated at $100 million, organizers said. "Included in...

A steady stream of development projects and year-round tourism in the country propel demand for tech-enabled facilities management, says Adnan Jabri, General Manager of Ontegra Facilities Management.

The company okayed $650 million final dividend for 2024.

Trump's sweeping tariffs are reshaping trade dynamics across MENA, impacting oil-exporting Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, according to Atlantic Council experts.

Abu Dhabi, UAE --  Hotel revenues in the UAE reached approximately AED 45 billion ( $12.24 billion) in 2024, reflecting a 3 percent year-over-year growth, said Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council. Hotel occupancy rates also climbed to 78 percent last...

Abu Dhabi, UAE --  Abu Dhabi Customs reported a 9 percent increase in the emirate’s non-oil foreign trade in 2024, reaching AED 306 billion ($83.29 billion), compared to AED 281.9 billion in 2023, reflecting the vitality of the emirate’s economy and its growing relations with trading partners around the globe....

The Group's EBITDA increased by 69 percent YOY.

Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf Arab states are to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday from Sunday but other Middle Eastern countries will not do so until Monday.

From an institutional investor-based viewpoint, it is becoming of interest more now than it ever has been. And that's a credit to what they've been able to build from a critical mass point of view, said French.

The company had posted $19bn in property sales for 2024.