The GCC has quickly moved from passive capital allocation into active ecosystem building, spurred on by heavy sovereign capital and large infrastructure bets, setting the region apart from Europe and US markets. 

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading the gaming surge with world-class ecosystems and youth-driven expansion. Across the region, governments increasingly recognize gaming and esports as key drivers of future economies.

The United Arab Emirates is "investing in chaos and supporting secessionists" from Libya to Yemen and the Horn of Africa, Saudi Arabia's Al-Ekhbariya TV charged in a report this week.

For a region long shaped by sovereign balance sheets and state-owned champions, the Gulf is quietly rewiring its financial plumbing, with governments relaxing ownership rules, rewriting regulators’ mandates.

The announcement comes a few days after Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia recaptured large swathes of territory from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatists.

A Saudi-led coalition struck the home province of Yemen's UAE-backed separatist leader on Wednesday, after he failed to show up for talks in Riyadh and was kicked out of the country's presidential body.

At least 152 members of the UAE-backed STC forces were wounded and 130 were taken captive, a military official from the Southern Transitional Council (STC) said.

A surprise STC offensive seizing resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra has pushed the UAE and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen, toward unprecedented escalation.

Riyadh also backed a demand from Yemen's presidential council for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours, and urged Abu Dhabi to cut off support for Yemeni groups.

Dakar, Senegal -- Mining company Axis International said Monday it was seeking World Bank arbitration against Guinea for withdrawing its right to operate a major bauxite mine in the West African country. Guinea, which has been run by a junta since a coup in 2021, has cancelled dozens of licences...

A Yemeni military official said around 15,000 Saudi-backed fighters were amassed near the Saudi border -- but were not given orders to advance on separatist-held territory.

Macron is due to meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss "strengthening the strategic partnership" between the two countries, according to the French presidency, which stressed their cooperation on security and defense.

From the 1980s onward, the federal government and individual emirates launched broader diversification and liberalization programs to reduce reliance on oil and develop sectors like aluminum, tourism, aviation, re-export trade, and telecommunications, the author adds.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most dynamic retail e-trading markets, according to a new white paper released by global trading platform Capital.com in partnership with advisory firm APCO.

Dubai, UAE - The UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office announced that Google Gemini has ranked first in the “AI in the Ring” Index, the world’s first benchmark designed to evaluate how effectively AI language models reflect Emirati culture, dialects, traditions, and national values through a...

The fresh North American investment pledge came after UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan promised in May to pump $1.4 trillion into the US economy over 10 years during a visit by President Donald Trump.

Milan, Italy -- Italian defense group Leonardo said Wednesday it had agreed to launch a joint venture next year with the United Arab Emirates' state-owned defense conglomerate EDGE Group. Details of the sectors covered by the joint venture, which would be 51 percent owned by EDGE and 49 percent by...

State-owned flydubai and its long-haul partner airline, Emirates, have been the chief deal-makers at this week's Dubai Airshow, the largest in the Middle East, signposting their expansion plans.

Dubai, UAE -- Emirates, the Middle East's biggest airline, topped up its order of Boeing 777X planes on Monday despite years of delays, delivering a vote of confidence to the US manufacturer at the Dubai Airshow. The order of 65 777-9s, valued at $38 billion including engines, came despite last...

The latest visit of the Canadian PM is a part of his efforts to find new markets for his nation’s products and forge sustainable trade relations outside of North America.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- Rory McIlroy was on Sunday crowned the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai champion for a seventh year, and four seasons in a row, but the world No.2 lost the $10 million Tour Championship to England’s Matt Fitzpatrick in the first playoff hole when he...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The United Arab Emirates is not planning to join the international stabilisation force for Gaza because it lacks a clear framework, a senior official said on Monday. "The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force, and under such circumstances will probably...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - AD Ports Group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a $22 million agreement Thursday for a stake in the container terminal at Syria's port in Latakia -- as Damascus seeks investments to boost its war-ravaged economy. Abu Dhabi-based firm inked the deal with French...

The project in the Alam al-Roum area, in Egypt's Matrouh Governorate, will span "4,900 acres... extending across a coastline of 7.2 kilometres of the pristine Mediterranean shoreline", a statement from the Qatari Diar company said.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- US software firm Palantir launched a joint venture with the Dubai government's investment arm on Tuesday, as the United Arab Emirates continues its push into AI. The joint venture, named Aither, was unveiled a day after Microsoft announced $15.2 billion in AI and cloud computing...

In the post-digital world, Bahrain’s center of activity, the city of Manama, has stiff yet healthy competition from the GCC financial centers such as Dubai, Riyadh and Doha. However, one must acknowledge that when it comes to reforms and financial services Bahrain has been the pioneer in the region, the...

The deal sent US chip-maker Nvidia shares up 2.6 percent, buoyed by hopes the AI juggernaut could see access for its most advanced chips expand to more markets.

The company, launched in May, is bankrolled by Saudi's powerful Public Investment Fund, which has played a key role in financing the kingdom's gigaprojects - major developments aimed at boosting and diversifying its oil-reliant economy.

With volatile geopolitics and the resulting uncertainty, the year 2025 has been challenging for most of the countries across the world. The tariff winds emerging from Washington D.C. have shaken economies in all directions, but Oman managed to get the basic 10 percent tariff despite the 2009 US-Oman Free Trade...

DUBAI, UAE – A powerful confluence of more than 500 experts and 150 cybersecurity leaders has converged in Dubai for the World Economic Forum's inaugural joint session of the Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity. The crucial, three-day summit, running from October 14 to 16, 2025, is...

Doha, Qatar -- The United Arab Emirates moved to within a match of their second World Cup appearance with a comeback 2-1 victory against Oman in Doha on Saturday. The Emiratis, who last appeared at a World Cup in 1990, were made to work for their win, when late goals...

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates -- The world's top conservation body kicked off its world congress Thursday in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, where it will unveil its updated "red list" of threatened species a day later. Hundreds of participants were meeting at the venue where the International Union for...

Multiply Group will hold 60.8% of ISEM.

Ajman, UAE -- Real estate transactions in Ajman reached AED 2.97 billion in September, achieving a remarkable growth of 53 percent compared to the same period in 2024, according to real estate report issued by the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director-General of...

Dubai, UAE: With capabilities of AI advancing every year, its potential to address challenges once thought unsolvable is rapidly expanding, from the possibility of curing genetic diseases to transforming urban mobility or enabling green data centers. With the global AI market set to reach $4.8 trillion by 2033 (UNCTAD), the...

Across the region, countries are aligning national visions with real investment in health, longevity, and quality of life.

The non-oil economy expanded 6.6 percent year-on-year to AED174.1 billion — the highest quarterly value on record — and accounted for 56.8 percent of GDP for the first time in a second quarter.

Abu Dhabi, UAE — The UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF), in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE, has completed the September 2025 auction of dirham-denominated Islamic Treasury Sukuk (T-Sukuk), raising AED1.1 billion. The auction, part of the UAE’s 2025 T-Sukuk programme, saw strong demand from the eight primary...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- India skipper Suryakumar Yadav again refused to shake hands with Pakistan's Salman Agha as he won the toss and elected to field in their Super Four contest of the Asia Cup on Sunday. The two neighbors come into the key match of the regional tournament...

Arab and Muslim leaders called for a review of ties with Israel after emergency talks in Doha on Monday following last week's deadly strike on Hamas members in the Qatari capital.

Sharjah, UAE -- The Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) has announced an exceptional increase in foreign direct investment during the first half of 2025, marking the strongest performance among all UAE emirates. In this time period the emirate recorded 74 FDI projects, a 57 percent surge from the 47...

Abu Dhabi, UAE --  The UAE Cyber Security Council (CSC) has warned of growing risks linked to users’ digital footprints, saying more than 1.4 billion accounts are hacked globally each month. The council said every login, post or interaction online leaves a trace that can be exploited. It identified two...

The UAE, along with Bahrain, was the first Gulf country to normalize ties with Israel in 2020 and has been a frequent critic of its actions since the start of the Gaza war.

The rights issue aimed at boosting growth.

Net profit before GAC $445 million.

The Israeli military has been gearing up to seize Gaza City, the Palestinian territory's largest urban centre, with the United Nations estimating that nearly a million people live in and around the northern city.

Its net profit for H1 was $474 million.

Dubai, UAE -- The United Arab Emirates has continued to attract global companies looking to establish regional or global headquarters. In 2025, several major corporations, including PayPal and Veon, have either announced or completed the relocation of their headquarters to the UAE. This trend is supported by the country's legislative...

ABU DHABI – Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has sold a 3 percent stake in its logistics and shipping subsidiary, ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S), for approximately AED 1.16 billion ($316 million). The placement of 222 million shares to institutional investors was significantly oversubscribed by seven times within...

Ajman, UAE -- Real estate transactions valued at AED 1.48 billion ($381 million) were recorded in Ajman in July 2025. Omar bin Omair Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation in Ajman, confirmed that the month of July witnessed 220 real estate valuation transactions, with...