Retail Uber to exit food delivery business in Israel Uber said on Thursday it will shut its food delivery business in Italy and exit Israel, where it has not built sufficient market share. The moves were “in line with our efforts to focus on markets where we have opportunities for sustainable growth,” a company spokesperson said. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has said Uber will invest […] June 16, 2023
Tech Israeli investment in country’s tech sector down Israeli institutions invested $512 million in the country’s tech sector in 2022, down from $1.12 billion in 2021, a published reported showed, citing a weaker global economy and higher interest rates. Nearly half, $252 million, was made in the first half of the year when market sentiment was still bullish, according to the joint report […] June 13, 2023
Analysis Economy Gem of a deal: how Accords unified UAE and Israel It is almost three years since the Abraham Accords brought together the UAE and Israel in a partnership in which trade was always central to the proposition. Amir Hayek, a former president of Israel’s hotel association, was appointed Israel’s ambassador to the UAE in a nod to the importance of economic diplomacy. A free trade agreement […] June 7, 2023
Banking and Finance Bank of Israel chief cautions of more rate hikes Israel’s monetary policy is currently restrictive and at an appropriate level given moderating inflation, but interest rates could rise further should the shekel’s depreciation continue, Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron said. Yaron said since the last interest rate decision on May 22, the shekel, which has been under pressure since the start of the […] May 31, 2023
Tech Nvidia to build Israel’s most powerful AI supercomputer Nvidia Corp is building Israel’s most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer to meet soaring customer demand for AI applications. Nvidia, the world’s most valuable listed chip company, said the cloud-based system would cost hundreds of millions of dollars and be partly operational by the end of 2023. Gilad Shainer, a senior vice president at Nvidia, […] May 30, 2023
Banking and Finance Israel watchdog seeks data from banks in rate probe Israel’s competition watchdog is seeking more data from the country’s banks relating to an investigation, saying they were enjoying huge profits from higher interest rates on loans but weren’t adequately sharing the benefits with customers. The investigation, which began in 2022, wasn’t made public prior to Sunday. In a bid to rein in inflation, the […] May 29, 2023
Banking and Finance Israeli says high Q1 profits of banks not sustainable Israel’s financial system is strong but the very high profits banks posted in the first quarter are not sustainable, its banking regulator said on Wednesday. The country’s largest five banks posted a combined 6.3 billion shekels ($1.7 billion) in net profit in the first quarter, helped by higher inflation and interest rates that sharply boosted […] May 25, 2023
Economy Israel set to approve 2023-24 budget amid protests Israel’s parliament began a final vote on the state budget late on Tuesday, granting some political reprieve to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose hard-right coalition government has been strained by months of protests. Facing last minute funding demands by some of his religious and far-right allies as his government approached a May 29 deadline, Netanyahu […] May 24, 2023
Banking and Finance Bank of Israel hikes key rates to tame inflation The Bank of Israel has hiked benchmark interest rates to their highest level since 2006, citing high inflation and a tight labour market and said upcoming data would determine whether it raised them further. The central bank lifted the key rate for the 10th policy meeting in a row, to 4.75 percent from 4.5 percent. […] May 23, 2023
Tech Israel tech firms to continue job layoffs in 2023 Israeli high-tech firms have largely halted job hiring and many are expected to continue layoffs this year, a report on the country’s tech sector showed on Tuesday. One-quarter of companies have stopped recruiting new employees and another quarter plan more layoffs – many of those planning to let go five percent of their workforce, according […] May 17, 2023
Banking and Finance S&P affirms Israel’s rating but warns on growth Credit ratings agency S&P on Friday affirmed Israel’s “Aa-/A-1+” rating and kept its outlook stable, but warned that fallout from a highly contested judicial overhaul could hamper growth. Israel’s government is trying to push through changes that would give politicians greater sway over selecting judges and to limit the power of the Supreme Court to […] May 14, 2023
Economy IMF says Israel’s judicial reforms is a risk to economy The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday flagged Israel’s proposed judiciary reforms as a significant downside risk to the economy that could tighten financial conditions and hinder investment, consumption and long-term growth. Israel needed to permanently reduce uncertainty around the reforms with a “politically sustainable solution that is clearly communicated and well understood both domestically […] May 11, 2023
Tech Qualcomm to acquire Israeli auto-chip maker Qualcomm is to acquire Israel’s Autotalks, a maker of chips used in crash-prevention technology, as the US firm looks to expand its automotive business. The company did not disclose the terms of the deal but said the Autotalks technology would be incorporated into its assisted and autonomous driving product, Snapdragon Digital Chassis. Qualcomm said last […] May 9, 2023
Health Israeli firm makes ready-to-cook 3D printed fish fillets Forget your hook, line and sinker. An Israeli foodtech company says it has 3D printed the first ever ready-to-cook fish fillet using animal cells cultivated and grown in a laboratory. Lab-grown beef and chicken have drawn attention as a way to sidestep the environmental toll of farming and tackle concerns over animal welfare, but few […] May 4, 2023
Israel’s judicial proposals prompt startups to relocate The government’s plan to overhaul the judicial system is harming investor confidence and pushing high-tech firms to relocate abroad, Israel’s state-backed agency that supports high-tech companies said. A survey by the Israel Innovation Authority found 80 percent of startups established so far this year were opened outside Israel and that companies also intend to register […] May 2, 2023
Banking and Finance Israel’s sovereign wealth fund names full-time manager The Bank of Israel has named Lena Krupalnik, a veteran institutional investment manager, to oversee the country’s sovereign wealth fund which was set up in 2014 following the discovery of huge natural gas deposits. After a four-year delay due to political turmoil and a slower than expected revenue stream, the fund began operating last June […] April 25, 2023
Economy Israel rebuff Moody’s outlook cut over judicial reforms Israel’s government on Saturday rebuffed an outlook downgrade on the country from credit ratings agency Moody’s, while tens of thousands of Israelis returned to the streets to protest against a planned overhaul of the country’s judiciary. Moody’s report issued on Friday marks the latest warning about a potential economic backlash to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s […] April 16, 2023
Banking and Finance Bank of Israel raises interest rate to highest since 2007 The Bank of Israel has raised its benchmark interest rate by another quarter of a percentage point, the ninth straight meeting it has increased rates amid a battle against inflation that remains above five percent. Bank governor Amir Yaron said he hoped the cycle of rate hikes, which began a year ago, was coming to […] April 4, 2023
Energy Shares soar at Israeli energy giant after BP and Adnoc offer Shares in Israeli energy giant NewMed Energy soared on Tuesday after BP confirmed that, together with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), it has made a non-binding offer to buy a 50 percent stake in the company. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange-listed natural gas operator saw its share price rise by more than 36 percent […] March 29, 2023
Aviation Nigeria’s Air Peace to start non-stop Israel flights in April Israel’s transport minister on Sunday approved an aviation deal with Nigeria that will allow non-stop flights between the countries to begin next month for the first time, the ministry said. The agreement, which still needs cabinet approval in Israel, will let carriers from the two countries to operate flights between Tel Aviv and cities in […] March 27, 2023
Aviation Israel’s El Al to resume India flights using Saudi corridor El Al Israel Airlines is to resume flights to India in October after a three-year absence, citing shorter flight times due to the ability to fly over Saudi Arabia and Oman. Israel’s flag carrier will operate four weekly flights to Mumbai from Tel Aviv using Boeing 737 aircraft, with the route expected to take 5.5 […] March 24, 2023
Banking and Finance Israel’s trading platform eToro valued at $3.5bn in funding round Israeli online trading platform eToro said on Tuesday it had recently raised $250 million in a funding round that valued the online brokerage at $3.5 billion, months after its proposed merger with a blank-check company fell through. The funding round was backed by Ion Group, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Velvet Sea Ventures and others, eToro […] March 22, 2023