Artificial Intelligence GlobalFoundries commits $3bn to microchip research GlobalFoundries, the Mubadala-backed chip manufacturer, said on Wednesday it will significantly hike research spending in the US over the next few years due to “explosive” demand for artificial intelligence and the advanced semiconductors that power it. The multi-billion-dollar investment comes as the New York state-based company works with the White House and various technology peers to […] June 5, 2025
Industry EGA to build first US aluminium smelter in 45 years Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), which says it is responsible for 4 percent of global output, plans to start building a primary aluminium production plant in the US by the end of 2026. The $4 billion smelter, the first to be built in the US since 1980, is expected to have a capacity of 600,000 tonnes […] May 19, 2025
Artificial Intelligence UAE and US to build largest AI campus outside America The US and UAE will develop a 10 square mile artificial intelligence campus in Abu Dhabi, according to a White House statement on Thursday. It will be the largest such facility outside of America. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Qasr Al […] May 16, 2025
Oil & Gas Qatar risks losing out to US in Japan LNG sales Liquefied natural gas customers in Japan may be turning away from Qatar for their additional needs in favour of the US. American suppliers offer more flexible contractual terms and are adding production capacity, a Japanese government energy official said. “Qatar is very strict,” said Yarita Masataka, director of the LNG and methane management division at […] May 15, 2025
Artificial Intelligence US ‘to let UAE import millions of Nvidia’s AI chips’ The US has a preliminary agreement with the United Arab Emirates to allow it to import 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips per year starting in 2025, sources said. The move will boost the Emirates’ construction of data centres that are vital to developing artificial intelligence models. The sources said the agreement was at least […] May 15, 2025
Oil & Gas Qatar’s investment in US tops $30bn, says minister Qatar has invested more than $30 billion in various projects in the US, the country’s energy minister has said. Saad Al-Kaabi said that the Doha government’s investment is mostly in the Golden Pass LNG project in Texas, which is 70 percent owned by QatarEnergy and 30 percent by ExxonMobil, CNBC Arabia reported. US President Donald Trump […] May 15, 2025
Analysis Banking and Finance US treasuries: why it’s buy, buy, buy for the UAE as Saudi sells Saudi Arabia and the UAE are following divergent investment strategies around US government bonds, which have long been a safe haven for sovereign and institutional investors worldwide. The two countries are among the world’s top 20 biggest holders of the bonds, with a combined value of almost $250 billion. The UAE acquired almost $43 billion […] May 9, 2025
Trade US might ease chip export curbs on some Gulf nations President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will soon have an announcement on whether the US will ease microchip export restrictions to some Gulf countries. “We might be doing that, yeah,” Trump said. “And it will be announced soon.” Trump is preparing for his first major diplomatic trip next week that includes a three-country Middle […] May 8, 2025
Renewable Energy DP World trials hydrogen cranes to reduce emissions DP World, the world’s biggest container port operator, is testing out a hydrogen powered crane to reduce its reliance on diesel and cut carbon dioxide emissions. The Dubai logistics giant, which handles 70 million containers each year, operates 1,500 cranes in over 60 ports around the world. While it is considering converting half of those from […] May 8, 2025
Banking and Finance Mubadala and Fortress form $1bn private credit partnership Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company has entered into a $1 billion strategic partnership with New York-based Fortress Investment Group to invest in private credit, the companies said on Thursday. Private credit has expanded in recent years, attracting investments from some of the world’s largest asset managers, as stricter regulations make it more expensive for traditional lenders to finance riskier […] April 24, 2025
Trade Oman in talks with US to review reciprocal tariff Oman is holding talks with the US to review the implications of reciprocal tariffs, according to a news report. “Despite the existing free trade agreement with the US, the new tariffmeasures have included Omani exports,” Oman Daily Observer, a local news outlet, reported, quoting Shaikh Saud Al Nahari, a board member of Oman Chamber of […] April 18, 2025
Oil & Gas Oil prices set to drop for a second week Oil prices increased slightly on Friday morning but were still set for an overall drop for a second week due to concerns about a prolonged trade war between the United States and China. If the the world’s largest economies continue their tit-for-tat tariff increases, the fear is they will crush crude consumption as their dispute curtails economic […] April 11, 2025
Industry Investcorp Capital earns 40% profit on sale of US industrial assets Abu Dhabi-listed Investcorp Capital has sold its US industrial real estate portfolio, generating a high return on investment. The US National I portfolio, spanning six investments across six states and 2.3 million square feet, was sold for $360 million, a 40 percent gain over its initial purchase price of $262 million less than four years […] April 8, 2025
Logistics DP World starts work on expanding Canada port terminal Dubai ports operator DP World has started construction on the Duke Point Terminal expansion in western Canada, enhancing Vancouver Island’s connectivity and trade with international markets. Once completed, the terminal’s berth length will nearly double from 182m to 325m, while cargo handling capacity will expand to 280,000 twenty-foot equivalent units annually, the state-owned company said in […] April 8, 2025
Opinion Economy Trump’s tariffs bring that sinking Lehman feeling The world is in for a wild ride which will change everything, mostly for the worse April 8, 2025
Manufacturing Turkey’s auto industry hit hardest by tariffs Turkish exporters expressed mixed feelings on the news of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. There was relief that most sectors escaped with just a 10 percent impost, but Turkey’s car and parts producers, one of the country’s leading manufacturing and exporting sectors, were much less happy with the 25 percent tariff on all automotive […] April 3, 2025
Trade Middle East fails to escape Trump’s tariffs US President Donald Trump unveiled far-reaching new tariffs on Wednesday, including on the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East. Speaking from the Rose Garden of the White House, the president outlined a minimum 10 percent universal tariff on all imports into the United States, regardless of origin. This will […] April 3, 2025
Banking and Finance Damac chairman Sajwani’s wealth doubles to more than $10bn The fortune of Hussain Sajwani, the chairman of Dubai-based Damac Properties, has doubled in the last year as he takes his place among the world’s wealthiest individuals to become the richest businessman in the Middle East. The 72-year-old real estate magnate is worth $10.2 billion, the annual rich list from Forbes says, significantly higher than […] April 2, 2025
Opinion Entrepreneurs Mena startups lose critical ally as USAID exits The aid body has been instrumental in funding across the region April 2, 2025
Opinion Economy GCC is not immune to trade wars and US stagflation What if Trump's tariffs trigger an inflation spike on a similar scale to the Covid-19 pandemic? April 1, 2025
Opinion Economy Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion Trump bet and its possible returns Recognition and security guarantees are among what the kingdom might be expecting March 20, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Gulf LNG faces a bearish headwind from US energy dominance Trump’s LNG expansion is reshaping global energy trade and redrawing geopolitical power dynamics March 17, 2025