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North America

USA fans cheer during a Concacaf Nations League match. The country will co-host the 2026 Fifa World Cup with two other Concacaf members, Canada and Mexico

Saudi Arabia adds soccer in North America to sports portfolio

Saudi Arabia has added the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) to its squad of sporting investments. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund has partnered with the regional governing body for soccer “to support the growth of the sport at all levels”. The Public Investment Fund will sponsor football development initiatives, with […]

rare earth elements

Rare earth elements: a complex issue that’s vital to net zero

Used in everything from car batteries and fridges to iPhones and elevators, rare earth elements are an ever-present – but rarely noticed – part of daily lives.  They are also now central to the global energy transition, and their importance to Gulf states was highlighted this week by a $180 million investment by Qatar. The […]

Shoppers across the Gulf are boycotting Western brands; in Saudi Arabia 72% say their brand choices are influenced by the conflict in Gaza

Saudi brands cash in on Gaza boycott as food market grows

Saudi Arabian food and beverage brands are hoping to benefit from regional consumers shunning Western brands over the conflict in Gaza, with some franchise owners beginning to feel the impact of an informal boycott.  Some outlets in the Gulf have stopped stocking Western soft drinks and are replacing them with Saudi versions that have shot […]

Gas flaring at a plant in Veracruz state, Mexico. The country is one of the biggest contributors to global flaring, along with Iran, Iraq and Libya

Iran, Iraq and Libya among worst offenders on gas flaring

Environmentally ruinous flaring of gas at upstream oil and gas facilities has risen to its highest level for five years, despite pledges to end the practice, the World Bank has said. Iran, Iraq and Libya were among the biggest contributors in 2023, according to a World Bank report published on June 20. Along with six […]

Ooredoo ad in Doha. The company is investing $1bn to increase its data centre capacity

Qatar’s Ooredoo signs AI deal with chipmaker Nvidia

US chipmaker Nvidia has signed a deal with Qatari telecommunications provider Ooredoo Group to bring its artificial intelligence technology to five countries in the Middle East, the companies announced on Sunday.  Ooredoo will be the first company in the region to offer direct access to Nvidia’s AI and computer chips to its customers in Qatar, […]

KBR Iraq

US firm wins $46m contract to boost Iraq infrastructure 

US engineering giant KBR has won a five-year $46 million contract to support Iraq’s infrastructure development and future energy projects, including mega-projects. The company is expanding its presence in Iraq, establishing a new office in Baghdad and said it is also considering the creation of a design centre to enhance local engineering skills. NewsletterGet the […]

A wheel manufacturing workshop in Qingzhou, Shandong province. China is the world's largest importer of crude oil

Upturn for manufacturing tipped to lift oil prices

Rising manufacturing activity worldwide is likely to support higher oil prices in the second half of the year, a supply chain indicator suggests. However, analysts have warned that spare capacity among Opec+ and other oil producers is likely to ease upside pressure on crude prices. The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index hit 0.21 in […]

Gems operates more than 60 schools with over 130,000 students across the Middle East and North Africa

Brookfield to invest in Dubai’s Gems Education

A consortium led by Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management is to invest in Gems Education, the UAE’s private school operator. Other members of the group include Gulf Islamic Investments, Marathon Asset Management and the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Financial details were not disclosed but the investment is expected to be almost $2 […]

2KEY8G1 Emirates Airline Airbus A380 aircraft landing. Aerial view of Emirates Airlines A380-800 airplane. An Emirates plane coming in to land at LAX; a spokesperson for Emirates said the contraventions were for safety reasons

US fines Emirates for operating in prohibited airspace

Emirates has been fined $1.5 million by the US Transportation Department for operating flights carrying JetBlue Airways’ JBLU.O designator code in prohibited airspace. The transportation department said that between December 2021 and August 2022, Emirates operated a significant number of flights carrying the JetBlue Airways code between the United Arab Emirates and the United States […]

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio. A US VC fund backed by him plans to invest $50m in Mena climate tech startups

US firm to invest $50m in Mena climate tech

A US venture capital firm backed by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio plans to invest $50 million in Mena climate tech startups over the next five years. Princeville Capital is targeting mature startups with strong growth potential, facilitating quick exits and a clear path to profitability, its co-founder Joaquin Rodriguez Torres told AGBI. The firm has […]

Amouage's global retail sales have doubled over the last three years Video length: 04:30

Oman’s Amouage outgrows ‘overdeveloped’ GCC market

Amouage, the Omani luxury perfume brand, now counts the United States as its biggest revenue generator after three years of continued growth, says Renaud Salmon, the company’s creative officer. Founded in 1983 by the Albusaidi family, Amouage recorded annual growth of 24 percent in 2023, with global retail sales doubling over the last three years.  […]

John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, said Saudi Arabia and the US were 'closer than we’ve ever been' to a deal

Saudi Arabia ‘close’ to US defence pact and arms deal

Saudi Arabia could be close to a security pact with the United States that would enable the kingdom to buy arms, potentially including the sought-after F-35 fighter jet, and obtain some form of US defence guarantee, White House officials said this week.  John Kirby, the president’s national security spokesperson, said on May 20 that the […]

BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 08: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on April 8, 2024 in Beijing, China. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China from April 4 to 9. (Photo by Jiang Qiming/China News Service/VCG )No Use China.

US treasury holdings high in Saudi Arabia’s estimation

Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US treasuries stayed close to a two-year high in February at $130.5 billion as yields rose in recent months, according to new data. The Saudi central bank’s holdings fell $3.2 million month on month, or 0.3 percent, to $130.5 billion, maintaining Saudi Arabia’s place at number 17 in the list of […]

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan poses with his supporters as he leaves a polling station during the local elections in Istanbul, Turkey March 31, 2024. Murat Kulu/PPO/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

US rate cuts to ease Turkey’s debt and benefit exports

For Turkey, long-anticipated US interest rate cuts could be more significant in terms of stimulating growth in its major export markets than easing the costs of servicing its spiralling foreign currency debt. Turks have faced a deepening cost of living crisis as veteran president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s unorthodox economic policies exacerbated a collapse in the […]