Opinion Artificial Intelligence DeepSeek sell-off gives Gulf investors plenty to think about The arrival of a Chinese AI chatbot has implications for geopolitics, markets and Mena wealth funds January 28, 2025
Tech Foreign data centres will be secure, promises Saudi minister A regulatory framework to protect foreign-owned data centres set up in Saudi Arabia is being planned that will treat them in a similar way to embassies, as the kingdom seeks to become a global destination for the industry. The Saudi finance minister, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, outlined the country’s […] January 24, 2025
Business of Sport NBA’s LeBron James joins PIF-backed electric raceboat series Lebron James, the NBA basketball star, has signed up as team owner in the UIM E1 World Championship, the all-electric raceboat series. James was named as owner of Team AlUla, named after the ancient oasis city in Saudi Arabia, ahead of the start of the 2025 season on Saturday in Jeddah. The championship, now in […] January 24, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Expect the unexpected with Trump and the Gulf Whatever the new administration decides, it is unlikely to happen quickly January 24, 2025
Opinion People & Lifestyle The top hotspots for millionaire migrants Dubai, Australia and Singapore are expected to emerge as the biggest beneficiaries January 24, 2025
Oil & Gas Oil slips after Trump calls on Opec to lower prices Oil prices were down on Friday after US President Donald Trump drew a direct link between persistently high inflation and global oil prices during video remarks before the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump said he intends to address the problem by boosting domestic production and by asking “Saudi Arabia and Opec to bring […] January 24, 2025
Artificial Intelligence MGX could use Trump deal as springboard to global stage UAE technology investment company MGX emerged on to the global stage this week when it was announced as one of the core backers of Donald Trump’s $500 billion Stargate artificial intelligence programme. Among the myriad announcements made in the opening days of Trump’s second stint as US president, was a $500-billion investment over four years […] January 23, 2025
Tech QIA alert to Trump’s tech push The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is open to exploring further technology investment opportunities, as it expects a sharp increase in US tech deals under the Trump administration. The presence of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos at President Donald Trump’s inauguration suggests his government will be supportive of the tech industry, Mohammed Al Hardan, the head of technology, media […] January 23, 2025
Oil & Gas Trump’s oil policy ‘problematic’ for Gulf producers, economists warn Gulf oil producers should be worried about President Donald Trump‘s energy policy, economists have warned, as it could widen their budget deficits. Oil prices have already dipped in response to Trump’s pledge on Monday to boost US hydrocarbon production and they could plunge far below the breakeven prices adopted by Gulf governments in their annual […] January 22, 2025
Energy Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Group signs Ethiopian power deal Abu Dhabi-based technology conglomerate Phoenix Group has acquired an 80 megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia. It follows just weeks after the company launched a 50MW cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota in the US. A PPA is usually a long-term electricity supply agreement. The deal, secured in partnership with UAE cybersecurity company […] January 22, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Gulf has a strong hand in Trump’s $500bn AI project Two of the three tech giants that will spend billions of dollars building US artificial intelligence infrastructure in a partnership announced by President Donald Trump have been the recipients of significant Gulf investment. Japan’s SoftBank and US companies OpenAI and Oracle have committed $500 billion over four years to Stargate, an entity tasked with building […] January 22, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco chief expects extra oil demand of 1.3m bpd Saudi oil giant Aramco’s chief executive Amin Nasser said on Tuesday he sees the oil market as healthy and expects an additional 1.3 million barrels per day of demand this year. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nasser was responding to a question on the impact of US President Donald Trump’s energy […] January 21, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas He came in like a wrecking ball but how will oil markets react? Donald Trump's slew of 'emergency' orders will have a huge impact on the region's oil producers January 21, 2025
Tech Tech and crypto make a mark as Trump takes charge Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday as the 47th President of the United States was an overt display of the evolving ties between technology, politics and finance. The presence of tech industry titans and the cryptocurrency market’s dramatic response highlighted the strong relationship between Trump’s administration and the tech world, with potential long-term impacts for Gulf […] January 21, 2025
Trade Turkey’s exports to US surge but tariffs are a threat Turkey’s exports to the US rose by $1.26 billion year on year to more than $13 billion in 2024, official data shows. The chemical and chemical products sector accounted for the largest share of exports at $1.5 billion, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, citing data from the Türkiye Exporters’ Assembly (TİM). The automotive industry followed at $1.2 […] January 21, 2025
Energy Trump doubles down on energy and trade on first day in job US President Donald Trump pushed forward with multiple, controversial campaign pledges on the first day of his second term in the White House, including on issues such as energy and trade that are bound to affect Gulf economies. Ascribing stubbornly high inflation to “massive” government overspending and “escalating” energy prices, Trump declared after his inauguration […] January 21, 2025
Analysis Trade Trump’s bravado fails to spook minerals market – so far Ordinarily, commodity markets tend to react strongly when leaders of major global economies announce plans for war and conquest. If those plans involve disrupting one of the world’s most important sea lanes and reversing centuries of peace with two major allies, you might even expect a certain panic. Yet, when US President-elect Donald Trump declined […] January 21, 2025
Analysis Trade Trump inauguration: Saudi Arabia comes into focus Saudi Arabia looms large as Donald Trump moves back into the White House for a second term as US president, and there are many opportunities for cooperation along with significant challenges. Since Trump was first elected in 2016, one would be “hard pressed” to name a more changed nation than Saudi Arabia, according to Richard […] January 20, 2025
Tech KKR signs a $5bn Gulf data centre deal in Dubai KKR, the American investment giant, and the data centre platform Gulf Data Hub (GDH), based in Dubai, have signed a strategic partnership to invest $5 billion in data centres serving the Gulf. A joint press release on Friday said that funds “affiliated with KKR” will also acquire a stake in GDH, although it did not […] January 17, 2025
Real Estate Eagle Hills plans Trump hotel project with Kushner The Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills and Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have agreed to build a luxury hotel and apartment complex in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. The project, on the site of the former Yugoslav defence ministry, will feature a 175-room Trump hotel as its centrepiece, and 1,500 […] January 17, 2025
Opinion Real Estate On the 19th hole with Trump and Damac What better place than Trump International Golf Course to watch the inauguration January 17, 2025
Analysis Trade Tariffs and tech on the UAE’s radar as Trump takes office When billionaire developer Hussain Sajwani appeared on stage with Donald Trump earlier this month to announce $20 billion worth of investment in US data centres, he did not hide his glee about the Republican’s return to the White House. The chairman of UAE-based Damac Properties called Trump’s re-election in November “amazing news” and said his […] January 17, 2025
