Opinion Oil & Gas The tantalising prospect of a global decarbonisation alliance Cop28 has the chance to change perceptions of the hydrocarbon industry November 13, 2023
Opinion Economy A looming US fiscal crisis could hit the Gulf hard US debt and its impact on dollar interest rates could squeeze GCC economies November 13, 2023
Video length: 04:43 Video Masdar City exec: Let’s talk about greenwashing Greenwashing – a deceitful marketing gimmick where companies exaggerate their environmental actions – is “egregious” as it takes advantage of a movement that affects everyone on earth, according to Bill Weir, CNN’s chief climate correspondent. A recent global survey conducted by US-based The Harris Poll and sponsored by Google Cloud found that six out of […] November 8, 2023
Video length: 06:16 Opinion Finance Once off the grey list, UAE can really work on its image The UAE deserves credit for its rapid response to being placed on the financial crime watchdog's enhanced monitoring, but it has unfinished business October 30, 2023
Banking and Finance Gulf’s ‘copycats’ still attractive to Silicon Valley Copycat companies in the Middle East are still an attractive acquisition option for Silicon Valley giants because the risk of trying to establish themselves in the region is too high, according to Thiel Capital managing director Jack Selby. The Middle East has been criticised for mimicking startups from other parts of the world, rather than […] October 24, 2023
Trade Vietnam courts Middle East investors after US boost Vietnam is aiming to establish itself as a manufacturing hub to rival China and it is hoping improved relations with the US will be the catalyst for investment from the Middle East. The country is currently engaged in talks with the UAE about a trade agreement. During a visit to Vietnam by President Joe Biden […] October 20, 2023
Energy Adnoc and Occidental look into UAE direct air capture Adnoc and US petroleum giant Occidental are investigating the feasibility of building a direct air capture facility in the UAE. It would be the first such site outside the US, the companies said. The preliminary engineering study is the latest project under an agreement signed by the companies earlier this year to explore carbon capture, […] October 3, 2023
Renewable Energy Renewables workforce nearly doubles in a decade Employment in the renewable energy sector has almost doubled over the past decade, the International Renewable Energy Agency and International Labour Organization have found. There were 13.7 million jobs in the global industry in 2022, up from 7.3 million in 2012, the agencies said in the report Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review. Employment growth […] October 3, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Forecast bright for Cop28 as the world nears ‘peak green’ A mood of pragmatism seems to be sweeping Europe and North America September 25, 2023
Analysis Tech Dubai embraces AI to disrupt the film sector Are robot writers and CGI actors about to steal our jobs? That’s one of the core fears at the centre of Hollywood’s largest strike by actors and writers in over 60 years. From ChatGPT generating scripts and AI-generated actors replacing extras in crowd scenes, to computers automatically editing scenes and creating stunning visual effects (VFX) […] September 11, 2023
Renewable Energy Saudi company invests in US battery maker Pure Lithium Saudi Arabian investment company Energy Capital Group has announced a collaboration with US tech startup Pure Lithium to develop renewable batteries. The batteries will use lithium extracted from oilfield brines, giving a further boost to Saudi Arabia’s plans to dominate in green industries. Based in Riyadh, Energy Capital Group did not disclose how much it […] September 1, 2023
Real Estate Qatar wealth fund buys troubled New York hotel A luxury Manhattan hotel, which has been on the market for a number of years after being caught up in the 1MBD Malaysian investment fund scandal, has been sold to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. The Qatar Investment Authority has bought the 46-storey Park Lane Hotel for almost $623 million, according to city records, as first […] August 29, 2023
Oil & Gas Gulf markets subdued as oil fails to rally after cuts Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as fears of a global economic slowdown overshadowed tighter crude supply following extended output cuts announced by top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia earlier this week. The total cuts now stand at more than 5 million barrels per day (bpd), equating to 5 percent of worldwide oil output. […] July 7, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar ‘closing in on major US sports investment’ Qatar is ready to take a shot at the $500 billion US sports market with a reported investment interest in Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is set to buy a 5 percent stake in Monumental, the parent company of basketball side Washington Wizards and the National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals, according […] June 23, 2023
Aviation US electric aircraft developer lands in Abu Dhabi A hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft developer from California is planning to set up a regional HQ in Abu Dhabi as trade deals between the Emirates and the US focus on advanced technologies. Odys Aviation has joined the UAE Ministry of Economy’s NextGen foreign direct investment programme, which aims to attract digitally enabled businesses […] May 31, 2023
Economy Qatar’s dollar peg to remain despite US debt concerns The governor of Qatar’s Central Bank has reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the dollar peg, despite the US being just days away from a potential debt default. The Qatari riyal has been linked to the US dollar since mid-2001. “It’s been very effective and efficient for our economy,” Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani […] May 26, 2023
Video length: 02:33 Aviation Emirates no longer ‘dastardly competitor’, says Tim Clark Emirates’ new tie-ups with North American airlines are opening the door for more code-share partnerships, the carrier’s president Sir Tim Clark has said. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market on Tuesday, Clark pointed to the Dubai airline’s deals with United and Air Canada, which were both launched within the past year. Similar agreements could follow, […] May 3, 2023
Opinion Economy Opec+’s cuts will be viewed dimly by the US The cuts are here to stay, and the global economy will need to adjust April 7, 2023
Analysis Energy 145 billion barrels of oil, but patience is running dry in Iraq Iraq has vast reserves of crude oil – 145 billion barrels as of 2022 and more than 8 percent of the global total – but economists and analysts have warned that Baghdad will struggle to meet its output targets unless it offers better operating terms to Western oil majors. The country remains hugely reliant on […] March 21, 2023
Opinion Banking and Finance Why blockchain could have saved Silicon Valley Bank Banks must be trusted, but trust requires transparency March 17, 2023
Banking and Finance SVB collapse likely to bring down Gulf interest rates The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and continuing concerns over the broader financial stability of the market could help to bring down interest rates across the Gulf. Following SVB’s demise, US interest rates fell sharply from 5.05 percent to 4.10 percent in just three days – a scale of drop only matched by events […] March 15, 2023
Banking and Finance UAE remains on Financial Action Task Force grey list – for now Last month the Financial Action Task Force upheld the decision to keep the UAE on the grey list, a status it had assigned to it in March 2022. In its February ruling, the international watchdog dedicated to fighting financial crime said the UAE had made “significant progress” on three of seven recommendations to get off […] March 13, 2023
