#GCC

Boards must know that ESG isn’t just a buzzword

Boards must know that ESG isn’t just a buzzword. Here’s why

Many GCC enterprise boards have been serious about driving ESG initiatives and the pioneers include Aramco, Emirates NBD, Masdar and Majid Al Futtaim Group

Bahrain grants golden licences to five investment projects

Bahrain grants golden licences to five investment projects worth over $1.4bn

The licence scheme will enhance the country’s competitiveness and boost growth while encouraging the digital transformation of the economy

Food security AgriTech GCC

GCC: How tech can support food security

We explore the role of innovative technologies in achieving food security in the GCC region

GCC citizens to gain access to UK for GBP 10 under ETA scheme GettyImages-1297964713

UK travel: GCC, Jordan nationals to pay GBP10 for multiple visits under new ETA scheme

Citizens of GCC countries currently pay GBP30 per visit to the UK under the current electronic visa wavier scheme while Jordanian nationals pay GBP100 for a visit visa

Lumina’s role is to support UK companies

Lumina Capital appointed registered provider to UK’s DBT

The firm will support UK companies seeking to engage in the Middle East in sectors such as healthcare, renewable energy and technology

LBS' Jane Khedair on why the MENA region is prime ground for VCs and startups

Insights: Why the MENA region offers exciting opportunities for VCs, startups

The abundance of family money, rising government and financial support for startups complemented by the focus on economic diversification has put the region into the spotlight

television

Demand for luxury TVs surging in the GCC, says Samsung

Nikola Aksentijevic, head of Visual Display Division at Samsung Gulf Electronics, asserts that the increasing income levels and purchasing power of consumers in the region are fuelling the demand for premium products

Honor

Ahead of the game: Honor’s quest to become the preferred choice in the Middle East

The GCC has witnessed huge commitment from the global technology brand to drive innovation, aiming to create a smarter and more inclusive future for all

UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch

UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch on Gulf states tour

Badenoch’s trip comes as the total trade between the UK and GCC reached a record high of GBP61.3bn in 2022

Ahmed Ramdan

Interview: Ròya International’s Ahmed Ramdan on the changing face of the region’s hospitality sector

The founder of the home-grown hospitality firm shares his company’s milestones and how hospitality in the GCC is poised for further growth

Dubai Health Authority

Dubai welcomes 674,000 medical tourists in 2022

The city’s strategic location, exceptional infrastructure and amenities add to the factors that have raised its status as a medical tourism hub

Hamad Alshamsi Amanat healthcare photo courtesy twitter amanat

Amanat Holdings launches new healthcare platform

Amanat also plans to consider further value creation options for Amanat Healthcare, including a potential initial public offering on a regional exchange in the near term

Dr Moopen’s family acquires additional 4% stake in Aster DM Healthcare

The increase of 4 per cent stake from 37.88 per cent reaffirms the family’s commitment to the business in India and GCC

Bahrain

Why Bahrain remains a key player in GCC’s financial sector

The kingdom has built a financial services sector comprising more than 360 local, regional and global institutions

Nomo

Digital Islamic bank Nomo launches multi-currency accounts

First available in Kuwait, the multi-currency accounts will soon roll-out in phases to customers across the GCC

Best workplace in UAE 2023

These are the best places to work in the UAE in 2023

The top five companies to work for in the large category include McDonald’s, Leminar Group, Al Dabbagh Group, Centrepoint and Chalhoub Group

FAB facilitated over $9bn in sustainable projects

UAE’s FAB facilitated over $9bn in sustainable projects in 2022

More than half of FAB’s bond issuances in 2022 were in a ‘green’ format, with the bank aiming to further grow its range of sustainable offerings

Yango

Interview: Islam Abdul Karim, general manager, Yango GCC

Yango is an international ride-hailing service, operating in more than 20 countries worldwide

Dubai receives 14.36 million international visitors in 2022

Dubai receives 14.36 million international visitors in 2022

The emirate closed in on its pre-pandemic visitor figures of 16.73 million recorded in 2019

G42 healthcare and SomaLogic

G42 Healthcare, SomaLogic bring proteomics to the GCC

G42 Healthcare plans to set up laboratory facilities in Abu Dhabi to provide Somascan proteomic services for research and clinical applications

GCC residents, citizens can enter Qatar without Hayya card

The new directive has come into effect from Tuesday, December 6

Remittances rise by 5%, reveals world bank report

Remittances see 5% rise in 2022, reveals World Bank report

Remittances to the developing countries of the MENA region are estimated to have grown 2.5 per cent in 2022 to $63bn, compared to a 10.5 per cent growth last year

Oman offers visa-free entry to GCC residents

In order to enter Oman, a resident’s visa in the GCC must be valid for a period of no less than three months

Tech Mahindra

Interview: Ram Ramachandran, senior vice president – MEA at Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra strategically chose MEA as a focus geography in the early 2000s and has benefitted from a long successful traction and growth over the past two decades

STC Alibaba

Arabian Drilling draws $43bn in orders for Riyadh IPO

The company set the final offer price at $26.6 a share, raising $710m after a book-building process for institutional investors

Ecoflow

EcoFlow makes its official GCC debut at Gitex Global

EcoFlow is entering the market with its River Series, which is a portable power station for outdoor adventure

Falguni Nayar Founder and CEO Nykaa and Ms Sima Ved Founder and Chairperson Apparel Group

Apparel Group, Nykaa partner to set up omnichannel beauty retail platform in GCC

Nykaa will build on the Apparel Group’s retail infrastructure networks to provide GCC-focused beauty offerings

Why the outlook for the GCC’s construction sector is upbeat

Ambitious schemes linked to development, diversification and sustainability are favourable factors for the construction and real estate sector

Real-time payments

Real-time payments set to underpin economic growth in the GCC

ACI Worldwide lists three main drivers that enable and accelerate the move towards real-time payments in the region

Zurich-YouGov survey

Children’s tuition fees a key concern for GCC professionals in pharma, telecom sector, reveals survey

According to the survey, 71 per cent of UAE parents across these industries don’t have an education savings plan, and spend a significant amount of their monthly income on tuition fees