Author: Talha el-Ghanem

Dubai, UAE – Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has successfully unlocked access to the Ethiopian market for the UAE’s Mars Food Industries. The chamber helped facilitate the export of baby food products produced and manufactured in the UAE by the company’s Miralac brand to the East African nation, marking its first deal on the African continent. Dubai Chambers hosted the signing of a commercial cooperation agreement between Mars Food Industries and Tana Ekt Trading, which will market and distribute Miralac baby food products in Ethiopia. The company is set to cater…

DUBAI, 9th February, 2024 (WAM) — Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) ‘s virtual employee “Rammas”, which uses generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), enriches the customer experience thanks to its superior ability to interact with users, better understand their needs, and respond promptly in both Arabic and English, while ensuring a safe and practical experience. DEWA is the first utility globally and UAE government entity to use generative AI to interact with customers and answer their queries. In 2023, Rammas answered 1,835,179 enquiries, an increase of 39% compared to 2022, when he answered 1,319,708 enquiries. Since its launch in 2017, Rammas…

One of the lesser noted aspects of the weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas, which collapsed at the beginning of this month, was the country that made it possible: not the US, nor the EU, but Qatar. Even though the ceasefire faltered and the Israeli military has resumed its devastating attack on Gaza, the negotiations helped cement Qatar’s role as a global mediator. But why Qatar – and what do its rulers really want? A tiny emirate in the Persian Gulf that is rich in natural gas, Qatar seems an unlikely centre for high-stakes geopolitical negotiations. Yet the country’s leaders have…

RIYADH: Chinese companies are set to expand their presence in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East and North Africa region as the Kingdom launched its inaugural China Trade Week in Dammam on Sunday. More than 200 companies from the Asian country are taking part in the event to explore investment opportunities in the Kingdom amid the growing Saudi-Sino ties. The inaugural CTW is considered very crucial, as it will help Chinese firms to expand their footprint in the Kingdom, along with seeking further collaborations with entities in the wider MENA region. Opportunities Hosted by MIE Events, in…

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Sunday regretted that international reactions to Israel’s bombing of civilians in Gaza are “shameful.” “The international community’s reactions to the Israeli bombing of civilians in Gaza are not at the required level, and may sometimes be shameful,” Al Thani told a joint news conference with his visiting French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Doha. He stressed the necessity of coordination with regional and international partners to reach “an immediate, permanent and sustainable humanitarian truce that leads to the cessation of hostilities.” Al Thani strongly criticized the killing of Gazan…

Qatar is working to coax Hamas to release the women, children and elderly hostages currently being held in Gaza who were taken captive during October 7’s Hamas terror onslaught in southern Israel, a diplomatic official told The Times of Israel Sunday. Roughly 150-200 Israelis and foreign nationals — some mere infants, some children with special needs and others in their mid-80s with chronic health issues — are believed to have been dragged by terrorists into Gaza last Saturday, with their whereabouts largely unknown since. While the majority are being held by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad claims to be holding 30…

WASHINGTON — The elevation of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership shows an increasing level of shared interests between the two countries. But the enhanced ties do not mean Hanoi is drifting away from Beijing, its traditional partner, analysts say. The two countries upgraded their bilateral ties when U.S. President Joe Biden met with Vietnamese Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi in early September. Between July 25, 2013, and September 10, 2023, the countries had characterized their relationship as a comprehensive partnership, a lower level of diplomatic engagement. “The two leaders underscored the need to continue deepening…

Eighty countries, three million visitors and 2,500 volunteers are expected to converge at a venue spread over 1.7 million square metres in a mega event addressing an urgent concern – the mitigation of desertification. After successfully hosting the Fifa World Cup for more than 3.4 million fans, Qatar is preparing to welcome the world again for The International Horticultural Exhibition. “Being a desert country, Qatar is facing challenges brought by climate change, and aims to leverage this event to showcase cutting-edge sustainable technologies and solutions,” said Bader Al Dafa, the Commissioner General of Expo 2023 Doha. The Green Desert, Better Environment event will be held…

Qatar is emerging as a global tourist destination, drawing in millions of visitors and tourists every year. A growing number of people are coming to Qatar for business, tourism and work because of fast-paced economic development over the past two decades. Tourism has been identified as one of five priority sectors integral to diversifying Qatar’s economy and increasing private sector participation. Qatar Tourism (QT) revealed yesterday that Qatar welcomed over 2.56 million visitors from January until August 25, 2023, exceeding the full-year arrival figures witnessed in 2022 and marking a 157 percent increase over the same period last year. Qatar…

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s GDP growth is expected to be driven by the non‑oil and gas sectors in this year as the advancement in non-oil economy is expected to expand in 2023. Cushman & Wakefield, in its second quarter (Q2) 2023 Real Estate Market Review citing Oxford Economics, noted that it expects Qatar’s 2023 GDP to expand by 2.6 percent, with 3.3 percent growth in non-oil sectors leading the way. It noted that the May PMI rose to 55.6, marking the sixth consecutive rise and the highest reading since July 2022. Business activity remains on the uptrend, amid stronger demand and…