Opinion Aviation Egypt’s aviation sector must strive to reach its potential A strategy of being smaller, smarter and more focused could be best for Egyptian aviation Improved connectivity and new infrastructure will help the country regain market share John Grant, Partner, Midas Aviation
Opinion Artificial Intelligence AI, geopolitics and the Mena opportunity AI is highly carbon-intensive, but the GCC has a solution: sustainable data centres DeepSeek’s emergence has spotlighted the GCC’s role in hosting green AI infrastructure Nasser Saidi, Economist, Nasser Saidi and Associates
Opinion Banking & Finance Miami’s Saudi love affair hasn’t convinced everyone Investors would like to jump in, but need to see deeper, more liquid markets in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is all the rage among US investors, but FDI constraints remain Valentina Pasquali, Senior editor, AGBI
Opinion Oil & Gas The Riyadh summit will shape global energy geopolitics The strategic stakes for Saudi Arabia from the Trump-Putin summit could not be higher Diplomatic pressure is rising and so is the volatility of black gold Matein Khalid, Investor
Opinion Trade UAE-Kenya trade deal paves way for investment boost From minerals to green energy, opportunities abound in Kenya. But the market has its challenges The Cepa will boost agricultural exports and drive infrastructure spending Liz Bains, Journalist
Opinion People & Lifestyle Happy days are here again for Russian expats in the UAE Will peace with Ukraine persuade Russians living in the UAE to return to the motherland? Even after any potential peace deals, many are likely to continue to live in the UAE Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Transport Why the Honda-Nissan merger was doomed to fail True love is hard to find, especially among embattled carmakers in need of a bailout In effect, the once-mighty Nissan would have become a Honda subsidiary Imthishan Giado, Partner, Motoring Middle East
Opinion Artificial Intelligence There’s a new cold war and the GCC is in its crossfires The Middle East will have to choose the tech it wants for its future so it doesn't lose out The US-China AI race is reshaping global tech dominance Triska Hamid, Angel investor
Opinion Media & Advertising Media in Saudi Arabia gears up for ‘year of influence’ The procedures of newsrooms have valuable lessons for the instant world of social media The fourth Saudi Media Forum discussed how the kingdom can exploit its position as a news fulcrum Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Artificial Intelligence The case for Gulf ‘free data zones’ The race for AI leadership requires investment in data centres and water, not just chips How can corporations compete globally if American AI is more expensive than China? Nish Kotecha, Tech entrepreneur
Opinion Employment New UAE gratuity scheme could leave staff worse off The UAE’s new, voluntary end-of-service benefit investment funds will make departing staff worse off Replacing end-of-service benefit with a defined contribution fund could cost expat workers thousands Matt Smith, Senior editor, AGBI
Opinion Oil & Gas Libya’s National Oil Corporation needs reform – and fast Without rapid reform of Libya's oil sector, a national financial crisis could be on the cards The coming months will be crucial in determining the country's economic and political direction Salem Maiar, Consultant in Libyan natural resources and geopolitics
Opinion Finance If you’re looking for bad news, DIFC is not the place For the umpteenth year, DIFC confirmed that it is the leading financial centre in the region It was another record year for the company, including a mind-boggling 68 percent leap in net profits Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Energy Iraq must act fast to avoid a domestic energy crisis Baghdad needs to work fast to avoid an energy crisis and the GCC could be a critical partner Things are never simple in the land of the two rivers but Baghdad needs solutions now Robin Mills, CEO, Qamar Energy
Opinion Oil & Gas Trump’s maximum pressure will squeeze Iran’s oil exports The so-called 'Trump factor' will only exacerbate the challenge for oil-exporting states It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Iranian oil sellers to secure tankers and it may get even harder Amena Bakr, Head of ME energy, Kpler
Opinion Trade Gulf-China relations are strictly business Hardly a day goes by without a story about China’s growing presence in the Arabian Gulf Expecting a major Chinese presence beyond the economic realm is wishful thinking Jonathan Fulton, Associate Professor, Zayed University
Opinion Food & Drink Rising prices open door for Saudi Arabia to lead coffee market Saudi Arabia could lead the world in coffee production using regenerative methods With its favourable topography and climate, the Arabian Peninsula has the potential to be a major producer Martin Keulertz, Lecturer, University of the West of England
Opinion Food & Drink In sober spring, what better than ‘Wisewell on the rocks’ I share a deep loathing of the plastic water bottle, and all the ills that it dumps on mankind When you forsake the demon drink, perhaps purified, plastic-free water is the ideal replacement Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Industry How Trump’s tariffs could reshape Gulf aluminium exports Barriers to trading will force the region’s aluminium exporters to look elsewhere Ports, shipping, transport and logistics services must be ready to react quickly John Manners-Bell, CEO, Transport Intelligence Insight
Opinion Banking & Finance GCC banks will prosper under Trump’s presidency The Trump administration presents no threat to Gulf banks. But it will be a bumpy ride! The challenge for Gulf banks will be to keep their balance and focus in a volatile policy landscape Andrew Cunningham, Middle East banking consultant
Opinion Media & Advertising What’s in a (badly spelt) brand name? Weirdly spelt rebrands feel like a dad trying to be cool. Why do companies do it? Brands – and their branding and PR agencies – like to feel special Austyn Allison, Middle East advertising expert
Opinion Trade Uganda and UAE ramp up economic deals Uganda’s priority as an oil producer must be to lift people out of poverty, not to create a wealthy elite Kampala wants to double the size of the economy in the next five years Liz Bains, Journalist
