Leading hedge fund manager opens Abu Dhabi office
Fund managers are committing to the UAE’s financial centers despite the uncertainty caused by the Iran conflict.
Recent coverage
UAE visa rules exclude stablecoin salaries despite crypto push
Such policies matter more now than they did a few months ago, as the Gulf’s pitch to attract expatriates has been undermined by the Iran war.
US plans to reopen ties with Eritrea
The potential move marks the country’s rising strategic importance along the Red Sea shipping route, one of the world’s busiest transport lanes.
Saudi non-oil econmy returns to growth in April, PMI shows
Domestic sales and government largesse are driving the upturn, but activity is still affected by supply chain disruptions and businesses deferring spending.
Saudi quarterly deficit highest since 2018
Spending on new projects surged by more than 50% compared to a year earlier, with military and transport outlays also up significantly.
Canal+ faces test in South Africa following $2B Multichoice acquisition
The South African pay TV group is preparing to face antitrust regulators over decade-old allegations of collusion.
Iran war sparks global race to boost fuel reserves
Australia said it would spend upwards of $7 billion to bolster fuel security, while Norway started production in a long-forgotten oil field.
Middle powers chart new alliances, pivoting from US and China
Australia has recently reached trade agreements with India and Peru as it vies to reduce its reliance on the world’s two biggest economies.
Macron threatens 'bazooka’ in US trade talks
US President Donald Trump threatened last week to increase tariffs on European vehicles, accusing the bloc of reneging on an agreed deal.
SE Asia leaders gather for summit amid shaky US ties
The region is among those hardest hit by the economic fallout from the Iran war.
DR Congo eyes stake in $270M Zambia power link
As power demand grows due to the expansion of mineral processing, Kinshasa is investing in new power plants.
Trump pauses Hormuz escorts, amid hopes of war's end
Trump said the operation was on hold, citing “Great Progress” toward a deal, as Axios reported a possible agreement was near.
Artists cancel concerts over low ticket sales
Meghan Trainor, Zayn Malik, Post Malone, the Pussycat Dolls, and others have all dropped or delayed major tours in recent days, citing '“blue-dot fever.”
Energy shortfall ‘problem’ scuppers Kenya’s $1B Microsoft data center
The Kenyan president’s comments that poor power capacity held back plans for the flagship project confirms Semafor’s exclusive reporting that it had stalled.
Africa loans help strengthen yuan
Mozambique is considering converting the $1.4 billion it owes to China into yuan-denominated loans.
China condemns US over Cuba embargo
China called on the US to end its Cuba embargo, calling new restrictions “illegal.”
Global investors bullish on AI
South Korea’s Samsung saw its market capitalization surpass $1; fellow chipmaker SK Hynix also reached a record high.
Anthropic increases spending on computing, chips
The outlay represents a change in strategy for Anthropic, which has been relatively parsimonious by hyperscaler standards.
Lutnick faces grilling on Epstein relationship
The commerce secretary is likely to face pointed questions from lawmakers about the nature and extent of his Epstein connections.
CFTC eyes Minnesota as next front for prediction markets fight
Chair Mike Selig is monitoring states that advance legislation that would ban or regulate prediction markets.
GOP risks ‘distraction and liability’ with East Wing money
Republicans’ party-line immigration bill provides $1 billion for securing President Donald Trump’s East Wing project.
Rubio heads to high-stakes sitdown with the pope
The secretary of state maintains the trip was planned before the Iran war strained relations between the pope and President Donald Trump.
Mark Cuban’s next target: Insurance companies
After taking on pharmacies with his discount-drug startup, the billionaire is taking on health insurers with a skunkworks project dubbed “The 10 Plan.”
Fuel price crunch could worsen, executives warn
Supplies of jet fuel and liquefied petroleum gas are poised to plunge in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Energy shock concerns grow in US
The Iran war and the AI buildout are driving up concerns over the prospect of an energy squeeze in the US.
UK Google DeepMind staff vote to unionize
The UK staff of Google DeepMind voted to unionize amid concerns of the company’s deal with the US Department of Defense.
Wall Street remains bullish on AI
AI is extending its reach on Wall Street as companies exhibit strong demand for the tech and reshape their workforces around it.
White House downplays Hormuz flare-ups
President Donald Trump characterized the renewed attacks in the waterway as a “skirmish.”
Vance heads to Iowa amid tight House race
The state is also a convenient stop to meet voters in the shadow 2028 presidential race.
He’s back: Biden returns to the campaign conversation
One reason why he jumped in may be his enduring popularity with the Democratic base, even among voters who think his reelection attempt was a mistake.
Gamestop CEO's unsolicited bid for eBay looks DOA
Ryan Cohen didn’t help his case Monday, when he squandered what goodwill he had with the Street in a disastrous CNBC interview.
‘I’m the IPO guy’: serial entrepreneur Marc Lore on his plan to take Wonder public
Lore on why his food-delivery app wants to decide what you’re eating — and send someone to your house to test your blood.
China eyes soft power growth with major snooker win
Wu Yize won the World Snooker Championship, a competition traditionally dominated by Europeans.
Aramco's archival footage shows first ever Saudi oil shipment
The footage shows Saudi Arabia’s founding father King Abdulaziz turning the valve of a tanker, enabling the first shipment of Saudi oil to leave on May 1, 1939.
Qatar backs sustainable jet fuel project in Egypt
The risk of a shortage of aviation fuel due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade has made the search for alternative sources a critical issue for airlines.
Gulf aviation make cautious recovery, despite fragile ceasefire
Renewed Iranian strikes on the UAE forced incoming flights to reroute, but operations returned largely to normal overnight.
Ceasefire teeters after Iran strikes UAE
Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones, striking an oil facility in Fujairah and raising concerns that the US-Iran ceasefire could collapse.
LatAm economies try to move away from informal cash
Argentina’s economy minister estimates as much as $200 billion — roughly a third of the country’s GDP — is “sitting under mattresses.”
Zambia pushes back against US investment approach
Washington’s Africa strategy has shifted, slashing aid in favor of trade deals, and Lusaka said it did not want to tie investment to mineral access.
Indian PM Modi wins big in state elections
The major victory for Modi’s BJP party cement a hold on power that some experts had started to doubt.
White House reportedly weighs vetting AI models
The Trump administration has been non-interventionist on AI, but Anthropic’s new Mythos system sparked widespread cybersecurity concerns.
Chinese solar panel prices rise in sign of price war easing
Western governments have complained that Beijing has encouraged overcapacity, while Chinese authorities have warned of involution.
China increases silicon wafer targets in global chip race
China’s manufacturing capacity in the sector has increased since the start of the decade, but most advanced semiconductors still rely on foreign-made chips.
Oil prices remain high over fragile Iran-US ceasefire
Fighting between Washington and Tehran resumed in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The real oil price shock is getting closer
Most industry analysts are surprised that oil prices haven’t gone higher, but there are signs that is about to change.
EU takes more hawkish stance toward China
The European Commission said it would ban some Chinese components in EU-funded energy projects.
EU, US seek to ease tensions after Trump's latest tariff threats
Brussels and Washington reached a trade deal last year, but Trump said the EU was not complying and threatened to raise duties on cars.
Inflation concerns spike globally amid Iran standoff
Australia raised its interest rates, though European and US central banks have held off on hikes to avoid hurting growth and labor markets.
OPEC+ is managing sentiment, not oil supply
The group of oil producers pledged to increase output, but barrels are trapped in the Gulf and the promises hold little weight for the market.
The largest energy crisis in modern history is only beginning
Decades of underinvestment in energy alternatives has left the global economy highly vulnerable.