#GCC

Bahrain parliament approves decision to double VAT to 10%

The bill has now been sent to the Shura Council, the upper house of the National Assembly

Saudi Crown Prince arrives in Oman on official visit

On the sidelines of the visit, Saudi Arabia and Oman signed 13 memoranda of understanding across different sectors

Human Logic - Gamalearn partnership

Human Logic, Gamalearn collaborate to support region’s education sector

The organisations plan to integrate their technological solutions to boost the growth of the education industry

Bahrain’s financial group acquires US medical offices for $200m

Spread across seven states, the medical offices portfolio consists of 11 assets and 400,000 square feet of space

UAE: Over 60% of clients set to approach their banks for new services

A recent report advices banks to quickly redesign their respective diversification strategies to remain relevant in the future

Newage Learning, infoShare Academy to launch software coding education programmes in GCC

With technology being increasingly critical in every facet of business, all organisations recognise the need to accelerate development of digital solutions to be competitive

Climate change: What is the GCC’s role in this equation

The region needs to capitalise on the economic benefits of the sustainable energy industry

Saudi sees ‘no useful purpose’ in engaging with Lebanon

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain have all recalled their diplomats from Lebanon

ASUS Business

Here’s how ASUS Business is bridging the technological gap in education

The company is also aggressively launching new products, solutions and initiatives in 2022

Over half of Arab youth say they will boycott brands that damage the environment

The region’s youth is keen to ensure governments and businesses act responsibly when it comes to climate action

Gitex Global

Gitex Global: Here’s how the region’s tech landscape is changing

The Middle East and Africa region appears to be on its way to becoming a significant leader in the adoption of technologies

PubG

GCC’s biggest PUBG Mobile championship launched

As the official smartphone partner of PUBG Mobile Esports in the Middle East and Africa in 2021, OPPO will play an active part in the company’s esports championships

Here’s how blockchain has revolutionised the regional financial sector

While blockchain technology is still in its early stages in the Middle East, public and private sectors are aggressively using it to streamline operations

Rivoli Vision

Rivoli launches dedicated eyewear division in the GCC

Rivoli Vision expects 100 stores to be opened by early 2022 across its three eyewear retail concepts: Avanti, Rivoli Eyezone and Style 88

Healthy prospects: Dubai-based startup Med Reach on plans ahead

The healthtech startup is aiming to close communication gaps in the healthcare market, say founders Mohammad Shalaby, Abdulkader Tatari and Firas Anjarini

Boardroom connection: How to best manage family members

There are a few steps family boards can embrace for the long-term success

Playkey cloud gaming

Playkey.me is now available in the Middle East

The playkey.me application is compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 and higher and Windows 32- and 64-bit

data centre

Charging the future

With the increasing use of lithium-ion batteries in data centres, the market is expected to grow significantly by 2025

Alan’s corner: Why companies must build their unique proposition

There is often an over-emphasis in this region on price as if it was the most important factor in a deal

HPE and Alpha Data: Accelerating digital transformation

Saudi Arabia’s AlMalki Group digitally transforms luxury retail experiences for GCC customers

Salesforce solutions to provide personalised, omnichannel customer shopping journeys

Dubai’s Emirates announces changes in leadership roles across GCC, Africa, other regions

All of the new appointments are effective September 1, 2021

china-arab states expo

China-Arab States Expo closes with $24bn worth of deals

The fifth edition of the biennial China-Arab States Expo was held in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from August 19-22

Education 2.0: How the GCC’s academic landscape is moving forward

With the education sector having gone through a metamorphosis in the past year and a half, what does the future hold?

Here’s why GCC investors should be looking at Uzbekistan

The country has embarked on an ambitious economic transformation strategy as it transitions to ‘New Uzbekistan’

Ntechlab

NtechLab expands into GCC with its face recognition tool

The company has announced the opening of its Gulf representative office in Abu Dhabi

Explainer: Are physical events making a comeback in the GCC?

Events that are the leaders in their sector will probably recover quicker as customers will reduce the number of exhibitions they attend, opines Andy White, senior vice president, dmg events

Esports Valorant

Strike Arabia Championship, region’s first Valorant competition launched

The competition will see local teams qualify for Europe’s last chance qualifier mega event

Saudi Arabia Riyadh

Saudi Arabia issues highest-ever number of foreign investor licences in a single quarter

It issued 478 licenses in Q1 2021, a 36 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year

digital

Riding the wave of digital transformation 2.0

As we embark upon a new month of working in full-remote or hybrid environments, many organisations are realising that the workplace will likely never look the same again

Developer of UAE National Rail Network completes excavation of the GCC’s longest rail tunnel

The 1.8km tunnel cuts through the Hajar Mountain towards emirate of Fujairah