RIYADH British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday she would raise “hard issues” with Saudi Arabia’s leaders during her visit, as critics urged her to pressure Riyadh over its war in Yemen and human rights record. May was expected to explore ways of boosting trade ties with the kingdom during her two-day visit, her second to a Gulf Arab state since Britain decided to leave the […]
The Middle East Film and Comic Con returns to Dubai World Trade Centre this weekend for its sixth edition, promising more of celebrity guests, comic-book artists, workshops, gaming and cosplay fun that make it a favourite pop-culture fixture for about 70,000 comic and pop culture fans every year. Here is our round-up of this year’s highlights. The celebrities As the convention has grown from humble beginnings, so […]
Here is a selection of five charts that FT Markets believes are important signals for investors as the second quarter begins. 1. US equities How expensive does the US equity market look? This is perhaps the biggest question facing money managers. The answer is “very”, based on the S&P 500’s 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio, divided by the current low level of Vix, or implied volatility, as the […]
JOHANNESBURG President Jacob Zuma said South Africa’s fiscal policies will not change and that people should remain calm after its credit rating was cut to junk following a political reshuffle that he defended as bringing new blood into the cabinet. But moments later, the ANC-allied Cosatu, South Africa’s largest trade union, said Zuma must step down after his change of finance ministers triggered the credit rating downgrade. […]
A company in Sweden is tapping on a relatively new technology to give their employees the ability to do things with just a wave of the hand. The technology also has the potential to track what employees do. Swedish company Epicenter offers to implant its workers with microchip the size of a grain of rice. Injecting the microchip that functions as swipe card for opening doors and […]
For traders trying to decipher if Opec’s output cuts are finally tightening the oil market, the evidence may lie out at sea. Data provided to the Financial Times show that crude oil being shipped over the oceans or stored on supertankers has dropped by as much as 16 per cent since the beginning of the year, in a signal that supplies could be dropping faster than many […]
Saudi Arabia posted its first rise in non-oil exports for eight months in January, according to latest data released by the country’s Central Department of Statistics and Information. The value of Saudi Arabia’s imports shrank 11.6 percent to SR43.2 billion from a year earlier in January while non-oil exports rose by 10.3 percent to more than SR14 billion over the same period. Non-oil exports traditionally account for […]
KINSHASA, Congo — On Oct. 4, 2016, Etienne Tshisekedi made his final address to a crowd gathered in the courtyard of his party’s headquarters. The longtime leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s opposition was visibly frail, and the speech, slow and hesitant, lasted only three minutes. But the old man still managed to rev up his followers, many of whom strained to hear from the […]
Knowledge+™ provides Saudi leaders the skills to lead their own communications teams 04 April 2017Knowledge+™ provides Saudi leaders the skills to lead their own communications teams Al Riyadh – Leading public relations and communications agency Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has launched Knowledge+™, a communications training academy created as a solution to the talent development needs of the Middle East and North Africa region. Bridging the skills gap through […]
By Nichola Saminather | SINGAPORE SINGAPORE Asian shares inched lower on Tuesday as caution reigned ahead of a potentially tense meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week. The dollar lost ground after investors sold stocks overnight and looked to safe havens as political uncertainty overshadowed positive U.S. economic data and solid growth in global manufacturing. European markets were also […]
April 4, 2017 by: Hudson Lockett in Hong Kong Tuesday 06.00 BST Overview Asian bonds rallied on Tuesday and yield on US Treasuries dipped to a five-week low ahead of key US events later in the week, while sentiment on South Africa’s rand soured further after S&P downgraded the country’s credit rating. Hot topic The yield, which moves inversely to price, on 10-year US Treasuries rose 1 […]
SEOUL South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) have slashed vehicle production in China, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, amid diplomatic tensions and competition from local brands. China, the world’s biggest auto market, accounted for over a quarter of the pair’s 2016 overseas sales but their March sales there were hit by anti-Korean sentiment and competition from local automakers like Geely […]
Under the patronage of Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani, QDB will officially open 2nd Government Procurement & Contracting Conference and Exhibition – Moushtarayat 2017 – to the public from 6 to 8 April 2017 The expo is held in partnership with the Ministry of Finance (MoF) National Procurement Awards to recognize big buyers that have contributed […]
The Uber executive accused of stealing trade secrets from his former employer, Alphabet, was allegedly involved in a competing start-up while he employed there, a company that eventually became part of Uber. The revelation is the latest in a high-stakes legal battle between Alphabet and Uber, which are both competing to master self-driving car technology so that they offer driverless transportation fleets. The lawsuit brought by Alphabet’s […]
When we first wrote about Chowbotics, their salad-making robot, which was then just a prototype, stirred a bit of controversy. The company promises to bring nutritious dining options to offices that don’t have a big cafeteria and budget to employ full-time chefs. But, like other food automation technologies, their robot, Sally, threatens to put a number of people out of work if it replaces prep cooks in restaurants. […]
People who use or trade personal information obtained illegally can now be charged with an offence even if they did not perform the hacking to retrieve the data, after changes to cyber security laws were passed yesterday. In amending the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act, the Government is moving to keep pace with the evolving nature of cybercrime and criminal acts that target computer systems. Besides criminalising […]
Tesla, the upstart electric carmaker, surpassed US motor pioneer Ford in market value on Monday, as investors look to a future beyond the internal combustion engine. Shares of Tesla, founded in 2003, rose 7.3 per cent to a market capitalisation of $48.7bn, gliding past the 100-year-old Ford, whose shares fell 1.7 per cent after disappointing March sales results to a market value of $45.3bn. While it is symbolic for […]
Dubai, UAE – April 3, 2017 BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB) today shared new details on its broad licensing strategy which addresses the growing need for secure, connected devices and endpoints in today’s Enterprise of Things. The first phase of BlackBerry’s strategy, announced in September 2016, was focused on providing the most secure and comprehensive Android software for smartphones around the world manufactured and marketed […]
The annual Cesco Week gathering for the global copper industry starts Monday in Santiago. For the first time in five years, attendees arriving in the Chilean capital can reflect on a copper price that is higher than at the previous year’s event. However, optimism that 2017 represents a turning point in the market should be tempered by the realisation that any sustained recovery in the copper price […]
Despite continued heavy incentive spending, every auto OEM, with the exception of Nissan, missed their sales forecasts for the month of March. The “D3” were the biggest losers of the month with GM sales up 1.6% YoY vs. estimates of +7.0% while Ford sales dropped -7.2% and Fiat Chrysler declined -5.0%. Car sales were even worse with industry volumes down 10.6% overall versus light truck sales that […]
Investors face a test of nerve as the second quarter beckons. The rally in US stocks and the dollar sparked by the election of Donald Trump is looking stretched, amid doubts about the president’s ability to deliver fiscal stimulus for the economy that can justify lofty equity valuations. The shifting mood has spurred money into emerging markets and European stocks, with EM currencies enjoying a stellar March […]
You need Javascript and either Adobe Flash or Html5 to view this video. You need Javascript and either Adobe Flash or Html5 to view this video. Video: Matthew Mirabelli Konrad Mizzi is refusing to reply to any more questions on his involvement in the Panama Papers, saying that he has now exhausted all questions on the matter. Following a press conference on a new joint venture with […]
The Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah) has announced that total foreign direct investment is expected to exceed a record AED1 billion ($270 million) by the end of the year – an anticipated growth of 15 percent on 2016. A statement said the figures are a testament to Sharjah’s focus on encouraging overseas businesses to establish and expand their assets in the emirate. The forecast sees an […]
By Yashaswini Swamynathan U.S. stocks were flat on Monday, with investors awaiting the earnings season to justify high valuations, and, more immediately, the implications of President Donald Trump’s “very difficult” meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump said in a tweet last Thursday that the meeting over the coming Thursday and Friday would be “a very difficult one” as the United States could not risk massive trade […]
