The US-based company calls the Middle East “a hub of innovation, with rapid adoption of AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and smart city initiatives”
World
Artificial intelligence
IO.NET founder invests $130mn in O.XYZ, the world’s first shutdown-resistant super intelligence
Shadid’s investment builds on his remarkable success as the founder of IO.NET, which he led to a valuation of $4.5 billion within just 12 months
Dar Global
Dar Global announces $1.9bn luxury real estate developments for 2025
The projects include a variety of residential, mixed-use, and luxury properties, reinforcing Dar Global’s presence in international markets
merger
Getty Images, Shutterstock announce $3.7bn merger deal
The merged entity will retain the name Getty Images Holdings, Inc and continue trading on the New York Stock Exchange under “GETY”
International Students
Public health, law, accounting and biological sciences emerge among top courses in high demand in 2024: Study
Institutions like Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford Law School are leading the way in these emerging fields
Donald Trump
Donald Trump haunts central banks primed for wary rate cuts in 2025
Bloomberg Economics projects its aggregate measure of advanced-world interest rates to drop just 72 basis points in 2025, less than it did in 2024
NVIDIA
Nvidia market value soars $2 trillion in 2024 on AI surge
Apple continued to lead global companies in market value, nearing a historic $4 trillion valuation
Bitget
Bitget crypto exchange announces burn of 800m BGB Tokens
Bitget to reduce BGB token supply by 40 per cent
Global population growth
World population hits 8.156 billion in 2024
The population of the Earth is set to peak at 10.3bn in the 2080s
Cristiano Ronaldo
Globe Soccer Dubai Awards 2024: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, Neymar and more celebrated
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lamine Yamal triumph at Globe Soccer Dubai Awards 2024
Aviation
Turkish Airlines wins Guinness World Record for most countries flown
The ceremony was attended by executives from Turkish Airlines and officials from Guinness World Records
Bitcoin
Hackers steal $2.2bn in crypto in 2024 amid Bitcoin bull run: Report
The number of individual hacking incidents increased from 282 in 2023 to 303 in 2024, resulting in these losses
Artificial intelligence
TCS study shows GenAI, Cloud Security, and ‘Zero Trust’ as key priorities
Experts identify seven focus areas that will influence cybersecurity in 2025 as new technologies give rise to new and complex threats
Artificial intelligence
Global CEOs see economic boom in 2025, China push as Trump retakes presidency: Report
The optimistic outlook persists despite geopolitical challenges, with over 75% of CEOs and 83% of investors expecting recent global elections to improve economic conditions and stability
Blockchain
Ripple announces launch of globally tradeable USD-denominated stablecoins
The company said Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and Kenneth Montgomery, former First Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, will join the RLUSD advisory board
Bitcoin
Bitcoin hits record high above $106,000 on strategic reserve hopes
Bitcoin has surged by more than 50 per cent since the November 5 election, which saw Trump elected alongside many other pro-crypto candidates
CBUAE
New tax in the UAE; Lottery warning; Crypto trading in Dubai; Kuwait halts e-visas; Saudi to host 2034 World Cup – 10 things you missed this week
UAE tax, UAE Lottery, crypto in Dubai, Kuwait visas, Saudi World Cup and more top news stories this week