Though the service is initially available to users in Europe, Bitpanda said it will expand it to the UAE and the rest of the region
World
cancer
Drug delivery platform BioSapien raises $5.5mn funding from MENA VC Global Ventures-led investors
The fresh capital will fund BioSapien’s clinical trials in the UAE, with patient enrolments in Abu Dhabi set to begin in Q2 2025
football
French league rejects Mbappe’s $57mn PSG bonus claim
The conflict centres on a contentious agreement from Aug. 2023, when Mbappé was temporarily exiled from the first team for refusing to extend his contract
Apple
Apple integrates ChatGPT feature in its new iOS and iPadOS updates
Apple Intelligence’s language expanded beyond US English; Several new languages coming soon in 2025
FIFA
Saudi Arabia to host FIFA World Cup 2034
FIFA confirms Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 World Cup
gen z
UAE jobs: Should you be a ‘brat’ at work? Experts weigh in
Gen Z workers are embracing the ‘brat’ TikTok trend to thrive at work by prioritising their mental health, taking more sick leaves, and more – but is it the right approach?
Bitcoin
Trump-fueled bitcoin rally sparks dual threat: Cyber extortion, LLM attacks loom, experts say
Another trend industry experts and insiders are anticipating in 2025 is the spread of the generative AI-based ‘deepfakes’ into the business sector in a big way
air passengers
IATA: Global aviation industry revenue to pass $1tn in 2025 with 5 billion passengers expected
IATA forecasts a landmark year for airline industry in 2025 as passenger numbers could pass five billion
Bond watches
Omega updates James Bond’s Seamaster 300 in titanium and bronze gold
Premium watch brand Omega has introduced the latest version of its iconic Seamaster 300, as worn by James Bond, with titanium and bronze gold editions
e-visa
Kuwait stops e-visas and offers visa-on-arrival to 53 countries including USA, UK, Canada, France and Germany
Kuwait announces temporary suspension of e-visas and issuance of visa-on-arrival for citizens of 53 countries
Canada
America First 2.0: Trump’s new trade doctrine could target allies first, experts say
Experts say viewing Trump solely as anti-China misses the broader global trade transformation underway
blockchain technology
Dubai digital asset venture Scintilla announces new upgrades to tokenisation engie
Post-acquisition, the company is to offer a comprehensive suite of services, including structuring, issuance, distribution, and listing to drive innovation in tokenizing real-world assets
baby boomers
Gen Z must be financially independent and not ‘rely’ on Great Wealth Transfer, say UAE experts
With longer life expectancy and mounting healthcare costs, the traditional concept of passing wealth to the next generation has evolved from certainty to mere possibility, according to experts
Aviation
Middle East airline traffic up 2.2% in October: IATA
International airline traffic demand was up 7.1% in October
China
Wall Street banks predict biggest China rate cuts in a decade: Report
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley are among those projecting cuts of 40bps to the People’s Bank of China’s main policy rate in 2025
China
If Mexico won’t fix cartels, ‘Trump will’: Former trade advisor Bennett signals US intervention on fentanyl crisis
“Mexico has a problem in that a large portion of the country remains lawless, controlled by the cartels, and that’s got to be fixed,” Bennett says
China
China ‘miscalculated’ by becoming US trade competitor, says ex-Trump advisor
Barry Bennett’s comments come a week after Trump announced plans to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese imports upon taking office on Jan. 20