Author: Arabian Media staff

Soon after Shibaura Electronics received a $465mn hostile takeover bid in February, the manufacturer of temperature sensors used in products from rice cookers to missiles fired off a list of 50 questions to its pursuer, Yageo. One of the enquiries it directed at the Taiwanese company, which has business links to China, concerned how much of its sales are to the Chinese military. Yageo declined to answer, offering a conversation behind closed doors instead.A Japanese group, MinebeaMitsumi, emerged as a rival suitor, but has twice been outbid by Yageo, whose current offer of ¥6,200 is 97 per cent above Shibaura’s…

Image: Supplied The AI revolution isn’t coming — it’s already here. But for most business leaders, bridging the gap between AI hype and actionable strategy remains a challenge. Enter the Generative AI Scholars Programme, a joint initiative by Accenture and Stanford University, now being rolled out across the Middle East. In this interview, Abir Habbal, Data and AI Strategy & Consulting lead at Accenture in the Middle East, explains what makes this programme more than just another executive course. From bite-sized modules grounded in Stanford’s academic legacy to real-world applications tailored for the region’s ambitious digital visions, this programme is…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund is calling for urgent reform of Europe’s capital markets including harmonised tax, insolvency and supervisory rules to ensure the continent does not fall further behind the US and Asia in competitiveness.Norway’s $1.9tn oil fund is the biggest single owner of European assets, owning on average 2.5 per cent of every listed company on the continent.But the share of European equities in its total assets has fallen from 26 per cent to 15 per cent in the…

Syria will be fully reconnected to the Swift international payment system “in a matter of weeks”, the country’s new central bank governor said, relinking the country to the global economy after 14 years of war and sanctions that rendered it a pariah state.The return of Swift is the first major milestone in the new government’s liberalising overhaul of the Syrian economy — and a sign that the new authorities are moving fast to lure international trade and investment after the US lifted sanctions last month.In an interview in Damascus, central bank chief Abdulkader Husrieh detailed a road map for restructuring…

Image: Getty Images/ For illustrative purposes Dubai is emerging as one of the world’s fastest-growing higher education hubs, with total student enrollment at private institutions rising by around 20 per cent in the 2024–25 academic year, and international student numbers jumping 29 per cent, according to figures released by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and global consultancy L.E.K. Consulting. More than 42,000 students are now enrolled across 41 private higher education institutions licensed by the KHDA, with international students making up 35 per cent of the total — a figure expected to rise under the emirate’s Education 33…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the Workplace pensions myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.What does one get if one combines the UK’s proclivity for muddling through with the predictability needed by a system for providing security in old age? The answer is: a mess. Over time, piecemeal solutions create new messes.There are two distinct sets of problems with the pension system of today.The first is that current and future pensioners now fall into four categories: public sector workers, who enjoy secure, inflation-protected pensions, backstopped by taxpayers; beneficiaries of secure defined benefit (DB) private pensions, many…

Brazil is hoping to sell its first sovereign debt in the Chinese market as soon as this year, as President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva looks to strengthen trade and investment ties with the Asian superpower.The leftwing administration in Brasília is planning the so-called panda bond — debt issued in Chinese renminbi by a foreign borrower — and is also keen to re-enter the euro-denominated bond market, according to deputy finance minister Dario Durigan.“The idea is that this year we’ll do both a new dollar issuance of a sustainable bond, like we did last year, as well as in Europe,…

Image: Gareth Harford / Motorsport Images Photographer) courtesy E1/ For illustrative purposes In the high-stakes world of international events, delivering flawless execution while juggling complex logistics, tight timelines, and diverse stakeholders is no small feat. Danny Klima, venue portfolio director at Ethara, shares how project management principles are at the heart of the success of iconic events like the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year. With over two decades of global experience and 18 years in the UAE, Klima reflects on how certifications from the Project Management Institute (PMI) have shaped his leadership, fostered sustainability, and…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldAmerican companies are urging Washington to lower tariffs on Vietnam, arguing that the south-east Asian country has become a vital part of their “China plus one” diversification strategy.Vietnam was one of the biggest winners from US President Donald Trump’s trade war in his first term as manufacturers shifted from China. Apple, Intel and Nike are among American companies that rely heavily on Vietnam. As a result of that production shift, the south-east Asian country’s trade surplus with the US ballooned, crossing…

Travel spending in the Middle East is projected to climb 50 per cent by 2030, reaching nearly $350bn, driven by surging inbound tourism, expanding luxury and business travel, and increased investment in sports and entertainment, according to the ATM Travel Trends Report 2025 released by Arabian Travel Market in collaboration with Tourism Economics. The report forecasts that inbound travel to the region will grow by 13 per cent annually between 2025 and 2030, significantly outpacing global averages. Key source markets fueling this rise include Asia and Africa, alongside strong demand from Europe, where the UK and India remain the top…