Masdar City--Abu Dhabi’s $18 billion experiment in high-tech, low-resource living--got a ton of press when it was announced. Now that it’s up and running, is it living up to its promise?
LivingSocial has acquired popular pan-Arab coupon site GoNabit for an undisclosed sum, which is good news for local startups and quite bad news for Groupon's struggling Middle East operations.
Research In Motion just landed a deal to bring advanced egovernment services to the United Arab Emirates, just days after the end of a highly public spat between RIM and the Emiratis. What changed?
Research In Motion has struggled in the United Arab Emirates--the BlackBerry was almost banned. But what does a deal between RIM and the UAE mean for RIM's foreign operations?
Deserts have a way of reclaiming whatever is built upon them. In the case of Dubai, the global financial implosion has sent that process into overdrive. After six years of frenzied expansion, during which the population grew at 7% annually and nearly $600 billion went into construction, reality has come rushing into view.
Deserts have a way of reclaiming whatever is built upon them. In the case of Dubai, the global financial implosion has sent that process into overdrive. After six years of frenzied expansion, during which the population grew at 7% annually and nearly $600 billion went into construction, reality has come rushing into view.
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The ambassador to the UN from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) told me recently that every government agency in his country has a sustainability plan out to the year 2030. The most significant part of that policy exercise is the fact they need to develop an economy beyond oil - - because they expect to run out of it by then.
Christmas comes in February for defense contractors. Thanks to its enormous military budget, China is the biggest target for the kinds of companies that will hawk everything from battleships to bullets at this five-day fair. But as a belligerent Iran continues to spook its neighbors, sheikhs and emirs are expected to put on quite a dirham-flashing display. The Saudis, in particular, will likely be buying.
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