The wire

Dubai Diamond Week returns from October 26-29, 2026 as DMCC brings together global industry leaders following Dubai's record $41.7bn diamond trade

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia will host the third International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO 2026) in Jeddah, with the participation of 19 countries represented by approximately 120 students and scientific specialists. The event is jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), and the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE). With King Abdulaziz University hosting the event from August 2 to 9, 2026, the opening ceremony will be held on Monday, August 3, under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region. The International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO), approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2024, serves as a global s…

ROME — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called for the immediate end of settler violence against the Palestinian people, saying attacks carried out under the protection or with the support of Israeli security forces must be halted and those responsible held accountable.Speaking at a high-level interfaith dialogue meeting in Rome on Wednesday, Prince Faisal said dialogue among followers of different faiths has become a strategic necessity and a fundamental pillar for achieving a just and lasting peace.The meeting, held as part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Plan, was chaired by Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and attended by Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, members of the Global Alliance for the Impleme…

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Finance welcomed the International Monetary Fund's 2026 Article IV Consultation report, which said the Kingdom's economy has remained resilient despite geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.The IMF said Saudi Arabia entered 2026 with strong momentum after its economy expanded by 4.6% in 2025, driven by the gradual unwinding of OPEC+ production cuts and robust domestic demand. The report also noted an improvement in the Kingdom's fiscal position, with the non-oil primary deficit narrowing from 24.5% of non-oil GDP in 2024 to 23.3% in 2025.The report credited Saudi Arabia's long-term planning and strategic infrastructure investments for helping mitigate the impact of regional tensions. It highlighted the East-West pipeline, which can transport around 7…

RIYADH — The Muslim World League (MWL), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and several Arab countries strongly condemned the attempted attacks targeting oil facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region. The organizations and countries reaffirmed their solidarity with the Kingdom and support for the measures it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and stability. MWL strongly condemned the continued attacks by Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq against Saudi Arabia, including the attempted targeting of oil facilities in the Eastern Region. The Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa described the attacks as treacherous criminal acts that violate religious values and international and humanitarian laws and norms.…

Despite being down today, ETH has clawed back from the worst levels of the year. Now it's waiting on the Fed.

Zcash is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that enables users to hide key details of transactions by leveraging zk-SNARKs.

AI developers are quietly buying physical books by the millions, slicing them apart, scanning every page into AI training datasets, and discarding the originals.

With the Light Phone, Kaiwei Tang and Joe Hollier have spent over a decade exploring the value of simplicity in our relationship to technology, partnering along the way with players like Andrew Yang, Kendrick Lamar, and Pete Davidson. Now, with a new flip phone and a growing wave of “attention activists” pushing back against Big Tech, they think the rest of […]

RIYADH — A penalty of up to SR100,000 will be imposed on Hajj and Umrah service companies that fail to notify authorities of pilgrims or Umrah performers who overstay their authorized period of stay in the Kingdom, Saudi Public Security warned. Public Security said the fine applies to companies and establishments that delay notifying the competent authorities of any Hajj pilgrim or Umrah performer who remains in the Kingdom after the expiration of their authorized period of stay. It added that the financial penalty may reach SR100,000 and will be multiplied according to the number of violators. Authorities urged the public to report violations of residency, labor, and border security regulations by calling 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, or 999 in the rest of the…

AI home management startup Hint, co-founded by Martha Stewart, wants to become an “AI for your home,” combining property records, maintenance schedules, home documents, and an AI assistant into a single app.

RIYADH — Saudi Border Guard arrested seven border security violators and foiled a separate drug smuggling attempt in operations across the Jazan and Asir regions, seizing 140 kilograms of khat and 139,950 tablets subject to medical circulation regulations. In Jazan, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Daer Sector arrested five border security violators of Ethiopian and Yemeni nationalities for attempting to smuggle 100 kilograms of khat. **media[2743949]** In a separate operation in Asir, Border Guard land patrols in the Al-Raboua Sector arrested two Ethiopian border security violators for attempting to smuggle 40 kilograms of khat. Meanwhile, in another operation in the Al-Daer Sector of the Jazan Region, Border Guard land patrols foiled an attempt to smuggle 139,950 tablets subject to me…

Polar has come out with an AI-first browser aimed at knowledge workers, and it has now raised a $5.7 million seed round led by Madrona.

The startup analyzes calls, messages, and CRM data to identify effective sales techniques and turn them into playbooks for AI agents.

The latest action targets eight tankers, eight overseas shipping companies and two Iranian maritime bodies as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz escalate

JEDDAH — The annual Delta Aquariids meteor shower will peak over the Arab world in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, offering stargazers one of the year's most prominent celestial displays. Under dark skies away from light pollution, several meteors will be visible to the naked eye, making the event especially appealing to astronomy enthusiasts and astrophotographers. Head of the Jeddah Astronomy Society Majed Abu Zahra said the Delta Aquariids could produce up to 25 meteors per hour under ideal observing conditions. **media[2743893]** He said the best viewing time begins around 3 a.m., when the shower's radiant rises above the southern horizon, with activity continuing until dawn. Abu Zahra explained that the Delta Aquariids are active annually from July 12 to August 23, as Earth passes thr…

RIYADH — Saudi diplomat Aseil bint Sultan Al-Shehail has drawn attention after taking the oath of office before Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman as one of the Kingdom's newly appointed ambassadors.Al-Shehail was recently appointed as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Ambassador to Sweden and non-resident Ambassador to Iceland.She is regarded as one of the first Saudi women to gain international prominence in diplomacy through her work on human rights at the United Nations. In 2010, she was elected to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child after being nominated by Saudi Arabia.Her election followed a highly competitive two-year selection process that included interviews, evaluations of candidates' priorities and objectives, and debates assessing their expertise…

With the Light Phone, Kaiwei Tang and Joe Hollier have spent over a decade exploring the value of simplicity in our relationship to technology, partnering along the way with players like Andrew Yang, Kendrick Lamar, and Pete Davidson. Now, with a new flip phone and a growing wave of “attention activists” pushing back against Big Tech, they think the rest of […]

Centralize, an enterprise sales platform, emerges from stealth and shares exclusive news of its $15 million Series A funding round with Crunchbase News.

HSBC launches UAE tokenised deposits, helping businesses move funds instantly, improve liquidity management, automate payments and reduce settlement delays significantly