• Akhbaar
  • Posts
  • Is the economy ablaze? check out what’s on fire this week

Is the economy ablaze? check out what’s on fire this week

Qatar’s tourism is straight fire 🔥! With some major cash from the government and the World Cup hype, Qatar is now the ultimate vibe check for millions of tourists every year. Big slay!

Author

Akhbaar Team
June 14, 2024

News Bites

Yo, happy Eid weekend to those to celebrate— now, let’s dive in:

  1. An Israel-Gaza ceasefire plan 🕊️ was approved by the UN Security Council this week— 14 voted in favor, while Russia abstained from the vote ❌

  2. 4 hostages were rescued by Israel, but there were 200+ Palestinian civilian casualties as a result. The UN believes this can be categorized as a war crime ☠️

  3. At least 41 workers were killed when a residential building caught on fire in Kuwait. Overcrowded labor housing and their working conditions have been a HUGE issue in the Middle East and even raised a ton of controversy during the Qatar FIFA World Cup 😔

In This Issue

💰 Turkey x UAE collab
🏠 Housing perks for UAE citizens
🐟 Fish farming in Saudi
🥤 ANOTHER Coca-Cola commercial flop??

Today’s issue will take around 4 minutes to read 🤓

Economy

  • Qatar’s tourism is straight fire 🔥! With some major cash from the government and the World Cup hype, Qatar is now the ultimate vibe check for millions of tourists every year. Big slay!

  • Turkiye is leveling up regional trade by teaming up with big players like the UAE. Their collab hit a massive $20 billion in 2023. Talk about a major glow-up!

  • Egypt’s economy is getting its groove back and is set to hit a 4.2% growth in 2024, according to the World Bank 🌟 But trade in the Suez Canal is taking a hit, probably due to the tragic situation in Gaza 😔

guy boss GIF

Real Estate

  • UAE just dropped the ultimate Eid gift for its people! The 'Manzili' bundle (18 housing services for citizens) is gonna be worth a whopping $457.9 million when it kicks in! 🎁💸

  • May 2024 was 🔥 for Qatar with 322 real estate deals! That's a cool $346.41 million in just one month! 🏠💰

  • Saudi Arabia is going all out with construction for Vision 2030! 🚧💸 They've got $1.5 trillion in contracts to be awarded, making up almost 50% of construction plans in the MENA region 🏗️

Vibing Channel 9 GIF by The Block

Arts and Culture

  • Bangladesh released a Coca-Cola commercial that tried to distance itself from any Israel ties because of the impact of boycotts. As expected: tons of backlash. Watch the commercial HERE— thoughts?? 🥤

car crash GIF

  • Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival is adding a Saudi film to the lineup this year!! Kum Kum is a film based on a Jeddah Uni alumn, Jamjoom, going through the sudden loss of her best friend in 2012 🎥

  • The world’s oldest book is apparently from Egypt, and it’s getting auctioned off for big bucks in London! The Crosby-Schoyen Codex revolutionized Christianity when it was discovered in 1952 (p.s. it was buried for over 1500 years!!). If you’ve got around $4 million lying around, you can claim it as your own (or you can buy us something nice— just a thought) 💰 📖

Technology

  • Food production is messing with the climate 🌍 making it harder to grow food. NEOM’s TOPIAN in Saudi Arabia is stepping up with smart tech to solve that! They’re turning to fish farming, which uses less water 🐟, and have a new hatchery opening in Nov 2024. AI is optimizing fish feed, and they’re looking into alt meats and dairy to cut emissions. Who knew sustainable farming IS possible in tough climates?! 🚀🌱

  • 🌟 Dubai's aiming to be a top AI hub! At the AI Retreat, H.E. Omar Sultan Al-Olama hyped Dubai's AI future, urging companies to up investments and showcasing the tight talent and laws in place. P.s. UAE ranks 3rd globally for AI talent!! The Retreat, with 2,500+ leaders, focused on AI policies, ethics, and solutions for global challenges 🌍🤖

✨ akhbaar Spotlight ✨

Bassem Youssef

Your fave Egyptian comedian has continued to be outspoken about a bunch of world issues while still making you LOL during interviews. He’s now going on a Middle Beast Tour throughout the US and Canada! Check out tickets HERE

Can you help us out? 🌚 

Send this referral link to your friends/colleagues/randos and get rewarded 🙌🏽 👀