Tag: MENA

    Responsible finance urged for Middle East-linked FinTechs

    The Responsible Finance and Investment (RFI) Foundation, in partnership with HSBC Middle East Ltd, is working to accelerate the adoption of responsible finance by FinTechs, GDNonline reports.  The newly-launched RFI’s Global Virtual Innovation (GVI) Hub is striving to bring responsible finance to the forefront at FinTech startups during their early development stages. The goal of […]

    Shell launches ‘carbon neutral’ lubricants in the Middle East

    Shell has launched a range of ‘carbon neutral’ lubricants in the Middle East for various applications ranging from passenger cars to heavy-duty diesel engines. The Shell Helix Ultra lubricants are developed to offer a more sustainable choice of motor oil without compromising high performance and engine protection, Plant Machinery vehicles states. The Shell Rimula R6 […]

    USA attitude towards MENA: from resistance and retaliation to resilience and reliance

    The Middle East is not the same region the US defined it as several decades ago. This is the main idea of Sarah Elzeini article. She’s a founder and CEO of SMZ International Group, a boutique strategic advisory and activities firm. Her clientele includes law firms, nonprofits, the private sector and sovereign states. *** In […]

    Interpol: Wildlife trade seizures lead to hundreds of arrests worldwide

    Hundreds of arrests have been made in a global operation by Interpol and customs authorities against traffickers in wildlife. Operation Thunder recovers more than 1,000 animals in operation spanning 118 countries, The National News reports. Criminal networks have been severely disrupted by the month-long Operation Thunder 2021 spread across 118 countries, with thousands of vehicles […]

    Al-Futtaim Malls extends solar project with $2mn investment
    08 Dec 2021

    Following the success of Phase 1 of the Dubai Festival City Mall solar generation project, Al-Futtaim Malls has announced plans to extend the facility’s operations with a $2.17mn (AED8mn) Phase 2. Phase 2 of the solar project is divided into two sections providing a total of 2.6 MWh of power, which is estimated to generate […]

    Green Hydrogen: The new scramble for North Africa
    08 Dec 2021

    European plans for hydrogen energy projects in North Africa smack of green colonialism, says London-based Algerian researcher and activist Hamza Hamouchene in his article for Al Jazeera. Let’s check it. *** The potential of the Sahara desert in North Africa to generate large amounts of renewable energy thanks to its dry climate and vast expanses […]

    Oman tops Arab countries in World Environment Quality Index

    The Sultanate of Oman tops the Arab countries in the World Environment Quality Index for the year 2021, Times of Oman reports. “This came in the 2021 Insider Expat survey, which was released by the German InterNations network 2017,” the Environment Authority announced. “The Sultanate of Oman ranked 17th in the world in the environmental […]

    Sustainable fashion is not a trend; it’s a necessity, says e-commerce platform chief

    For many, sustainable fashion is an interest or trend. For the founders of the global sustainable e-commerce platform Plain Tiger, it’s a necessity, Arab News states. In the middle of the night, Oliver Baillie woke up in his new home in South Africa to find strange men in his house. He began thrashing, worried it […]

    Saudi Arabia startups see massive growth in eco-friendly ‘impact’ funding

    Venture capital impact investment in Saudi Arabia reached a new high in 2021 in both total numbers of transactions and capital deployed, according to a report produced by MAGNiTT and sponsored by Wa’ed, Saudi Aramco’s entrepreneurship arm. Impact investments aim to generate a measurable social and environmental benefit alongside a financial return, Arab News reports. […]

    Organic cosmetics brand sees Bahrain as a key step to growth

    Bahrain is the next stop for organic cosmetics brand Liht Organics, which sees the kingdom as a critical step on its way to a billion-dollar company in five years. The two-year-old Singaporean beauty label is planning to launch in the kingdom during the first quarter of next year, Nerissa Low, the founder, and chief executive […]