Artificial intelligence-assisted tools have been instrumental in narrowing the gap between a startup idea and a working product, allowing founders and developers to build apps, websites, data tools, and business products without writing a single line of traditional code. This was among the key themes discussed during a hands-on workshop organised by Startup Grind Doha, in collaboration with Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), which drew more than 100 founders, developers, creators, and technology enthusiasts to explore how AI is reshaping software and startup creation. Held at QSTP, the ‘Ship Anything with Replit Agent 4’ workshop showcased how startups and entrepreneurs can rapidly move from idea to execution by building apps, websites, data tools, and business products directly through AI-assisted workflows.The session featured Abdulrahman Aldhalaan, a member of the growth team at Replit, who led participants through the capabilities of Replit Agent 4, an AI-powered development system designed to help users plan, design, build, and launch products through natural language. Attendees also received access to Replit to continue experimenting and building on the platform after the event. The workshop comes as Replit, whose platform underpinned the session, closed a $400mn Series D funding round that tripled its valuation to $9bn, with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) among participants. QSTP programme director Hayfa al-Abdulla emphasised that providing access to global technologies and practical innovation experiences remains central to its role in Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Al-Abdulla said, “QSTP is committed to advancing Qatar’s innovation ecosystem by connecting global technologies with local talent and entrepreneurs. Hosting workshops like ‘Ship Anything with Replit Agent 4’ reflects our focus on delivering hands-on experiences that turn innovation into real impact.” Aldhalaan noted that Replit is witnessing “incredible momentum” across the region from founders and builders who want to move faster and turn ideas into products with the help of AI. “Replit Agent 4 is designed to make software creation dramatically more accessible, and it was exciting to see the enthusiasm and creativity from the community in Doha,” he explained. Indica Amarasinghe, chapter director of Startup Grind Doha, said: “AI is fundamentally changing how startups are built.”

The emerging-market (EM) carry trade has bounced back from its Iran war losses as surging crude oil prices reinforce expectations that interest rates will stay elevated and bolster the currencies of commodity exporters.An index tracking this trading strategy has jumped more than 3% from its March low, and gained about 1.7% since the conflict began in late February. The gauge approximates the carry trade by measuring returns from borrowing in three low-yielding currencies — namely the yen, Swiss franc and Chinese yuan — and investing in eight higher-yielding emerging market ones, including the Brazilian real and South African rand.The rally in oil due to the Middle East conflict is proving a double-edged sword for emerging markets. While it initially caused a flight to safety away from the sector, the last month has seen investors return to growth-oriented assets. The rise in crude prices has also boosted bets that central banks will tighten monetary policy aggressively to rein in consumer prices, ensuring real rates — nominal rates adjusted for inflation — remain attractive.“The EM carry trade will be buoyed by higher-for-longer real rates to combat incipient inflationary expectations,” said Jason Devito, a senior portfolio manager for emerging market debt at Federated Hermes Inc. in Pittsburgh. “While there are winners and losers within EM from higher oil prices, the losers are better prepared than ever, while the winners, such as Brazil for example, are supported by central bank credibility amid a backdrop of high real rates.”Traders have been increasing their bets that elevated oil prices will keep inflation and policy rates high across developing nations. The average of 12-month interest-rate swaps from 14 emerging-market economies has risen to 5.7% from 5% before the Iran conflict began, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.The rebound in the carry trade has also been helped by relatively subdued currency volatility. A gauge of one-month EM foreign-exchange volatility is currently 6.88%, down from as high as 9.23% in the middle of March, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co index. Lower volatility supports the carry trade by minimizing the risk that exchange-rate fluctuations will erase profits from interest-rate differentials.Some individual trades have delivered stellar returns. A strategy of borrowing in the Swiss franc and investing in the Brazilian real since the end of February returned 6.6%, while funding in the yen and buying the Turkish lira delivered a gain of 6.9%, based on data compiled by Bloomberg.The current market environment remains favorable to the emerging-market carry trade partly as the Federal Reserve will refrain from turning more hawkish under Kevin Warsh, said Homin Lee, a strategist at Lombard Odier in Singapore.“We are bullish on the Brazilian real first and foremost,” he said. “Brazil is strongly positioned to withstand the ongoing energy market disruption and also benefit from the post-conflict global capex boom.”While there are opportunities to profit from carry, investors must remain vigilant due to rising political risks, including the elections this year in Colombia and Brazil.“EM carry remains attractive but increasingly selective,” said Anthony Kettle, a senior portfolio manager at RBC Bluebay Asset Management in London. “We favour high yielders with credible policy frameworks, strong real yields, and solid external balances, such as the real, as well as frontier names which are benefiting from elevated energy prices, for example Nigeria.”Some previously lucrative carry-trade bets are also coming under strain.Bank of America Corp and Barclays Plc are among the banks that recently abandoned their bullish positions on the Turkish lira, signaling concern about the fallout from the Iran conflict given the country’s position as an oil importer.“While higher-for-longer oil prices will help oil-exporting EMs with strong external balances, it will hurt oil-importing EMs where inflation, current-account deficits and bonds are more vulnerable,” said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo Markets in Singapore.Traders are generally more positive about the South African rand due to the outlook for monetary policy tightening.The market is now anticipating three quarter-point rate increases by the South African central bank this year, as the war in Iran fuels inflation concerns, whereas traders had been pricing in rate cuts before the conflict.“Rate hikes would clearly support the rand’s carry appeal via a wider rate differential,” said Hironori Sannami, a foreign-exchange trader at Mizuho Bank Ltd in London.