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Officials, experts, and industry leaders in Tuesday's session of the ministerial programme at MWC25 Doha discussed the technologies and services provided by mobile phones, which they said currently contribute $6.5tn to the global economy by enhancing productivity and efficiency in both the private and public sectors, while enabling citizens and the broader Internet ecosystem to thrive and drive innovation.The participants, in the session titled "Unleashing Investment Through Mobile: Rethinking Regulations for Growth and Innovation", highlighted trends in mobile telecommunications investment, best regulatory and financial practices to create an environment conducive to growth and innovation, as well as balanced financial frameworks that meet economic priorities, support affordability, stimulate investment, and address digital security policies and regulations that enhance consumer confidence in digital services while ensuring their safety and security.They emphasised that investments in the mobile telecommunications sector and mobile infrastructure are essential elements for building a digital economy, particularly in the region, with the potential for the digital economy to contribute up to 10% of GDP, making investment in mobile infrastructure highly significant.For his part, Eng Khalid al-Hashimi from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) spoke about information security in the telecommunications sector and the challenges faced by service providers in implementing contemporary security measures to address the risks of related technologies.He specifically focused on the importance of applying the principle of assurance to strengthen protection against cyber risks.Dr Mani Manimohan, Head of Policy and Regulation for Digital Infrastructure at the GSMA — which is organising MWC25 Doha in partnership with MCIT — said that, for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region, when looking across different markets in the region, one observes many areas related to the session's theme, both in fiscal and regulatory policy.He added that, on this basis, the session aims to rethink how to move away from traditional taxes and fees based on operators' revenues, as well as rigid and inflexible rules related to network deployment and service quality, and instead work on providing a regulatory and financial environment that is more equitable, reliable, and flexible, enabling operators to make the necessary investments to build the digital economy.Manimohan noted that mobile operators worldwide invest very substantial financial levels, amounting to approximately USD244bn annually, in network capital expenditures, which over the years has resulted in a remarkable success story in the mobile telecommunications sector.He noted, for various reasons, the existence of a gap between governments' ambitious digital agendas and operators' capacity to sustainably finance those investments in the future.In addition, Manimohan further highlighted that one of the key areas to encourage investment is rethinking financial and regulatory policies.He emphasised three immediate and strategic priorities, chiefly reducing taxes and fees based on operators' revenues, which in some markets reach up to 50%, making the deployment of fibre networks and transmission towers faster, easier, and more cost-effective, and moving away from overly rigid obligations related to service quality. 

Like everyone else, policymakers at the Federal Reserve are increasingly obsessed with artificial intelligence and its promise of a turbocharged economy. They’re just not ready to make a big call that the revolution is under way.Analysts across the financial world are scouring data for signs AI is making the economy more productive – the holy grail of new technology. The last sustained boost of that kind was the 1990s internet boom. Back then it shaped Fed policy: Chair Alan Greenspan reckoned innovation would allow faster growth without triggering inflation, and used that argument to keep interest rates down.Right now, US central bankers are in agreement that AI will be transformative — but essentially in “too early to tell” mode when it comes to how the effects will land. A more immediate concern is above-target inflation, leaving many policymakers opposed to rate cuts. Others put more weight on weak job markets and support further easing: AI’s ability to replace workers is part of that case, but not front-and-centre.Caution is par for the course, because technological leaps often take years to work their way through the economy and show up in data. But the Fed is under pressure at a pivotal time.Chair Jerome Powell’s term ends in six months. President Donald Trump says he’ll pick a successor committed to lower borrowing costs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who’s in charge of the selection process, says whoever gets the job should be open to making a Greenspan-style early call.In the first half of 2026, “AI implementation is just really going to start biting in terms of productivity,” Bessent told CNBC last month. “It would’ve been easy for Alan Greenspan to kill the internet boom, not be open to the idea that there was a productivity boom and slam on the brakes,” he said – adding that the next Fed chief should have “an open mind” on the topic.There are five names on Bessent’s shortlist. In recent weeks four of them signalled they’re receptive to his case.**media[385850]**Kevin Hassett, head of Trump’s National Economic Council, said AI is lifting worker productivity at a “remarkable rate”. BlackRock Inc executive Rick Rieder said “we are in a productivity revolution”. Former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh wrote in the Wall Street Journal that “AI will be a significant disinflationary force, increasing productivity and bolstering American competitiveness”.Current Governor Christopher Waller sounded a little more cautious, saying he has “no doubt” AI will boost the economy and is “hoping” for sustained productivity growth. The fifth candidate, Vice-Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, has tended to discuss AI more in the context of regulatory work she oversees.All of this suggests AI is set to take up an ever-growing share of Fed attention – and of course its implications for the economy go far beyond the central bank’s interest rates.The rush to develop AI is already driving a large portion of US growth, not to mention a stock market that many believe is in bubble territory. Businesses and consumers are rapidly adopting the technology. For the economy, as well as for equity valuations, the big question is: what’s the output from all these inputs?That boils down to productivity, or how much workers can produce using the available tools. Numbers are volatile and notoriously hard to parse, but they’ve picked up lately and some economists think it’s an early AI effect.The St Louis Fed has been asking workers in regular surveys how many hours they saved by using generative AI. Researchers found it may have boosted labour productivity by as much as 1.3% since the release of ChatGPT three years ago.“What surprised me was how clearly the signal is already appearing at the industry level,” says co-author Alexander Bick. “The correlation is already there.”For anyone trying to answer this key question — whether it’s Fed officials, corporate chiefs or investors — there’s a fundamental problem, according to Kristina McElheran of the University of Toronto, who studies AI and the future of work. There’s a lack of “nuanced, high-fidelity data on AI use by firms”, she says, while many of the headline-grabbing studies are based on “really questionable information”.“We are flying blind into this AI revolution,” McElheran says. “We don’t have the statistics that we need for policy. We don’t have the statistics we need for managers.” As a result, all modellers can do is “take past trends and try to fit them onto stuff that’s happening super-fast right in front of us”.Business owners who are adopting AI get the real-time view, and many see dramatic gains in productivity.Peter Capuciati’s company Bluon Inc has been building an AI model with a database that covers generations of HVAC equipment, using insights amassed by its own technicians answering several years’ worth of calls, as well as tens of thousands of manuals. Around 160,000 technicians now use the free version and some 13,000 pay for the full service. Capuciati reckons it can save them up to eight hours a week.“Techs don’t like to admit that they have a problem or they don’t know something,” Capuciati says. “So if they can go to an AI source and either confirm their assessment or be guided elsewhere, that’s a very time-saving process.”Christopher Stanton at Harvard Business School has been tracking Bluon’s deployment of AI. He sees it as a winning formula for higher productivity in an industry running low on skilled workers.“The machine is simply augmenting that human with information about how to do those things,” he said. “It’s a very powerful driver, especially in places where we think there are labour shortages.”There’s a darker flipside to that idea, which taps into some of the fears around AI. A technology that allows fewer workers to generate the same output could be an effective way to fill labour-market gaps — or a job-killer that leaves workers with nowhere else to go.Typically when the economy takes a technological leap forward it finds ways to redeploy labour. While the 1990s internet boom ended in a stock-market bust, its productivity legacy ran for around a decade and has yet to be matched.Back then, according to Julia Coronado, founder of Macropolicy Perspectives LLC, companies were taking advantage of innovations to expand employment. Now she says they’re more likely to be using AI to reduce their workforce.The Fed’s recent Beige Book surveys cite evidence that AI is a drag on hiring demand, especially for entry-level jobs. A Capital Economics study points out that the information tech industry, not surprisingly an early adopter of AI, has been chipping in a bigger chunk of US growth even as its payrolls shrink — evidence of productivity gains, but also of risks as the technology spreads.That’s something on the mind of Robert Gordon, a professor at Northwestern University and author of “The Rise and Fall of American Growth.” Gordon, who’s among the most-cited scholars of long-run economic trends, has often been sceptical about the ability of new inventions to deliver a growth payoff on the scale that older ones did.

Reem Mohammed al-Mansoori, who serves as Assistant Undersecretary for Digital Community Development at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, affirmed that the digital economy represents the future of growth, and that the State of Qatar is working to diversify its economy and enhance the contribution of the ICT sector to GDP, in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.Speaking during a session on designing the experiences economy at the MWC25 Conference in Doha, al-Mansoori said that the national digital transformation strategy for the next five years has set a clear target of having the ICT sector contribute 4 percent to GDP growth. She noted that the national digital agenda has laid the foundation for achieving an experience economy and creating a new generation of services based on data and artificial intelligence.She highlighted that Qatar has given high priority to AI technologies, launching a national strategy to build an infrastructure for sovereign AI, in addition to developing smart services across key sectors. She pointed to the completion of digital transformation roadmaps in infrastructure, tourism, healthcare, transportation, and logistics.Al-Mansoori added that the State of Qatar has successfully developed a highly advanced national digital platform based on cloud infrastructure, after attracting global cloud providers such as Google and Microsoft to establish data centres capable of supporting various sectors and enabling them to deliver digital solutions more quickly and efficiently.Regarding the sports sector, the Assistant Undersecretary explained that it was among the priority sectors for digital transformation in recent years. The ministry worked with partners to develop an integrated digital ecosystem that contributed to the success of the fan experience during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, through visitor-tracking systems, smart guidance applications, and fan engagement platforms.She said that the digital legacy of the World Cup has been capitalised on and developed within the tourism strategy, which aims to attract 6mn visitors annually and achieve QR34bn in tourism spending by 2030.She noted that the State of Qatar is redesigning its tourism-service ecosystem to deliver a comprehensive and innovative experience for visitors and residents, within the framework of the experience economy.On the development of digital skills, she underlined that the biggest global challenge lies in attracting talent. She noted that the Digital Agenda 2030 aims to create 26,000 new jobs in the digital economy, which requires collaboration with the education ecosystem, talent reskilling, and the launch of new programmes to attract specialists, including the recently announced digital-talent visa.In concluding her remarks al-Mansoori stressed that economic prosperity is the true measure of digital transformation success. She emphasised that every technological project or investment in the country must contribute to improving quality of life, supporting economic growth, and achieving Qatar’s long-term vision.

When Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves unveils the UK budget on November 26, bond markets will quickly pass judgment, with investors deciding whether she’s done enough to put the country’s debt on a sustainable path.**media[385501]**The budget lays out the government’s plans for the economy, including how much it wants to tax and spend. This year, there’s extra tension. Reeves needs to raise around £30bn ($39.3bn) to plug a hole in government finances and establish a rainy day fund in case the fiscal outlook darkens again.Not everyone believes the chancellor can balance the books in a credible way, especially after recent reports that she has dropped plans to hike income taxes. This is where bond markets come in. If traders don’t find the budget convincing, they will sell UK debt, making it more expensive for the government to borrow and worsening its fiscal position.The stakes are high, both in terms of money and politics. Only three years ago, a budget-gone-wrong caused government borrowing costs to spike and the pound to crash, effectively ending the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss.Why are bonds key to government finances?UK government bonds, which are often called gilts because they used to be issued as paper certificates with a golden edge, play a vital role in public finances. When the government spends more than it receives in taxes, it borrows money from bond investors to make up the difference.In the first half of the year, borrowing totalled £100bn. It doesn’t come free. When the UK sells bonds, investors require the government to pay them interest. The higher the perceived risk, the higher the interest payments — or yield — have to be.When Reeves lays out her budget in parliament, investors will be trying to gauge the appropriate level of risk. If they think the chancellor’s plan puts state finances on a solid footing, they might buy gilts, pushing down yields. Likewise, a selloff in gilts would increase yields and signal that investors are losing confidence in the government’s ability to contain deficits.The amount of interest the government pays on gilts really matters. In the most recent fiscal year, it spent around £106bn paying interest on its debts, an increase from roughly £40bn a year before the pandemic, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility. That’s not far off what the government spends on education each year. The more money that goes to interest payments, the less there is for general spending.Why are UK bond yields higher than elsewhere?**media[385500]**While acting as a gauge of repayment risk, government bond yields are also influenced by a range of factors including inflation and central bank policy. If inflation is expected to remain elevated, investors will demand a higher yield on bonds to compensate for the drop in the value of their money in real terms. Similarly, expectations that the central bank will keep its base rate elevated will see investors demand higher yields as they compare potential returns in gilts to what they could earn from putting their cash to work elsewhere.Inflation has remained higher for longer in the UK than in other parts of the world, and because of this the Bank of England hasn’t cut interest rates as much as other central banks. This is part of the reason why UK yields are so much higher than other developed bond markets. Yields on 30-year gilts are trading around 5.4%, and the Bank of England’s base rate is 4%.Why are gilts so prone to sudden selloffs?The gilt market is relatively small, especially when compared to trading in US Treasuries. This means smaller traders can have an outsize impact on prices, heightening volatility.Some observers also blame the changing makeup of the gilt market. Steady demand from local pension funds, which tend to be stable, long-term investors, has fallen away as they pivot retirement pots toward risky assets like equities. The Bank of England has also switched from gobbling up large quantities of bonds to selling down its holdings. The market is now more exposed to the whims of hedge funds and foreign investors who are more likely to sell at the first sign of trouble.What’s Liz Truss got to do with all this?**media[385502]**Part of the nervousness around gilts stems from Truss’ 2022 mini-budget, which included £45bn of unfunded tax cuts at a time when the government was already paying billions of pounds to support households through an energy crisis. Her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, poured fuel on the fire by promising even deeper tax cuts.The collapse was accelerated by so-called liability-driven investment strategies employed by pension funds, which were forced to sell gilts. The Bank of England needed to swoop in with government debt purchases to help restore calm.Since then, the gilt market has become more resilient. For example, pension funds using LDI strategies must now hold larger cash buffers to reduce the chance of another liquidity crisis. The Bank of England has also launched a new so-called repo facility to make it easier for these funds to raise cash in the event of future turbulence.Still, the UK’s borrowing costs are higher now than during Truss’ brief tenure. While the market expects further interest rate cuts, potentially as soon as December, this elevated starting point means a sharp rise in yields would be all the more punitive.A market gauge of volatility in long-dated interest rate swaps jumped in mid-November to the highest level since June, diverging sharply from the equivalent US metric, a sign that traders were bracing for big moves around the budget.What does history tell us?The UK doesn’t have an unblemished record when it comes to keeping its finances in check. Whereas the US, Germany and Japan have never been bailed out by the International Monetary Fund, the UK government had to ask it for a $3.9bn loan in 1976, after a surge in debt costs and sharp fall in the pound.This year, former Bank of England rate-setter Martin Weale and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch drew parallels to that crisis, with Badenoch saying the UK may have to go “cap in hand” to the IMF to ask for money as long-term borrowing costs rose to the highest level since 1998. Reeves said the comparison was “not serious” and “irresponsible.”Since then, the gilt market has calmed. On Nov. 21, yields on 30-year bonds traded around 40 basis points below the 27-year high touched in September. If the package Reeves presents is seen as credible, that slide may continue, helped by reduced fiscal risk and the prospect of more Bank of England interest-rate cuts.

 FTSE Russell Global Equity Index Series announced the results of its quarterly review, which will take effect after the close of Dec. 17 for the Qatari market.The review, published on Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) website on Sunday, did not include any addition, deletion or reclassification of any Qatari companies.The changes announced may be subject to revision until close of business on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. Effective Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, the index review changes will be considered final.The FTSE Emerging Markets Index is significant for global funds and portfolios, as it attracts major investments from some of the largest global banks and companies. This index is closely followed by numerous European, British and global investment funds. 

Bessent says inflation due to services economy, not tariffsTreasury secretary says Republicans should end filibuster in event of another shutdownBessent says administration working to lower prices where it canTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday said the 43-day government shutdown caused an $11bn permanent hit to the US economy, but he was optimistic about growth prospects next year given easing interest rates and tax cuts.Bessent told NBC's "Meet the Press" program that parts of the US economy that are sensitive to interest rates, including housing, had been in recession, but he did not see the entire economy at risk of negative growth. He blamed the services economy, not US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, for inflation - repeating the Trump administration's longstanding mantra - and added that he expected lower energy prices to drive down prices more broadly. "I am very, very optimistic on 2026.We have set the table for a very strong, non-inflationary growth economy," he said. Bessent cited positive data for October, including a drop in energy prices and higher home sales, and said the administration was working hard to bring down inflation.The Treasury secretary noted that inflation was 0.5% higher in Democratic-controlled states than those run by Republicans, attributing the difference to increased regulation. Last week's moves to cut tariffs on food imports like bananas and coffee were the result of trade deals that had been negotiated for months, Bessent said, adding, "Inflation is a composite number and we look at everything.So we are trying to push down the things we can control". Trump on Wednesday signed legislation ending the longest government shutdown in US history that extends funding through January 30, setting the stage for another showdown between Democrats and Trump's Republicans next year.Bessent said Republicans should immediately vote to end the filibuster if Democrats closed the government again, something Trump has also demanded, but dodged a question on whether there were enough votes to do so.Bessent said policy changes that cap taxes on overtime, cut taxes on tips and Social Security for some individuals, and make auto loans deductible would boost real income levels for working Americans and help offset higher costs.Taxpayers would see substantial federal tax refunds in the first quarter of 2026 given the changes in tax rates, he added. The Trump administration also planned an announcement this week at lowering health care costs, Bessent said, echoing similar remarks from a senior White House official last week, but giving no details.A rash of trade deals would also help boost the economy, Bessent said, predicting new plant openings across the country. 

Fewer US travellers are due to fly over the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays later this month, with Christmas demand also looking shaky, as a record US government shutdown and concerns about the economy weigh on would-be flyers. Consumers’ appetite for air travel during the usually busy Thanksgiving week, slowed down significantly as the budgetary impasse lingered on and are now down 3.3% compared with a year ago, according to data released on Monday by Cirium, an aviation analytics firm.That contrasts with the 2% increase seen at the end of October. The gloomy outlook comes as travel was rebounding from a slowdown earlier this year, when consumers skipped flying amid concerns over the economy. Bookings for Christmas travel are also below expectations. They are down 0.4% compared to last year, according to Cirium. The firm collected the data, which reflects almost half a million bookings, on November 14, two days after the end of the 43-day shutdown.Cirium said the data was indicative of a trend as it was “based on a sample of data from online travel agencies and not the airlines themselves.” Airlines cancelled more than 11,000 flights over the past week, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered carriers to shave off schedules to keep air travel safe. The dropped flights added to delays from fatigued air traffic controllers working without pay. Delta Air Lines Inc said the shutdown will have a significant impact on earnings amid cancellations and a slowdown in holiday bookings from wary customers worried about getting stranded during Thanksgiving. “We had a little over 2,000 cancellations. You can’t make that up within the quarter. So, yes, there was an impact,” Delta’s Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said Wednesday.The shutdown-related disruptions will slash about $400mn from airlines’ operating income, the amount of sales left after expenses, according to Conor Cunningham, an analyst with Melius Research LLC. Airlines responded to the FAA-mandated cuts with the same playbook they use for snowstorms.They re-accommodated passengers on same-day alternative flights, issued refunds and adjusted their schedules. Other cost-inflating decisions were made, including flying aircrafts with some extra fuel in the tank, in case of diversions or longer wait times to land, as seen in previous shutdowns.United Airlines Holdings Inc and Delta selectively preserved hub-to-hub flights while scrubbing regional service. “The regional airlines bore the brunt of the cancellations as their major airline partners sought to minimise passenger inconvenience and revenue impact from the flight cuts,” Michael Linenberg, an analyst with Deutsche Bank AG, said in a report. Regional carrier SkyWest Inc, which partners with United, Delta, American Airlines Group Inc and Alaska Air Group Inc had about 11% of its flights cancelled, compared with an average 6.5% for the industry in the past week, Linenberg said.

QNB said in its weekly commentary that it expects the US Federal Reserve to continue its monetary easing cycle at a moderate pace by cutting the federal funds rate two more times to 3.5 percent. The bank said that declining employment levels and a drop in capacity utilization below trend justify continued reductions in key interest rates, while the limited likelihood of a sharp slowdown in growth creates an appropriate lower bound for interest rates near their neutral levels. QNB noted that the Federal Reserve has returned to the forefront of the global macroeconomic scene after a period dominated by US-led trade negotiations and debates over fiscal policies. It explained that uncertainty surrounding economic policies has eased significantly thanks to the conclusion of several trade agreements and the adoption by President Donald Trump's administration of a less contentious fiscal framework. Uncertainty related to inflation has also receded, after it became clear that the impact of higher tariffs on prices was smaller than expected. The report stated that monetary policy has become a point of contention. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by an additional 25 basis points late last month, continuing the easing cycle that began in September 2024 and resumed this year after an eight-month pause. However, a clear division has emerged among committee members. The report observed a widening gap between market expectations and policymakers' positions regarding the future direction of interest rates. While markets expect the easing cycle to continue, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that additional rate cuts remain uncertain. The bank argued that under these expectations, there is room for two more 25-basis-point rate cuts, likely with the first in December and the second in early 2026. The report based this outlook on two main points. The first is that there remains sufficient room for two additional rate cuts because current interest rates are still excessively tight relative to existing macroeconomic conditions in the United States. It pointed out that the current interest rate of 4 percent remains restrictive and stands roughly 50 basis points above the neutral level, while data on capacity utilization, the labor market, and industrial activity show that the U.S. economy is operating below its potential. The second point, according to the report, is that there is room for further monetary easing. It noted, however, that the deeper rate cuts supported by more dovish Federal Reserve members, and anticipated by markets, appear overly aggressive. In conclusion, QNB's weekly report emphasized that the US economy has largely adjusted, slowing from growth rates near 3 percent in 2023 and 2024 to about 2 percent this year, without signs of a sharp downturn or possible recession. It highlighted the strength of investment driven by record capital spending from technology companies seeking to lead the artificial-intelligence wave, while consumption continues its gradual slowdown and US households benefit from their strongest net financial position in decades.

The Ministry of Culture organised a dialogue session Wednesday evening entitled "Opportunities of the Creative Economy in a Changing World," on the sidelines of the "Art and Design Village" festival at Darb Al Saai.The session aimed to highlight the pivotal role of the creative economy as an engine for sustainable development and to explore its new horizons in light of rapid global transformations, particularly in the fields of technology and digital transformation.The session was presented by media personality Iman al-Kaabi.The speakers discussed the legal and institutional frameworks necessary for the flourishing of creative industries and reviewed successful models in this field.Hamid Ibrahim, head of Creative Operations at Kogali, emphasised that the partnership with Disney+ to produce the series "I wago" represents a pivotal step. He explained that the most significant advantage lies in leveraging the immense global reach of the Disney brand, renowned for its rich heritage and extensive experience in animation.Ibrahim summarised the philosophy of working in the creative economy with the phrase, "Thinking in terms of the entire ecosystem". This perspective goes beyond simply creating a character for a film; it encompasses adapting that character into a series or designing them for products like lunchboxes, confirming that the industry is growing and expanding in this way.Abdulaziz al-Kubaisi, owner and founder of Lusail Art Production Studios, highlighted the importance of integrating creativity with the economy, calling for the transformation of studios and creative activities into "sustainable economic platforms in the face of global competition."Al-Kubaisi explained that the creative economy is the art of transforming creativity, activity, and hobbies into income-generating economic value, noting that this concept represents the turning point from pursuing a hobby to establishing a business.Qatar-based filmmaker Obada Jarbi emphasised that documentaries and feature films represent a long-term investment tool and a form of soft power capable of building a creative economy that reflects local identity and culture. He stressed that this type of content can replace traditional public relations and advertising campaigns.Jarbi discussed the pivotal role of cinema as a "long-term investment" for the country, adding that many major global cities owe their popularity primarily to what has been portrayed in films, thus reducing the need for massive advertising campaigns.Qatari entrepreneur Nada Khamis Mohammed al-Sulaiti, founder of Alama Jewellery, revealed the motivation behind launching her brand in 2011. She explained that growing up in a home deeply rooted in heritage inspired her to be the one to tell Qatar's story, emphasising that Qatar is "the most deserving of telling our identity and stories" to the world.Qatari entrepreneur Abdullah al-Mana called on young people and the community to adopt the concepts of the creative economy as a fundamental pillar for diversifying income sources, stressing that this economy opens "new and numerous horizons in industries" away from total dependence on the traditional economy.

The Working Group of the Qatari-Saudi Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry, part of the Qatari-Saudi Co-ordination Council, held their meeting recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The meeting was co-chaired by Mohammed bin Hassan al-Malki, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, and Rakan bin Waddah Tarabzoni, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Planning for International Economic Affairs of Saudi Arabia. Senior officials from both countries also participated.During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the strong relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and discussed ways to enhance economic, trade, and industrial co-operation to serve shared interests.Discussions focused on mechanisms to facilitate import and export procedures, promote bilateral trade, and strengthen co-operation in key sectors.The parties reviewed progress on joint initiatives, addressed existing challenges, and explored potential solutions.In addition, the committee examined its strategic objectives and pathways to deepen economic integration and bilateral co-ordination, in line with the national visions of both countries.

His Excellency Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi met on Tuesday in Tokyo with the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan Akazawa Ryosei.During the meeting, they discussed bilateral and cooperation relations between the two countries in the energy field, and ways to enhance them.HE Minister of State for Energy Affairs also met with senior Japanese energy industry leaders, including Chairman of the Board of Maruben, Masumi Kakinoki, and Managing Executive Officer of Tohoku Electric, Kaoru Hijikata.During the meetings, discussions focused on existing and future cooperation and further strengthening bilateral relations in the energy sector.

After just six months in power, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition is facing infighting, policy deadlock and sliding poll ratings, undermining its efforts to take on the rising far right.It marks a difficult start for the conservative politician who ran on bold pledges of reviving the stagnant economy, overhauling the threadbare military and toughening immigration policy after years of drift under the previous government.In German post-war politics, "there has never been such widespread dissatisfaction with a government in such a short period of time", Manfred Guellner, director of the Forsa polling institute, told AFP.For Germans who hoped for more decisive leadership after the last government's collapse, "their expectations have been dashed", he said.The winners of February's general election, Merz's centre-right CDU/CSU bloc now find themselves neck-and-neck in the polls with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in the poll and is now the largest opposition party.Merz's junior coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) of ex-chancellor Olaf Scholz, have seen their popularity slide further after a terrible election performance, and now sit around 13-15% in polls."It is clear that many citizens are dissatisfied or disappointed with the government's work so far," Roderich Kiesewetter, an MP from Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU), told AFP.The government appeared to be "focusing only on migration instead of the economy, education and security", he said.There have been increasing tensions between the ruling parties in Berlin since Merz failed to be elected chancellor in the first round of voting in parliament in early May, a first in post-war Germany.In July they were unable to agree on the appointment of three judges to the constitutional court, with the conservatives considering the Social Democrats' candidate too left-wing.A group of young conservative MPs revolted over a pension reform proposal, which had already been adopted by the cabinet, arguing that it burdened future generations.Meanwhile, an overhaul of the country's military service system, which was supposed to demonstrate Germany's leadership in Nato in the face of the Russian threat, has turned into a stalemate over whether to bring back a limited form of conscription.Now Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, a close confidant of Merz, is under fire from conservatives for expressing reservations about the possibility of sending back Syrian refugees living in Germany.With their support so low after the February polls, the CDU/CSU and the SPD "are finding it more difficult to reach compromises," Aiko Wagner, a political scientist at the Free University of Berlin, told AFP. Both sides fear they "will become even weaker among their own" supporters if they do, said Wagner.The coalition's own struggles are making it more difficult for Merz to counter the rise of the AfD, which he declared as his party's "main opponent" ahead of five regional elections scheduled for 2026.Merz has used increasingly tough rhetoric on immigration to counter the AfD, such as a controversial statement in October about the problems of the "German urban cityscape" — seen as criticism of the impact of migrants on cities.But this offended many Social Democrats, as well as some moderates among his conservative bloc.Guellner argued that Merz made "a fatal mistake" by focusing so much on migration when the struggling economy was the main concern of many voters.The AfD meanwhile sees Merz's struggles as an opportunity.A clear majority of Germans backed conservative or right-wing parties in the election, AfD MP Sebastian Muenzenmaier told AFP.But Merz's coalition with the centre-left appears incapable of delivering on his promises, he said."No one sees this government staying in power for four years," said Muenzenmaier, who predicted that the AfD would have strong showings in next years' state elections."Many believe that at the end of next year, after the elections, the situation will become very difficult for the government in Berlin and that it will collapse".The prospect of another coalition crisis and early elections did not sit well with Stephanie and Bernd Nebel, two visitors to Berlin from Munich who spoke with AFP outside of the Reichstag, the seat of Germany's parliament.The biggest problem with the coalition so far, Bernd Nebel said, was that Merz's government "made it their mission to boost the economic recovery a little — and absolutely nothing has happened in that regard".