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German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil affirmed that his country seeks balanced economic relations with China based on equal opportunities, noting that closer ties between the two nations are essential for protecting supply chains amid rising global tensions, particularly those linked to the war in Ukraine.Klingbeil stated that Germany does not fear economic competition with China, provided that such competition remains fair and based on clear rules.He pointed out that direct dialogue with Beijing has become necessary to protect German industries and the jobs associated with them. He said that Germany faces real challenges with China, including China's excess production capacity in sectors such as steel and electric vehicles, as well as the difficulty in accessing rare earth elements essential for industrial technologies.The German Finance Minister begins a visit to China later today as part of the German government's efforts to reopen economic dialogue channels with Beijing after a period of trade tensions. During the visit, he will also participate in the third round of the High-Level Financial Dialogue between the two countries, a bilateral mechanism aimed at addressing the most sensitive economic issues between the two sides.

Under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar University (QU) launched the 8th International Conference on Entrepreneurship for Sustainability and Impact (ESI 2025), organised by the College of Business and Economics under the theme "Frontier Technologies for Resilient Economies." The opening ceremony was attended by His Excellency Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal al-Thani, and His Excellency President of QU, Dr.- Omar Mohammed al-Ansari, along with a distinguished group of senior officials and international experts.Recognised as one of the region’s leading academic gatherings, ESI 2025 convenes over 600 scholars, researchers, policymakers, and business leaders from more than 50 countries to explore how emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, quantum computing, robotics, and advanced data analytics are shaping the future of business, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.In her keynote remarks, Prof Rana Sobh, Dean of the College of Business and Economics and Conference Chair, emphasised the urgency of fostering innovation and adaptability in a world defined by rapid technological disruption and global uncertainty."Resilience is not the absence of crisis-it is the ability to evolve through it. The technologies we discuss here - AI, quantum computing, blockchain, and others-are not just tools of efficiency; they are catalysts for imagination and progress. Yet, their success depends on people-their creativity, wisdom, and courage to act responsibly. ESI 2025 is a forum for shaping that collective vision: to build economies that are strong, inclusive, and forward-looking," she stated.The Business Consortium, a distinguished feature of ESI 2025, brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, and executives from across sectors to discuss Fintech and Financial Transformation, Government Institutional Excellence in the Era of Innovative Technology, Technology for Climate and Sustainability, and AI in Education and Humanitarian Affairs.In his remarks, Dr Mohammed El Gammal, Chair of the ESI 2025 Organising Committee from QU, highlighted the continued success and growing global participation of the conference. "The International Conference on Entrepreneurship for Sustainability and Impact is now in its eighth consecutive year, and this edition has attracted over 650 research papers from around the world." Dr Jim Adams, a former deputy chief technologist at Nasa, gave the opening keynote address. He shared insights from his extensive global experience in space technology and innovation, emphasising that the true impact of technology lies in our ability to empower people to use it effectively.The conference also featured Dr. Sui Sui (Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada), Dr. Khaled Hussainey (Bangor Business School, UK), Dr. Adel Ben Youssef (Université Côte d’Azur, France), and Dr. Arman Eshraghi (Cardiff Business School, UK), among other leading academics who addressed digital entrepreneurship, sustainable finance, circular economy strategies, and global supply-chain resilience.Dr. Amna Al Ansari, Director of the Strategic Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development Office at QU, highlighted the university’s growing role in cultivating innovation among students and researchers. "Through its innovation and entrepreneurship framework, QU ensures that creative ideas are not confined to classrooms-they are transformed into startups, social enterprises, and technologies with real impact. Student-led innovations, such as assistive technologies for the deaf and visually impaired, are prime examples of how research at QU is making a tangible contribution to national development and global knowledge." In parallel sessions, participants presented over 90 peer-reviewed research papers across 17 thematic tracks, addressing subjects ranging from digital transformation and smart cities to circular economy and climate adaptation. The Meet the Editors forum allowed early-career researchers to engage with editors from leading international journals, while the PhD Symposium offered doctoral candidates mentorship and feedback from senior scholars.The conference concluded with a Women Entrepreneurs Forum, celebrating female innovators and researchers who are advancing inclusive economic development in the region.

Qatar University’s (QU) College of Business and Economics continues the Business Mastery Programme—Fall 2025, organised by the Learning Support Section in collaboration with the Centre for Entrepreneurship. The program is designed to equip third- and fourth-year students with the practical skills in entrepreneurship and management necessary for a seamless transition from academic study to the professional environment, while enhancing their preparedness to meet the demands of the labour market through an integrated approach combining theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience. For this academic year, the programme consists of four comprehensive workshops, three of which have been conducted so far. This year, the emphasis is on the development of skills in entrepreneurial thinking, entrepreneurial marketing, psychological resilience and adaptation in entrepreneurship, and innovation management. The interactive workshops are led by members of the Centre for Entrepreneurship: Maisoun Sewailem, Faten Ramadan, and Hamza al-Sioufy. Fatema Khalil Hasan, head of the Learning Support Section at the College of Business and Economics, emphasised the holistic educational value of the programme, currently in its third edition and enabling students to acquire core personal and professional skills.

The Nobel prize in economics was awarded on Monday to American-Israeli Joel Mokyr, France's Philippe Aghion and Canada's Peter Howitt for work on how technology drives and affects growth.Mokyr, 79, won one half of the prize "for having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.Aghion, 69, and Howitt, 79, shared the other half "for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction", it added.John Hassler, chair of the prize committee, told reporters their work answered questions about how technological innovation drives growth and how sustained growth can be maintained."During almost all of humankind's history, living standards did not change noticeably from generation to generation. Economic growth was, on average, zero, and stagnation was the norm," Hassler said.But over the last two centuries "things have been very different.""During the last 200 years, the world has seen more economic growth than ever before in human history," Kerstin Enflo, a member of the economics prize committee, explained to reporters.However, she cautioned that "200 years is still just a short period compared to the long run history of stagnation that we saw before.""The laureates' work reminds us that we should not take progress for granted. Instead, society must keep an eye on the factors that generate and sustain economic growth," Enflo said.Mokyr, who is a professor at Northwestern University in the United States, "used historical sources as one means to uncover the causes of sustained growth becoming the new normal", the jury said in a statement.He was spotlighted for demonstrating that if "innovations are to succeed one another in a self-generating process, we not only need to know that something works, but we also need to have scientific explanations for why"."The latter was often lacking prior to the industrial revolution, which made it difficult to build upon new discoveries and inventions," the jury said.Speaking to the Nobel Foundation, Mokyr said he had first missed the call from Sweden and that the news was "overwhelming"."Everybody says this, but I'm really being truthful ... this came as a total surprise," the economic historian said."I had a whole list of people that I thought were going to win, and I wasn't on it," he added.Meanwhile, Aghion and Howitt created a mathematical model for "creative destruction", which refers to the process "when a new and better product enters the market, the companies selling the older products lose out".Howitt is a professor emeritus of economics at Brown University in the United States, while Aghion is a professor at College de France and INSEAD in Paris and the London School of Economics and Political Science."I'm still speechless. It came really as a huge surprise," Aghion told reporters via telephone during the prize announcement.Speaking about what could risk upsetting growth, he mentioned the threats of steep tariffs introduced since US President Donald Trump's return to the White House."Openness is a driver of growth. Anything that gets in the way of openness is an obstacle to growth," Aghion said.French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated his compatriot."With his vision of growth through innovation, he illuminates the future and proves that French thinking continues to enlighten the world," Macron said in a post on X.The economics prize is the only Nobel not among the original five created in the will of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.It was instead created through a donation from the Swedish central bank in 1968, leading detractors to dub it "a false Nobel".But like the Nobels in chemistry and physics, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences chooses the winner and follows the same selection process.The economics prize wraps up this year's Nobel season which honoured research into the human immune system, practical applications of quantum mechanics and the development of new forms of molecular architecture.The literature prize went to Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai, whose works explore themes of postmodern dystopia and melancholy.Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was given the highly watched Nobel Peace Prize.The Nobel economics prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a $1.2 million cheque.

Qatar's renewed commitment to the North Field gas expansion will provide a big medium-term boost to the country's economy, according to Oxford Economics.The country grew by 1.9% year-on-year in the second quarter or Q2 of 2025, reflecting the economy's resilience against the regional and global headwinds, although the energy sector and the less supportive base from last year dragged on activity, Oxford Economics said in its latest research note.The non-hydrocarbon economy grew by 3.4% year-on-year, lifting the headline GDP (gross domestic product) by 2.2 ppts, but the oil sector contracted by 0.9% year-on-year, shaving 0.3 ppts from headline GDP growth, it said.On an annualised basis, Q2's expansion reflected strong performances from construction, trade, accommodation services, and the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, it said, adding the manufacturing made a second consecutive positive contribution to annual growth in Q2.Keeping its 2025 growth forecast at 2.7% year-on-year but expecting the rate to nearly double in 2026-27 as the energy and non-energy sectors should contribute positively this year and beyond; it said "the authorities’ renewed commitment to the North Field gas expansion will provide a big medium-term boost, with North Field East's first production increase due by mid-2026, followed by the North Field South phase."Qatar targets LNG (liquefied natural gas) capacity target of 142mn tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by end-2030; up nearly 85% from the current 77Mtpa, and up 13% on the intermediate target of 126Mtpa by 2027.The first production boost will come from the North Field East project by mid-2026, followed by the North Field South phase of the expansion. The North Field West phase is in its early stages, with construction likely to begin in 2027."We forecast non-energy sector growth of 3.6% this year and a similar number in 2026, up from 3.4% in 2024," Oxford Economics said.Accordingly, Qatar's fiscal surplus is expected to improve from 0.7% of GDP in 2024 to 1.7% this year and further to 5.4% by 2026.On consumer price index (CPI) inflation front, the research note said it is expected to be 0.3% this year but would jump to 2.6% in 2026.The research note also said Saudi equity market may revive as cap on foreign ownership eases. "The Saudi equity market has underperformed its GCC peers year-to-date, but a higher foreign ownership limit could be a positive catalyst, reigniting global investor interest. Combined with expectations of resilient consumption growth, we see Saudi equities offering compelling investment value and expect the strong upward momentum to continue," it said.Dubai consolidated its global leadership in Greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first half (H1), attracting a record 643 projects and $11bn in FDI inflows (up 62% year-on-year), highlighting the strong investor confidence in robust economic fundamentals amid the heightened global uncertainty."We believe the combination of lower rates, strong employment growth, contained inflation, and a robust fiscal position creates a favourable environment for sustained growth and economic transformation. We forecast UAE GDP growth of 4.9% in 2025, underpinned by recovering oil production and an expansion of non-oil business activity, where FDI continues to play a pivotal role," Oxford Economics said.

Qatar’s PMI climbing to 51.9 in August indicates accelerating non-oil private sector activity in the country, according to Oxford Economics.Last month, the PMI climbed to 51.9, which Oxford Economics noted is “fuelled by the fastest job creation and employment growth in the region”.Business activity in the GCC’s non-oil private sector continued to strengthen in August, Oxford Economics said.The UAE’s PMI rose to 53.3 from July’s four-year low of 52.9, driven by faster output growth. Saudi Arabia’s PMI edged up slightly to 56.4, supported by stronger client demand and infrastructure projects.“Overall, the GCC's non-oil private sector has seen sustained expansion this year, and we expect 4% growth in the region's non-oil output this year,” Oxford Economics said.In Saudi Arabia, credit growth slowed to 15.2% y/y in August but remained well above deposit growth of 8.4%. A sharper drop in mortgage lending suggests softer real estate activity, although consumer credit stayed strong.“We expect early interest rate cuts to support credit demand, likely pushing the average loan-to-deposit ratio to a new high. This could raise liquidity concerns in the coming months, especially if deposit growth continues to lag,” Oxford Economics noted.In a recent report the researcher noted Qatar's fiscal balance is estimated to scale up to 5.4% (of country’s GDP) in 2026 from 1.8% this year.A growing fiscal balance signals improved macroeconomic stability and a stronger ability to manage government debt in the country, an analyst noted.In an indication of the country’s level of international competitiveness, Qatar’s current account will improve further reaching 18.3% of the country’s GDP in 2026, from 17.5% this year.Qatar’s real GDP growth has been forecast at 2.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) this year, rising to 4.8% in 2026.Inflation has been forecast at 0.4% this year and 2.8% in 2026.In its last country report, Oxford Economics noted Qatar’s GDP growth “will more than double” in 2026-2027, with both the energy and non-energy sectors contributing positively this year and beyond, according to Oxford Economics.

Qatar’s GDP growth will more than double in 2026-2027, with both the energy and non-energy sectors contributing positively this year and beyond, according to Oxford Economics.The researcher’s 2025 GDP growth forecast is unchanged at 2.4%, similar to the pace of expansion last year. However, trade-related uncertainty will remain a headwind to global demand, it said in a country report.Oxford Economics thinks growth in Qatar’s energy sector will remain modest this year, following a 0.6% expansion in 2024, before picking up strongly in 2026-2027.According to Oxford Economics, Qatar isn't involved in the OPEC+ pact on production quotas and its oil output has been relatively flat in recent years, at around 600,000 barrels per day.Last year, the authorities doubled down on the North Field gas expansion project, which will have a positive medium-term impact. Qatar raised its liquefied natural gas capacity target to 142mn tonnes per year by end-2030.This is up nearly 85% from the current 77mtpy, and up 13% on the intermediate target of 126mtpy by 2027. The first production boost will come from the North Field East project by mid-2026, followed by the North Field South phase of the expansion.The North Field West phase is in its early stages, with construction likely to begin in 2027.Qatar is also making progress in contracting future gas output. The government has signed long-term supply contracts with India, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Kuwait, and Taiwan, and is negotiating a deal with Japan.Output data (reported in April this year) showed the non-energy economy expanded by 3.4% last year, and the researcher projects the same pace of growth in 2025.The 2025 budget targets a deficit of QR13.2bn (1.6% of projected GDP). The authorities plan to raise spending by 4.6% relative to last year's budget and 1.2% relative to realised expenditure, with a strong focus on development in education and healthcare. The bill assumes an average oil price of $60/barrel.It projects a surplus of QR23bn (2.8% of GDP), larger than the surplus of QAR5.6bn (0.7% of GDP) realised in 2024. The researcher sees the balance improving to 5.7% of GDP next year amid the LNG production boost.Oxford Economics also noted tourism has provided significant support to non- energy growth and will remain a driver of future activity and employment.Qatar welcomed 5.1mn overnight arrivals in 2024, a 25% increase on 2023 and 138% higher than 2019 levels. The launch of the pan-GCC visa will likely help extend the positive performance and we forecast arrivals to increase to 5.3mn this year, it said.