分类： business

The Stevie® Awards, renowned for hosting the world’s premier business awards programs, has officially opened submissions for the 2026 Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Stevie Awards. This seventh annual edition, presented in collaboration with the RAK Chamber of Commerce & Industry, celebrates innovation in the workplace across 18 MENA nations, including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The awards are open to all organizations—public or private, for-profit or non-profit, large or small—with no entry fees required. Winners of Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards may opt to pay a nominal fee to maintain their winner status. Nominations can be submitted online through two deadlines: December 3, 2025, for reduced winners’ fees, and January 21, 2026, as the final deadline. Winners will be announced on April 16, 2026, and honored at a gala event on May 14, 2026, at the InterContinental Hotel in Istanbul, Türkiye. The 2026 competition introduces new categories, such as AI Innovation Awards and Public Sector Innovators, reflecting the region’s rapid advancements in technology and modernization. Maggie Miller, President of the Stevie Awards, emphasized the program’s role as a leading platform for showcasing business excellence and innovation. A new website and entry system have been launched to streamline participation, offering multilingual support and seamless nomination management. The 2025 winners included prominent organizations like Abu Dhabi Customs, Deloitte & Touche, and Saudi Aramco, among others. Over 150 global professionals will judge the 2026 entries. For more details, visit: https://mena.stevieawards.com/Judges/you-be-the-judge.

China’s Singles’ Day, the nation’s largest online shopping festival, recorded a 17.6% increase in sales this year, reaching an estimated 1.7 trillion yuan ($238 billion). However, the growth rate slowed compared to previous years, reflecting cautious consumer spending amid economic headwinds. The prolonged property market slump, stagnant wages, and high youth unemployment have led shoppers to prioritize affordability over extravagance.

Global stock markets experienced a broad-based rally on Wednesday, with European and Asian indices climbing higher following a record-breaking performance by the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The resurgence in technology stocks, particularly those tied to artificial intelligence (AI), has fueled investor optimism after last week’s volatility. In Europe, France’s CAC 40 rose 0.5% to 8,193.98, while Germany’s DAX surged nearly 1.1% to 24,357.28. The UK’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.1% to 9,906.82. Futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones also indicated positive momentum, gaining 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced 0.4% to close at 51,063.31, despite SoftBank Group’s shares dropping 3.5% after the company disclosed the sale of its entire $5.83 billion stake in Nvidia, a leading AI chipmaker. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.9%, while the Shanghai Composite remained nearly flat. The U.S. bond market was closed for Veterans Day, and concerns persist over the Federal Reserve’s ability to navigate economic challenges amid a government shutdown that has delayed critical economic data. Meanwhile, oil prices dipped slightly, with U.S. crude falling to $60.70 a barrel and Brent crude dropping to $64.85. The U.S. dollar strengthened against the Japanese yen but weakened slightly against the euro.

The FTSE 100 index soared to a record high for the second consecutive session on Tuesday, driven by growing expectations of a Bank of England (BoE) rate cut in December and a stellar performance by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. The blue-chip index closed up 1.2% at 9,899.6 points, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 also saw gains of 0.8%. AstraZeneca, Britain’s largest listed company by market value, surged 2.6%, extending its momentum from last week’s impressive quarterly results. The optimism for a rate cut was fueled by recent labor market data showing unemployment in the UK rising to 5%, the highest level in four years, alongside a continued slowdown in wage growth. Deutsche Bank’s chief economist, Sanjay Raja, noted that the cooling labor market and decelerating pay momentum should encourage the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee to consider easing rates. In the currency market, the pound initially dipped against the dollar but later stabilized. The pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors were among the top performers, with GSK and Haleon rising 3% and 3.2%, respectively. Energy companies also saw gains, with Shell and BP climbing 2.2% and 2.6%, supported by higher oil prices due to U.S. sanctions on Russian oil. Vodafone surged 8.3% to a two-year high after raising its annual profit forecast and increasing dividends for the first time in eight years. Oxford Instruments, a scientific tools maker, experienced its largest single-day gain in nearly four years, soaring 14.9%. However, not all companies fared well; Hilton Food plummeted 22.7% to a decade-low after warning of challenging profit growth in the upcoming financial year.

Dubai’s luxury hotels are leading a transformative wave in the hospitality industry, driven by surging travel demand and evolving guest expectations. In 2025, these establishments have not only contributed to the city’s tourism success but have become its driving force. According to recent data from Cavendish Maxwell, five-star hotels in Dubai have shown remarkable growth across all hospitality metrics. Between January and August, the city’s total room supply exceeded 152,000 across over 800 properties, with luxury hotels accounting for more than 54,000 rooms. The average occupancy rate reached 78.5%, solidifying Dubai’s position as a global leader in dynamic and resilient hospitality markets. Beyond the impressive statistics, Dubai’s luxury hotels are redefining the essence of luxury. Today’s guests seek more than opulent rooms and flawless service; they crave meaningful experiences that reflect a sense of place, identity, and purpose. At IHG Hotels in Dubai Festival City, this trend is evident as travelers prioritize authenticity, connection, and thoughtful design alongside comfort and convenience. Dubai’s unique ability to blend scale with soul has transformed its five-star hotels into curators of unforgettable experiences. Guests can seamlessly transition from attending a business conference in the morning to exploring local art in the afternoon and indulging in award-winning dining in the evening. This integration of business, culture, and leisure epitomizes modern hospitality in Dubai. The city’s events landscape has also played a pivotal role in this growth, with international conferences, concerts, and incentive programs driving demand for premium accommodations. Sustainability has emerged as a cornerstone of luxury, with guests increasingly valuing eco-conscious practices. IHG DFC, for instance, emphasizes energy efficiency, responsible sourcing, and community impact. As Dubai’s hospitality sector looks to the future, the five-star segment will remain its foundation. The city’s continued success hinges on balancing innovation with authenticity and technology with the human touch. While guests may initially be drawn to Dubai’s iconic architecture and skyline, it is the enduring sense of belonging and connection that keeps them returning. Dubai has demonstrated that luxury and meaning can coexist, and its mission is to continue crafting experiences that inspire, delight, and leave a lasting impression on every visitor.

AD Ports Group, a global leader in trade, logistics, and industry, is spearheading a transformative approach to workforce integration by blending human expertise with artificial intelligence (AI). The company’s recently unveiled blueprint, titled ‘Building Human-AI Teams: AD Ports Group’s Blueprint for Tomorrow’s Workforce,’ outlines a visionary strategy to create a hybrid human-AI workforce. This initiative aims to enhance efficiency, resilience, and sustainable growth across its international operations. The blueprint emphasizes the integration of AI across various organizational layers, including port operations, logistics, finance, human resources, and customer experience. Central to this transformation are agentic AI systems—autonomous digital co-workers designed to handle repetitive, data-intensive, and predictive tasks, thereby freeing human employees to focus on creativity, innovation, and strategic decision-making. Mohamed Jamal-Eddine, Group Chief Information Officer at AD Ports Group, highlights that the future workforce will be defined by synergy between humans and AI, with agentic intelligence playing a pivotal role in learning, adapting, and collaborating. The company’s AI-powered systems are already delivering tangible results, such as the Vessel Speed Optimiser, which achieves 3% fuel savings and a 98% on-time arrival rate, and the Container Balancer, which boosts container utilization by up to 90%. Additionally, the Intelligent Workforce Scheduler has reduced HR processing times by over 90%. Sultan Al Ghaithi, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, underscores the importance of upskilling initiatives to develop AI literacy and digital fluency among employees. AD Ports Group’s approach is not about replacing humans with machines but amplifying human potential by automating routine tasks and enabling higher-value contributions. This forward-looking strategy positions the company at the forefront of the next industrial evolution, demonstrating how human-AI collaboration can drive productivity, innovation, and sustainability in a rapidly changing global landscape.

India’s start-up ecosystem is witnessing an unprecedented surge in initial public offerings (IPOs), marking a significant shift from rapid growth to strategic sustainability. This week, eyewear solutions firm Lenskart, valued at $821 million, saw its IPO sold out within hours, despite its shaky market debut. This follows the successful listing of Groww, the country’s largest retail brokerage backed by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, which garnered 17 times more demand than available shares. Fintech unicorn Pine Labs is also set to list later this week.