分类： business

Dubai’s gold market witnessed unprecedented trading activity on Friday as prices for the precious metal soared to historic highs for the fourth consecutive trading session this week. The 24K variant reached Dh597 per gram, marking a substantial increase of Dh19.25 within just 24 hours and approaching the psychological threshold of Dh600.

The rally extended across all purity levels, with 22K opening at Dh553 (up Dh18), while 21K, 18K, and 14K traded at Dh530.25, Dh454.5, and Dh354.5 per gram respectively. The global benchmark simultaneously broke records, reaching $4,966.85 per ounce with a 1.17 percent gain.

Market analysts attribute this sustained surge to fundamental shifts in investor sentiment toward traditional safe-haven assets. According to Kyle Rodda, Senior Market Analyst at Capital.com, “Faith in the US and its assets has been shaken, perhaps permanently, driving substantial capital into precious metals. The term ‘rupture’ has been circulating within financial circles, and I don’t believe this characterization exaggerates the current situation.”

Rania Gule, Market Analyst at XS.com, provided additional context, noting that gold’s performance reflects a growing conviction among investors that the metal has transitioned into a strategic asset worth acquiring during price dips. This trend persists despite unexpected pressures from improved global risk appetite following recent geopolitical developments, including President Trump’s retreat from tariff threats.

“The relative resilience of gold prices amid positive news suggests investors have grown more cautious about over-optimistic pricing in a global economy still confronting slowing growth, elevated debt levels, and questions about recovery sustainability,” Gule observed.

The consecutive record-breaking performances indicate a structural repositioning within investment portfolios as market participants seek alternatives to traditional dollar-denominated assets amid ongoing economic uncertainty.

China has solidified its position as a global innovation leader with intellectual property holdings reaching unprecedented levels by the end of 2025. According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration, the mainland now holds 5.32 million valid invention patents, representing one of the world’s largest portfolios of protected intellectual innovations.

The administration’s year-end report revealed remarkable progress across multiple metrics. Throughout 2025, Chinese authorities granted 972,000 new invention patents while significantly streamlining application processing times to just 15 months. This efficiency improvement demonstrates China’s commitment to fostering an innovation-friendly regulatory environment.

Per capita measurements further underscore the nation’s technological advancement. The average ownership of high-value invention patents reached 16 patents per 10,000 people, indicating widespread innovation activity across Chinese society.

The trademark landscape similarly experienced explosive growth, with over 4.2 million trademarks registered in 2025 alone. The cumulative total of effectively registered trademarks approached the 50 million milestone, reaching 49.87 million by year’s end.

China’s brand value achievement places the nation firmly among global leaders. With Chinese brands accounting for $1.81 trillion in value among the world’s top 5,000 brands, China now ranks second globally in brand valuation, reflecting the international market’s recognition of Chinese products and services.

These developments occur amid China’s broader push toward technological self-reliance and innovation-driven growth, positioning intellectual property rights as a cornerstone of the nation’s economic strategy.

Contrary to widespread speculation about dramatic premium hikes, UAE insurance experts project moderate health insurance cost increases ranging between 8-10% for 2026, significantly lower than the circulating 25% figure that has concerned residents.

Industry specialists emphasize that premium adjustments will vary considerably based on individual circumstances rather than applying uniformly across all policyholders. Key determining factors include age demographics, claims history, specific plan types, and healthcare utilization patterns.

Financial Impact Projections:
• Single adults: Additional AED 250-600 annually
• Typical family of four: Estimated increase of AED 1,200-2,500 per year
• Senior residents: Potential increases from AED 1,600 to over AED 4,000 annually

Anas Mistareehi, General Manager at E-sanad Insurance Brokers, clarified: “There is no universal percentage applicable to all residents. Premium calculations incorporate multiple variables including age brackets, previous claims, and plan categories.”

Certain demographic groups may experience minimal changes, particularly those covered under large employer group plans, young single individuals with limited claims history, and basic health insurance plan holders. The government-regulated basic plan remains fixed at AED 320 annually, providing cost stability for lower-income residents.

Mahdi Attya, Insurance Strategy Expert at MSS Advisors, explained additional considerations: “Beyond premium adjustments, insurers frequently modify hospital network coverage, outpatient service limits, pharmacy regulations, and co-payment structures. Policyholders often discover these network changes only when their preferred healthcare facilities become inaccessible.”

Experts recommend proactive policy review and comparison shopping, advising residents to prioritize comprehensive inpatient and emergency coverage while potentially adjusting hospital network selections to manage costs effectively. The consensus emphasizes that catastrophic coverage protection remains most critical for financial security in healthcare management.

At the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng articulated China’s economic strategy, earning widespread international praise from experts and officials. The address, delivered on January 22, 2026, positioned China’s transition to high-quality development as a critical stabilizing force against growing global economic fragmentation.

Vice-Premier He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, detailed three core propositions: advancing high-quality economic development, transforming China into both a manufacturing and consumption powerhouse, and deepening the nation’s commitment to reform and opening-up policies. He emphasized China’s role in fostering common prosperity through shared development opportunities, noting that China’s economy has expanded to over 140 trillion yuan ($20.1 trillion) with average annual growth rates of approximately 5.4%, contributing roughly 30% to global economic growth.

International response to the speech highlighted its strategic significance. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, President of the Center for Knowledge and Public Policy in Islamabad, described the address as “timely and positive,” noting that it promotes hope for greater global progress and prosperity. He specifically referenced China’s forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) as focusing on structural reforms that would advance digitalization, green technologies, and a paradigm shift toward domestic consumption-driven growth.

Maroun Kairouz, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, characterized China’s development transition as a strategic shift toward more sustainable and resilient growth. He noted that China’s reforms not only strengthen its own economic foundation but also create new global opportunities in clean energy, technology, and trade for 2026 and beyond.

Anna Malindog-Uy, Vice-President of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, observed that the speech addressed fundamental global anxieties about uncertainty and fragmentation in the international economic system. She highlighted that China’s move toward high-quality, domestic-demand-driven growth transforms the nation from primarily a global supplier to a significant source of global demand, promoting more balanced worldwide economic development.

The address also briefed attendees on outcomes from the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, reinforcing China’s commitment to expanding imports, strengthening industrial cooperation, and maintaining secure global supply chains.

In 1992, during a visit to Baotou’s rare earth mines in Inner Mongolia, Deng Xiaoping made a prophetic declaration: ‘The Middle East has oil. China has rare earths.’ This statement, initially overlooked by the international community, would ultimately foreshadow China’s ascent as the undisputed global leader in critical mineral resources that underpin modern technology.

Rare earth elements—17 metallic components from the periodic table—form the fundamental building blocks of contemporary technological advancement. These minerals enable functionality in smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, military drones, and sophisticated aerospace systems including the F-35 fighter jet. Despite their name, these elements are relatively abundant in nature but occur in dispersed formations that require complex, environmentally challenging extraction processes.

While the United States led global rare earth production throughout the 1980s, Western nations gradually offshored mining operations to China, attracted by lower environmental standards and reduced labor costs. Regulatory changes by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and International Atomic Energy Agency further accelerated this transition by classifying rare earths as ‘source material,’ dramatically increasing compliance costs for domestic operations.

China capitalized on this strategic opportunity, investing heavily in developing a comprehensive rare earth ecosystem despite environmental consequences. By 2024, China controlled 44 million metric tons of reserves (the world’s largest), 70% of global mining production, 85% of refining capacity, and 98% of processing capabilities. The nation further solidified its dominance through intellectual property control, holding 80% of rare earth patents while establishing 39 university programs specializing in rare earth studies and seven institutions focused exclusively on processing technologies.

This strategic positioning granted China significant geopolitical leverage during the 2025 trade war. When the White House imposed 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, Beijing responded with export controls on seven critical rare earth types and magnets. Although representing a small percentage of overall exports, these materials proved essential to American defense manufacturing and technological innovation.

A RAND Corporation study revealed that a 90-day supply disruption could halt production at 78% of U.S. defense contractors. This vulnerability extends beyond military applications to next-generation computing, robotics, medical devices, and quantum hardware—effectively giving China a ‘kill switch’ over American technological advancement.

The United States now faces a monumental challenge in rebuilding its rare earth infrastructure. Estimates suggest requiring a decade and $10-15 billion to establish a self-sufficient supply chain. Even with successful mineral discovery in locations like Greenland’s Kanana region (containing rich deposits of dysprosium and terbium), developing complete extraction, refining, and application ecosystems remains extraordinarily complex.

China’s four-decade investment has enabled unprecedented purity standards advancement from 98% to 99.9999%—a critical factor in cutting-edge technology applications. As the global economy transitions toward AI and automation, rare earth elements have supplanted oil as the fundamental resource shaping geopolitical power structures, with China positioned as the dominant force controlling innovation pace through supply chain management.