The Middle East

With Covid-19 facilitating the widespread adoption of remote work practices, some emerging markets are seeking to attract so-called digital nomads through a series of incentives and special visas. Despite border closures and travel restrictions resulting from the virus, various countries are stepping up efforts to incentivise the movement of digital nomads – people who work...

Amid international travel restrictions, social-distancing protocols and prohibitions on mass gatherings in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the world’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) segment has been forced to adapt, with some events shifting online and others being deferred. Before the outbreak of the virus, MICE presented a promising growth avenue...

The Covid-19 pandemic has raised awareness among GCC countries of the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. If current trends continue, ESG could become a valuable element of the region’s recovery. ESG standards are used to evaluate potential investments, as well as to enable business leaders to formulate responsible and sustainable corporate...

The size of Sharjah’s financial services sector has grown steadily over the years, due in part to its quick response to changes that includes the rapid adoption of international best practices for banking. More recently, the banking industry has expanded its offering of digital services, particularly in response to the economic disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,...