Results

Nobody Can Agree How Big Modest Fashion Is, and That Is the Story

One widely cited figure puts the category at 86 billion dollars. Another puts it at 254 billion. The gap is not a rounding error, it is a disagreement about what modest fashion actually is.

Aug 16, 2026

Whatever Happened to Tanghulu, the Candied Fruit Craze?

Sugar-glazed fruit skewers turned into a shop-opening frenzy across Korea in 2023, then collapsed almost as fast as the chains had multiplied.

Feb 5, 2026

The Future of Social Commerce: How E-commerce and Social Media Are Converging

The rapid advancement of technology has transformed the way we shop and interact with brands. The rise of e-commerce revolutionized the retail industry, allowing consumers to purchase products and services online conveniently. Simultaneously, social media platforms have revolutionized communication and connectivity. However, the lines between e-commerce and social media are increasingly blurring, giving rise to

May 29, 2023

The UAE Buys Candles the Way It Buys Oud, and a New Generation of Local Brands Has Noticed

Home fragrance in the Emirates is not a wellness import. It sits on top of a bakhoor and oud culture that was already there, which is why a crowded market keeps making room for small local labels.

Sep 5, 2026

Sustainable fashion: progress report on a promise

After years of greenwashing, the secondhand market is growing 11x faster than retail. Real progress on sustainability exists, but the scale of waste remains sobering.

Sep 15, 2025

The Gulf Lost Up to a Quarter of Its Luxury Shoppers. The Brands Responded by Moving Further Upmarket

Bain puts the shrinkage in the Gulf's luxury customer base at 15 to 25 per cent in early 2026 while the Americas surged. The industry's answer to losing aspirational buyers has been to stop trying to keep them.

Aug 18, 2026

Lifestyle

Soft Existence Wants Your Pantry to Look This Good

A new Dubai home goods label turns kitchen storage and candles into display-worthy objects, betting that everyday clutter deserves better design.

Jun 24, 2026

How the UAE Turned Stablecoins Into Everyday Money

Dirham-pegged tokens are now licensed for retail payments across the UAE, part of a regulatory push that is reshaping remittances across the Gulf.

Mar 11, 2025

After quiet luxury: where fashion went next

The minimalist luxury era is fading. Spring 2025 runways reveal a bold swing toward maximalism, sculptural design, and unapologetic opulence.

Mar 15, 2024

The sneaker market cools: what streetwear's reset means

Resale margins are collapsing and collector demand is evaporating. After a decade of speculation and hype, the sneaker market is experiencing a fundamental reset.

Dec 15, 2024

How the Red Sea Crisis Is Reshaping Gulf Supply Chains

Houthi attacks on shipping have rerouted global trade around Africa, and Gulf importers are absorbing the fallout in freight rates and delivery times.

Feb 5, 2024

Design

Slow Design Is Killing the Flat Pack Refresh Cycle

Handmade ceramics, woven blinds and vintage frames are displacing furniture bought to last three years. Designers say the grey rental box interior is finally over.

Aug 4, 2026

Cottage Cheese Is Back, and It's All About Protein Now

The dairy aisle's most unfashionable tub has become a wellness staple, driven by TikTok recipes and America's ongoing protein obsession.

Nov 12, 2025

How consumers plan to spend differently in 2026

Growing wealth inequality is reshaping consumer behavior. Experiences over goods, values over discounts, and AI shopping tools mark 2026's divide.

May 20, 2025

Bitcoin Hits $100,000 as the Trump Trade Takes Over Crypto

Bitcoin crossed six figures for the first time this week, capping a rally that started at the ballot box and accelerated with every crypto-friendly appointment.

Dec 9, 2024

SEC Approves Spot Bitcoin ETFs, Opening Wall Street's Door

After a decade of rejections, US regulators cleared eleven spot Bitcoin ETFs, letting ordinary brokerage accounts hold the asset directly for the first time.

Jan 14, 2024

The UAE Now Earns Four Fifths of Its Economy Outside Oil

Non-oil activity reached 79.4 percent of national output in the first quarter, growing at 4.8 percent while the overall economy grew 3. The gap between those figures is the story.

Aug 6, 2026

A Tokenized Stock Is Only as Good as the Rights Behind the Token

Tokenized securities promise faster settlement and wider access, but custody, redemption, voting rights and bankruptcy treatment determine what an investor actually owns.

Aug 2, 2026

Fertilizer's Sharp Price Drop Could Become Food Relief, but Not Overnight

World Bank data show fertilizer prices fell 21.8% in June. Farmers and shoppers may benefit later, though contracts, planting cycles and energy costs slow the transmission.

Aug 2, 2026

This Week's Commodity Data Will Show Whether June's Relief Lasted

The World Bank's June index showed steep declines in energy, fertilizer and precious metals. Its August 4 update will reveal whether that was a turning point or a pause.

Aug 2, 2026

Dubai Chocolate: The Viral Bar That Emptied the World's Pistachios

A home cooking experiment in a Dubai kitchen turned into a global chocolate craze, a pistachio shortage, and a wave of copycats chasing the same viral bite.

Sep 10, 2025

UAE Stocks Meet a New Test as Regional Risk Returns to the Price Screen

A risk-off session in Dubai and Abu Dhabi shows how conflict, oil, aviation and investor confidence can move Gulf markets in different directions at once.

Jul 24, 2026

Secondhand Fashion Has Become a Style Signal, Not a Compromise

Preowned clothing is moving into the center of fashion as shoppers pursue value, individuality and access while brands reconsider their resale strategies.

Jul 31, 2026

Travel

Dubai's Visitor Rewards Bet Turns Residents Into Tourism Ambassadors

A new incentive campaign asks Dubai residents to bring friends and family to the city, revealing how destinations compete when regional uncertainty weighs on travel.

Jul 24, 2026

Royal Purple Is Fall 2026's Shortcut to Looking Intentional

The season's saturated purple works best as a decisive color block, not a costume. Here is how to wear it with denim, brown, grey and evening black.

Jul 27, 2026

Oil Is Flowing Again, but the Fuel Market Is Still Far From Normal

Crude shipments through the Gulf have recovered sharply, yet refineries and fuel supply remain constrained. That gap explains why cheaper oil may not quickly reach consumers.

Jul 31, 2026

New York Opens Fashion Month With a Debut and Closes It With Thom Browne

Seventy shows across six days, spring collections shown in autumn, and a designer taking over a house whose founder's name is still on the door. The September calendar is set.

Aug 16, 2026

Stablecoins Have Reached $320 Billion. The Hard Part Is Becoming Money

Stablecoins are expanding as payment and settlement tools, but BIS and IMF research warns that redemption pressure can connect token risk to traditional financial markets.

Jul 25, 2026

The Future of Social Media: Emerging Trends and Predictions for 2023

Over the years, social media has undergone major changes, influencing how we interact, communicate, and consume information. Looking ahead to 2023, social media’s future promises even more interesting innovations and opportunities. In this blog article, we will look at developing trends and make predictions regarding the future of social media. Rise of Vertical Video Vertical

May 27, 2023

Three Soft Data Prints in One Week Cut the Odds of a September Rate Hike From Fifty to Thirty One

Note the direction. Markets are not arguing about how fast the Federal Reserve cuts. They are pricing the probability that it raises, and gold has just had its best month since January.

Aug 21, 2026

A Federal Regulator Ordered a Betting Market to Keep Trading in a State That Sued It

On 11 August the CFTC used emergency powers to keep Kalshi running nationwide. A week earlier a Washington judge told it to block local users. Both cannot be right, and that is now the whole fight.

Aug 16, 2026

Fashion Brands Spent Years Fighting Resale. Now They Want to Run It

Secondhand is a 393 billion dollar market and roughly a tenth of all money spent on clothing. Zara, H&M, Levi's and others are building their own platforms to capture a trade they used to ignore.

Aug 17, 2026

The Gulf Was Forecast a Terrible Year. Brent Is at 84 Dollars

Early in the conflict the projections ran to 150 dollar oil and contracting Gulf economies. Halfway through August the numbers are less dramatic and more interesting than either the panic or the relief.

Aug 16, 2026

Fashion Has Rediscovered Colour, and Picked Lilac to Prove It

Pantone named Burnished Lilac and Amethyst Orchid for the season while runways ran rainbow brights. After a decade of neutrals, saturation is the statement.

Aug 6, 2026

Technology

OpenAI Is Buying Mac Minis by the Ten Thousand, Because Teaching a Model to Use a Computer Needs Computers

Training an agent to operate an operating system means running an operating system, watching the screen, taking an action and being scored, millions of times over. That work wants breadth across many machines rather than the largest possible GPU.

Sep 1, 2026

Travel

The World's Tourists Went Somewhere Else This Year, and the Gulf Is Counting the Difference

UN Tourism has global arrivals up two per cent in the first quarter and Middle East arrivals down fourteen. Bahrain lost more than a quarter of its visitors. Egypt, three hours away, gained sixteen per cent.

Aug 26, 2026

A Medium Can Vary by Twelve Centimetres Between Brands, Which Is Why Half of Everything Comes Back

There is no universal clothing size standard. Each brand sets its own charts, fit models and grading rules, and the result is a return rate that fashion e-commerce has simply priced in rather than fixed.

Aug 20, 2026

Nutrition

Protein Mania: One Macro's Takeover

Protein went from fitness afterthought to grocery store obsession. Now it's in your cereal, ice cream, and pasta. Why did one nutrient consume America.

Jun 18, 2024

The Gulf's Restaurant Scene Is Reinventing Itself in 2026

After two years of shocks, Gulf dining is rebuilding around homegrown brands and confident local concepts rather than imported franchise names.

May 19, 2026

Modest fashion's global moment and the GCC's role in it

Once niche, modest fashion is now a USD 295 billion market, and the GCC's influence is reshaping global style. Major luxury brands are paying attention.

Jul 30, 2024

Sheer Dressing Is Back and the Argument Came With It

Illusion gowns and transparent couture are dominating red carpets again, and the online reaction is as reliable as the trend. Both are doing exactly what they are designed to do.

Aug 6, 2026

Fashion's Autumn Answer to a Decade of Beige Is Everything at Once

Tartan, tuxedos, trains, brocade and thigh high boots all landed in the same season. After years of quiet luxury, the autumn runways went loud on purpose.

Aug 4, 2026

Travel

Eight Point Seven Million Airport Customers Lost Data, and the Field That Matters Is the Number Plate

Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands lost email addresses, phone numbers, postcodes and vehicle registrations taken from car park, lounge and wifi bookings. No payment details. The combination is still enough to build a message you would believe.

Aug 30, 2026

The SEC Has Asked 27 Questions About the Next Generation of Crypto Funds, and You Have Until 31 August to Answer

A proceeding opened on 30 June is deciding what exchange traded funds holding unusual assets may look like. Two designs dominate it: funds that earn staking rewards, and funds tracking small altcoins. The comment period closes in days.

Aug 24, 2026

Diving

One Company Now Owns Aqualung, Apeks, Mares, rEvo and a Training Agency

HEAD rescued Aqualung out of receivership with a 50 million euro package. The result is a single group holding four of diving's best known equipment names and SSI, the agency that certifies divers to use them.

Aug 18, 2026

Technology

The Day AWS Went Dark: Inside the US-East-1 Outage

A DNS failure inside Amazon's Virginia data hub knocked Snapchat, Fortnite, Ring and banks offline for 15 hours. Here is what actually broke.

Oct 21, 2025

The Pistachio Economy Dubai Chocolate Built (and Broke)

One viral chocolate bar turned pistachios into the food world's hottest commodity, and the ripple effects have reached lattes, croissants, and ice cream.

May 14, 2025

A Ten Trillion Dollar Industry Has Started Telling Its Customers to Stop Optimising

The 2026 wellness forecasts describe a pivot away from peak performance and towards something more ordinary. That is a strange message from a sector selling trackers, protocols and longevity clinics, and it is worth taking seriously anyway.

Aug 22, 2026

Gold Is Up Fourteen Per Cent in a Month, and the Banks Cut Their Targets Three Weeks Before It Ran

The metal reached about 4,607 dollars an ounce on Friday, its strongest week in months, on the same US debt news that moved bonds and bitcoin. It is still below January's record, and it has just overtaken forecasts that were revised down in early August.

Aug 22, 2026

Technology

Pinterest Wants to Stop Being Where You Plan and Start Being Where You Buy

A platform built on aspiration is rolling out AI assistants and automated ad tools, with Q2 revenue and user growth behind it. The pivot risks the thing that made it work.

Aug 6, 2026

Inside Al Wisam Trading, Sharjah’s Machinery Partner

A closer look at how Al Wisam combines construction machinery, industrial systems and local technical support for contractors across the UAE.

Sep 18, 2025

Crypto in 2025: The Year the Cycle Stopped Looking Like a Cycle

Bitcoin hit a record near $126,000, stablecoins topped $290 billion, and then Q4 delivered the sharpest reset in years. Here is what actually happened.

Jan 6, 2026

Diving

The 2026 Dive Computer Question Is Not Which Screen. It Is Whose Algorithm You Trust

Shearwater, Garmin and Suunto now sell wrist computers that look broadly alike and cost between 760 and 1,800 dollars. What separates them is the decompression model, the transmitter, and what you are really paying for.

Aug 18, 2026