A race is raging among global powers to secure access to critical minerals to power the simultaneous energy and digital transitions the world is experiencing. The extraordinary growth in demand for critical minerals is putting upward pressure on prices and stimulating new critical mineral discoveries all around the world. However, in developing countries, this new […]
Food insecurity remains a critical issue affecting millions of people across the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP). The region faces a wide range of food security challenges—from acute conflict-related humanitarian crises in some areas to affordability concerns in others, and from high levels of economic prosperity to accompanying nutritional deficits. The food […]
As disasters grow more frequent and severe, the need for fast, reliable information in the immediate aftermath has never been greater. Governments, development partners and humanitarian agencies need to quickly understand the scale and nature of the impact so they can take informed action, mobilize resources and support recovery. Yet, traditional damage assessments can take […]
The Fed cut its rate by a quarter of a percentage point, in a move that won support from most of President Donald Trump’s central bank appointees Gulf central banks cut their key interest rates on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cut U.S. interest rates by 25 basis points for the first time this year. […]
The investment will be implemented in phases over four to six years. The first phase alone is valued over OMR73 million. With a project investment of over OMR188 million for the manufacturing of batteries, the shift towards cleaner sources of en energy will get a major boost. It will help Oman in achieving net-zero greenhouse […]
Some of Europe’s ageing coal and gas fired power plants can look forward to a more high-tech future as big tech players, such as Microsoft and Amazon, seek to repurpose them as data centres, with ready-made access to power and water. Companies such as France’s Engie , Germany’s RWE, and Italy’s Enel are looking to benefit from […]
Escalating geopolitical tensions, trade wars, and volatile policy shifts are reshaping the rules of global commerce and finance and bringing the dominance of the US dollar into question. This column argues that Europe has a historic opportunity to elevate the euro into a trusted global anchor of stability and thus rebalance a global monetary order […]
Importing energy-intensive goods would be more efficient for EU clean industry goals than importing clean energy itself. Clean industrialisation is a political and economic priority for the European Union. For it to work, affordable clean energy is needed. However, producing this energy in Europe is constrained by limited renewable energy endowments (sunshine and wind) and […]
Product market regulation reforms directly affect firm entry, innovation and reallocation, and thus productivity and economic growth. This column leverages the 2025 update of the OECD Energy, Transport and Communications Regulation indicator to show that anticompetitive regulations in upstream sectors curb long-run economic performance in downstream sectors. Across the OECD, deregulation in network industries between […]
The prosperity and economic transformation of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) hinge on making energy reliable and affordable for all. Across the region, many countries are prioritizing energy efficiency and renewable energy as part of their development strategies —not only to strengthen energy security, but also to create jobs, foster innovation, and lower costs. Renewables […]
