This puts Africa in a particularly enviable position, as it holds over USD 30 trillion worth of rare earth minerals required for batteries and other equipment necessary for a complete green energy transition. The continent also has about 48% of the world’s manganese, 22% of natural graphite, 55% of the world’s cobalt deposits, and notable shares of nickel and lithium.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is responsible for 70% of global cobalt production. South Africa, Gabon, and Ghana produce 60% of global manganese.

But the arrangements from its colonial past still linger on in the African economy, as Western governments and corporations still view the continent as a mine to extract resources from rather than a genuine partner who can add value and create industrial products useful for the global economy.

No major international player is speaking about Africa using its wealth for internal economic transformation. Most just see it as an ore supplier. And though ore supplies will create a few jobs, it will continue to be an aftermath of colonialism. Africans desperately want to be a part of the refining, processing and manufacturing side of the supply chain.

Domestic plants could create thousands of jobs as opposed to the few hundred jobs offered through traditional resource extraction. Policymakers in Africa have long called for local beneficiation (value addition done on African soil). They want the critical minerals to be used for industrialisation at home and not just for global decarbonisation.

For example, Africa has $2.8 trillion worth of iron ore, which could be worth $25 trillion in steel if it adds value. The USD 834 billion in bauxite could be worth USD 15.4 trillion in aluminium with full processing.

Industrialisation is a matter of urgency for the continent as its population is exploding, with 30 million people born annually. Without manufacturing jobs, most of these young workers wouldn’t be able to land their first job. Building a mineral-to-manufacturing corridor will reduce Africa’s import bill by USD 16 billion annually.

Mining jobs in the DRC support over 100,000 people. In Namibia, there are 20,000 workers, and in Zambia, there are over 70,000. With value addition, millions more can enter the workforce.

The myriad nations of Africa cannot hope to bargain with the great European and American powers alone. It’s only through a grand union that they can even hope to negotiate a fair deal.

This is exactly why African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an important part of this equation. Without the AfCFTA coordinated policies on taxes, prices and beneficiation will be impossible. The exploitative bilateral deals which have stolen wealth from African mines will no longer hold in front of a unified front.

Africa has over 1.4 billion people, and the vast continent with so many people can make value addition seamless as opposed to a single country taking this route. For example, cross-border power grids could supply energy to all plants and make African companies competitive and sustainable.

This grand ambition is constrained by persistent challenges, including governance risks, infrastructure deficits, global resistance to domestic processing, and regulatory inconsistencies. But there is hope left, as reforms in Ghana (bauxite), Zambia (copper), and Kenya (digital licensing) indicate policy progress. America and Europe prefer or even incentivise processing on their own turf. But Africans must negotiate fair inclusion in the value chains if they are going to remain relevant in the 21st century.

Energy and sustainability are also a big headache. No mineral-based industrialisation is possible without reliable and clean power. Africans can explore several options for sustainable power refining, including green hydrogen, hydropower, and geothermal energy. Clean energy can be combined with mineral processing, particularly in East Africa, for a competitive edge.

The IEA says that lithium demand would be fivefold in 2040, and demands for cobalt and rare earth may rise by 50%-60%, with copper by about 30%-50%.

A deal without technology transfer, skill development, and joint ventures is not in Africa’s interest. According to AfCFTA, if the strategy is effective, African nations could increase their bargaining power to a level comparable to the GCC’s bargaining power at the height of oil production in the 20th century.

The post IF Insights: Rare earths emerge as Africa’s new leverage point appeared first on International Finance.

International Finance can help you through this challenging transition by providing actionable steps on how to pivot, grow, and move forward into the next phase of your career with practical and inspiring insights on financial matters, personal growth, and job searching. Here are six key steps to take.

Take A Moment To Process And Reflect

Getting laid off is an emotional experience, and you may need some time to process your feelings before taking action. Think about why you were laid off and how it will impact your next steps. The truth is, it is rarely your fault. This is a time for self-care and to regain your emotional equilibrium. By taking the time to acknowledge your emotions, you can begin anew with clarity and resolve.

Assess Your Financial Situation

When you are laid off, you need to look at your finances to determine how much money you have available to live on during this time and how long you can support yourself. If you have no savings, you may want to get advice from a financial advisor to budget how you can live without a regular income.

Apply For Unemployment Benefits

After being laid off, you should take one of the first practical steps to apply for unemployment benefits, which can be a financial bridge to search for a new job or upskill, and filing for benefits varies by state.

Update Your Resume And LinkedIn Profile

The time has come to update your LinkedIn profile and resume to reflect your most recent work. Highlight your abilities, accomplishments, and contributions from your prior position, and customise your resume to fit the kinds of jobs you’re looking for. A well-maintained LinkedIn profile can make you stand out to recruiters and employers.

Network And Reach Out To Contacts

One of the best methods for discovering new opportunities is to network, reaching out to former colleagues, mentors, and other professional contacts to let them know you are seeking new roles. Referrals fill many jobs, and having a strong network can lead to more hidden opportunities.

Consider Freelancing Or Consulting

Freelancing or consulting can help you maintain productivity while you look for a new full-time job. Think about sharing your knowledge in fields where you excel.

The post Key things to do after being laid off appeared first on International Finance.

Green finance has become a toolkit for funding real assets that cut emissions, protect natural resources and harden economies against climate shocks, from solar parks and efficient factories to cleaner transport, water systems that waste less and infrastructure that withstands heat and floods.

Investors who once chased stories now demand numbers, asking how many megawatt hours will be saved, how many tonnes of carbon will be avoided and whether those claims will stand up to independent verification over time.

Green finance ties the use of proceeds or the performance of a borrower to quantifiable environmental outcomes that can be audited and priced, which is exactly what long-term capital wants in an era defined by risk, scrutiny and accountability.

For Oman, the alignment is straightforward, since the vision set by “Oman Vision 2040” calls for a more diversified economy built on innovation, skilled jobs and sustainability that preserves natural beauty while boosting global competitiveness and signalling seriousness to partners and markets.

The point is not to tick boxes for an external audience, it is to finance an economic transition that creates value locally, lowers costs of capital and strengthens the national balance sheet against volatility in a world already pricing climate risks.

Capital will not come because green is fashionable. It will come because projects can demonstrate clear benefits, present bankable documentation and deliver verified outcomes that de-risk investor decisions and justify better pricing and longer maturities.

The instruments are already proven, accessible and flexible enough to fit Omani priorities, which means the bottleneck is not novelty but execution with integrity. Green bonds and green loans direct money to labelled uses like solar generation, industrial retrofits or energy efficient desalination, where eligibility is clear, and the impacts can be tracked across the life of the asset.

Sustainability-linked loans and bonds go a step further by rewarding borrowers with lower coupons if they hit agreed performance targets, such as measurable reductions in energy use or increases in recycled water, which aligns incentives without restricting proceeds to a narrow list of assets.

Carbon markets can add a complementary revenue stream when projects produce verified emissions reductions, improving project economics and attracting international finance that wants both returns and impact.

When these tools are backed by honest data and credible reporting, the benefits compound, from access to new investor pools and longer duration money to a stronger national brand and more jobs across engineering, project finance, digital monitoring, maritime services, logistics and the circular economy that ties waste to opportunity.

Oman’s starting position is stronger than its critics concede, which is why urgency can coexist with confidence. Abundant solar and wind resources offer a comparative advantage for clean power and energy-intensive industries that want to decarbonise, while a strategic location and reliable institutions simplify supply chains and deal execution for investors who hate surprises more than anything else.

A growing base of industrial and logistics expertise means capability is not being built from zero, it is being upgraded for the next wave of investment in green hydrogen, power grids, storage and cleaner manufacturing, where scale, credibility and coordination determine winners.

Local banks are building the right teams and tools, while policymakers are giving explicit signals, with the Central Bank of Oman encouraging sustainable finance practices and transparent disclosures and capital market rules now enabling green and sustainability bonds and sukuk to be issued with confidence inside a clear framework.

Early movers matter in any market shift, and within banking, Sohar International has stepped out front by engaging clients, developing internal capacity and exploring climate-aligned lending so that more Omani projects qualify for green finance on terms that are fair, competitive and repeatable. This is how markets are built, by combining policy clarity with private capability and project-level data that turns goals into signed term sheets.

Proof beats promises

Green finance rewards clarity, and in Oman, clarity is beginning to deliver funding for real economy use cases, not just glossy brochures. In shipping and logistics, an Omani company secured a green loan from international lenders by presenting an energy efficiency business case grounded in data with a credible plan to cut fuel use and emissions that third parties could verify, which is the difference between a marketing deck and a financing package.

On rooftops and in small businesses, local retail programmes for solar and efficiency have already helped households and SMEs (small and medium businesses) lower bills, a reminder that the energy transition is not only about giga projects but about the cumulative effect of thousands of small decisions supported by accessible finance.

In heavy industry and energy, a coordinated push around green hydrogen has started to attract global developers who bring capital and technology, which is precisely the blend needed to derisk first movers and get steel in the ground.

The through line in each example is simple and repeatable, because clarity plus data equals money, and lenders will improve pricing and extend maturities when they can quantify savings or avoided emissions and see that those numbers have been independently checked.

This is how to turn climate objectives into competitive financing: by answering the two questions lenders always ask, how will this project perform under stress, and who will verify that it is doing what it claims as conditions change. When the answers are precise, prices improve, and when the answers are weak or vague, projects stall and costs rise, which is why internal discipline inside firms will be as important as external signalling by regulators.

Preparedness at the enterprise level is the fastest way to convert interest into funding, because the cheapest loan is the one that does not get delayed by missing documents and shifting targets. Start with a simple sustainability plan that explains the project, defines the expected environmental benefits and sets out how results will be measured, because lenders finance what they can underwrite, and underwriters need a plan they can file and revisit.

Build a baseline for emissions that covers Scope 1 and Scope 2 and the most material parts of Scope 3 where relevant, because credibility flows from showing where you stand before you promise how far you will go.

Choose the right instrument for the job. A green loan or bond, when the use of proceeds is clearly green and a sustainability-linked structure, when the goal is to improve performance over time across a broader corporate platform. Collect facts early, from feasibility studies and permits to signed contracts and a one-page summary that states impact per rial invested, because the summary focuses attention and the appendices carry the evidence.

Secure an external review to build trust and engage the bank at the start by asking what documentation, KPIs (key performance indicators) and reports it needs so that both sides are aligned on definitions, measurement and timing with no surprises later. This is about predictability, and predictable borrowers get better terms, more options and faster credit approvals from lenders trained to reward process discipline.

The system moves faster when everyone shares the same language and templates, which is why a “Green Finance Starter Programme” would pay for itself in velocity and volume. Many Omani SMEs want to participate but are unsure where to begin, so a national programme delivered through chambers and industry groups can teach teams to calculate a basic emissions baseline, select the right financing tool, prepare a short sustainability report and understand what assurance really means in practice.

Training must also target bankers, credit officers and FDI professionals, because deals close when borrowers and lenders align on eligibility, KPIs, verification and reporting, and that alignment comes from repeated conversations across a shared technical vocabulary.

Here, regulators can lean in with light but catalytic touch, as the Central Bank and investment authorities can back standard templates, share anonymised examples and celebrate early successes to create demonstration effects that pull others into the pipeline.

The outcome is not bureaucracy, it is speed, because standardisation reduces ambiguity, reduces legal opinions and reduces time to funds disbursement for projects that meet the criteria. The more predictable the process, the lower the risk premium investors will demand, which is how a policy choice about templates becomes a macro lever for lowering national financing costs.

Sovereign first, global ready

The fastest way to lose credibility is to appear to chase external agendas, which is why Omani green finance is rooted in national priorities and financial independence that serve domestic objectives first.

The goal is neither to mimic another country’s taxonomy nor to accept conditionality that undermines sovereignty. The goal is to channel capital to projects that strengthen the economic base, build industrial competitiveness and enhance environmental resilience under rules set and enforced at home.

Policy leadership by the Central Bank of Oman, the Capital Market Authority and the Ministry of Finance provides the backbone for this approach, ensuring that all green financing instruments are governed by clear disclosure and accountability standards that protect national interests while welcoming credible partners.

That is how to be globally ready without being globally dependent, by building a system that matches international best practice where it adds value while tailoring thresholds, definitions and reporting to Omani realities and sectoral priorities.

Sovereignty is not a slogan in this context. It is a series of design choices that keep governance, verification and enforcement aligned with national strategy so that the shift to sustainability remains strategic and durable, not transient and reactive. Markets can smell incoherence, and when frameworks wobble, capital retreats, which is why a sovereign-led, transparent and practical architecture is a competitive advantage in a crowded field of issuers and borrowers.

A credible framework requires practical rules that are stable enough for companies and banks to plan around, because nothing kills a pipeline faster than moving goalposts. It also requires capability, which comes from short, targeted training that equips lenders and borrowers to measure and verify impact with confidence, so that KPIs are not just acronyms on a slide but metrics embedded in operations and covenants.

Finally, it requires a visible pipeline of priority projects, from renewables and storage to industrial efficiency, low carbon logistics and green hydrogen, because capital prefers to shop from a shelf where the products are labelled, documented and ready for due diligence. Publish the shelf and refresh it, then watch how swiftly roadshows turn into mandates when investors see a line of creditworthy projects under a consistent policy umbrella.

Sovereign support should be targeted, not distorting, which is why a sustainable finance framework or a credit enhancement facility for early projects can attract private capital without crowding it out, especially in the first wave, where demonstration effects matter more than marginal costs.

The payoff is direct and measurable: lower financing costs, more international investment, stronger Omani enterprises and a stream of sustainable, high-quality jobs that anchor communities and expand the tax base.

Evidence from within Oman already shows the logic working in microcosm, which should embolden a scale-up in the next budget cycle. The shipping example proves that when a borrower presents a credible plan with independently checkable metrics, international lenders will line up to price efficiency gains and share the upside in tighter spreads or better tenors.

The household and SME programmes for rooftop solar and efficiency show that retail finance can be green, practical and popular when lower bills are visible within months, and repayment structures are simple, which builds a culture of demand that supports larger grid and storage investments.

The early momentum in green hydrogen shows how policy focus can draw global developers with both capital and technology, and it underlines the need to connect upstream ambitions to midstream infrastructure and downstream offtake with contracts that allocate risk fairly across the chain.

Stitch these strands together inside a coherent disclosure and assurance regime, and Oman will not have to persuade the market with slogans. It will persuade the market with term sheets and performance reports that speak for themselves.

Playbook for projects

Every firm that wants to tap green finance in Oman can follow a playbook that is short, disciplined and designed to survive sceptical due diligence, because scepticism is the default stance of any serious lender. First, define the project and its environmental logic in plain terms, then state the KPIs that will prove success and the methods for measuring them over time, which stops debates about purpose from consuming meetings that should be about terms and timelines.

Following these, establish a baseline for emissions that covers direct and indirect energy and the most material value chain components, because a baseline makes future claims legible and comparable across reporting periods and market cycles. Third, match the instrument to the reality, using green loans or bonds for defined green uses of proceeds and sustainability-linked structures when the value lies in performance improvement against credible targets rather than in a single pool of assets.

Fourth, pull together feasibility studies, permits and contracts, then condense the numbers into a one-page summary of impact per rial invested that lets decision makers grasp the economics and the environmental case at a glance without flipping through appendices in a marathon session.

Fifth, seek an external review early to build trust and surface any weaknesses before they are handed to a lender, which prevents avoidable delays and demonstrates professionalism to counterparties who value preparedness.

Finally, sit with the bank on day one and ask for its documentation, KPI and reporting expectations, then build your data room to that specification so there are no last-minute scrambles that raise doubts about execution capacity. This sequence is not glamorous, but it wins mandates because it respects how credit committees think and how risk is priced in competitive markets that reward certainty.

For SMEs, the path can be made even clearer through a national starter programme that demystifies the basics and lowers the cost of entry into green finance, which is where leverage per rial spent on training is highest. A programme delivered with chambers and industry groups can teach teams to calculate a basic baseline, choose a financing instrument, draft a short sustainability report and understand assurance, so that first-time borrowers arrive at banks with documents that are good enough to be taken seriously.

Training should be reciprocal, with bankers, credit officers and FDI professionals learning the same technical language so that meetings become exercises in alignment rather than translation, a shift that accelerates closings and reduces leakage in the pipeline.

Regulators can help by standardising templates, sharing anonymised case studies and publicly celebrating early deals that went right, which normalises the process and signals to the market that this is not a fad but a policy-backed shift with institutional energy behind it.

The net effect is compounding velocity, because the second wave of deals is always easier when the first wave created precedents that lawyers and lenders can reference without reinventing every clause.

The road to leadership

The reasons to act now are practical, not rhetorical, because global capital is already reweighting toward clean assets and credible frameworks, and the penalty for hesitation is opportunity lost to neighbours who move faster and offer better documentation.

Oman has the resources, the institutions and the policy direction to compete for that capital at scale, but the deciding factor will be the boring excellence of documents, baselines, KPIs and third-party checks that earn trust across borders and credit cycles.

Even the best solar resource does not finance itself. It needs a borrower who can prove savings, a regulator who can guarantee standards and a lender who can price risk with confidence, which is why the blocking and tackling described above will matter more than slogans on conference stages.

The good news is that the building blocks exist, from local banks assembling green finance capabilities to authorities enabling green and sustainability bonds and sukuk and early projects showing that money follows numbers when the numbers are honest.

The next chapter will be written by teams that execute the playbook and by policymakers who protect national interests while opening the door to credible partners under rules that elevate trust over hype, process over improvisation and performance over promises. If that discipline holds, Oman can turn vision into velocity and make green finance not just a headline, but a competitive advantage that compounds across a generation.

The post Oman turns vision into green power appeared first on International Finance.

Franchising offers grassroots entrepreneurs a chance to get into business for themselves. The business model combines a potent mix of capital, brand, and initiative. On the other hand, the cost of getting into a franchise business has risen steeply in recent years.

“A new concept, which started in less developed countries where it has helped to lift millions out of poverty, is microfranchising. Microfranchising is a business model that applies traditional franchising to very small businesses. It is a systemised approach to replicating micro-enterprises like drive-in coffee kiosks, mall products and services, food stands, and just about any other type of business that sells low-cost products or services, primarily in high-traffic areas,” mentions Levi King, CEO, co-founder, and chairman of Nav.com.

How Microfranchising Works
Microfranchising follows the same general idea as traditional franchising, but is intentionally smaller and easier to manage. Instead of opening a full storefront or hiring a big team, owners typically handle compact operations, like mobile services, small retail setups, or simplified service models. The franchisor provides the essentials: training, branding, operational systems, and guidance. The relationship is straightforward and built around a model that’s already been tested in the real world.

Advantages Of Franchising
What draws many people to microfranchising is the comfort of structure. You’re not forced to guess your way through marketing or operations because most of the decisions are already mapped out. You step into a brand that has a track record instead of trying to get a new concept off the ground.

Low Barrier To Entry
Traditional franchises often require heavy capital, which can shut out a lot of capable people. Microfranchises remove that barrier. The startup cost is significantly lower, and the operating model is lean. This allows people with limited funds to take their first step into business ownership without putting themselves under enormous financial strain.

Financing Your Franchise
Because microfranchises are smaller and based on proven systems, financing is often more accessible, and some franchisors offer internal financing or connect franchisees with microloan programmes or small-business lenders.

Social And Community Impact
Beyond individual success stories, microfranchising can serve a social and community impact, helping local economies, providing jobs, and offering necessary services in areas where there are few other choices. The model offers a balance of personal development and community benefit for those interested in running a business that also benefits the community around them.

The post Five reasons why businesses should consider microfranchise model appeared first on International Finance.

The narrative is a deliberate distortion designed to evade moral responsibility and commit grave political wrongdoing. Canada, a prosperous nation, is abandoning its most vulnerable citizens, leading to soaring poverty and starving children. This catastrophe is wrongly labelled a temporary economic headwind, not a policy failure. We must immediately reject this sanitised view.

The evidence is overwhelming and utterly damning. Canada’s official poverty rate, measured by the Market Basket Measure (MBM), is expected to have climbed significantly to 10.2% in 2023, reversing years of hard-won progress and signalling a structural breaking point.

This distressing climb follows a staggering 21.8% jump in the poverty rate just from 2021 to 2022, confirming that the economic floor supporting low-income Canadians is fragile, inadequate, and wholly dependent on temporary governmental goodwill, which is now receding.

Look around and watch the financial anxiety spread like a contagion through every province. One in six Canadian households now experiences food insecurity, representing a crushing 15.6% prevalence in 2022.

This rate of insecurity closely tracks peak inflation and the soaring costs of necessities like shelter and transportation, confirming the economic origins of hunger. When Food Banks Canada assesses the country’s performance, it returns a dismal D grade for meeting food security needs and a failing grade for food insecurity overall. This is not an evaluation of charitable success, but an indictment of a state that failed its most basic duty, which is to ensure its citizens do not go hungry.

The moral obscenity is most acute when we count the children. 2.5 million children in the ten provinces are now growing up in food-insecure households in 2024, representing a third of all Canadian children, condemned to the stress and lifelong stigma of going without because their government prioritised fiscal inertia over feeding its young.

The rapid collapse in basic material well-being, evidenced by the increase from 2.1 million children in 2023, shows economic growth is failing to benefit everyone, resulting in stark, widening inequality.

These failures are most clearly demonstrated when examining the key indicators of structural neglect, showing a distinct reversal of progress immediately following the temporary relief offered during the pandemic years.

How Ottawa hurt workers

The structural origins of this current catastrophe can be traced back to the deliberate economic restructuring that began decades ago, a political project rooted in the neoliberal dogma that crushed the manufacturing sector and enshrined labour precarity as the new normal, ensuring that wages would stagnate while the cost of living exploded.

We see this criminal neglect in the data on wages. Overall median household income increased by a paltry 14.6% over 41 years between 1976 and 2017 in constant dollars. This near-stagnation of pay, spanning generations, confirms that the rewards of national productivity have been systematically diverted away from the workers who generate them.

Income inequality has persisted at or near record highs over the past decade. It has been engineered through policy choices that systematically weakened collective bargaining power.

When policy analysts discuss precarious employment, they are talking about a quantifiable lack of security, low wages, income volatility, and little opportunity for career advancement. This is the changing nature of work dictated by economic policy, a deliberate erosion of worker protections.

Worse still, the Canadian state has actively constructed a system of legal exploitation through its Temporary Foreign Worker Programme, a scheme that privileges corporate access to cheap labour over the human rights of migrants.

The policy shift favouring temporary migration over permanent residency has created a vast, vulnerable underclass of workers who are denied access to federally funded settlement services and are often bound to single employers, subjecting them to abuse and limiting their mobility. The absence of systematic monitoring to ensure their rights are protected further cements their precarious status, making them highly vulnerable to mistreatment.

This structure is marketed as necessary for economic efficiency, but it functions as a wage suppressor, ensuring that low-wage firms retain talent without having to offer competitive wages or working conditions.

The expansion of the TFWP, as experts have shown, actively contributes to maintaining wider discrepancies in regional unemployment rates than would otherwise exist, preventing the structural adjustments necessary to raise wages for all low-income Canadians.

The system is creating a two-tier economy, which is precarious by design and ensuring that those who harvest our food and staff our services remain perpetually marginal.

The long-term wage stagnation, when directly contrasted with the explosive growth in housing prices, a phenomenon where home prices in major markets rose by as much as 460% over three decades, fundamentally proves that political decisions prioritised capital accumulation and speculative wealth over worker compensation, a moral betrayal that doomed millions to financial strain even while holding down jobs.

How US Power crippled Canada

Being a neighbour to the world’s richest country should be a blessing, at least on paper. But Canadians have, until very recently, held deep fear of being a satellite, or vassal state to the great American hegemon. The anxiety was so terrible that in 1957, the “Gordon Commission” rang the alarm bells about the US economic takeover. By the early 1960s, the US interests controlled roughly 60% of Canada’s manufacturing and 70% of its oil and gas.

It’s important to note that just 15 years prior, Great Britain was Canada’s number one customer. World War II had wrecked Britain, and the English population could no longer buy Canadian goods. The Arctic giant had come out of the Great War without any casualties to citizens or factories, but was losing to the economic imperialism of its exceptional neighbour. In 1955, Canada had the highest standard of living in the world. The US slowly and steadily captured the Canadian market. And Canadians embraced protectionism as a policy, much like how the US under Trump operates today. American companies had to manufacture in Canada if they had to sell in Canada. This made American goods in Canada slightly more expensive than in America, but it also meant Canadians had ownership, jobs and a robust economy.

All this came to an end in the late 60s when the “Clarence Decatur Howe” Strategy came into being under the Canadian Minister of Trade (C.D. Howe). He aggressively courted American investment. His view was, “Who cares if they own it, as long as the jobs are here?” This policy built modern Canada, but laid the foundation for the dependency that exists today.

In 1965, Canada took the first step towards the forfeiture of its economic servitude. A move that would enrich Canada temporarily at the expense of the future of working-class Canadians and children. The Auto Pact (1965) destroyed Canada’s automobile industry. Many domestic industries went bust and America brought its branch plants into Canada. Ottawa became an assembly line with no access to real R&D or innovation. Yet Canadians were happy to have jobs.

In 1989, a comprehensive free trade agreement was signed that included all sectors of the economy, not just automobiles. This led to factories shutting down and relocating to the United States, and later to Mexico. As a result, there was widespread unemployment, and poverty levels rose significantly. Social spending was also reduced, causing the standard of living to decline. This marked the beginning of the decline of the Canadian dream, sacrificed for the benefit of American businesses and facilitated by Canadian politicians working on behalf of American lobbyists.

Today, an astonishing 77% of Canada’s exports are sent to the United States. This dependency gives the US considerable leverage; if America alters its trade policies—such as imposing 10% tariffs on aluminium or enforcing “Buy American” provisions—the Canadian economy feels the impact. The Canadian people took a bad deal, and to top it all off, the Trudeau government started a massive migration campaign to protect the housing bubble. But Canada’s poor and working class are the ones who suffer at every turn. From a nation with the highest living standards to economic indenture, Canada has come a long way and might want to rethink its policies and allies.

The decades-long policy crime

Of all the policy decisions in Canadian history, none more clearly embodies political malice than the federal government’s calculated withdrawal from social housing in the mid-1990s. More than any other decision, it entrenched the structural divide between those who own property and those condemned to struggle without it.

The evidence is surgical in its precision. The federal government froze social housing investments in 1993, ended its co-operative housing programme in its 1992 budget, and by 1995, it ceased funding new affordable housing development entirely, ending a 50-year commitment to shelter the most vulnerable. This act of institutional cruelty was immediately followed by the devolution of existing social housing administration to provincial and municipal governments in 1999.

This devolution coincided with the replacement of the “Canada Assistance Plan”, which had provided open-ended, 50-50 cost-sharing for social programmes, with the fixed, inadequate block grants of the Canada Health and Social Transfer. This manoeuvre effectively starved the social housing sector of resources, ensuring that between 1995 and 2002 almost no new non-profit units were created, a historical failure that created the decades-long supply void and the affordability crisis we now face.

The gap created by the government’s withdrawal was eagerly filled by financial speculators, transforming housing from a fundamental human right into the primary means of wealth generation for the middle and upper classes. Policies that supported the securitisation of mortgages fuelled the financialization of the housing sector, completely disconnecting increases in housing prices from economic fundamentals and income levels.

The result is that in major urban centres like the Greater Toronto Area, home prices jumped over 436% between 1994 and 2024, while household incomes climbed only about 34.6% over the same period.

The tragic consequence of this policy crime is visible on every street corner across the country. Over 10% of Canadian households, equating to 1.5 million individuals, are currently in ‘core housing need,’ and Canada is experiencing the proliferation of unstructured encampments in large, medium, and smaller cities.

When vulnerable people are discharged from systems like hospitals, corrections facilities, or mental health facilities and find no exit housing, they are forced directly into homelessness, a system failure directly attributable to the decades-old policy of gutting affordable housing programmes.

This lack of non-profit and cooperative housing supply is a systemic factor, compounded by high inflation and rising interest rates, demonstrating that the market cannot be relied upon to solve the crisis created by the state’s retreat.

And let us not forget the green blunder. As per policy think tank Fraser Institute, the previous Justin Trudeau government introduced a series of tax measures, spending initiatives, and regulations to actively constrain the traditional energy sector while promoting what the administration termed the “green” economy. However, the results were not encouraging.

Ottawa introduced regulations to make it harder to build traditional energy projects, banned tankers carrying Canadian oil from the northwest coast of British Columbia, proposed an emissions cap on the oil and gas sector, cancelled pipeline developments, mandated almost all new vehicles sold in Canada to be zero-emission by 2035, imposed new homebuilding regulations for energy efficiency, changed fuel standards, and the list goes on and on.

“Despite the mountain of federal spending and regulations, which were augmented by additional spending and regulations by various provincial governments, the Canadian economy has not been transformed over the last decade, but we have suffered marked economic costs. Consider the share of the total economy in 2014 linked with the ‘green sector,’ a term used by Statistics Canada in its measurement of economic output, was 3.1%. In 2023, the green economy represented 3.6% of the Canadian economy, not even a full one-percentage point increase despite the spending and regulating,” the Fraser Institute remarked.

Ottawa’s initiatives failed to deliver the promised green jobs. From 2014 to 2023, only 68,000 jobs were created in the entire green sector, which now represents less than 2% of total employment. Canada’s economic performance cratered in line with this new approach to economic growth. Rather than delivering the promised prosperity, it delivered economic stagnation.

According to the Canadian living standards (measured by per-person GDP), lifestyle prosperity was recorded on the lower side as of Q2 2025 compared to six years ago. In other words, Canadians are poorer today than they were six years ago. In contrast, the United States’ per-person GDP grew by 11.0% during the same period.

Cruel math of the safety net

The sheer, calculated cruelty of Canada’s current social safety net is evident in its outcomes. The system is fragmented, difficult to access, inefficient, outdated, inadequate, and is a bureaucratic maze meant to traumatise and deter those who seek aid.

The defining failure of this system is its persistence in keeping people in poverty. An annual report shows that 98% of household types receiving social assistance in Canada are below the country’s Official Poverty Line.

Furthermore, 73% of these households are trapped in deep poverty, defined as having less than 75% of the poverty threshold. This is clear evidence that social assistance is quite literally designed to be a poverty trap, normalising destitution rather than facilitating escape.

This calculated inadequacy is exacerbated by rapid economic erosion, particularly due to high inflation. Between 2023 and 2024, more than a third of welfare recipients, 36% of tracked households, saw their total incomes increase at a rate below inflation, meaning that in real dollars, they are becoming poorer every year, actively losing ground against the rising cost of living.

This real income decline occurred despite some provinces attempting to offer one-time cost-of-living supports, demonstrating that the underlying provincial social assistance benefit rates are simply too low and frequently stagnant. When provinces like Ontario fail to adjust basic social assistance benefits, it is a conscious decision to normalise destitution and push vulnerable citizens deeper into the deprivation abyss.

This systemic cruelty falls hardest on specific groups. The poverty rate among people with disabilities is drastically high, solely because the benefits provided are fundamentally detached from the actual, significantly higher costs of living with a disability. The increasing reliance on the “Ontario Disability Support Programme,” as shown in Ontario data, reflects the reality that people with disabilities are being failed by both the labour market and an inadequate social net, leading to their over-representation in the poverty statistics.

For new parents, the mandated drop in income resulting from “Employment Insurance” benefits during maternity and parental leave creates significant financial stress precisely when costs are highest, a structural contradiction that pushes middle-class families toward financial instability.

Furthermore, Canada remains the only G7 nation without a comprehensive national school food programme, ignoring the overwhelming evidence that such programmes are highly successful drivers of improved health, education, and economic growth internationally. International experience, notably programmes like the United States’ “National School Lunch Programme,” shows that school meals yield a massive return on investment. Yet Canadian policymakers prioritise corporate tax breaks and speculative wealth over ensuring that millions of children eat nutritious food. This is a policy of moral bankruptcy.

And what of the medical costs? The financial burden of necessary prescription drugs is a known structural driver of poverty, yet Canada maintains significant gaps in coverage, refusing to implement a national pharmacare plan that works like Medicare. This deliberate policy decision forces low-income families and workers to choose between medicine and food, increasing health disparities and driving up overall healthcare costs unnecessarily. The political resistance is rooted in fears over escalating costs, yet a national plan would save Canadian families money while expanding access.

Indictment of a nation

From the destruction of stable manufacturing jobs under free trade to the calculated withdrawal of social housing funding in the 1990s, from the institutionalisation of precarious migrant labour to the maintenance of a welfare system designed to keep people in deep poverty, every data point confirms this reality. The combination of various crises has increased the desperation of the population, resulting from these compounded policy failures.

The evidence presented by national bodies and academic experts is indisputable. The “Market Basket Measure” tells us that the working poor cannot afford a modest, basic standard of living. Statistics Canada confirms that food insecurity tracks peak inflation, and human rights advocates warn that the refusal to make the right to food justiciable is the ultimate mechanism of governmental evasion.

The “Poverty Reduction Strategy”, launched in 2018, while ambitious in its targets, has stalled dramatically, showing that good intentions without enforceable rights and structural economic correction are merely political rhetoric.

Canada must choose immediately between two futures, one where we continue this shameful path of structural neglect, managing poverty through ineffective charity and political platitudes, and one where we implement a rights-based, income-guaranteed system that recognises the dignity and inherent worth of every person.

The post The collapse of Canada’s promise appeared first on International Finance.

That evening at Gaga’s, Akkaraju found himself sitting next to an investor in Stability AI, the company that launched the wildly popular text-to-image generator “Stable Diffusion” in 2022. Despite its early success, Stability AI came precariously close to the situation of being shut down. The unnamed investor told Akkaraju: ‘You should take Stability and make it into the Hollywood-friendly AI model.’

In 2022, Hollywood was facing headwinds: the number of films and TV shows produced in the United States had dropped by about 40%, due to ballooning production costs, competition from overseas, and widespread labour disputes.

AI promised to bring the numbers back up by speeding production and slashing costs, while letting computers automate the grunt work of translating dialogue, adding visual effects frame by frame, and editing boom microphones out of a zillion shots.

But then came another fear: What if AI starts writing scripts and maybe ends up acting as well? And this “what if” led to two of the industry’s biggest unions conducting strikes to obtain assurances that generative AI wouldn’t replace union jobs in the near term.

In May 2023, the Hollywood writers’ strike over pay broke out, but the bigger issue was the refusal of studios like Netflix and Disney to rule out AI replacing human scribes in the future. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) asked for binding agreements to regulate AI’s use.

The association’s proposal was as follows: nothing written by AI could be considered “literary” or “source” material, which are industry terms that decide who gets royalties, and scripts written by WGA members cannot “be used to train AI.”

However, studios rejected it and allegedly countered with an offer merely to meet once a year to “discuss advancements in technology.”

WGA members further felt that Hollywood executives, where Silicon Valley companies have upended many traditional practices such as long-term contracts for writers, may seek to cut costs further by getting computers to write their next hit shows.

OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT 3.5 at the end of 2022 not only disrupted the tech sector and the broader economy but also captured the public’s attention by excelling at precisely the kinds of non-routine skills (including creative tasks) long considered quintessentially “human.”

And Hollywood writers became the first and most visible face of the resistance to generative AI, speaking volumes about the nature of the new technology and the kinds of livelihoods that it will impact most.

Their victory in 2024, in securing first-of-their-kind protections, now offers important lessons for other unions and professional organisations, policymakers, and workers across a range of occupations who may face similar disruptions to their careers.

After the writers, it was the turn of the Hollywood actors, whose union SAG-AFTRA in August 2024 signed a deal with online talent marketplace Narrativ that enables actors to sell advertisers’ rights to replicate their voices with AI.

The concern arose from the fear that AI could commonly misuse artists’ likenesses. The new agreement now seeks to ensure actors derive income from the technology and have control over how and when their voice replicas are used.

Narrativ is known for connecting advertisers and ad agencies with actors to create audio ads using AI.

As of 2025, AI is becoming the new normal in Hollywood, with Stability AI, once in a precarious position, rewriting the industry’s “creativity rulebook” through its innovative solutions.

Stability AI almost floundered

Major studios and streaming services are currently competing to develop their own “AI Strategies.” Since 2022, several startups, including Luma, Runway, and Asteria, have begun creating tools to support these efforts. Akkaraju, back in 2024, saw the opportunity in front of him. Stability AI had the technology. It just needed a Hollywood finish. As far as he could tell, there was only one problem. Didn’t the company already have a CEO?

When Emad Mostaque, a former hedge fund manager, founded Stability AI in 2020, the company’s mission was to “build systems that make a real difference” in solving society’s toughest problems. By 2022, the system Mostaque felt he needed to build was a cloud supercomputer powerful enough to run a generative AI model. OpenAI was gaining traction with its closed-source models, and as per the American tech journalist Zoe Schiffer, Mostaque wanted to make an open-source alternative—“like Linux to Windows.”

“He offered up the supercomputer to a group of academic researchers working on an open-source system where you could type words to generate an image. The researchers weren’t going to say no. In August of that year, they launched Stable Diffusion in partnership with Mostaque’s company,” the scribe recollected.

The text-to-image generator was a breakout hit, garnering 10 million users in two months.

“It was fairly close to state-of-the-art. It allowed researchers to essentially extend the model, fine-tune it, and it spurred a whole community into action in terms of creating enhancements and add-ons,” said Maneesh Agrawala, a computer science professor at Stanford University, while noting that openness was core to the model’s success.

By October 2022, Stability AI had only 77 employees, but with thousands of times that many people in the wider Stable Diffusion community, it could compete with its bigger rivals. Mostaque raised $101 million in a seed round from venture capital firms and hedge funds, including Coatue and Lightspeed (the final million, he tells me, was for good luck). The company became a unicorn.

Former Stability AI employees describe Mostaque as a visionary. He spoke eloquently about the need for a democratic AI. In the not-too-distant future, Mostaque told employees, the company would solve complex biomedical problems and generate season eight of Game of Thrones.

However, Mostaque was way over his head. “I was brand-new to this. With my Aspergers and ADHD, I was like, what’s going on? Mostaque talks fast, his tone matter-of-fact: On the research side, we did really good things. The other side I was not so good at, which was the management side,” said a former employee. Mostaque didn’t think deeply about building a marketable product. His fascination was with building AI models.

“The company’s success brought heightened scrutiny—particularly around how the models were built. Like many text-to-image models, Stable Diffusion 1.5 was trained on LAION-5B, an open-source dataset linked to 5.8 billion images scraped from the web, including child sexual exploitation material and copyrighted work. In January 2023, Getty Images sued Stability AI in London’s High Court for allegedly training its models on 12 million proprietary photographs. The company filed a similar suit in the US weeks later. In the stateside complaint, Getty accused the AI firm of brazen theft and freeriding,” Schiffer said.

In June 2023, Forbes published a story alleging that Mostaque had inflated his credentials and misrepresented the business in pitch decks to his investors. The article also claimed that Mostaque had received only a bachelor’s degree from Oxford, not a master’s. What’s more, Stability AI reportedly owed millions of dollars to Amazon Web Services, which provided the computing power for its model. Though Mostaque had spoken of a partnership, Stability AI’s spokesperson acknowledged to Forbes that it was, in fact, a run-of-the-mill cloud services agreement with a standard discount.

And the article resulted in investors losing confidence. VCs from both Coatue and Lightspeed left the board of directors, followed by the departures of the company’s head of research, chief operating officer, general counsel, head of human resources and the prominent researchers. Mostaque finally left the company on March 22, 2024, just a few weeks after Lady Gaga’s greenhouse soiree.

Akkaraju and Parker saw opportunity

Akkaraju and Parker joined Stability AI, taking over as CEO and chairman of the company’s board. However, industry competition was fiercer, with another startup, Runway, signing the AI industry’s first big deal with a movie studio. Runway would get access to Lionsgate’s proprietary catalogue of movies as training data and develop tools for the studio.

Early on in his tenure, Akkaraju decided that Stability AI would no longer compete with OpenAI and Google on building frontier models. Instead, it would create apps that sat on top of those models, thereby freeing the company from enormous computing costs.

Akkaraju negotiated a new deal with Stability AI’s cloud computing vendors, wiping away the company’s massive debt. Asked for specifics on how this came about, Akkaraju, through a spokesperson, demurred. Investors, however, came flocking back.

Whereas Mostaque painted a picture of AI solving the world’s most difficult problems, Akkaraju is building Stability AI as a software-as-a-service company for Hollywood. The goal is not to generate films, but to use AI to augment the tools that filmmakers already use.

“I really do think that our differentiation is having the creator in the centre. I don’t see any other AI company that has James Cameron on its board,” Akkaraju said.

Yes, the same legendary director, who was leading Hollywood’s charge against the technology. He didn’t appreciate the premise of the streaming platform, the “Screening Room,” which let people watch new releases at home for $50 on the same day they came out in theatres.

Cameron reportedly told a crowd at CinemaCon that he was “committed to the theatre experience.” In the years that followed, none of the major studios publicly announced deals with the Screening Room, and in 2020, the company rebranded as SR Labs.

That same year, Akkaraju and Parker took over Weta Digital, the visual effects studio behind blockbusters such as The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Cameron’s Avatar movies. Weta developed virtual cameras that let Cameron see a real-time rendering of the artificial environment through a viewfinder, as if he were filming on location in the fictional world of Pandora.

Then came the meeting between Cameron, Akkaraju, and Parker over dinner, where they discussed how technology was changing the film industry. “The tequila was flowing. A friendship formed. Any tension that had existed over the Screening Room melted away,” Cameron recalled.

“I never really talked with him about it. He knew, and I knew. It was very funny,” Akkaraju told WIRED, while continuing, “So Cameron is on the board, but is the creator in the centre? When I spoke with Parker, he emphasised the importance of using open-source models and spoke of respect for creators and respect for IP. That sounds potentially kind of rich, coming from me, given my past association with Napster and early social media. But it is a lesson learnt.”

Challenges lie ahead

In June 2025, the company scored a major win when Getty dropped its copyright infringement claims from a broader lawsuit as the trial neared a close in the United Kingdom. The US trial is ongoing.

Akkaraju said the company “sources data from publicly available and licensed datasets for training and fine-tuning,” and that when “creating solutions for a client”, it “fine-tunes using the dataset provided by the client.”

When Schiffer asked Akkaraju if the company trained exclusively on licensed data, he responded, “Well, that’s the majority of what we’re using, for sure.”

Even those who are bullish on AI admit that, for the most part, the technology isn’t ready for the big screen. Text-to-image generators might work for marketing agencies, but they often lack the quality required for a feature film.

“I worked on one film for Netflix and tried to use a single shot. The AI-generated footage got bounced back from quality control because it wasn’t 4K resolution,” said an anonymous filmmaker, not wanting to discuss the use of AI publicly.

Another problem with Stability AI’s solution is the issue with consistency. Filmmakers need to be able to tweak a scene in minute ways, but that’s not possible with most of the image and video generators on the market. Enter the same prompt into a chatbot 10 times, and you will likely get 10 different responses.

“That doesn’t work at all in a VFX workflow. We need higher resolution; we need higher repeatability. We need controllability at levels that aren’t quite there yet,” Cameron noted.

“That hasn’t stopped filmmakers from experimenting. Almost every person I spoke with for this story said that AI is already a core part of the previz process, where scenes are mapped out before a shoot. The process can create new inefficiencies,” Schiffer remarked.

“The inefficiency in the old system was really the information gap between what I see and what I imagine I want moving forward. With AI, the inefficiency becomes ‘Here’s a version, here’s another version, here’s another version,” said Luisa Huang, cofounder of Toonstar, a tech-forward animation company.

One of the first people in Hollywood to admit to using generative AI in the final frame is Jon Irwin, the director and producer of Amazon’s biblical epic House of David. He became interested in the technology while shooting the first season of the show in Greece.

“I noticed that my production designer was able to visualise ideas almost in real time. I was like, tell me exactly how you’re doing what you’re doing. What are you using, magician?” he recalled.

Irwin started playing around with the tools himself and ended up making a presentation for Amazon outlining how he wanted to use generative AI in his production. The company was supportive.

“We film everything we can for real—it still takes hundreds of people. But we’re able to do it at about a third of the budget of some of these bigger shows in our same genre, and we’re able to do it twice as fast,” he told WIRED.

A burning-forest scene in “House of David” (historical web series depicting the rise of the biblical figure David) would have been too expensive to do with practical effects. So, AI stepped in.

Despite Irwin showing interest in Stability AI’s tools, he has not been able to use the solutions successfully on a show at scale. Schiffer believes that Stability AI’s text-to-image generators need to cross a few hard yards before Hollywood starts using them professionally.

However, Stability AI can take solace in the fact that the taboo on studios acknowledging their embrace of AI seems to be softening. In July 2025, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told investors the company had allowed “gen AI final footage” to appear in one of its original series for the first time. He said the decision sped up production tenfold and dramatically cut costs.

Hanno Basse, Stability AI’s chief technology officer, showed Schiffer an image of his backyard in Los Angeles: a grassy lawn surrounded by high hedges, rose bushes crowding a bay window, and a tree in the far left-hand corner. Suddenly, the 2D image unfurled into 3D.

A generative AI model has filled in the gaps, estimating depth (how far away the hedge is from the rose bush, the tree from the window) and other missing elements to make the scene feel immersive. Basse can replicate camera moves by selecting from a drop-down menu: zoom in or out, pan up or pan down, or spiral.

“Instead of spending hours or days or weeks building a virtual environment and rehearsing your shots, the idea here is actually that you can just take a single image and generate a concept,” Basse says.

However, the company admits that its offerings are still in their early days and need perfection.

“I hear artists at VFX companies say, Hey, I don’t want to get replaced. Of course, you don’t want to get replaced! If you guys are going to lose your jobs, you’re going to lose your jobs over the work drying up versus getting bumped aside by these GenAI models,” Cameron said.

Akkaraju and Parker, too, believe that as movies become cheaper to produce, more films will get made and overall employment will rise.

The AI revolution is here and already transforming Hollywood. That collapsing building, that burning forest, that crowd of people the audience sees when streaming a show or going to the movie theatre will be created using a keyboard. Technology will be a creator’s ally to give a project the “larger than life” elevation it deserves, without hurting the purse much.

The post Stability AI rewrites Hollywood’s rulebook appeared first on International Finance.

Breaking down Sharjah’s economic momentum through the numbers, capital investment surged to $1.5 billion during the first six months of 2025, a 361% jump from $325 million during the same period in 2024. The Emirate welcomed 74 new projects, up 57% from 47 in Q1 2024. Some 2,578 new jobs were created (a 45% increase), mostly in fields like production and services.

Sharjah’s path forward is unmistakably clear—centred on accelerating infrastructure development, fuelling innovation, and driving GDP growth. The rise in employment improves purchasing power and drives further investment, especially in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.

What is fuelling the growth?

Saud Salim Al Mazrouei, Director of HFZA (Hamriyah Free Zone) and SAIF (Sharjah Airport International Free Zone Authority), during an interview with Gulf News, saw the arrival of record FDI as a confirmation of Sharjah’s standing as a global investment hub. For him, “Free Zones” have become the primary growth engines for the Emirati city, providing businesses with top-tier support in their pursuit of expanding regionally and internationally.

Take Sharjah’s free zones, for example, which marked major achievements and milestones in 2024, reinforcing their pivotal role in establishing the city as one of the most attractive investment destinations. HFZA and SAIF attracted over 1,600 companies from various countries, including the United States, Africa, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium, and others.

HFZA attracted 900 companies and corporations across diverse sectors, with the iron and steel manufacturing industry in the Middle East and Africa being the main player. In fact, if we call Hamriyah Sharjah’s “Steel Hub,” it won’t be wrong, given the strong presence of global powers like Belleli Energy, ArcelorMittal, Lamprell, Eversendai, Technomak, Ungersteel, and Zink Power in HFZA. The authority also clinched prestigious international awards at the 2024 iteration of the Global Free Zones of the Year Award by fDi Intelligence, for the second consecutive time.

SAIF, on its part, attracted over 700 businesses from diverse sectors while consolidating its position as a regional investment destination for the gold, jewellery, and gemstone industries. Its Gold, Diamond, and Commodities Park has established itself as one of the Gulf region’s largest gold refinery hubs, accommodating over 55 gold refineries and hosting over 250 companies specialising in gold, platinum, silver, and titanium manufacturing and trade.

Also, these two free zones have adopted cutting-edge digital technologies to create flexible and inclusive work environments. The duo now has a comprehensive portfolio of 600 smart services that seek to optimise operational efficiency, streamline business activities, and deliver an investor experience that relies on efficiency, speed, and excellence. HFZA and SAIF have further developed innovative strategies to build an integrated system of eco-friendly services.

This included signing a strategic partnership agreement with “Bee’ah Group” and organising initiatives, including events and workshops, to encourage businesses and investors to embrace effective environmental solutions that focus on energy efficiency, natural resource preservation, and emission minimisation.

Why are free zones so special?

Apart from offering industrial and commercial land supported by advanced infrastructure and modern facilities that support the international expansion plans of its investors, these hubs also boast competitive advantages, including a streamlined single-window operations system for enhanced efficiency and ease of doing business, multiple tax exemptions, free repatriation of capital and profits, full foreign ownership of businesses, and seamless connectivity to regional and global markets.

As the Gulf region eyes itself to become the new global tech hub, the Sharjah administration in 2024 announced the formation of a Communication Technologies Free Zone in Kalba city. To attract players from sectors like telecom, deep tech, and data centres, the Emiri decree stated that companies, institutions, individuals, and employees in the free zone will be exempt from taxes imposed on their business activities for a renewable period of 50 years. Also, the free zone will be exempt from all local taxes and fees, except consumption duties.

Al Mazrouei sees Sharjah’s free zones strengthening their developmental role and furthering their contributions to the Emirate’s economy in 2025 and beyond. On a broader scale, the city’s economy is driven by the diversity and complementarity of its sectors and their alignment with the Emirate’s strategic ambitions and development plans.

This growth is evident in Sharjah’s 2025 general budget, where the economic development sector accounts for 27% of the new budget, while the infrastructure sector ranks first, comprising 41% of the total general budget for 2025. The figure rose to AED42 billion ($11.4 billion), the largest in the northern emirate’s history. In addition to boosting financial sustainability, upholding a decent living standard, and promoting social welfare, the budget also focuses on strengthening the Sharjah administration’s capacity to fund strategic initiatives and projects, ensuring appropriate housing for citizens, and enhancing the tourism infrastructure.

For 2025, the infrastructure sector took the lead, accounting for 41% of the total general budget, marking a 7% increase compared to the 2024 budget. Simultaneously, the policy document envisioned infrastructural upliftment as a key pillar for sustainable development, to attract investments across various vital sectors.

Sharjah: The diversified hub

While capital investment surged to a record $1.5 billion in the first half of 2025, it was matched by a rise in new project activity, with 74 new projects launched in H1 2025, a 57% increase from 47 projects during the same period in 2024. This will only benefit Sharjah’s production and service-based sectors, which are aligned with the Emirate’s vision for a high-value, knowledge-based economy.

During the first half of 2024, 2,578 new jobs were created, representing a 45% increase from the 1,779 jobs generated in the same period last year. This growth boosted the region’s purchasing power, enhanced local consumption, and created momentum for additional investments, especially among SMEs.

As per the new data, specific sectors are emerging as front-runners in Sharjah’s transformation journey. Among them is the consumer segment, where a 53% increase was seen in project count, backed by another 188% rise in capital investment, making it one of the key contributors to Sharjah’s diversified economic portfolio. With a 112% jump in new projects and a 25% increase in employment, Sharjah is also consolidating its role as a regional food security hub.

Another key performer in Sharjah’s growth journey has been business services, which experienced a staggering 500% rise in capital investment and an 1100% increase in job creation, helping the Emirati city to emerge as a modern, service-oriented economy. The industrial equipment segment experienced a remarkable 100% increase in project count and a 45% rise in capital expenditure. This particular landmark sent a strong signal of Sharjah’s growing manufacturing base.

During an interaction with Gulf News, Hamad Ali Abdalla Al Mahmoud, Chairman of the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), stated that the FDI surge reflected the strength of Sharjah’s economic fundamentals and its ability to pursue excellence and leadership across business sectors.

“This momentum directly supports Sharjah’s vision for smart and sustainable economic development,” he said, noting that the department will continue to scale its initiatives in line with the Emirate’s growth strategy.

Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, saw the strong FDI results as an indicator that highlights Sharjah as a safe and attractive destination for investors, under the able leadership of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.

Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, CEO of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), termed the latest growth figures as a guarantee of massive job creation, stronger industries, and sustainable value for the Emirate’s communities.

Sharjah Economic Development Department Chairman Hamad Ali Abdalla Al Mahmoud noted that rising FDI demonstrated the Emirate’s ability to achieve sustainable growth while maintaining high standards.

Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, highlighted the role of culture and knowledge in driving economic growth, pointing to “Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone” as a hub for creative industries. Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Almheiri, Chairman of Sharjah Healthcare City Authority, noted that the Emirate’s appeal in healthcare investment, including pharmaceuticals and AI integration, further reinforces Sharjah as a high-quality investment destination.

Why Sharjah’s growth journey is special?

The UAE Central Bank projects national GDP growth of 4.9% in 2025 and 5.3% in 2026. In comparison, Sharjah is expected to outperform with a robust 7.5% growth in the current financial year.

Executive Chairman of the Department of Government Relations, Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al-Qasimi, during the Sharjah Ramadan Majlis 2025 (held in March this year), highlighted that the expected expansion will be driven by progressive policies, increased economic integration, and rising foreign investment in strategic industries.

The 361% jump in FDI inflow proves the official projections correct. In fact, Al-Qasimi sees Sharjah’s private sector further strengthening the Emirati city’s core industries, such as manufacturing, trade, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.

As per Al-Qasimi, Sharjah’s economy is evolving at an impressive pace, with the GDP now over 145 billion dirhams ($39.47 billion), and a growth of 6.5% registered in 2023, surpassing the global average by 3.5 percentage points. He also talked about the role of continued integration, smarter policymaking, and collaboration with the private sector in keeping the growth pace ranging between 6.5% and 7.5% in the coming years.

While the automotive industry and vehicle parts trading accounted for 24% of the city’s economy, followed by agriculture (19%) and manufacturing (17%), Al-Qasimi also pointed to the potential growth in the real estate sector in 2025, citing major developers like Alef Group and Arada, which are making significant investments in the Emirati city.

Tech-oriented innovative policymaking

By offering flexible investment opportunities and advanced infrastructure (including six specialised free zones), Sharjah has emerged as a key destination for manufacturing, services, and finance, with 96% of its economy non-oil-based, perfectly aligning with the UAE’s broader diversification agenda.

The Sharjah administration has also introduced an “instant license” service, which enables investors and entrepreneurs to issue a commercial license immediately without attaching a written contract or lease agreement for the first year.

Issued by the Sharjah Economic Development Department, the service will cover all office activities that do not require approvals from other authorities, with the license allowing up to three employees. The instant license, issued within a day, will enable investors to conduct their business immediately, speeding up procedures and increasing economic growth rates in the Emirate.

Eliminating the procedure that applies to regular licenses, the new service is now helping investors set up their businesses in the first year and then fulfil the special licensing conditions in the second year. However, Sharjah’s tryst with innovative policies is not new. In 2024, Sharjah launched the world’s first AI-powered trade license in collaboration with Microsoft and the Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone. This initiative, launched during the Sharjah Investment Forum (SIF) 2024, aimed to align with economies driven by autonomous systems and digital data. Additionally, this process helps entrepreneurs and investors finalise the licensing procedure in under five minutes.

The new service, which started through the Sharjah Investor Services Centre (Saeed) and SPC Free Zone, will be extended to other free zones across Sharjah. This innovation firmly established “Invest in Sharjah” as the world’s first investment promotion agency to use AI technology for issuing trade licenses, underscoring its dedication to enhancing collaboration and investment between regional and global markets.

This new AI-powered licensing system will expedite the launch of new enterprises and strengthen Sharjah’s status as a prime destination for FDI and innovation in the coming years. It will further boost the flexibility and efficiency of the business environment across sectors. The policy reform came just at the right time, as Sharjah, which till 2024 ranked fifth globally in FDI project growth and fourth in the Gulf region for startup ecosystems, will be able to position itself as a leader in integrating technology into core sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and logistics, while reducing bureaucratic red tape further. It will help diversify the regional economy and cultivate a business environment that supports sustainable growth, aligning with the administration’s long-term development objectives.

With tech-assisted policy reforms, Sharjah is on its way to becoming a “Smart Economy” in its truest sense, where cutting-edge solutions like AI are being used to improve operational efficiencies and promote a culture of innovation that contributes to GDP growth and attracts global investments. Sharjah is now well-placed to become a key hub for sustainable, future-focused business practices.

In May 2025, the Sharjah FDI Office launched “Sharjah AcquireHub,” the region’s pioneering government-backed digital platform designed to streamline mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the Emirati city. Developed through a strategic partnership with Transworld Business Advisors, a global leader in business advisory services, this platform will accelerate economic growth, strengthen market resilience, and attract high-calibre investments to Sharjah by providing a transparent and secure environment for M&A transactions.

Sharjah AcquireHub will cater to stakeholders, including international investors, SMEs, entrepreneurs, and local businesses, by connecting capital with high-potential opportunities in the Emirate. It will enhance market liquidity and offer flexible solutions for growth, strategic exits, or corporate restructuring. Sharjah AcquireHub’s comprehensive process features seamless online registration, tailored advisory support, and post-transaction assistance. This secure, structured ecosystem will empower investors, buyers, and financiers with the clarity and protections essential for confidently pursuing acquisitions or strategic partnerships, while also providing a trusted platform for entrepreneurs seeking to exit, enabling them to list their companies for potential acquisition.

“Sharjah AcquireHub serves as a strategic gateway for investors looking to access high-potential opportunities in the emirate, particularly within the dynamic and lucrative mid-market segment. It provides advanced tools and clear pathways to engage with the global M&A landscape, which reached a value of $3.5 trillion in 2024, representing a 15% increase over the previous year,” stated global management consulting firm Bain & Company, reacting to the news.

Sharjah AcquireHub also presents a strategic opportunity for SMEs and entrepreneurs to integrate into a broader growth environment through partnerships and alliances that promote development, secure exits, or repositioning.

The SME sector, which comprises over 94% of businesses in the UAE, is expected to stabilise through the platform. Sharjah has experienced significant growth in business establishment and sustainability, with 71,320 new and renewed licenses issued in 2024, reflecting a 7% increase.

Building Sharjah’s global competitiveness

Sharjah’s long-term goal is to facilitate an integrated investment environment supported by a futuristic economic vision. Anchored by a knowledge-based, diversified economy and consistent support for key sectors such as industry, technology, and healthcare, and upheld by its strategic geographic position, Sharjah is uniquely positioned to serve as a regional hub for high-impact M&A activity.

Understanding this, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has laid down a three-year strategic roadmap to drive transformative improvements in performance, operations, and service excellence. The strategy focuses on supporting business sustainability and growth, anticipating future business trends, shaping the business landscape, and enhancing its competitiveness and leadership during the 2025-2027 timeframe.

Apart from strengthening Sharjah’s economic landscape, the roadmap will promote entrepreneurial excellence and support businesses across key fields, including commercial, industrial, professional, agricultural, and digital sectors.

The Sharjah Chamber’s new strategy emphasises delivering world-class services to enhance competitiveness, enabling local enterprises to expand internationally and unlocking new global trade opportunities, while focusing on enhancing economic and social sustainability, facilitating investment-driven economic projects that reinforce the city’s economic framework, and supporting initiatives to ensure a viable and sustainable economy.

On the other hand, the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has announced that its 15-year journey of sustainable development culminated in the completion of 52 projects and cultural tourism experiences spanning over 60 million square feet across Sharjah, with a total investment value of AED7.2 billion through strategic partnerships.

These initiatives encompass three real estate projects with a total investment of AED5 billion, 10 distinctive hospitality projects valued at AED850 million, 18 projects in the retail and entertainment sectors with investments exceeding AED870 million, and five projects in the arts and culture sectors worth AED447 million.

All these developments reflect that Sharjah has truly emerged as the UAE’s new growth engine, with unstoppable momentum.

The post Sharjah: UAE’s fastest-growing investment hub appeared first on International Finance.

In November 2024 at the Rio G20, Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first British leader to meet President Xi Jinping since 2018, pledging a “consistent, durable, respectful” partnership.

This rebuff of the previous government’s frosty stance signals Labour’s intention to steady Britain’s China policy. In Labour’s telling, the Conservatives’ 14 years of “inconsistency” left UK-China relations badly in need of a “long-term and strategic approach.”

Under Starmer’s “pragmatic” vision, Britain will cooperate with China on trade and green energy where interests align, but still “compete” economically and “challenge” Beijing on security and human rights where necessary.

From golden era to deep freeze

To grasp Labour’s change in approach, it’s important to remember the fluctuations in Britain’s China policy. In the early 2010s, Prime Minister David Cameron promoted a “Golden Era” of engagement with China. He sought Chinese investment and famously invited Xi Jinping for a state visit, even sharing a photo while enjoying a pint of ale.

Back then, London gambled that supporting China’s economic rise would boost UK business. But this “mercurialist opportunism” proved short-lived. By the late 2010s, Britain had grown alarmed at Beijing’s hardline turn, which included the clampdown on Hong Kong dissidents, abuse of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and aggressive actions in the South China Sea that alarmed parliament.

Successive Conservative prime ministers stiffened their rhetoric. Boris Johnson and Liz Truss called China a strategic threat, and the UK banned Huawei from its 5G networks. In Sunak’s 2021 Integrated Review, Beijing was labelled an “epoch-defining systemic challenge” and “the greatest state-based threat to our economic security.”

Labour’s last time in government, from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown (1997– 2010), was primarily characterised by a pro-engagement approach. New Labour viewed China in terms of trade and diplomacy, exemplified by the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and the support for large Chinese-funded projects, such as Thames Water. However, even during that era, Labour governments understood the importance of addressing human rights issues with Beijing, albeit behind the scenes.

Over the past three decades, UK policy has swung like a pendulum— alternating between friendly engagement and investment under Blair and Cameron, and adversarial rhetoric framing China as a threat under Sunak.

Labour and Conservative critics alike contend that this policy pendulum has bred confusion. In its manifesto, Labour condemned 14 years of what it called “damaging Conservative inconsistency” on China, pledging instead to bring clarity, strategy, and a steady hand.

Labour’s new China policy

Upon taking office in July 2024, Starmer’s government pledged a “full audit” of UK–China relations, which they described as an in-depth review covering everything from trade and investment to security and supply chains. The audit (still ongoing) is meant to define a coherent China strategy, reversing what Labour sees as years of flip-flopping.

Officially, the new stance is straightforward, emphasising the need to cooperate wherever possible, compete where necessary, and challenge when required. In practice, ministers have begun outreach. Foreign Secretary David Lammy, in October 2024, made the first UK ministerial trip to Beijing in six years, promising to find “pragmatic solutions” and praising the “vast scope of mutually beneficial economic cooperation.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves likewise flew to Beijing as her first overseas trip of 2025, announcing deals she estimated would add £600 million to the British economy over five years. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has signalled his eagerness to revive long-frozen trade talks (the JETCO and Economic-Financial Dialogue) with China.

Starmer himself has adopted a moderately upbeat language. At the Rio summit, he said the UK and China are “both global players, both permanent members of the United Nations Security Council,” and promised “serious, pragmatic discussions” with Xi on trade, the economy, climate, science and more.

He emphasised making relations “consistent, durable” to avoid last-minute surprises. Labour spokesmen also stress that Britain will remain a “predictable, consistent sovereign actor committed to the rule of law,” even as it deepens dialogue with Beijing.

Yet critics note that a debate still rages within government. Some, notably Treasury ministers like Reeves, advocate for closer ties to spur growth, while security hardliners—known as “securocrats” in Whitehall lingo—urge caution. The delayed and scaled-down audit report, which is now expected to be released only in part this spring, reflects these underlying tensions.

Labour argues that by formally engaging China, it can speak more candidly on tough issues, while human rights groups worry the balance is tipping too far toward accommodation. As one analysis put it, Labour’s audit risks becoming “little more than a postmortem,” with “cooperate” the only surviving policy pillar.

So far, Starmer has talked of a “strong UK–China relationship” (to echo Cameron’s phrase), but also promised a “strategic and long-term” partnership that upholds British interests and values.

Economic imperatives

At the heart of Labour’s outreach is economics. Britain’s economy is under pressure, with sluggish growth, high borrowing costs, and post-Brexit trade challenges, while China continues to be the world’s second-largest market. The Starmer government sees Chinese trade and investment as too big to ignore. Indeed, China has already poured more into the UK economy (some £68.5 billion since 2000) than it has into any other European country.

London wants more of that money, especially in sectors like clean energy, advanced manufacturing and financial services. Reeves and Reynolds have hinted that even state-backed Chinese investment could be welcome if it helps jobs and innovation, provided it doesn’t compromise national security.

British businesses are drawn to China because it represents a vast and promising customer base. Labour points out that re-engaging could boost exports of cars, machinery, financial services and other UK strengths. For example, Chinese carmakers are expanding in Britain and could deepen ties.

The government is exploring fresh trade agreements and supply chain partnerships, and even sectoral deals to open up markets for British producers. Reeves’s recent visit aimed to “concrete” deals worth hundreds of millions, underscoring the growth argument.

Global supply chains also play a role. Many British industries rely on parts and technology from China, so a frigid relationship risks disruptions and higher costs. Labour argues that engagement lets the UK push for more “resilient” supply chains, rather than pushing China-driven manufacturing onto China’s rivals.

Ministers aim to rebuild dialogue, including efforts to revive the long-dormant UK–China Joint Economic Commission, to avoid a damaging trade war and gain leverage to shape rules on tech transfer and subsidies.

That said, economists caution that the bonanza may be overstated. After years of intense strategic rivalry, Chinese firms have grown wary of investing in the UK. An analyst notes that Chinese investment into Europe plunged to its lowest level since 2010 in 2023, and Beijing’s high domestic savings mean it may not need foreign help.

Indeed, Foreign Policy recently warned that “China is simply unlikely to invest much in Britain,” despite London’s olive branch, given Beijing’s concerns and tighter scrutiny from allies. Still, Labour’s message is that even a modest uptick in trade could help a struggling British economy, and that hedging against global risks is worth it.

Political calculations

Labour’s China policy is as much about politics as economics. Domestically, delivering growth and jobs is Starmer’s top priority; success in attracting investment could neutralise charges that Labour is weak on China or misguided about rights.

By contrast, resuming trade talks enables Labour to assert that it is standing up for British businesses, a crucial move if economic growth falls short. In this light, Reeves’s £600m deal was touted as a vindication of “pragmatic engagement” with China.

Globally, Labour may see reengagement as a way to burnish Britain’s influence. As the UK advances its post-Brexit ambitions in Asia, including the Indo-Pacific “tilt,” CPTPP negotiations, and deeper ties with India, Australia, and others, maintaining influence with China could prove to be a valuable diplomatic asset.

London hopes to secure a seat at the table on major global issues by opening channels on climate change, AI, and development, which ministers often describe as areas more conducive to cooperation. Some strategists also argue that a neutral UK with friends on both sides could moderate great-power competition; Starmer’s team talks of avoiding Washington’s trade war with China in favour of multilateral solutions.

Electorally, Labour may calculate that the British public cares more about economic well-being than China’s internal politics. Polls suggest most voters are not narrowly fixated on Beijing; they want cheaper goods and more jobs. Engaging China can therefore be framed as patriotic pragmatism, involving the use of every available tool to grow the economy while still rejecting unfair practices. By contrast, opposing all Chinese engagement might be framed as ceding British wealth to the likes of France or Germany, a tough sell to voters amid cost-of-living pressures.

However, Labour must tread carefully. Critics, particularly on the right, paint any rapprochement as weakness. After Starmer’s Xi meeting, some commentators warned it would “strain UK–US relations” and signal submissiveness, since China was arresting Hong Kong protesters at the same time.

Some MPs are sceptical that China will respond in kind; reports suggest even Chinese state media has doubted Britain’s sincerity, wondering if London could be “fair” to Beijing. Still, by acknowledging shared global responsibilities (multilateralism, climate, stability), Labour aims to justify its approach as safeguarding UK interests in a multipolar world.

Security and ethical concerns

No discussion of China can ignore deep security and human-rights fears. Labour publicly promises to “stand with” Hong Kong’s exiles in the UK and safeguard British values.

In practice, ministers say they will “challenge where we must,” which means Beijing can expect blunt criticism over Hong Kong’s national-security law, abuses in Xinjiang, and its support for Russia. For example, after Reeves’s China trip, she pointedly raised the cases of Hong Kong dissidents and China’s role in the Ukraine War. Foreign Secretary Lammy similarly told Wang Yi that Xinjiang and Hong Kong must be discussed even if “viewpoints diverge.”

On security, Labour faces pressure to continue Conservative-era safeguards. London has already used its 2021 National Security and Investment Act to block or scrutinise Chinese takeovers in tech (like the semiconductor plants). Ministers are now considering whether to blacklist parts of the Chinese state under a new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, and have installed a National Protective Security Agency to help businesses resist espionage.

In other words, trade with China is being opened only to a limited extent, as deep tech, telecoms, and critical infrastructure will remain off-limits. Even within Labour’s pro-business wing, there’s recognition that some sectors must be kept secure.

The ethical dimension is thornier. Starmer’s government avoids provocative gestures, such as refraining from formally declaring Xinjiang a genocide despite pressure from some MPs, but maintains that it will not turn a blind eye to abuses. Labour says re-engagement is precisely a tool to gain leverage on sensitive issues.

A recent House of Lords briefing notes that the new Foreign Office approach is described as “cautious cooperation and challenge,” involving collaboration with China on trade and green energy while consistently raising concerns about human rights.

In his speeches, Starmer has stated that he intends to match China’s candour, reflecting Xi’s call for “tough-minded honesty” in discussions about global power dynamics. Whether Beijing will accept British criticism of, say, Xinjiang or Hong Kong in return for access to markets is uncertain.

Britain also must guard against covert threats. A series of spy scandals, ranging from a Chinese agent in Parliament to suspected cyber-attacks on the Ministry of Defence, has intensified concern in Whitehall. Labour diplomats argue that engaging China on economic fronts could facilitate intelligence sharing on cyber issues or counter-espionage. However, critics warn that the opposite may occur, with relaxed ties potentially offering Beijing more channels to influence UK public life.

Some advocacy groups drew tens of thousands to protest a plan for a new “mega-embassy” for China in London, warning it could become a hub for surveillance or propaganda. In sum, Labour’s China policy insists it will protect sovereignty and values even while trading, but it remains to be seen how robustly that line will be defended.

A high-stakes gamble

Labour’s China strategy is a high-stakes bet, with potential upsides but serious pitfalls. On the reward side, even small wins could matter. Smoother UK-China trade may lower costs for British consumers and boost exporters. Chinese investment in infrastructure or tech could fill funding gaps the Treasury can’t.

More engagement also gives the UK more insight into Beijing’s thinking on Taiwan or North Korea, possibly giving London influence in crisis moments. Business lobbies generally support the outreach, arguing that isolation from Asia’s largest economy would be more harmful.

However, downsides loom large. Many experts warn that China will not rush to invest in Britain because the economy is relatively small, now outside the EU single market, and Beijing has domestic priorities. Foreign Policy bluntly noted that “China is simply unlikely to invest much in Britain,” pointing out that Chinese FDI in Europe is now at near-record lows.

There’s also the risk of damage to alliances, as a too-cosy approach might upset Washington and Canberra and could erode moral credibility on rights. Labour’s critics fret that investors back home or overseas could shun the UK if they fear a security laxity. For instance, China could learn where the UK’s vulnerabilities lie.

On the domestic front, the government could face a political backlash if any China-linked project goes awry. For example, this occurred with British Steel’s Chinese ownership. Similarly, Starmer could be criticised if he appears to endorse autocracy. The recent spat over Jingye Steel, where officials alternately threatened and then courted the Chinese owner of British Steel, shows how quickly the needle can swing.

Labour’s leaders insist that difficult issues like Hong Kong will not be swept under the rug, but human rights groups are already accusing Starmer of softpedalling on genocide concerns. Any perception of a U-turn on values could dent the party’s image among voters who prioritise Britain’s global leadership on democracy.

Finally, there is strategic risk. If Beijing fails to deliver the hoped-for gains, such as investment, trade deals, or support on world issues, then Labour will have little to show for letting relations warm. And if the United States increases its pressure, such as by dragging the United Kingdom into a tariff war or encouraging allies to reject Huawei in 6G technology, Britain may find itself squeezed. The rewards may be uneven, while the risks affect national security and alliances.

Labour’s China outreach marks a significant departure from the recent freeze in UK policy. Framing it as sober realpolitik, Starmer’s government has explicitly pitched a middle way between Cameron-era naivety and Sunak-era confrontation.

The new approach rests on compartmentalising economics from geopolitics, aiming to welcome Chinese money and trade deals while maintaining strong national security and keeping human rights on the agenda. This balanced posture, described as “cooperate, compete and challenge,” has support in business circles but attracts criticism from hawks and activists.

For now, Labour’s strategy serves as a test of its foreign-policy credibility. If China responds in kind, such as by reopening markets or softening some harsh policies, the government will claim vindication. If not, critics will charge that Starmer’s warmth has bought little and cost valuable goodwill among allies.

Either way, the choice to reset relations is reshaping Britain’s global posture. As Britain’s House of Lords briefing dryly notes, the onus is on London to deliver a “consistent, long-term and strategic approach.”

In a world where tensions between the US and China dominate headlines, Britain’s gamble is to chart its own course. The coming months will reveal whether that course brings prosperity or peril, and whether Labour’s promise of pragmatism proves successful.

However, a recent emergency move by the British Parliament to take control of a Chinese-owned British steel mill has struck a discordant note amid all the diplomacy. It could raise deeper questions about Starmer’s efforts to cultivate warmer ties with China, at a time when Donald Trump’s tariffs are sowing fears about protectionism and fraying trade agreements worldwide, forcing the European country to find geopolitical hedges.

Britain intervened to stop a Chinese-owned plant in Scunthorpe from closing its blast furnaces, risking 2,700 jobs and a strategic supply. Failed talks sparked accusations of bad faith and raised concerns over Chinese investment in sensitive sectors.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong barred MP Wera Hobhouse, a critic of its free speech record. As Starmer seeks to revive the “Golden Era” of Sino-British ties, tensions and mistrust remain, leaving the future of cooperation uncertain.

The post UK seeks new chapter in China ties appeared first on International Finance.

Despite the longstanding economic pillars of traditional industries like oil and gas, innovation and diversification are key to the future. This blueprint identifies five high-impact sectors with the potential to draw foreign direct investment (FDI), generate highly skilled employment, and establish Oman as a regional leader in sustainable development.

Precision Agritech And Aquaculture

There are plenty of chances to innovate in agriculture. Through the utilisation of advanced technologies in hydroponics, vertical farming, and aquaculture, Oman has the potential to revolutionise its agricultural industry. At a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%, the aquaculture market alone is expected to increase from USD 676.26 million in 2025 to USD 913.56 million by 2030. Agritech and aquaculture investments improve food security, create export opportunities, and boost GDP.

Renewable Energy And Green Hydrogen

Oman is positioned as a potential leader in renewable energy due to its abundance of solar and wind resources. By 2030, the country aims to produce one million tonnes of renewable hydrogen, increasing to five to eight million tonnes by 2050 as part of its green hydrogen strategy. With its significant FDI opportunities, this ambitious plan is in line with global trends towards decarbonisation. Oman can increase economic resilience by diversifying its energy exports and luring foreign investments by leveraging renewable energy.

Health And Longevity Innovation Ecosystems

Oman’s ageing population and rising health consciousness present a chance to establish itself as a centre for innovative healthcare. Investments in wellness ecosystems, specialised medical services, and telemedicine can meet the needs of local populations. Oman’s pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow significantly, reaching a value of about USD 303 million by 2024. Building a strong healthcare system not only raises living standards but also draws foreign direct investment, which boosts Oman’s competitiveness internationally and creates high-skilled jobs. Agritech and aquaculture investments improve food security, create export opportunities and boost GDP.

Smart Digital Services And SaaS

The wave of digital transformation offers Oman the opportunity to take the lead in Software as a Service (SaaS) and intelligent digital services. Through the development of cybersecurity frameworks, cloud solutions, and software products tailored to specific regions, Oman can export its expertise to clients in the GCC. This industry promises to create jobs in the tech sector and produce high-value exports. Putting money into digital services makes Oman a regional tech hub that draws in foreign capital and promotes innovation-driven economic expansion.

Eco-friendly And Niche Manufacturing

Globally, there is a growing interest in sustainable manufacturing methods. Oman can profit from this trend by creating innovations that are suitable for the desert, modular housing options, and environmentally friendly building materials. These goods align with Oman Vision 2040’s emphasis on sustainable development, as they meet domestic demand and possess significant export potential. In addition to supporting sustainable development and drawing foreign direct investment in green technologies, eco-friendly manufacturing expands Oman’s export portfolio.

The post Oman’s billion-dollar boom: Five sectors investors can’t ignore appeared first on International Finance.

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum makes it clear. By 2030, technology will create about 170 million new jobs, but nearly 92 million will disappear. That is not just data. That is a father of three needing to retrain, a young graduate realising their chosen field is vanishing, and workers across industries wondering what is next.

And it is not just about the jobs themselves. The skills needed to thrive are shifting just as quickly. Almost half the core competencies workers rely on today will be outdated in five years. Roles in AI, data analysis, and sustainability are in high demand. Meanwhile, many traditional jobs are being phased out or heavily changed by technology.

This is a huge wake-up call. To keep up, we need to start thinking differently regarding education, training, and how we prepare for a world that refuses to stand still. Upskilling and reskilling are not just buzzwords. They are lifelines.

Think of it like this. Learning cannot stop at graduation. Whether you are 25 or 55, staying relevant in the workplace means being ready to adapt and grow. Skills now have an expiration date. To stay employable, people need to constantly learn, unlearn, and relearn.

And the definition of essential skills is evolving. Alongside reading and math, we now need digital fluency, problem-solving abilities, emotional intelligence, and the flexibility to pivot when the job market changes.

Unfortunately, not everyone has the same shot at this kind of growth. In many parts of the world, access to quality education and training is limited, especially in remote or underserved communities. The result is a growing gap between those who can adapt and those who are left behind.

If we do not address this, we will deepen social and economic divides. It is not enough to create new opportunities. We must also make sure people can reach them. That means targeted investment in the most vulnerable groups, accessible digital infrastructure, and inclusive policies that lift everyone, especially not only the privileged few.

When countries invest in their people, the benefits ripple outward. Stronger economies, better innovation, and more resilient communities follow. There is a direct link between education and national prosperity, and yet the world is not keeping pace.

According to recent data, governments spent an average of 4.3% of GDP on education in 2022. That figure has not moved much, even though the need for change has grown. In some regions, investment is actually dropping. The World Bank’s 2024 Education Finance Watch flags this as a serious risk, especially for low-income nations that cannot afford to fall behind.

Failing to invest now means falling behind later. Millions of people risk being shut out of tomorrow’s economy simply because they were not given the tools to adapt. And the longer we delay, the harder it will be to bridge the gap.

One country choosing to act is Saudi Arabia. Its “Vision 2030” diversification plan puts human development front and centre. It is a bold national effort not only to grow economically but also to empower people to be the engine of that growth.

Saudi Arabia is making significant progress in education and training through its Human Capability Development Programme. The objective is to cultivate a generation that is skilled, innovative, and able to compete on the global stage. This program focuses not only on traditional learning from textbooks but also on practical, real-world preparation.

Young people in the Kingdom are being trained in areas such as robotics, AI, and green energy. Schools and universities are partnering with top institutions around the world. And learning does not stop after formal education. Lifelong learning is a growing focus.

The results are already visible. Industries such as renewable energy and advanced tech are attracting more skilled professionals. Saudi Arabia is not only transforming its workforce. It is also influencing how other countries think about human development.

What makes Saudi Arabia’s approach notable is its outward focus. The Kingdom is not only working on its own development. It is also stepping into a global conversation. By joining international partnerships and sharing ideas, it is helping to build a more connected, skilled, and adaptable global workforce.

That kind of cooperation is vital. No single country can face this alone. We need to learn from each other, support one another, and pool resources to tackle the shared challenges of a fast-changing world.

What’s Next?

The coming years will test how seriously we take these challenges. Will we invest in our people or leave them to fall behind? Will we build systems that lift everyone or only those who already have access?

This is about more than economics. It is about dignity. It is about making sure that as the world changes, people are not discarded. They are empowered.

If we get this right, the future of work can be one of hope. A future where opportunity is not limited by geography, income, or circumstance. A future where talent is nurtured and dreams can thrive.

Because in the end, no piece of technology, no matter how advanced, will ever match the power of a well-supported, well-prepared human being. People are the heart of progress. And investing in them is the smartest decision we will ever make.

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