Female-founded startups secured just $8.5 million with a total of two transactions. It made for puzzling reading, given that the region’s startup ecosystem, particularly in the Gulf, is thriving, with more women choosing to launch their own businesses. Abu Dhabi alone recorded 3,058 new business licenses issued to Emirati women in the first half of
Welcome to this week’s Fortune Gulf Brief. Regular readers might notice a different author byline today, that’s because Melissa is taking a well-earned break although, knowing journalists, probably with one eye on her phone and what’s happening in the Gulf. Ordinary service resumes next week. Until then, I’m Inzamam Rashid, international journalist and broadcaster based
Strategic oil inventories have reached a 40-year low, and experts warn their continued depletion could damage the underground caverns where the reserves are stored. Last week, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) plunged below 300 million barrels for the first time since the 1980s, when the reserves were being filled, according to the Department of Energy.
Thank you for subscribing to Fortune Gulf Brief and joining our community. Given the significant news flow from the Gulf early in the week, going forward, we’re moving the newsletter from Tuesday to Wednesday to give you a fuller picture of the trends and stories that matter. Fortune Exclusive: The inside track on the UN-backed plan to reopen