Israel Innovation Authority warns of economic woes from judicial reform

The Israel Innovation Authority has published a Position Paper (“Concern About Disintegration of Israeli Hi-Tech Due To World Developments And Possible Directions of Action, of April 30, 2023) commenting on challenges to the Israeli hi-tech sector. These range from inflation to the Ukraine war to….uncertainty in the Israeli judicial system. The position paper is couched […]

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How did Meta’s stock nearly double in value since the start of 2023?

The buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) has given rise to a lively international public discourse and reminded us all that the future of humanity is in the hand of technology and tech developers. It also brought back a little spring spirit into the sails of tech firms traded on Wall Street.  The five US tech […]

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Middle East explores alternatives to dollar dominance

The Iraqi Interior Ministry announced on Sunday a ban on the use of the US dollar in personal and commercial transactions. The move, reported locally, is intended to bolster the Iraqi dinar, the country’s native currency. This action aligns with an emerging trend across various Middle Eastern countries seeking to diminish their dollar dependency. For […]

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Lebanon set to be gray-listed by financial crime watchdog – sources

Lebanon is likely to be placed on a “gray list” of countries under special scrutiny over unsatisfactory practices to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Being added to the list would be another major blow to a country in a financial tailspin since 2019 and struggling to […]

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Sudan Dispatch: Inclusive Finance in Times of Crisis | Blog

Since April 15, 2023, fighting between two military groups in Sudan has disrupted life across the country. Over 160,000 people have already left Sudan, with an estimated 700,000 more displaced internally. For many of the country’s 45 million residents – particularly those who remain in cities like Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri – the simplest daily […]

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Financial Inclusion: An Entry Point to Climate Adaptation for Funders | Blog

There is a significant funding gap for climate adaptation – especially for women. Public financing will not be sufficient to close this gap, but it will be crucial for supporting the most vulnerable and facilitating private sector investments where funding and support is needed most. Inclusive financial systems play an important role in channeling finance […]

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Bank of Israel raises interest rate to 4.75%, highest since 2006

The Bank of Israel has once again raised the national interest rate in its relentless effort to curb the country’s steepening inflation rate. The bank increased the rate by another .25% to 4.75%, marking the tenth consecutive raise in just over one year. This surge brings the interest rate to its highest level since 2006. […]

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Danone: Why did the French food giant invest in this Israeli company?

An investment of about $4,000,000 in an Israeli food-tech company, even as investments in the local tech sector have decreased greatly, is not a big deal. But this time, rather than the amount, it’s the identity of the investors that is interesting. So, the recruitment round of the food-tech company Wilk can be called a […]

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Azrieli Foundation Donates NIS 180 Million to Darca Network

The Azrieli Foundation has announced a new donation of NIS 180 million over five years to the Darca Network, which includes NIS 300m. earmarked for an educational empowerment program. This donation comes five years after the foundation’s initial NIS 110m. donation. The Darca Network is a group of 47 high schools that was founded 12 […]

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