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A recent report by Positive Technologies, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, has revealed a significant rise in cyber-criminal activity across the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. These two nations, which are the region’s largest economies, have increasingly become primary targets for hackers seeking to exploit sensitive data and penetrate critical infrastructures.

The study shows that the UAE is responsible for 40% of darknet posts related to the sale of compromised data and unauthorized access to local businesses, while Saudi Arabia accounts for 26%. Cyber-criminals are capitalizing on the rapid digital expansion in the region, trading stolen financial information and selling illegal access to corporate networks.

Positive Technologies, known for its expertise in identifying and addressing cyber threats, conducted a comprehensive analysis of the underground marketplace for cyber-crime services. The findings highlight a growing demand for hacking services targeting Gulf financial institutions and critical industries such as energy, raising alarms over the vulnerabilities in the region’s cybersecurity defenses.

Experts at Positive Technologies warn that these attacks pose substantial risks to the economies and infrastructures of the Gulf, especially as cyber-criminals continue to develop more advanced methods. The report calls on the UAE and Saudi Arabia to significantly enhance their cybersecurity measures and stresses the need for greater regional cooperation to combat these evolving threats.

Although both countries have taken steps to reinforce their cybersecurity frameworks, the study underscores the necessity of further action to safeguard businesses and institutions from large-scale breaches. Without a unified effort, the Gulf region will remain a lucrative target for cyber-criminals operating within the darknet’s clandestine networks.

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Renewable energy, spearheaded by solar power, is on track to supply nearly half of the world’s electricity demand by the end of this decade, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The report highlights the rapid expansion of renewable power, driven by supportive policies and favorable economic conditions, which is expected to result in a global increase in renewable capacity equivalent to the combined power capacity of China, the European Union, India, and the United States.

The Renewables 2024 report, the IEA’s flagship publication on the sector, reveals that over 5,500 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable capacity will be added between 2024 and 2030 – nearly three times the increase seen between 2017 and 2023. China is projected to account for almost 60% of this growth, making it home to nearly half of the world’s renewable power capacity by 2030, up from a third in 2010. While China will lead in total volume, India is expected to grow at the fastest rate among major economies.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is forecast to drive 80% of the growth in global renewable capacity through 2030, thanks to both large-scale solar farms and a rise in rooftop installations by businesses and households. Despite recent challenges, the wind sector is also set to double its expansion rate during this period. Both wind and solar PV are already the most cost-effective options for adding new power generation in nearly every country worldwide.

The report notes that almost 70 countries, representing 80% of global renewable capacity, are poised to meet or exceed their 2030 renewable energy goals. While this growth approaches the goal set by nearly 200 governments at the COP28 climate summit to triple global renewable capacity by 2030, the IEA predicts that capacity will rise to 2.7 times its 2022 level. Achieving the full tripling target is still possible, according to the report, but would require immediate governmental action, including the development of ambitious new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and enhanced international cooperation to lower financing costs in emerging markets, particularly in high-potential regions like Africa and Southeast Asia.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol commented that renewables are growing faster than national governments can set targets, driven by not only environmental goals and energy security but also the fact that renewables have become the cheapest option for new power generation globally. Birol noted that the addition of over 5,500 GW of renewable power capacity by 2030 will transform electricity systems worldwide, with renewables set to meet half of global electricity demand by the decade’s end.

Wind and solar PV alone are projected to double their share of global electricity generation to 30% by 2030. However, the report stresses that governments must address challenges such as curtailment, where generated renewable energy goes unused, which has already reached 10% in several countries. Increasing power system flexibility, resolving policy uncertainties, streamlining permitting processes, and upgrading infrastructure, including modernizing 25 million kilometers of electricity grids and reaching 1,500 GW of storage capacity, are necessary to integrate higher shares of renewables.

Renewable electricity’s share in final global energy consumption is expected to rise to nearly 20% by 2030, up from 13% in 2023. However, the report notes that renewable fuels, such as sustainable biofuels, biogases, hydrogen, and e-fuels, are lagging behind. These fuels, which are more costly than fossil fuels, are expected to make up less than 6% of global energy in 2030, highlighting the need for stronger policy support to decarbonize sectors that are hard to electrify.

The report also assesses the state of renewable technology manufacturing, with global solar manufacturing capacity forecasted to exceed 1,100 GW by the end of 2024, more than twice the expected demand. While this oversupply, concentrated in China, has driven down solar module prices by over 50% since early 2023, it has led to financial losses for many manufacturers. To diversify global production, solar PV manufacturing capacity is expected to triple in India and the United States by 2030. However, the report notes that producing solar panels in these countries is significantly more expensive than in China, prompting policymakers to weigh the costs and benefits of local manufacturing against priorities such as job creation and energy security.

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A consortium of major companies, including Microsoft and BlackRock, has announced plans to raise up to $100 billion to fund the development of data centers designed for artificial intelligence (AI) and the energy systems needed to support them.

This initiative, known as the Global Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Investment Partnership (GAIIP), was revealed in a recent press release. The group also includes Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an infrastructure investment firm currently being acquired by BlackRock, as well as MGX, a technology investment company based in the United Arab Emirates.

In a statement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized the company’s commitment to advancing AI-driven innovation across industries. He highlighted the collaboration between financial and industry leaders to build the next generation of infrastructure, with a focus on sustainability.

The partnership aims to raise an initial $30 billion, with plans to eventually scale the fund to $100 billion, including through debt financing.

The rapid expansion of data centers equipped with Nvidia GPUs, essential for running generative AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has fueled this effort. These powerful processors require substantial energy, creating supply chain constraints as tech companies race to build the necessary infrastructure.

Microsoft’s contribution to the project is in addition to its ongoing capital investments, particularly for expanding its Azure cloud platform, which serves AI clients like OpenAI. In July, Microsoft disclosed that it had spent $19 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter on capital expenditures, including assets acquired through finance leases.

Meanwhile, BlackRock’s acquisition of GIP is moving forward, with the deal expected to close on October 1. The transaction, valued at $3 billion in cash and approximately 12 million shares of BlackRock common stock, was first announced in January.

MGX, another key player in the partnership, was founded in March through a collaboration between Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala and AI company G42, underscoring the global nature of the investment strategy.

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SuperMeat cofounder Ido Savir noted that public sentiment around cultivated meat remains cautious, with doubts about its scalability and market potential leading some to view it as more hype than a feasible meat alternative. Savir emphasized that SuperMeat’s latest report demonstrates a commercially viable path to market, given the right technology.

Established in December 2015, SuperMeat, based in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the pioneering companies in cultivated meat. The company grows avian stem cells from fertilized eggs, which are naturally immortal and capable of differentiating into various cell types, to produce muscle and fat tissue. SuperMeat’s new 23-page report, along with a video, outlines a semi-continuous production process that isolates these cells from non-incubated eggs, preparing them for large-scale bioreactor processes.

Savir explained that the report details SuperMeat’s entire production cycle, including key metrics and performance indicators. With its current 10-liter setup, SuperMeat projects that production scaled to 25,000-liter bioreactors could yield cultivated chicken meat at costs of $11.8 per pound without depreciation and $13.4 per pound with depreciation, competitive with premium conventional poultry in the U.S. This estimate assumes cell densities of 80 million cells per milliliter within nine days, and animal-free media costs below 50 cents per liter. Savir added that SuperMeat is collaborating with manufacturing partners and regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Singapore to validate its processes on a ‘mid-scale’ level for potential partners and investors.

At this initial scale, Savir proposed a hybrid approach, using cultivated chicken meat at a 30% inclusion rate in processed products like minced meat and burgers, which would remain competitive in the value-added market. He expressed hope for regulatory approval in the U.S. by late next year.

Savir declined to disclose SuperMeat’s total funding, acknowledging that some investors in food technology are cautious. However, he argued that if companies can demonstrate commercial viability and market interest, cultivated meat could see renewed investment momentum.

Among the top-funded startups in the cultivated meat sector are UPSIDE Foods ($608 million), GOOD Meat ($270 million), and Believer Meats ($388 million). UPSIDE Foods has currently paused its plans for a large-scale facility in Chicago to expand a smaller facility in California. GOOD Meat, meanwhile, has shifted focus toward process optimization rather than fundraising for large-scale production. Believer Meats, on the other hand, is building what it claims will be the world’s largest cultivated meat plant in North Carolina, expected to be operational by the end of 2024, though regulatory approval for U.S. sales remains pending.

European firms are also making headway. Dutch startup Mosa Meat, which raised $43 million earlier this year, opened a 30,000-square-foot scale-up plant in Maastricht, while Meatable, another Dutch firm, secured $35 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding close to $100 million.

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