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Companies with diverse executive boards outperform peers run by all-male boards according to new research from Grant Thornton. The study, which covers listed companies in India, UK and US, estimates the opportunity cost for companies with male-only executive boards (in terms of lower returns on assets) at a staggering US$655 billion in 2014

This alert is designed to provide a brief synopsis of the impending Corporate Tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) that is currently in discussion. To discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact us.

At the end of November 2013, Dubai was chosen to be the host city of the World Expo 2020. Dubai is the first Middle Eastern city to host an Expo. Official comments from the governments of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and almost all coverage in the mainstream media has been overwhelmingly positive. However, one of the most important questions can only be answered with research that is proprietary, original and systematic. It is: what do the people who live and work in the UAE really think about Dubai Expo 2020? Drawing on data and research from Insight Discovery, this report looks at the themes and trends arising as a result of the win.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rapidly developing economy with an approximate population of 8 million. Its GDP was estimated at US$390bn in 2013, making it the 29th largest economy in the world and the second largest in the Middle East. Its GDP per capita is approximately US$43,000, the 19th highest globally. Drawing on data and insight from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), this short report considers the outlook for the economy, including the expectations of 200 business leaders interviewed in the UAE and more than 12,500 globally, over the past 12 months.

Hotels are assessing how they can use digital technologies and data analytics to deliver memorable guest experiences. As 2020 approaches, they will need to make digital a part of everything they do – from marketing and distribution to in-room entertainment. But most hotels don’t have the talent, technology or organisational structures to achieve this, especially in the UAE where a lack of skilled workforce has persistently been cited by business leaders as a constraint on growth.

In light of growing international interest and scrutiny of corporate practices we set out to explore how three major aspects of governance – the role of culture, board composition and strategic planning – are affecting businesses around the world.

Almost three months on from the launch of the European Central Bank's quantitative easing programme, new research from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) reveals a jump in business optimism in the eurozone in the first quarter of 2015, with confidence moving back up towards pre-crisis levels.

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With the Expo 2020 set to add $24 billion to the UAE economy and create innumerable opportunities due to the increased demand in various sectors namely leisure and tourism (with an estimated 25 million visitors expected to arrive), the need for hoteliers to change and implement emerging technology has never been needed more so than now.

Drawing on 10,000 interviews with company leaders and international forecast data, this report considers the outlook for the global economy and what this means for business growth prospects in 2015.

New research from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) reveals that while business confidence in 2014 climbed to levels not seen since before the financial crisis, a recent spate of uncertainty is weighing on growth prospects for the year ahead.

Businesses in the world’s three biggest economies, the United States, China and Japan, are increasingly feeling the heat when it comes to recruiting skilled staff. Given that these countries together represent over a third of global output, a deficit of skilled staff could have a significant knock-on effect on economic growth not just in these economies but beyond.

Hisham Farouk, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, a leading global advisor to family-owned businesses talks about what does 2015 have in store for the UAE economy.

Hisham Farouk, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, a leading global advisor to family-owned businesses talks about the opportunities arising in the UAE.

Hisham Farouk, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, a leading global advisor to family-owned businesses talks about the growth of DIFC during the past decade.

Hisham Farouk, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, a leading global advisor to family-owned businesses talks about the fundaments of Ramadam.