State Bank of Pakistan in collaboration with Karandaaz and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, marked the beginning of 2021 with a digital leap forward following the launch of Raast — Pakistan’s first instant payment system that permits end-to-end digital payments among general public, businesses and government entities. The initiative is part of ‘Digital Pakistan Vision’ aimed at financial inclusion of poor segments and women of our society in the formal …

Over time, the real estate sector has marked significant economic importance. As large as the real estate sector is, it is considered equally sophisticated. Despite being one of the latest sectors to adopt innovation, technology has undoubtedly added a new dimension to the industry. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology revolutionized the whole industry, bringing real estate properties, innumerable housing societies, diverse housing types, changing market trends, different agents, …

In the current world of globalization markets and their economies leading from the front and every activity of residents of any nation are measured economically. In past most of the people used to utilize their leisure hours (entertainment) in watching sports which was quite casual and relaxed but today’s sport is often organized, mechanized, marketed, and administered as a business. Commercial interests influence virtually every decision in sports. Events are …

Sports have long been an integral part of our culture, from the earliest form of football in ancient China, Cùjū, to the spectacle of the Colosseum in ancient Rome. Sports and entertainment leaders around the globe have long understood the importance of atmosphere and excitement in keeping fans happy and engaged. Infectious diseases present an omnipresent threat to the health and safety of the global community. In 2020, the COVID-19 …

Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the important components of economic development. This sector can generate increased productivity & new investment. SMEs have the ability to grow the industrial and commercial tax base. Therefore, its value cannot be ignored and it is the yardstick of most of the economic issues like revenue generation, poverty, unemployment and a slow growth rate. It can generate opportunities for a very heterogeneous group concerning …

In Pakistan, Islamic banking has registered substantial growth over the last few years. Along with increase in number of branches, windows and diversity of Islamic banking products and services, the size of Islamic banking balance sheet has improved significantly. The growth continued during FY20, as the assets and deposits of the Islamic banking grew by 21.4 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Due to substantial growth, Islamic banking has become systemically …

Mudasar, a young Pakistani adept at graphic designing, left for the UAE a couple of years ago and resided in Sharjah with his family having gotten assurances from his boss in the UAE that his job is stable and there is no need for any sort of perturbation. His confidence inflated in the wake of adulation received for his work acumen. To undergo a tantalizing foreign experience, he concurred to …

Qatar witnesses a prosperous start to 2021, first scoring a major political goal by restoring diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and ending its almost 4-year long embargo. Following a political breakthrough come an unexpected revenue bonanza, which saw Doha happily riding the waves of spiking Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) prices in Asia. The combination of both developments – Qatar casting away its pariah state and probably playing a more nuanced …

Not today but five years ago, in the wake of advanced research, financial incentives and public awareness campaigns, Norway had a breakthrough with around 70,000 EVs on the road in Norway. There is a paradigm shift today, to say the least. Sales of electric cars topped 2.1 million globally in 2019. There is a whopping 40% year-on-year increase in EVs globally which speaks volumes of what the world would be …

Based on the mileage it is mandatory for the sake of safety to change the tyres of 800cc car every three years, let alone a sedan or SUV. Four new tyres for a sedan would cost over Rs 65000/- (sixty five thousand rupees) every three years. Cost of tyres for SUV is gigantic. One could have a notion of the enormity of the tyre-business in Pakistan. It is surely a …