BUSINESS | Al Bawaba

De-dollarization: Russia Is Ditching The Greenback To Mitigate US Restrictions

While Washington is “abusing” the status of the dollar as the world reserve currency, Moscow will continue to reduce its dependence on the greenback in favor of national currencies, the Russian foreign minister said. “Against

If Being Vegan's Is All the Hype, Why Aren't Middle East Fast Food Chains All Over It?

Riham Darwish

Many fast-food chains have started to cater to vegan consumers by offering new meatless options, hoping to attract more customers. As vegan meal options offered by KFC, Burger King, and Greggs take off in the

Turkey's Central Bank Reduce Interest Rates To 11.25 Percent

Turkey’s Central Bank on Thursday reduced its one-week repo rate 75 basis points. The policy rate - also known as the one-week repo rate - decreased to 11.25% from 12%, the bank said in a

5 Top-Notch Technologies to Boost Business Profits

With the potential impact of new technologies such as 3-D printing, manufacturing companies are looking for a unique competitive edge. So, how can manufacturers accurately anticipate how these technologies will affect their businesses and leverage

Goldman Sachs Q4 Earnings Hit By Hefty $1 Billion Fine

Goldman Sachs reported a drop in fourth-quarter profits on Wednesday following a mixed performance in its operating businesses as it set aside $1.1 billion for legal and regulatory matters. The investment bank reported profits of

Latest Business

Before Breaking The Brexit Deadlock: Uk Annual Inflation Drops To Three-year Low

January 16th, 2020

British annual inflation slid to the lowest level in more than three years in December, increasing the chances of an interest-rate cut by the Bank of England before Brexit. The ...

Woqod Launch 100th Petrol Station In Qatar

January 16th, 2020

Qatar Fuel (Woqod) on Wednesday opened a new fuel station in New Industrial Area, increasing its network of stations across Qatar to 100. With this facility, Woqod has moved a ...

Microsoft Bids Farewell To Windows 7: Here's Your Options

January 16th, 2020

Software giant Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 7 on Tuesday, bringing a long-awaited technical close to the 10-year-old operating system. Microsoft has been warning users for months it would ...

Amazon Invest $1 Billion in Digitize Indian Business

January 16th, 2020

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos pledged $1 billion Wednesday to help digitize small- and medium-sized businesses in India. At an annual Amazon-sponsored "Smbhav" event in New Delhi, Bezos said ...

Iran Eyes $20 Billion Annual Trade With Iraq

January 16th, 2020

Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, said that trade and business ties of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Iraq are ‘extensive’. He made the remarks late on Tue. in ...

Volvo Hits Record Car Sales In 2019

January 16th, 2020

Volvo Cars has set a new, sixth consecutive global sales record in 2019, breaking the 700,000 cars sold mark for the first time in its 93-year history. The company recorded ...

Why Dubai Is 90 Percent Cheaper Than The Most Expensive City?

January 16th, 2020

Luxury comes at a high cost in most cities around the world. But not so much in Dubai - thanks to very little taxes in the emirate. Dubai offers pretty ...

Why Dubai Is 90 Percent Cheaper Than The Most Expensive City?

January 16th, 2020

Luxury comes at a high cost in most cities around the world. But not so much in Dubai - thanks to very little taxes in the emirate. Dubai offers pretty ...

PR Wire

Huawei Rolls Out The Outstanding Pre-order Phase For The HUAWEI MediaPad M6 10.8” Tablet in Saudi Arabia

IT and Technology

Kaspersky Detects a New ‘Data Leak-Compensation’ Scheme With Victims From the UAE

IT and Technology

Celebrate Chinese New Year at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

Travel and Tourism

Pioneering technology could help reduce the health risks caused by sitting down too long

Jaguar Land Rover’s New Shape-Shifting Seat of the Future Makes You Think You’re Walking

Transport and Aviation

The ST. Regis Abu Dhabi a Passion for Development and Recognition

Travel and Tourism

UAE Pioneers Smart Cities Tech to Drive $2.7 Billion Middle East and Africa Market

Goods and Services

Burgan Bank customers can avail the offer by applying a promo code before finalizing the order in the last step.

Burgan Bank partners with Farfetch for their Customer loyalty program

Banking and Finance

Spend the Season of Love With an All-Inclusive Romantic Getaway at Rixos Bab Al Bahr

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1. Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany in 2005 and is serving her fourth term. In November 2018, Merkel stepped down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union and announced she wouldn't seek another term as chancellor in 2021. Merkel remains the de facto leader of Europe, leading the region's largest economy after steering Germany through financial crisis and back to growth. Her leadership is marked by her steely reserve, from standing up to Donald Trump to allowing more than a million Syrian refugees into Germany. For now, she leads a coalition government unpopular with voters, facing continuing storms from Brexit and growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe. The big question that the public is now asking is who and what will come after Merkel's time in office comes to an end.

2. Christine Lagarde became the first woman to head the European Central Bank on November 1, 2019. The election puts her in charge of European monetary policy during a time of geopolitical uncertainty and slowing economic growth in the region. In her debut speech as ECB president, she spoke of the need to focus on multilateral trade while also growing domestic opportunities. From 2011 until mid-2019, Lagarde ran the International Monetary Fund that works to ensure the stability of the global monetary system. She was the first woman to hold that position. On the 10-year anniversary of the 2008 bank collapse, Lagarde pointed to "groupthink" in the male-dominated industry and called for gender reform.

3. Nancy Pelosi is the 52nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The role makes her the highest-ranking elected woman in the country and the second-in-line for the presidency. She started her third term as Speaker in 2019; she previously held the position from 2007 to 2011. In 2019, she initiated the fourth-ever impeachment proceedings in U.S. history against President Donald Trump. In 2013, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Seneca Falls.

4. Ursula von der Leyen was appointed president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, in July 2019. She is the first woman to serve in the role, which is responsible for legislation affecting more than 700 million Europeans. From 2005 until 2019, von der Leyen served in Angela Merkel's cabinet--the longest tenure of any cabinet member. For the last six years of her time in the cabinet, she was Germany's defense minister. Under von der Leyen, the Commission is now comprised of 11 female commissioners and 15 male.

5. Mary Barra GM's CEO since 2014, Barra has invested billions in electric vehicles, self-driving cars and a ride-share service called Maven. In November 2019, GM sued Fiat Chrysler over an alleged bribery scheme in bargaining with autoworker unions. Having earned $21.9 million in 2018, Barra has the highest compensation of any leader of a Detroit Big Three automaker. GM ranked No. 1 on the 2018 Global Report on Gender Equality. It was one of only two global businesses that have no gender pay gap.

6. Melinda Gates maintains her position as most powerful woman in philanthropy as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Founded in 2000, it's the world's largest private charitable foundation with a $40 billion trust endowment. She's increasingly visible in shaping foundation strategy, solving tough global challenges from education and poverty to contraception and sanitation. As part of the foundation's mission to help all people lead healthy, productive lives, she has devoted much of her work to women's and girls' rights In her next chapter, Gates' mission is to close the funding gap for female founders, through her investment and incubation company, Pivotal Ventures.

7. Abigail Johnson has served as CEO of Fidelity Investments since 2014, when she took over for her father, and has been chairman since 2016. Her grandfather, Edward Johnson II, founded the Boston-based mutual fund giant in 1946. She owns an estimated 24.5% stake of the firm, which has nearly $2.7 trillion in managed assets. Johnson has embraced cryptocurrencies and, in 2018, Fidelity launched a platform that allows institutional investors to trade bitcoin and ether. She worked summers at Fidelity through college and joined full-time as an analyst in 1988 after receiving a Harvard M.B.A.

8. Ana Patricia Botín became chair of the company in 2014, after the sudden death of her father, Emilio. She pulled off a coup in 2017 when Banco Santander acquired failing Banco Popular (BP) for 1 euro to become Spain's largest bank. In the face of political unrest, she has championed fintech and focused on entrepreneurs, backing small enterprise and women-owned businesses. She launched Santander X to support university entrepreneurship and helped create the country's first multi-sector blockchain-based platform. The bank's $200 million InnoVentures private equity fund has seeded disruptors such as Digital Asset Holdings, Ripple and Kabbage.

9. Ginni Rometty A 36-year veteran of the iconic tech company, Rometty has led IBM's transition to a data company. Today, half of IBM's $79.1 billion 2017 revenue comes from the emerging, high-value segments of IT vs its legacy software products. She has put cognitive computing at the center of its strategy for the future and made massive bets on blockchain and quantum computing. In October 2018, IBM purchased Red Hat for $34 billion, placing the company in a position to compete with Amazon and Microsoft in cloud computing. But despite this high-priced deal, IBM's stock has fallen 20% in 2018 and posted weak third-quarter results. Ongoing efforts to keep women in the workforce include extended parental leave, a breastmilk delivery program and returnships.

10. Marillyn Hewson CEO of Lockheed Martin since 2013, Hewson has deftly steered the defense company's position at the forefront of security, aerospace and technology. The F-35 fighter jet program and other development that address modern military needs have helped increase market value to nearly $100 billion. In 2017, the company pulled in $53 billion in sales, a majority from the U.S. government. Under Hewson's watch, Lockheed's stock has surged more than 300%. To remain on the forefront of innovation, Lockheed Martin is developing a supersonic aircraft that breaks the sound barrier without a sonic boom.

1. Israel's Pavilion: Israel recently offered a first taste of its planned pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, under the headline “Towards Tomorrow,” that hopes to showcase Israeli innovation to the Arab World and beyond.

2. Ukraine's Pavilion: Smart living, smart thinking and smart feelings will come together at the Ukraine Pavilion, as the nation demonstrates how bright ideas and the latest innovations can help to create a better future. With inventions ranging from an e-bike that can travel 380 kilometres on a single charge, to blinds that use sunlight to generate electricity, the structure will showcase the innovative spirit of Ukraine while exploring its cultural heritage. The pavilion will also use picturesque flora to create a restful ambiance for visitors.

3. Oman's Pavilion: Oman’s ‘gift to the world’, frankincense has played a vital and varied role in the nation’s development from ancient times to the present day. The Oman Pavilion pays tribute to this precious resin, with its exterior resembling the tree that produces frankincense. Inside there are five zones detailing the diverse ways in which frankincense has benefited Oman – spanning everything from medicine to food to cosmetics.

4.China's Pavilion: It will be one of the largest at Expo 2020 Dubai at 4,636 sqm. The China Pavilion will symbolise hope and a bright future, and is designed in line with the principle of the “combination of the Chinese and Western culture with Chinese culture as the core”. It will vividly showcase China’s profound culture and longstanding history by artistically integrating the Chinese elements with modern technologies.

5. Saudi Arabia's Pavilion: The pavilion, resembling a huge window opening up from the ground and soaring into the sky, will offer visitors an immersive journey showcasing Saudi Arabia’s transformation. Balancing rich heritage and natural wonders with the energy, creativity and innovativeness of its people, the pavilion will demonstrate how Saudi Arabia is shaping both its own and the world’s future.

6. UK's Pavilion: The UK Pavilion is inspired by a project from the late scientist Stephen Hawking, in which he pondered how humanity could express itself to an extraterrestrial civilisation. The pavilion will offer an awe-inspiring glimpse into the future, exploring everything from the commercialisation of space to artificial intelligence.

7. Finland's Pavilion: Resembling an Arabic tent made of snow, the Finland Pavilion aims to bring together the country’s icy landscapes with the culture of Expo 2020’s host nation. Inside the 'Snow Cape', visitors will find a peaceful haven full of surprises. Finland will showcase its many areas of excellence, from education and sustainable technologies to health and wellbeing, as well as the natural beauty that attracts travellers from around the world.

8. France's Pavilion: Titled ‘Light, Lights’, the pavilion’s theme explores light as an enabler of progress, a vehicle for connections and a source of heat and creativity. It seeks to embody the Age of Enlightenment, the 18th century movement spearheaded by French intellectuals that emphasised concepts such as knowledge exchange and tolerance.

9. Austria's Pavilion: Austria is a nation reimagining ideas. This is reflected in its decision to use a 9,000-year-old soil to build its pavilion, which comprises 47 truncated cones. The structure will be ventilated through its innovative use of the cones, and will house exhibitions, workshops, installations and more. Visitors can take a trip to the Viennese coffeehouse and learn why the United Nations lists the institution as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’.

10. Italy's Pavilion: Set under the overturned hulls of three ships, the Italian pavilion will tell a memorable story of culture, art, sustainability, education, science, security and innovation. Inspired by the connecting routes of the Mediterranean, it will take visitors on a journey through history to the future. The pavilion’s design and structure will reflect the skills, products and innovations of Italian companies and communities, highlighting their best practices in areas such as the circular economy and sustainability.

Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Dubai: Having been originally launched in 2004, recently closed it’s doors for 6 longawaited months in order to complete their impressive renovations. Originally designed by 1991 Open Champion Ian Baker-Finch, the beautiful desert championship course has now been given a new lease of life. The redesigned green complexes make all the difference, inducing a pristine-feel, reminiscent of the courses early days. In addition to spruced up green complexes, the practice putting green has also been renovated, along with an enhanced driving range. The renovations promise a completely new experience and a surprising difference in play.

Black Rocks Golf Belitung, Indonesia: The name ‘Black Rocks’ isn’t given at random. In this picturesque course located in the enchanting island of Belitung, this new layout is adorned with dominating, naturally formed black rocks. They make a striking statement to the layout and remind players of the unique location in which they are in. Being only 100m from the shore you may even end up looking for your ball in the crystal blue waters of Tanjung Tinggi Beach, where the stunning bold rock formations continue. The 18-hole championship layout is designed by Ronald W. Fream, rolls over a staggering 7,900 yards, and is an exhilarating challenge for golfers of all levels. Having only been open Since June 2019, experience this new Indonesian gem.

Dubai Hills Golf Club by Jumeirah, Dubai: Opening its doors to golfers in October 2019, it’s already been named the World’s Best New Golf Course at the 2019 World Golf Awards and is known as one of the best golf courses in Dubai. Contoured greens feel as if they follow the flow of the desert surrounding. The course also utilizes 21st century technology for a smooth experience.

Hoiana Shores, Vietnam: This newly opened course is just a short drive from a place known as the ‘City of Lanterns’. This is Robert Trent Jones Jr’s first design in Vietnam, meaning masterful precision and artistry. The shoreline location provides captivating views of the Cham Islands, and with 18 holes spread over 7,004 yards - this par 71 design is a must-visit.

Ozarks National at Big Cedar Lodge, Missouri, USA: The design of Ozarks National is a striking experience for the senses. This is not your average run-of-the-mill experience, with unique features such as a wooden bridge stretching 400 meters, and a 13th hole towering 60 ft above a beautiful flowing creek. Since it’s opening in April 2019, it’s proven not to disappoint.

Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge, Missouri, USA: Payne’s Valley is due to be the first public access course designed by Tiger Woods and his architecture firm, TGR Design. The layout should make a statement with its pristine water features, vast fairways and greens, and thrilling 19th hole. The meticulous works of magic are still going on with the opening date yet to be announced.

Rumanza Golf Course, Pakistan: In it’s construction stage, the project has been described as monumental in both size and importance. The design is by none other than Sir Nick Faldo, and with the help of experts and skillful construction, three holes are already shaped. With completion due in 2020, we can’t wait to see the experience this highly anticipated course will offer.

Vattanac Golf Resort, Cambodia: Both the existing East Course, and the soon to be unveiled West Course are shrouded in Cambodian culture. Think grand, beautiful temples with carved faces, all surrounded by lush vegetation. Boasting unique touches such as on-site tea houses to refresh your senses, this is golf with a warm Cambodian welcome.

1. Dial-up modem: Although this device introduced us to the World Wide Web, it was inconvenient on so many levels. How many times was your connection accidentally terminated because someone wanted to use the phone?! For those who can’t relate, let me just say that it wasn’t easy to have Internet access back then as it is today. (Shutterstock)

2. Floppy disks: Have you ever had to submit your assignment on one of these? If you’re not familiar with these colorful squared-shaped devices, these were known as floppy disks and used to save up to 1.44 MB worth of data. (Shutterstock)

3. CDs: Those round-shaped devices replaced the squared ones we just talked about. And although the CD ports still exist in the cars and laptops, people don’t use them as much because of other services like online subscriptions. (Shutterstock)

4. Fax machines: Even Though the first fax device was invented in 1843, it wasn’t commonly used until the 1980s and it used to cost up to $20,000. People were fascinated by the fact that a piece of paper can be transmitted in a matter of seconds from one country to another! I bet people who were introduced to emails as the first form of telecommunicating are fascinated by this fact. (Shutterstock)

5. VCRs: Before the term “Let’s Netflix and chill” was invented, people relied on this invention for entertainment. They used to purchase/rent VHS tapes and watch them on their VCRs. If you have no clue what we’re talking about, a VCR is a Video Cassette Recorder, and a VHS is a Video Home System, and your parents’ wedding is most probably saved on of these. (Shutterstock)

6. Flip flop phones: Nothing used to be more satisfying than ending a provocative phone call using a flip flop phone. For those who didn’t have the opportunity to experience that, you still have the chance with Nokia 2720. (Shutterstock)

7. PDAs: We’re not referring to Public Display of Affection here. We’re talking about the Personal Digital Assistant that is now being replaced by the one and only invention - the smartphone. (Shutterstock)

8. Beepers: Another device that has been replaced by the smartphone is the beeper. As a matter of fact, the beeper became obsolete before the smartphone was even invented. People stopped using it once the mobile phone was available in stores. (Shutterstock)

9. Walkman: It’s one of the coolest inventions that we don’t use anymore, isn’t it? If it’s the first time you see this device, this is how people used to enjoy music before iPods and MP3 players were invented. Like the VCR, it needed something to be inserted in it and in this case it was the cassette. (Shutterstock)

1. Kuwait: Kuwait ranks last once again, a position it also held in 2018 and from 2014 to 2016. It still places last and second to last for the ease of settling in and quality of life, respectively, though it has improved for personal finance (from 50th to 38th in 2019). (Shutterstock)

2. Italy: Italy may be new to the bottom 3, ranking 63rd out of 64 in 2019, but it has never made it out of the bottom 10. As in 2018, it does worst for working abroad (64th) and personal finance (62nd). (Shutterstock)

3. Nigeria: After not featuring in the 2018 survey due to an insufficient number of respondents, Nigeria (62nd out of 64) once again ranks third to last, as it did in 2015, 2016, and 2017. (Shutterstock)

4. Brazil: Ranking 61 this year, Brazil has ranked among the bottom 5 for the past five years and even placed last in 2018. (Shutterstock)

5. Turkey: Turkey is the worst country in the world for expat families (36th out of 36): close to two in five expat parents (39%) are dissatisfied with the options for children’s education (vs. 17% globally), and 38% rate the quality of education negatively (vs. 16% worldwide). (Shutterstock)

6. India : Coming in 62nd out of 64 countries in the Quality of Life Index, India especially lags behind digitally (62nd): expats for example struggle with getting a local mobile phone number (38% negative answers vs. 7% globally) and with accessing administrative and government services online (53% vs. 26% worldwide). (Shutterstock)

7. UK: The UK ranks 58th out of 64 countries in the Expat Insider 2019 survey amid ongoing Brexit uncertainty: it has fallen 14 places in terms of political stability, now ranking among the ten worst countries in the world for this factor (57th). Over two in five expats (42%) rate the political stability negatively (vs. 17% globally). (Shutterstock)

8. Greece: Ranking last in the world in the Personal Finance Index for the sixth year running, 39% of expats in Greece worry about their financial situation (vs. 18% globally), and 42% say that their household income is not enough to cover daily costs (vs. 23% globally). (Shutterstock)

9. Russia: Russia ranks 50th out of 64 countries in the Quality of Life Index, with expats there struggling with the weather and climate (54% unhappy vs. 21% worldwide) and the restricted access to online services (24% unhappy vs. 9% globally), among other things. (Shutterstock)

10. South Korea: Settling down is a real challenge for expats in South Korea: 41% find it hard (vs. 23% globally), and 37% struggle to get used to the local cultures (vs. 20% globally). What is more, South Korea dropped eleven positions in the Working Abroad Index since 2018, ranking 51st out of 64 countries in 2019. (Shutterstock)

Business Insights

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Celebrate Chinese New Year at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

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Economy and Policy

De-dollarization: Russia Is Ditching The Greenback To Mitigate US Restrictions

Before Breaking The Brexit Deadlock: Uk Annual Inflation Drops To Three-year Low

Iran Eyes $20 Billion Annual Trade With Iraq

Stock Markets Soar As US Signs Trade Deal With China

Morocco, Turkey to Negotiate Free Trade Agreement

Banking and Finance

Turkey's Central Bank Reduce Interest Rates To 11.25 Percent

Goldman Sachs Q4 Earnings Hit By Hefty $1 Billion Fine

Burgan Bank partners with Farfetch for their Customer loyalty program

Lebanon Central Bank To Hold Off Eurobond Swaps

Turkey: Fatwa Permits Government Loans For Housing Projects

Infrastructure and Property

Why Dubai Is 90 Percent Cheaper Than The Most Expensive City?

Iraqi Top List Of Foreign Real Estate Buyers In Turkey

Saudi Arabia To Offer Licenses To Foreign Mobile Network Operators

Azizi Developments Unveils Plans for 2020 and Beyond

Transport and Aviation

Jaguar Land Rover’s New Shape-Shifting Seat of the Future Makes You Think You’re Walking

Volvo Hits Record Car Sales In 2019

Drive Home More Than Just a Car: Juma Al Majid Offers Value Deals on New Hyundai Cars This DSF

Toyota Recall 700,000 Vehicles: Which Models Are Affected?

Drive Away in a Brand-New Toyota for Just Dh29 a Day

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FC Barcelona Tops Deloitte’s Football Money League for the First Time, Becoming the Third Club Ever to Do So

Abu-Ghazaleh for Technologies Signs Cooperation Agreement With Dubai Library to Distribute TAGTech Devices in UAE

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Mohammad Akram Mohammad Yaqob Wins KD4000 in Burgan Bank’s Value Account Draw

Qatar National Library a Learning Hub for Book Lovers at Doha International Book Fair 2020

Goods and Services

If Being Vegan's Is All the Hype, Why Aren't Middle East Fast Food Chains All Over It?

UAE Pioneers Smart Cities Tech to Drive $2.7 Billion Middle East and Africa Market

Amazon Invest $1 Billion in Digitize Indian Business

American Hospital Dubai Launches Region’s Premiere First Robotic Surgery Services

Hino Trucks Dominate the UAE’s Fuel Delivery Sector

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Companies

1. Israel's Pavilion: Israel recently offered a first taste of its planned pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai, under the headline “Towards Tomorrow,” that hopes to showcase Israeli innovation to the Arab World and beyond.

2. Floppy disks: Have you ever had to submit your assignment on one of these? If you’re not familiar with these colorful squared-shaped devices, these were known as floppy disks and used to save up to 1.44 MB worth of data. (Shutterstock)

3. CDs: Those round-shaped devices replaced the squared ones we just talked about. And although the CD ports still exist in the cars and laptops, people don’t use them as much because of other services like online subscriptions. (Shutterstock)

6. Flip flop phones: Nothing used to be more satisfying than ending a provocative phone call using a flip flop phone. For those who didn’t have the opportunity to experience that, you still have the chance with Nokia 2720. (Shutterstock)

7. PDAs: We’re not referring to Public Display of Affection here. We’re talking about the Personal Digital Assistant that is now being replaced by the one and only invention - the smartphone. (Shutterstock)

8. Beepers: Another device that has been replaced by the smartphone is the beeper. As a matter of fact, the beeper became obsolete before the smartphone was even invented. People stopped using it once the mobile phone was available in stores. (Shutterstock)

1. Kuwait: Kuwait ranks last once again, a position it also held in 2018 and from 2014 to 2016. It still places last and second to last for the ease of settling in and quality of life, respectively, though it has improved for personal finance (from 50th to 38th in 2019). (Shutterstock)

2. Italy: Italy may be new to the bottom 3, ranking 63rd out of 64 in 2019, but it has never made it out of the bottom 10. As in 2018, it does worst for working abroad (64th) and personal finance (62nd). (Shutterstock)

3. Nigeria: After not featuring in the 2018 survey due to an insufficient number of respondents, Nigeria (62nd out of 64) once again ranks third to last, as it did in 2015, 2016, and 2017. (Shutterstock)

4. Brazil: Ranking 61 this year, Brazil has ranked among the bottom 5 for the past five years and even placed last in 2018. (Shutterstock)

5. Turkey: Turkey is the worst country in the world for expat families (36th out of 36): close to two in five expat parents (39%) are dissatisfied with the options for children’s education (vs. 17% globally), and 38% rate the quality of education negatively (vs. 16% worldwide). (Shutterstock)

8. Greece: Ranking last in the world in the Personal Finance Index for the sixth year running, 39% of expats in Greece worry about their financial situation (vs. 18% globally), and 42% say that their household income is not enough to cover daily costs (vs. 23% globally). (Shutterstock)

9. Russia: Russia ranks 50th out of 64 countries in the Quality of Life Index, with expats there struggling with the weather and climate (54% unhappy vs. 21% worldwide) and the restricted access to online services (24% unhappy vs. 9% globally), among other things. (Shutterstock)

Business Insights

Mind Your Own Business

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