Is silver the next platinum? As Amran points out in his comment to the earlier gold post, low global supplies, and more industrial usage, mean silver may eventually do even better than bullion.

For years, platinum enjoyed a second-class although respectable status as "white gold". Throughought the 60s and well into the 70s, platinum languished well below $200 an ounce, according to <i>Gold Miners Research</b>. Much of what was then produced was used for jewellery.

But by 1980 motor manufacturers had discovered a cool use for the metal: it helped convert toxic emissions to less harmful gases. Now, almost any car that rolls off a production line uses a platinum converter. By last year, it had reached an average price of $1, 573 an ounce.

Silver, which is trading today at around $18.26, could go the same way. It is now an important component of silver-zinc batteries, a principal component for electronic devices and, increasingly, electric cars.

Analysts say inventories are being depleted and manufacturers are having to pay more to ensure supplies.

So hang on to that ugly teapot Granny left you in her will: it could be worth its weight in gold, some day.

The Chairman of Bahrain's Ithmaar Bank, Khalid Abdulla-Janahi, is here in Dubai for the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda and so I had a chance to catch up with him briefly and hear his views.

As you may have already determined, I'm writing this weekend from the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda here in Dubai, so expect more highlights in this space as the weekend progresses.

If you read nothing else this weekend, check out Nouriel Roubini's latest missive in the Globe and Mail about the divergent recovery in the US. Makes you wonder if the global economic recovery can withstand a shadow that long.

You can watch the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda, including Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar's address, in which he blames the media for concerns about Dubai's economic well-being, here.

We may not have the iTunes Music Store or the Kindle here yet, but at least we've got Foursquare.

Yes, the mega-popular-with-the-geeks social networking application has just announced a 50-city global addition to its network with Dubai chosen as one of the lucky cities.

Foursquare is a bit tough to describe, but it's basically a real life social network tied to a gaming business model. For example, you get certain credits or titles associated with yourself everytime you visit a certain area (the Dubai Mall, for example). Keep visiting the same place and you'll become the "Mayor" of the Dubai Mall (within the confines of Foursquare, of course). It is (somewhat annoyingly) quite big with Twitter users.

In any case, it should be available to download through the iTunes App Store and the Android Market (if you've got one of those devices). No idea if the program works in Abu Dhabi or any other emirate, but given that the founder of the company expects to make Foursquare available everywhere, more UAE and Middle Eastern cities are likely on the way.

In an article in today's edition, I explore concerns that the momentum behind capital-market reform will flag as liquidity returns to the UAE. A similar fate befell Asia after the financial crisis of 1997 and 1998. Free-market policies deemed a threat to the political status quo fell by the wayside when economic recovery no longer depended on adopting them.

In an article in today's edition, I explore concerns that the momentum behind capital-market reform will flag as liquidity returns to the UAE. A similar fate befell Asia after the financial crisis of 1997 and 1998. Free-market policies deemed a threat to the political status quo fell by the wayside when economic recovery no longer depended on adopting them.

Aabar Investment's latest high profile move is a high-rise building in one of the ritziest areas of Manhattan, a block away from Central Park, the Russian Tea Room and Carnegie Hall. Here is the story from earlier this week.

One interesting detail is its proximity to Jumeirah Essex House, an old high-end hotel that was purchased by Dubai Investment Group in 2005. The new Aabar building, which is being developed by NYC developer Extell, will tower over the all the surrounding buildings in the area and offer views of Central Park. Having these two landmark buildings next to each other will be a testament to the UAE's increasing role in owning and managing luxury properties around the world.

Much of the Gulf investment in property is focused in London right now, but analysts say that more New York City deals could be on the horizon as business picks up there.

The new Aabar-Extell project will rise nearly 80 stories, featuring high-end apartments, offices and a hotel. The design is by French architect Christian de Portzamparc, who was behind such radically new structures as the LVMH Tower in New York and the Lille Tower in France.

Everyone wants the Chinese to revalue their currency. As the dollar drops, so does the Chinese renminbi. Like Bonnie and Clyde, they go everywhere together, sometimes with horrible results for those who get in the way.

It means no matter how far the American peso falls, Chinese labourers can still turn out a pair of trousers for less than most anyone else.

This is big news, disguised as small news: Zain's One Network system, which lets Zain customers roam across all the company's networks on a unified pricing package, has been expanded to Egypt via the Mobinil network.

One Network means that a Sudanese Zain customer can make calls at local rates when they are in Jordan, Saudi Arabia or any of Zain's networks in the Middle East. You also recieve incoming calls at a single flat rate on any Zain network, can call your home country's customer care centre for free, and recharge your account using the local prepaid cards of the country you are in.

For a regional or global operator, doing this on your own network is a no-brainer. But Zain's new move, getting other major operators to join the system, is potentially game changing.