Our Scans · (ZY.4.02) Business Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] Financial markets going global have boosted digital banking, creating a higher demand for Islamic finance worldwide. Velmie
• [New] Discussions around Islamic finance in Kazakhstan have shifted from theoretical potential to practical implementation, including capital growth, investment attraction, Islamic banking, Islamic leasing and debt instruments. The Astana Times
• [New] By 2026, millions of users will have begun using digital assets for payments, investments, NFTs, and decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. 01
• [New] Research and Markets projects the global digital marketing industry will grow from roughly $11 billion in 2025 to more than $18.5 billion by 2030, fueled by AI-driven advertising tools, automation, and expanding online commerce. Financial News Media
• [New] The strongest service businesses in 2026 will not sell vague marketing help or vague AI help. Mean CEO's BLOG
• [New] Importance for marketers: Apple's privacy-centric AI strategy could influence consumer expectations around AI transparency, data retention, personalization, and trust in AI-enabled customer experiences across digital marketing ecosystems. MarketingProfs
• [New] AI systems could achieve human-level performance across most professional computer-based tasks within 12-18 months, potentially automating work in fields such as marketing, accounting, legal services, coding, and project management. MarketingProfs
• [New] Differentiated, connected data will become essential for effective AI agents, especially as businesses increasingly deploy autonomous systems across marketing, operations, and customer engagement workflows. MarketingProfs
• [New] A global finance watchdog is demanding national regulators better scrutinize private credit, warning that banks, asset managers, insurance and private equity firms are exposed to an assortment of growing risks in the near $2 trillion sector. CNBC
• [New] Africa-focused Islamic infrastructure finance, particularly Sukuk-backed projects in energy, transport, and agriculture, represents another high-impact opportunity. alhudacibe
• [New] The year 2026 presents a wide range of strategic opportunities for the Islamic finance industry. / Albania alhudacibe
• [New] As asset tokenization matures, it will likely become the standard operating layer for all global finance, turning every physical and financial asset into a programmable, tradable unit of the digital economy. KuCoin
• [New] As aspirations to embed high-performance computing technologies to support quantitative AI forecasting grow, vendors like BlackLine expect finance leaders across Asia-Pacific to invest in AI-driven programs in 2026, moving from execution to oversight. FutureCFO
• [New] If AI adoption accelerates across industries such as finance, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing, the UK economy could experience stronger long-term competitiveness. Kalkine
• [New] Bitcoin is the greatest distraction from the biggest opportunity in finance, tokenized assets. Investax
• [New] Bain and Company projects embedded finance will exceed $7 trillion in total U.S. financial transactions in 2026. LoanPro
• [New] Non-bank finance, artificial intelligence, and the Middle East or West Asia war are the greatest credit risks for Asia Pacific's financial institutions in 2026. Charlton Media Group
• [New] The finance and insurance sector employs millions of individuals who rely heavily on specialized software to process transactions, manage risks, and generate reports. Market Data Forecast
• [New] In the annual spring report outlining Ottawa's finance agenda, the federal government said it is assessing opportunities to unlock the full value of airports in support of investments in Canada's long-term growth, including through alternative models of ownership. Aviation Week Network
• [New] Leveraging Solana will bring faster, cheaper, and more accessible financial services to the markets that need them most - from cross-border payments corridors in Southeast Asia and Latin America to tokenised capital markets that bridge traditional finance with blockchain innovation. Fintech Singapore
• Investment in AI marketing tools is expected to grow more than 130% over the next three years. Vistage Research Center

Last updated: 29 May 2026