The accidental Oman issue?

Oman doesn’t usually make a lot of noise, but this morning it’s very much leading our coverage with the biggest two stories of the day, as we unpack the Oman Investment Authority’s 2025 blockbuster performance and the country’s narrowed 1Q budget deficit.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for progress on the GCC-UK trade agreement, which could be finalized today as representatives from both sides meet in London, Bloomberg reports, citing comments made by GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi. From the UK side, officials said talks were ongoing but steered clear of specifying whether the agreement would come today.

Meanwhile, in the tech world: Google is further integrating AI in its search function while introducing what it calls Gemini Spark, an AI “agent” that is designed to function independently and act on a user’s behalf. The tech giant is also rolling out smart glasses that will include a camera and speaker in a bid to challenge moves made by its rival Meta.

We still think human labor isn’t going away anytime soon, but the robots are coming for some jobs — at least 8k of them at Standard Chartered, which is looking to rely more heavily instead on AI. The cuts will primarily affect its human resources and risk and compliance functions, which the company’s CEO describes as a shift away from “lower-value human capital.”

ALSO: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has reportedly tapped Goldman Sachs to lead its highly anticipated IPO, with the bank set to assume the most prominent spot among the underwriters involved. Goldman and Morgan Stanley will reportedly be serving as lead bankers. –Salma