Green Hydrogen Leadership: Saudi renewables developer ACWA appointed Samir J Serhan as CEO from 1 March, as it pushes forward on Neom’s green hydrogen/ammonia complex and a 4GW Yanbu hub. Tobacco Awareness: Abu Dhabi’s National Rehabilitation Center launched a World No Tobacco Day campaign targeting youth and warning about harms from cigarettes, vapes and e-cigarettes. Energy & Consumer Supply Chains: Japan warned naphtha shortages tied to Middle East disruption could hit everyday goods from plastics to medical supplies, while Japanese snack makers shifted to black-and-white packaging to cope with ink supply instability. Retail & Consumer Pressure: Northern Ireland consumer confidence fell to a three-year low as energy costs from the Middle East conflict squeeze household budgets. Packaging & FMCG Cost Control: Middle East crisis is pushing firms to cut colors and plastic use in packaging, with knock-on effects for product availability and presentation. Corporate Pricing Power Watch: Reuters found only one-third of euro zone large firms plan to raise prices in response to the Iran war, suggesting weaker demand is limiting pass-through. Oil Shock Economics: Reports estimate the Iran war could cost US households about $750 each, with fuel-price volatility feeding broader inflation fears. Tech for Retail/Industry: AVEVA and AWS announced a multi-year cloud collaboration to speed industrial intelligence adoption, while Vadzo Imaging launched USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 UVC cameras for embedded vision use cases. Market Volatility: South Korea’s KOSPI slid on Iran-war-linked inflation fears even as AI optimism drove sharp swings.