Trade UAE and Egypt could benefit most from global trade shift The UAE and Egypt may benefit the most among Mena countries from the US-led reordering of the global trade framework, Citigroup Mena CEO Ebru Pakcan has said. By contrast, oil producers from Iraq to Kuwait and Oman to Bahrain could struggle, Pakcan said, on the back of the lowest international prices in four years. Resource-poor […] April 30, 2025
Analysis Economy The start of Lebanon’s economic recovery may be in sight Lebanon may be weeks away from agreeing a landmark financing deal with the International Monetary Fund that its international partners have made a prerequisite for further support. Domestic political shifts within the country, and heightened efforts by countries to support the new government, have helped facilitate a number of measures on which an IMF deal […] April 30, 2025
Trade Ahead of Trump visit, New Jersey courts Gulf investment New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is leading a mission to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain as US states compete for a share of more than $2 trillion of investment and trade which Gulf Arab countries have pledged to the US over the next decade. The trip, which ends on Saturday, comes just two weeks […] April 30, 2025
OpinionmarketsAmid the current chaos, India represents the closest thing to a safe bet for GCC investorsMatein Khalid, Investor
OpinionPeople & LifestyleThe UAE looks like a better bet for Irish citizens in the turbulence of the next four yearsFrank Kane, Editor-at-Large
OpinionMARKETSWhile US tariff hikes’ direct impact on Mena will be limited, $22bn in non-oil exports is at riskNasser Saidi, Economist, Nasser Saidi and Associates
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Boeing delays are hampering Flydubai expansion, says CEO Delays in the delivery of Flydubai’s first wide-body aircraft from Boeing are hampering the carrier’s expansion into long-haul routes and it may seek compensation, its CEO has told AGBI. The low-cost carrier is waiting for 30 Boeing 787-9 twin-aisle planes, part of an $11 billion deal announced at the 2023 Dubai Airshow. The first deliveries […]
VIDEO Construction First phase of Oman’s Sultan Haitham City on track for 2030 Work on Oman’s $2.6 billion Sultan Haitham City housing project is in full swing. Spread over 14.8 million square metres, Sultan Haitham City will have 20,000 residential units distributed across 19 integrated residential neighbourhoods. The project, initiated a couple of years ago, is being developed in four phases. The first phase, featuring close to 7,000 […]
Analysis Transport Saudi Arabia’s EV ambitions face ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma Few of the car enthusiasts who attended Tesla’s launch in Riyadh last month arrived in electric vehicles. Hundreds turned out for the much-heralded opening event in Riyadh, an indication that the furore around the Tesla brand and its owner Elon Musk has not crossed the Atlantic. Despite this, public enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs) in […]
Analysis Construction Quake lends urgency to Istanbul rebuild programme Istanbul, Turkey’s economic hub, has received a timely reminder that it is at the centre of a high-risk earthquake zone, having been rattled by a tremor of magnitude 6.2 on Wednesday. The hope is that the quake will jolt the city authorities into action to speed up a slow-moving building renewal scheme. Damage from the […]
Analysis Economy What a plunging dollar means to Gulf imports and inflation The dollar’s slump to multiyear lows against many major currencies risks raising import costs in the dollar-pegged Gulf economies, fuelling inflation and pressuring business profitability, analysts say. From mid-January, the dollar is down 11 percent against each of the euro (to its lowest in more than three years), the Japanese yen (its lowest since late 2023), […]
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Boeing delays are hampering Flydubai expansion, says CEO Delays in the delivery of Flydubai’s first wide-body aircraft from Boeing are hampering the carrier’s expansion into long-haul routes and it may seek compensation, its CEO has told AGBI. The low-cost carrier is waiting for 30 Boeing 787-9 twin-aisle planes, part of an $11 billion deal announced at the 2023 Dubai Airshow. The first deliveries […]
VIDEO Construction First phase of Oman’s Sultan Haitham City on track for 2030 Work on Oman’s $2.6 billion Sultan Haitham City housing project is in full swing. Spread over 14.8 million square metres, Sultan Haitham City will have 20,000 residential units distributed across 19 integrated residential neighbourhoods. The project, initiated a couple of years ago, is being developed in four phases. The first phase, featuring close to 7,000 […]
Analysis Transport Saudi Arabia’s EV ambitions face ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma Few of the car enthusiasts who attended Tesla’s launch in Riyadh last month arrived in electric vehicles. Hundreds turned out for the much-heralded opening event in Riyadh, an indication that the furore around the Tesla brand and its owner Elon Musk has not crossed the Atlantic. Despite this, public enthusiasm for electric vehicles (EVs) in […]
Analysis Construction Quake lends urgency to Istanbul rebuild programme Istanbul, Turkey’s economic hub, has received a timely reminder that it is at the centre of a high-risk earthquake zone, having been rattled by a tremor of magnitude 6.2 on Wednesday. The hope is that the quake will jolt the city authorities into action to speed up a slow-moving building renewal scheme. Damage from the […]
Analysis Economy What a plunging dollar means to Gulf imports and inflation The dollar’s slump to multiyear lows against many major currencies risks raising import costs in the dollar-pegged Gulf economies, fuelling inflation and pressuring business profitability, analysts say. From mid-January, the dollar is down 11 percent against each of the euro (to its lowest in more than three years), the Japanese yen (its lowest since late 2023), […]
Renewable Energy Alterra part of $100m buy-in for Indian renewable energy company Alterra, the UAE’s $30 billion climate fund, has partnered with investors including Canada-based investment company Brookfield Asset Management, to co-invest $100 million in Indian renewable energy company Evren. The investment aims to bolster Alterra’s clean energy portfolio and accelerate India’s push toward 500 gigawatts (GW) of installed renewable capacity by 2030, it said in a […] April 30, 2025
Trade UAE and Egypt could benefit most from global trade shift The UAE and Egypt may benefit the most among Mena countries from the US-led reordering of the global trade framework, Citigroup Mena CEO Ebru Pakcan has said. By contrast, oil producers from Iraq to Kuwait and Oman to Bahrain could struggle, Pakcan said, on the back of the lowest international prices in four years. Resource-poor […] April 30, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence Focus on investment in AI as Mena lags in research The Gulf and wider Middle East and North Africa region make a woefully small contribution to global artificial intelligence research and academics, but strategic investments could help mitigate some of the risk of dependency on others, industry experts say. The Mena region contributed just 5 percent of all AI-related academic publications and less than 10 […] April 30, 2025
Banking & Finance Abu Dhabi group creating dirham-backed stablecoin Sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Co. is among a group of companies developing a cryptocurrency that will be linked to the UAE dirham currency. Better known as ADQ, the fund – together with the emirate’s International Holding Company (IHC) and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) – will develop the stablecoin to be regulated […] April 30, 2025
Petrochemicals Borouge net profit increases to $281m for first quarter UAE petrochemical company Borouge reported a rise in profit for the first quarter, driven by higher production and revenue. Net profit for the three months to March rose to $281 million, on the back of an increase in sales volumes and cost reduction, the company said in a statement. Production volumes rose 7 percent year […] April 30, 2025
Giga-projects PIF’s Red Sea Global plans Saudi and overseas expansion Red Sea Global is expanding beyond its west coast base to develop hotels and other projects in Saudi Arabia and overseas, a company executive has said. The company will probably announce a new project in a Saudi city later this year, head of hospitality Sébastien Carre told AGBI on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market […] April 30, 2025
Trade Ahead of Trump visit, New Jersey courts Gulf investment New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is leading a mission to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain as US states compete for a share of more than $2 trillion of investment and trade which Gulf Arab countries have pledged to the US over the next decade. The trip, which ends on Saturday, comes just two weeks […] April 30, 2025
Finance iMENA Group plans IPO with backing of PIF’s Sanabil A unit of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is investing in iMENA Group as the technology company seeks to raise $135 million from investors and prepare for an initial public offering. Riyadh-based Sanabil Investments – which is owned by $940 billion PIF – made the investment among other financiers including venture capital firm FJ […] April 29, 2025
Construction Emaar EC reschedules loan with consortium of Saudi banks Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC), the developer of King Abdullah Economic City, has signed an agreement with four Saudi banks to reschedule a total of SAR3.4 billion ($904 million) in existing financing. The agreement also includes securing a new credit facility of SAR287 million from Alinma Bank, Saudi Awwal Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi and […] April 29, 2025
Telecoms Q1 profits and revenue up for Saudi Telecom Company Profits at Saudi Telecom Company (STC) rose in the first quarter of this year, pushing the share price of the kingdom’s biggest telecoms operator to a yearly high. Net profit rose 11 percent year on year to SAR3.6 billion ($973 million) in the first three months of 2025. Revenues for the quarter rose 2 percent […] April 29, 2025
Development Jordan wins exemption from Trump’s freeze on US aid Millions of dollars in US grants for Jordan’s largest water desalination project dried up when President Donald Trump announced sweeping cuts to foreign aid in January. Within two months, support was flowing again – a result of diplomacy that has arguably put the Middle Eastern state on a more solid financial footing than before January, […] April 30, 2025
Renewable Energy Kuwait to build solar power plants by next summer Kuwait is planning to build four solar power plants with a combined generation capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), enough to power about 1.5 million homes, according to local media. The ministry of electricity, water and renewable energy is studying the projects, which must be completed by summer next year, Alanba daily said, quoting ministry sources. […] April 30, 2025
Analysis Artificial Intelligence Focus on investment in AI as Mena lags in research The Gulf and wider Middle East and North Africa region make a woefully small contribution to global artificial intelligence research and academics, but strategic investments could help mitigate some of the risk of dependency on others, industry experts say. The Mena region contributed just 5 percent of all AI-related academic publications and less than 10 […] April 30, 2025
Oil & Gas Kuwait in talks to buy stake in Woodside’s Louisiana LNG Australian petroleum company Woodside Energy Group is in negotiations with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration (Kufpec) to sell a stake in its Louisiana liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. Kufpec, state-owned Kuwait Petroleum’s overseas unit, is considering both acquiring equity and securing LNG supply from the US facility, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The […] April 30, 2025
Food & Drink Americana reports growth in revenue and profit Americana Restaurants reported a higher net income for the first quarter of 2025 compared with this time last year, as a consumer boycott targeted at the company’s brands related to the Gaza conflict eased. Net profit in the three months to March grew 16.5 percent in the quarter to $32.6 million, driven by higher revenue […] April 30, 2025
Real Estate New Kuwait laws will stimulate banks, says Fitch Kuwait’s approval of a debt law and the easing of housing curbs on foreigners is likely to stimulate banks after a period of subdued activity, according to a US rating agency. Fitch said it expects 8-9 percent growth in 2025 if planned large government projects are awarded, following last month’s approval of the debt law. […] April 29, 2025
Video length: 04:24 VIDEO Construction First phase of Oman’s Sultan Haitham City on track for 2030 Work on Oman’s $2.6 billion Sultan Haitham City housing project is in full swing. Spread over 14.8 million square metres, Sultan Haitham City will have 20,000 residential units distributed across 19 integrated residential neighbourhoods. The project, initiated a couple of years ago, is being developed in four phases. The first phase, featuring close to 7,000 […] April 28, 2025
Finance Official email to be required for Kuwait business licences Oil-rich Kuwait intends to force its companies to set up an official email address for correspondence with government offices as part of a new law designed to speed up business and slash paper work, according to local media. Companies that fail to abide by the new rules will have their business suspended and banned from […] April 28, 2025
Economy Risks for Turkey’s economy despite stable credit rating Turkey’s economic outlook has retained its “stable” rating, according to ratings agency S&P Global, despite heightened political and economic uncertainty since March, with more downside risk than upside opportunity. The agency had raised Ankara’s sovereign debt rating to its present BB-, just below investment grade, in November, the second increase in 2024. It affirmed that […] April 29, 2025
Development Turkey hopes for funding surge from global institutions Turkey is hoping to attract more than $40 billion in project funding from global financial institutions over the next three years to increase environmental investment, boost infrastructure and reduce risk from natural disasters. Treasury and finance minister Mehmet Şimşek said on April 26 he anticipated Turkey would receive $41 billion in low-cost, long-term finance from […] April 29, 2025
Tourism Turkey’s domestic tourism sector heats up Turkey’s domestic tourism sector surged in 2024, with more Turks holidaying at home than ever before, shrugging off high inflation and economic uncertainty by taking to the road in record numbers. Between them, Turkey’s 85 million citizens took 67 million domestic trips last year, an increase of 9 percent on 2023, according to state statistics […] April 28, 2025
Manufacturing Factory activity in Turkey falls to lowest in two years Turkey’s manufacturing sector has posted its fifth monthly decline in activity, reflecting a slowdown in domestic demand and the impact of political and economic instability. The manufacturing capacity utilisation rate – how much a factory’s full potential is being used – fell to 74.3 percent in April, according to a report issued this week by […] April 27, 2025
Retail Gains in Egypt and Turkey help PepsiCo profit Revenue growth at PepsiCo Inc.’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) division outpaced all its other regional divisions in the first quarter, lifted by stronger demand in Egypt and Turkey. However, the US snacks and drinks company trimmed its full-year profit outlook and warned of rising global trade costs. The maker of Pepsi, Gatorade and […] April 25, 2025
Trade UAE and Egypt could benefit most from global trade shift The UAE and Egypt may benefit the most among Mena countries from the US-led reordering of the global trade framework, Citigroup Mena CEO Ebru Pakcan has said. By contrast, oil producers from Iraq to Kuwait and Oman to Bahrain could struggle, Pakcan said, on the back of the lowest international prices in four years. Resource-poor […] April 30, 2025
Economy IMF urges Egypt to accelerate sale of state assets The International Monetary Fund has urged Egypt to move faster in selling off state assets to spur growth and reduce debt. The country’s economic growth is forecast to increase from 2.4 percent in fiscal year 2024 to 4.3 percent in fiscal year 2026, according to Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central […] April 29, 2025
Construction Egyptian minister touts Ras El Hekma as blueprint for global deals Egypt’s Ras El Hekma deal with the United Arab Emirates shows how creditor and debtor countries around the world can work together for mutual benefit, the Egyptian minister of planning has said. It may also lead to similar agreements with other Gulf nations, according to Rania Al Mashat. “What Ras El Hekma has done is […] April 28, 2025
Retail Gains in Egypt and Turkey help PepsiCo profit Revenue growth at PepsiCo Inc.’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) division outpaced all its other regional divisions in the first quarter, lifted by stronger demand in Egypt and Turkey. However, the US snacks and drinks company trimmed its full-year profit outlook and warned of rising global trade costs. The maker of Pepsi, Gatorade and […] April 25, 2025
Video length: 3:09 VIDEO EXCLUSIVE Economy Egypt’s prosperity rests on private sector, says billionaire Sawiris Egypt’s second-richest man Naguib Sawiris has predicted a long-awaited turnaround in the country’s private sector. Sawiris told AGBI that it had taken the Egyptian government a long time to acknowledge the importance of the private sector, but that it now knows that the country’s economic future rests on it. “The private sector is the most […] April 25, 2025
Video length: 3:09 VIDEO EXCLUSIVE Economy Egypt’s prosperity rests on private sector, says billionaire Sawiris Egypt’s second-richest man Naguib Sawiris has predicted a long-awaited turnaround in the country’s private sector. Sawiris told AGBI that it had taken the Egyptian government a long time to acknowledge the importance of the private sector, but that it now knows that the country’s economic future rests on it. “The private sector is the most […]
Construction RAK sets out $272m plan for ‘our version of Central Park’ Ras Al Khaimah is preparing an AED1 billion ($272 million) mixed-use masterplan to link two of its most prominent waterfront developments – Al Hamra and Al Marjan Island. The project is being led by Marjan, the master developer of freehold properties in the northern emirate, and will have its official launch later this year. “What […]
Media & Advertising Dubai doubles down on social media with ‘influencer academy’ Sunsets, skyscrapers, shopping sprees. Type #Dubai into any social media platform and you will find thousands of them. Whether they’re promotional films or holiday snaps, the quality and reach of these images can vary widely. Now Dubai’s tourism authority is setting up an “influencer academy” to teach aspiring digital creators how to make the most […]
Finance Binance powers crypto dialogue with community events Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, is helping to unite the industry, facilitate connections and drive conversation through its calendar of live and online events. Kim Murphy, its head of global event marketing, gives us the lowdown Why are events so important to Binance and the industry? Events bring crypto to life. They […] In association with
Retail Gold’s record run brings little joy for Dubai jewellers In the bustling Gold Souk in Dubai, dubbed the “City of Gold”, 22-karat gold jewellery is a traditional favourite for weddings, religious celebrations, and as a family investment. Yet with bullion prices hitting record highs above $3,400 an ounce, there are signs of change, as buyers opt for diamonds and lighter gold jewellery instead. While […]
Opinion Media & Advertising Dubai chocolate is the golden ticket of city branding Food is part of a place's cultural identity. Plenty of cities and countries have dishes associated with them
Leisure & Hospitality Corporate art collections on the rise in the UAE A shiny office tower in the heart of Downtown Dubai may not be an obvious home for a growing international art collection but ICD Brookfield Place is becoming just that. Among the works or exhibitions it has showcased recently are Canadian visual artist Jordan Söderberg Mill’s light and glass installation Standing Wave, Emirati artist Hashel […]
Analysis Food & Drink Saudi Arabia’s expanding food sector faces high costs As the population grows and the economy swells, the food and beverage service industry in Saudi Arabia is expanding. Half Million, a coffee shop chain that started in the capital Riyadh in 2018, now operates 59 stores across the kingdom. Its 60th recently opened on London’s Oxford Street. Barn’s, a Jeddah-based coffee chain that already […]
Analysis Artificial Intelligence AI ‘employees’ make their mark in the Gulf From customer service to the C-suite, AI “employees” are climbing the corporate ladder in the Gulf as the technology behind them improves. Regional wealth funds such as ADQ are now using AI “boardroom advisers” to help make decisions according to Middle East AI News, while startups are raising capital and launching so-called “AI employees”. These […]
Lifestyle Shisha smokers turn to healthier alternatives In the same way that non-alcoholic drinks are now a regular feature in restaurants and bars in the UAE, hookah smokers are increasingly turning to healthier substitutes to satisfy their shisha fix. “People are seeking alternatives that are better for their health yet do not impact lifestyle choices,” said Naim Madaad, a founding member of […]
Analysis Real Estate Shortage of Dubai homes forces buyers to go off-plan A shortage of completed homes for sale in Dubai is pushing people to buy off-plan properties, which have hit record highs in terms of units bought and as a proportion of purchases. Off-plan investors in the emirate have long had to fund their own purchases, but the growing importance of yet-to-be-completed properties may spur more […]
Food & Drink Turkish fish processors adapt as taste for sushi grows Turkish seafood processors are expanding their product range to cash in on new tastes, eating habits and markets, adding the Japanese delicacy sushi to their offerings. Not so long ago sushi was a rarity in Turkey. It featured on the menus of a few Japanese restaurants in tourist areas catering to foreign visitors rather than […]
Entrepreneurs 60 seconds with Satish Sanpal, chairman of ANAX Holding Satish Sanpal established ANAX Holding in Dubai in 2018 as a diversified investment entity. Today, ANAX Holding operates across multiple sectors, including real estate development, hospitality and financial services. ANAX Developments, one of its key subsidiaries, has emerged as a prominent real estate developer in Dubai, delivering high-demand projects across the city. What one piece […] In association with
Editor's Insight Trade India and Saudi Arabia’s common bonds Events may have overshadowed Narendra Modi’s trip to Jeddah this week – the Indian prime minister was forced to cut his visit short because of an attack in Kashmir – but there was much for him to discuss with his Saudi hosts. Amid market volatility and the new dispensation from Washington, Saudi Arabia and India – […]
Oil & Gas Morocco and Nigeria agree terms for $25bn gas pipeline Morocco and Nigeria have agreed to create a joint venture to manage a long-planned $25 billion pipeline which will ship gas to Europe, a Moroccan minister has said. Leila Benali, minister of energy transition and sustainable development, told Morocco’s parliament that a floating gas storage terminal would also be installed at Nador on the Mediterranean […]
Aviation Dubai jet leaser wins $282m settlement in Russian case Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), the Middle East’s largest aviation leasing company, has received a $282 million cash settlement from unnamed insurers for aircraft leased to Russian Federation carriers. This latest payment brings DAE’s total insurance recovery to $601 million. With this settlement DAE and its partners have resolved all claims against the involved insurance and […]
Manufacturing Volkswagen to export surplus stock from China to Middle East Volkswagen is to start exporting cars from China, aiming to sell in other Asian markets, South America and the Middle East, its China chief Ralf Brandstaetter has said. Brandstaetter also said that the carmaker was ready to tackle domestic competition in the country. Carmakers in China, including Volkswagen, are grappling with how to make use […]
