Oil & Gas Iran’s oil keeps flowing – and that suits the US for now Iranian oil exports are hitting record highs despite Western sanctions, delivering a windfall of $35 billion a year to the government in Tehran. Energy analysts expect this to continue, given the big discounts on Iranian crude and the effects of the conflict in Ukraine. “Iran has been a beneficial influence in offsetting impacts of war,” […] July 10, 2024
Health Affordable healthcare in the GCC: a prescription for profit The GCC’s affordable healthcare market is ripe for investment, research suggests, as patients are forced to travel to India, Thailand or Egypt to find cheap treatment. Low-income inhabitants make up about 38 percent of the Gulf’s total population, according to Mansoor Ahmed, executive director for healthcare at Colliers Middle East in Dubai. The proportion ranges […] July 10, 2024
Economy UAE economic growth brings rise in court disputes, say lawyers Debt recovery cases in Dubai and the wider UAE are increasing, a pair of local law firms told AGBI, citing anecdotal evidence from their practices. Behind the trend, they said, are various factors, chief among them being the influx into the emirates of new businesses from around the world. Also contributing are a host of […] July 9, 2024
Renewable Energy Austerity threatens Egypt’s green energy progress Sprawling over 37 sq km of desert north of Egyptian city of Aswan, the Benban Solar Park is one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in the world. Made up of 41 individual solar plants, the park’s investors boast it can be seen from space. Launched in 2018 and now at 1.8 gigawatt capacity, in […] July 9, 2024
Economy Pezeshkian has a strong mandate – and a slew of problems It was not supposed to be this way. Masoud Pezeshkian, the sole reformist candidate, has won the second round of Iranian presidential elections to replace Ebrahim Raisi, and the fears of conservatives in the Iranian regime have come to pass. Conventionally, conservative candidates withdraw at the last minute ahead of a first round of voting, […] July 9, 2024
Giga-projects Chinese builders pitch modular tech for giga-projects Chinese contractors are leveraging their size and access to innovative construction techniques to lay claim to increasing numbers of projects in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom’s massive development push puts pressure on resources. Some $1.25 trillion in giga-projects, spanning the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors, are in the pipeline across the vast and arid Saudi […] July 8, 2024
Trade The changing face of Morocco-Spain relations For decades now, the start of the European school summer holidays has been the time when thousands of Moroccans living in Europe pile into their cars and head south. This summer is no exception. Around 6 million car-loads of Moroccans resident abroad (MREs) travel back and forth across the Strait of Gibraltar during this annual, […] July 8, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Arabic films gain star status in Middle East cinema An Emirati family’s life spirals out of control when the behaviour of their son Ahmed, a once softly spoken, confident young boy changes – with terrifying consequences. As his actions become increasingly unpredictable, the lives of those around him are placed in serious danger. Some counsel medical intervention, but the boy’s mother Maryam is convinced […] July 5, 2024
Finance GCC investors can make money in Starmer’s Britain Labour’s historic win on election day has reinforced the bullish case for investing in UK assets. Sir Keir Starmer promises to bring fiscal discipline to the UK at a time when its $3 trillion economy is just emerging from a technical recession, exports are rising and inflation has fallen sharply from its 11 percent post-pandemic […] July 5, 2024
Energy Temporary LNG fix masks Egypt’s energy crunch The first two liquefied natural gas cargos arrived at the Egyptian port of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea this week, bringing hope of relief to a suffocating population trapped in the summer heat and suffering now daily blackouts. However, this temporary fix is unlikely to resolve Egypt’s energy crunch in the long term. Falling […] July 5, 2024
Retail Does Dubai need more malls? The people say yes In a city that already has more than 60 million square feet of leasable retail space, one of the highest per capita in the shopping-crazy Gulf, it is perhaps surprising to see more malls being built or added to the pipeline. Yet that is exactly what is happening in Dubai, where this week Sobha Realty […] July 4, 2024
Aviation Middle East airlines in race to recruit as pilot shortage bites A shortage of pilots is threatening the ambitions of the Middle East’s growing aviation industry, analysts have warned, forcing airlines to bolster their recruitment efforts. The global industry will be short nearly 80,000 pilots by 2032, according to management consultancy Oliver Wyman. The Middle East is projected to account for up to 18,000 of that […] July 4, 2024
Banking and Finance Buy now, pay later growing fast in UAE and Saudi Arabia A tech-savvy society, an expanding ecommerce market and the appeal of flexible financing options is fuelling the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) sector, according to industry experts. BNPL – when people can make immediate online purchases and spread payments over interest-free instalments – has grown in popularity in the Gulf since the Covid-19 pandemic. […] July 3, 2024
Video length: 08:13 Tourism Qatar moves to meet growing tourism demand Qatar is seeking to build up its tourism infrastructure and capitalise on a sharp increase in international visitors by launching a $5.5 billion entertainment-focused development, according to industry experts. The Simaisma Project, by the Diar Real Estate Investment Company, was announced last week by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister. It will […] July 3, 2024
Manufacturing Water shortage and talent hole hinder Gulf chips ambition Plans by the UAE and Saudi Arabia to become centres of computer chip manufacturing are threatened by everything from shortages of engineering talent to a lack of water, experts have warned. The ambitions of the two countries will fail unless they invest in training and form partnerships, they say. The demand for high-end semiconductors, otherwise […] July 2, 2024
Employment Abu Dhabi court rulings strengthen UAE arbitration Recent court rulings in Abu Dhabi further tighten the UAE’s embrace of arbitration as the go-to mechanism to resolve commercial disputes, according to industry attorneys. Arbitration in the emirates has gone through a “groundbreaking” evolution ever since the Dubai ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, issued Decree number 34 in September 2021, closing the […] July 2, 2024
Oil & Gas With or without foreign help, Libya’s 2m-barrel goal looks tough Libya is hoping to double its crude oil production over the next three to five years, but analysts have warned that a lack of investment and the political crisis that has led to the country having two rival governments are jeopardising those plans. The country’s National Oil Corporation (LNOC) announced in June that it would […] July 2, 2024
Infrastructure Morocco struggles to solve its water crisis A seawater desalination plant that opened last month at Sidi Rahal near Casablanca is a major part of Morocco’s plans to tackle the country’s frightening decrease in water supplies. The plant will be built in two phases and is designed to produce 300 million cubic metres of water a year to supply 7.5 million people, […] July 1, 2024
Markets Sustained sell-off makes Qatari stocks more attractive Qatari stocks are among the Gulf’s most attractively priced, according to core metrics, after a sustained slump on Doha’s bourse. The decline – the Qatari index is down about 27 percent from its late 2021 peak – comes after a momentous rally that propelled the index to a seven-year high when investors bet on a […] July 1, 2024
People & Lifestyle Handbags and gladrags: price not an issue for Dubai’s fashionistas Fashion Avenue in Dubai Mall reads like a Who’s Who of luxury brands. Discerning — and well-heeled — residents and visitors can casually survey the latest from Boss, Christian Louboutin, Chanel, Tiffany and Louis Vuitton, undaunted by a cost of living crisis that has marked much of the world. Dubai has just been named the […] June 28, 2024
Business of Sport Mena football teams weigh appeal of revamped Club World Cup Football teams from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia will compete alongside the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich at Fifa’s revamped Club World Cup next summer, potentially giving the Mena outfits unprecedented global exposure. The United States will host the 32-team tournament in June and July 2025. Yet less than a […] June 28, 2024
Agriculture Weather and politics keep pressure on price of rice The status of rice as a global food staple means that it is also a political minefield for producer nations. So all eyes are on India as rice prices fluctuate at around a 15-year high. Different varietals and markets command different prices, but trading on “contracts for difference”, which track benchmark prices, saw the cost of […] June 27, 2024
