Tourism Gulf hospitality market banks on hotel-building surge Following the chaos of Covid and a surge in visitors for the Fifa World Cup and Expo 2022, the Gulf hospitality market might have been expected to return to a period of relative normality. But major tourism investment drives are afoot as GCC states seek to further diversify their economies. Almost 170,000 hotel rooms are […] April 30, 2023
Economy Middle East military spend shoots up after Saudi splurge A surprise hike in Saudi Arabia’s defence budget combined with higher spending by Qatar and the UAE contributed to an increase in total military spending in the Middle East in 2022, after years of contraction. Two specialist think tanks that made this observation believe the trend is set to persist as steady oil prices support […] April 27, 2023
Banking and Finance Mergers push Islamic banking forwards in Bahrain Hundreds of Islamic banking executives are descending on Bahrain next month for the Islamic Finance Innovation Day on May 30. Under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain, it will focus on embedding environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing into Islamic finance. The event comes as analysts predict that Islamic banking’s market share will […] April 26, 2023
Banking and Finance Arab banks tighten lending for Gulf-UK property investors Middle East banks are reviewing lending criteria for GCC clients in the UK, responding to high interest rates and a trend towards investors diversifying portfolios to capture better yields. For several years – and especially since interest rates shot up in the past 12 months – yields in sectors traditionally popular with Gulf investors, such […] April 26, 2023
Banking and Finance Saudi banks face liquidity pressures as economy grows The Saudi central bank may step in to provide funding to local banks for the second time in a year to ease liquidity pressures and keep the economy growing, analysts have said. Last June central bank Sama placed about SR50 billion ($13 billion) as time deposits with commercial lenders in a bid to ease the […] April 25, 2023
Construction Kuwait’s building towards its $100bn ambition Work has started on the first phase of Kuwait Port Authority’s $160 million redevelopment of Shuwaikh Port as the country steps up its multi-billion-dollar infrastructure strategy. The port expansion has been awarded to a joint venture of South Korea’s Hyundai and Kuwaiti Gulf Dredging & General Contracting, as the government increasingly turns to private investors […] April 25, 2023
Markets Domestic markets best for Mena investors, says expert Gulf stock markets bucked a worldwide trend in 2022. While the MSCI Emerging Market index lost 20 per cent over the year and global stock and bond markets were engulfed by gloom, equity benchmarks in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi reached multi-year peaks in May and November, respectively. This year the mood has been more […] April 21, 2023
Employment Saudi unemployment tumbles as more women join workforce Unemployment in Saudi Arabia has fallen to 8 percent, its lowest level for six years, as the kingdom’s non-oil economy recorded strong growth in 2022. The rate dropped by 3 percentage points in 2022, according to the General Authority for Statistics and analysts expect it to fall further this year. “As we expect higher growth […] April 20, 2023
Banking and Finance Ukraine ceasefire will unlock billions in Gulf-Russia deals GCC investors shelved a potential $15 billion of investments in Russia when Moscow invaded Ukraine, but companies are said to be quietly resuming due diligence in the hope of tying up deals when a peace accord is reached. These possible Gulf-Russia deals are mainly in the oil and gas, transport, logistics and agricultural sectors, according […] April 19, 2023
GCC and Japan move into fast lane for trade growth When Abu Dhabi announced the launch of the world’s largest autonomous racing league last month, it was with a significant nod to trade with Japan. Aspire, an arm of the emirate’s Advanced Technology Research Council, unveiled plans to host the first autonomous car race next year, featuring the Dallara-built Super Formula cars exclusively provided by […] April 13, 2023
Economy The rise and fall of millionaires in Morocco and Egypt The number of millionaires living in Morocco has increased by 28 percent over the last 10 years, but fallen by 25 percent in Egypt. While Morocco was awarded a $5 billion credit line from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week to shield it from the impact of the pandemic, droughts and the Ukraine war, […] April 6, 2023
Health More GCC healthcare mergers likely as competition hots up The GCC healthcare market is set to witness more mergers, acquisitions and consolidation as competition increases, say experts. As the sector continues to mature, public-private partnerships (PPPs) are bringing about a shift in care delivery that is likely to be transformative, according to Dubai-based investment banking advisory firm Alpen Capital. Its research predicts that healthcare […] April 4, 2023
Desalination spend on the rise in race against water crisis The UAE’s minister of climate change and the environment is clear about the importance of desalination, the process of removing salt from seawater. Speaking at the United Nations Water Conference in New York last week, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri quoted the country’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan, when she declared: “Water is not […] March 28, 2023
Banking and Finance A first as Dubai bank prices $600m sukuk for US firm Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank, has successfully priced a $600 million sukuk for New York-listed Air Lease Corporation. It marks the first sukuk issued by a US corporation. A sukuk is a Sharia-compliant financial certificate, similar to a bond in Western finance but that complies with Islamic religious law. The five-year sukuk saw robust demand, […] March 26, 2023
GCC economies to weather latest Fed rate hike Gulf economies will be able to absorb the latest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve, but the ripple effect from the rise will still have repercussions throughout the region, according to economists. Despite uncertainty across the banking sector, the Fed raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, less than […] March 23, 2023
Energy ‘Huge potential’ for Germany and Saudi to collaborate on hydrogen Top-level talks have taken place in Germany to boost trade and investment with Saudi Arabia, as experts describe the potential for collaboration on producing cost-competitive hydrogen as “huge”. As the world seeks cleaner energy solutions to meet net zero climate targets, analysts say the two countries have the resources, infrastructure and skills to build on […] March 23, 2023
A new age as Abu Dhabi accelerates its longevity push Abu Dhabi has grand plans to dominate the multi-billion-dollar longevity sector in the Gulf with the opening of two new facilities. The longevity industry is focused on the science of ageing and its related illnesses. The market is predicted to grow to as much as $32 billion in the UAE by 2026. And the region’s […] March 22, 2023
Economy Etihad doubles flights as GCC-Thailand trade blossoms Etihad Airways will double the number of its flights to Bangkok on Sunday, reflecting a growing trade relationship between the UAE and Thailand that was valued at more than $6 billion last year. The Abu Dhabi-based airline will fly twice a day to the Thai capital, signalling the latest commitment of both governments to strengthen […] March 22, 2023
Energy 145 billion barrels of oil, but patience is running dry in Iraq Iraq has vast reserves of crude oil – 145 billion barrels as of 2022 and more than 8 percent of the global total – but economists and analysts have warned that Baghdad will struggle to meet its output targets unless it offers better operating terms to Western oil majors. The country remains hugely reliant on […] March 21, 2023
Retail $5bn extra Ramadan spending splurge predicted in UAE People in the UAE are upbeat about shopping and dining out more this Ramadan despite inflationary pressures and an elevated cost of living. Retail sales are set to rise to $66 billion over the holy month, up $5 billion compared to last year, a study by India-based Redseer Strategy Consultants says. It said that constant […] March 20, 2023
Aviation UAE firms at forefront of fuelling sustainable aviation Emirates operated its first flight with one of its engines powered entirely with sustainable aviation fuel last month – a milestone for UAE firms as they seek to lead the industry towards decarbonisation. The flight, which took off from Dubai International Airport and flew for more than an hour, was a showpiece event for the […] March 13, 2023
Banking and Finance UAE’s biggest banks mull overseas acquisitions As domestic loan growth wanes, the UAE’s top two banks are eyeing foreign acquisitions to bolster their income. First Abu Dhabi (FAB) and Dubai’s Emirates NBD are majority owned by their respective emirates’ governments or ruling families and are ranked second and sixth in the Middle East and Africa in terms of bank assets, according […] March 9, 2023
