Trade Cenomi’s Uzbekistan debut a sign of Saudi trade ambitions Saudi retail major Cenomi has announced its debut in Uzbekistan in tandem with the kingdom’s efforts to expand bilateral trade with the Central Asian nation. Uzbekistan is Cenomi’s 11th-largest international market, and it has signed a deal to open eight international brands – including a flagship Zara store – at the newly developed Tashkent City […] March 13, 2024
Analysis Trade Digital economy focus of UAE-Malaysia trade talks The UAE is expected to sign a free trade deal with Malaysia by the end of June as the latter courts more investment to develop its digital economy. Talks on establishing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) began last year and Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s minister of investment, trade and industry, said the two […] March 13, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Mergers drive growth in Bahrain’s Islamic finance sector When Al Salam Bank, one of the largest Islamic banks in Bahrain, became majority shareholder of its Algerian subsidiary last June, CEO Rafik Nayed made clear that the shopping spree was not over. Mergers and acquisitions “will remain an important pillar of our growth plans”, Nayed said – and last month Al Salam announced a […] March 13, 2024
Analysis Employment Alstom breaks mould as Gulf lags on hiring women as CEOs Dalya Al Muthanna is a member of an exclusive club. In January she became Gulf CEO for the transport giant Alstom, the company behind tram systems in Dubai and Qatar. She was previously a senior executive at GE in the UAE, bucking the trend of men dominating senior C-suite jobs in the Gulf. Just 5 […] March 8, 2024
Employment UAE to invest $1.7bn to place more Emiratis in private sector jobs The UAE is aiming to add 36,000 Emiratis to the private sector workforce this year and has approved a $1.7 billion budget to support Emiratisation. The number of UAE nationals working in the private sector was about 92,000 by the end of 2023, according to the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council. Nearly 42,000 joined private businesses […] March 6, 2024
Manufacturing Stellantis hails Middle East and Africa sales surge Multinational car maker Stellantis has announced that its 2023 Middle East and Africa revenues grew by 64 percent year on year to more than $11.5 billion. Stellantis is one of the world’s biggest automakers – its brands include Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall. It said shipments to the region totalled 616,100, up 43 […] March 6, 2024
Analysis Economy Volatility of crude markets masks Saudi non-oil momentum Volatility in global oil markets, which led to Saudi Arabia’s GDP shrinking last year, is masking the strength of the kingdom’s non-oil economy, analysts have said. Its non-oil revenue is forecast to rise by more than 5 percent in each of the next two years, according to Jadwa Investment. The 2023 contraction was driven by […] March 5, 2024
Trade Tech deal aims to improve UK-Saudi trade engagement The UK and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on Monday aimed at elevating science and technology links and trade growth opportunities. Officials said the deal will pave the way for the UK and Saudi Arabia to work together on deep science and technology breakthroughs that underpin progress in tackling challenges such as food security and […] March 5, 2024
Infrastructure Sweden’s Abu Dhabi truck deal to drive bilateral trade The UAE’s deal for Swedish tech company Einride to help to build the Abu Dhabi portion of the Falcon Rise Grid electrified road freight system could portend more business between the two countries. Einride will deploy 1,000 electric heavy duty trucks and 100 autonomous vehicles across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and install charging infrastructure. […] March 5, 2024
Food & Drink Egyptian food producer plans European expansion An Egyptian food producer is planning to expand into European markets on the back of a significant rise in US sales. City Farm, a frozen fruits and vegetables processor, intends to open representative offices in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands first. CEO Mahmoud Lamei said the plan followed “remarkable success” in the United States and […] March 4, 2024
Trade Brazilian exports to Kuwait rise in readiness for Ramadan With Ramadan around the corner, trade between Kuwait and Brazil has been brisk – the Latin American country plays an important role in supplying the food needed for Iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal that Muslims enjoy during the holy month. Brazilian exports to the Gulf country spiked in November as Muslim importers began to prepare […] March 1, 2024
Analysis Manufacturing Make it in the Emirates ‘needs more SMEs’ More than AED120 billion ($33 billion) has been invested by UAE-based companies to develop hundreds of new product lines under the country’s “Make it in the Emirates” (MIITE) campaign. As the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology prepares to host its third forum on local manufacturing, latest statistics show that the number of MIITE products […] February 29, 2024
Banking & Finance First Abu Dhabi makes China expansion a priority First Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s largest bank by assets, plans to triple revenue from its operations in China by 2026. FAB is the only fully licensed UAE-based bank in mainland China and considers growth in the country a “priority” after revenue rose by 50 percent last year to about AED100 million ($27 million). Group CEO […] February 29, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance GCC banks look to US and Europe GCC banks may be forced to look overseas to fulfil growth ambitions as home markets become increasingly saturated, experts say. While some banks have already ventured abroad – mainly into Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan, which constitute nearly a half of their presence outside the Gulf – more developed markets such as the US and Europe […] February 28, 2024
Renewable Energy DP World and Masdar link up for project to decarbonise ports Two of the UAE’s biggest companies have formed a partnership that aims to decarbonise ports in the Middle East and Africa. Logistics group DP World has signed a three-year agreement with clean energy giant Masdar. Their initial focus will be on ports in Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Egypt. The companies will identify the best sites […] February 27, 2024
Energy Adnoc Distribution reveals plans for Egypt and Saudi Arabia Adnoc Distribution, the UAE’s largest fuel and convenience retailer, plans to increase revenues from international operations in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The company is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and made the announcement during a presentation to investors on Monday when its share price fell slightly. CEO Bader Saeed Al Lamki said it […] February 26, 2024
Sustainability Climate transition galvanises ties between UAE and France Climate transition is becoming a central focus of economic cooperation between the UAE and France as the countries agreed to establish a “Bilateral Climate Investment Platform”. The platform aims to accelerate joint projects and investments in clean energy sectors, with a particular focus on advancing the decarbonisation of industries such as steel, cement and petrochemicals. […] February 22, 2024
Infrastructure Iraq seeks investors for rail projects in Baghdad and beyond Iraq is seeking investors for two major rail projects including a seven-line metro system to serve Baghdad’s growing population. The National Investment Commission (NIC) has issued International Investment Opportunity documents for Baghdad metro and phase one of a 90km four-station railway linking Najaf International Airport with Karbala city centre. Investors have until April 11 to […] February 22, 2024
Trade UAE’s Cambodia trade deal sets $1bn non-oil target The UAE’s comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) with Cambodia has come into force as the countries aim to more than double non-oil trade by the end of the decade. The agreement will remove or reduce tariffs on more than 92 percent of product lines, eliminating barriers to trade and improving market access for service exports. […] February 22, 2024
Analysis Transport Abu Dhabi signs hydrogen transport deal with Shenzhen Abu Dhabi has signed a partnership with Shenzhen, one of the largest cities in China, to develop a green hydrogen complex to power buses and cars by 2025. The deal will look at collaboration on projects including green mobility, technology, autonomous solutions, sustainability and urban development, officials said. The agreement was signed by Mohamed Ali […] February 21, 2024
Trade Telegraph scrutiny unlikely to deter Gulf investors in UK Gulf investment in the UK is unlikely to be affected by the British government’s probe into an Abu Dhabi-backed plan to buy the Telegraph newspaper, a leading official has said. Oliver Christian, UK trade commissioner for the Middle East and Pakistan, told AGBI that Emirati investments into the UK to date have exceeded £16-17 billion […] February 21, 2024
Tech US-Saudi venture will use AI to analyse space data A US-Saudi joint venture has been launched in the kingdom to use satellite imagery to monitor infrastructure development, traffic congestion and carbon sequestration, the natural process of CO2 storage in the atmosphere. Front End Limited Company, based in Alkobar, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and SpaceKnow, a New York technology company dedicated to transforming […] February 20, 2024
