Analysis Agriculture Export deal with India tipped to boost Morocco’s fertiliser industry Morocco is set to sign a long-term agreement with India to export rock phosphate, a key ingredient in fertiliser. The North African country is already one of the largest producers of phosphates and fertilisers, but the India deal is expected to lead to other agreements with governments around the world, according to an industry analyst. […] January 11, 2023
Real Estate Dubai rents to stabilise after record-breaking rises Dubai residential rents are expected to stabilise this year after record-breaking increases in 2022. Average rents across the Emirate increased by 26.9 percent last year, real estate consultancy firm CBRE reported. Apartment rents were up 27.1 percent, while villas saw a 24.9 percent rise. Villa rents are 45.3 percent higher than in 2019 due to […] January 10, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar’s next big match: a Premier League club to call its own Qatar’s reported plan to buy a Premier League football club is the natural next step for the host of the 2022 World Cup, sports business analysts have told AGBI. Less than a month after Argentina lifted the Fifa trophy at the Lusail stadium, Qatar Sports Investment is said to be turning its attentions to English […] January 10, 2023
Analysis Food & Drink Gulf hotels and cloud kitchens join forces to cook up extra profit Partnership between hotels with spare capacity and fast-growing cloud kitchens is a “no brainer”, say industry experts. Radisson Hotel Group in Dubai recently announced a partnership with food technology company Krush Brands, with the first cloud kitchen location at Radisson Red Silicon Oasis. Cloud kitchens are companies that prepare food solely for home delivery without […] January 9, 2023
Economy Mubadala and Alpha Dhabi to capitalise on discounted assets The move by Alpha Dhabi and Mubadala to join forces and co-invest in credit opportunities does not pose a significant threat to traditional banking structures. Instead, according to Rachel Ziemba, founder of geo-economic advisory firm Ziemba Insights, it will act as a valuable tool to “look for early-stage investments and perhaps pick up assets at […] January 6, 2023
Healthtech provider targets early cancer detection across Mena Abdul Latif Jameel Health is planning to expand throughout the Middle East and Africa, its CEO Akram Bouchenaki has told AGBI. The multinational company – the healthcare business of Saudi family conglomerate Abdul Latif Jameel – is looking at new locations and tech innovations as part of its ambition to accelerate the region’s access to […] January 6, 2023
Banking & Finance Motor and medical sectors driving Saudi’s insurance business Motor and medical segments are helping to drive Saudi Arabia’s insurance industry, according to the latest report from global consultants KPMG. Insurance companies in the kingdom recorded continued growth in the third quarter, with aggregate gross written premiums standing at SAR39.28 billion ($10.45 billion), an increase of 26.8 percent on Q3 2021. Although most categories […] January 5, 2023
Transport Morocco looking for private partners to fund $38bn rail plans Morocco’s ambitious plans to connect the country through a high-speed national rail link requires “innovative financing solutions based on public-private partnerships”, says Mohamed Abdeljalil, minister of transport and logistics. The Morocco Rail Plan, led by the National Railways Office (ONCF), is estimated to cost 400 billion dinars ($38.1 billion), according to the Moroccan News Agency. […] January 5, 2023
Analysis Employment UAE’s unemployment insurance ‘first step’ towards welfare state The introduction of the UAE unemployment insurance programme is the “first step” towards the country creating a welfare state, experts predict. Over 60,000 people signed up for the social security programme, called the Involuntary Loss of Employment insurance scheme, in the first two days since going live on January 1. Represented by Dubai Insurance, it […] January 5, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Ronaldo will be first of many Saudi superstar signings Cristiano Ronaldo was officially revealed as an Al Nassr player on Tuesday night amid a cacophony of noise and a sea of yellow and blue. And as fans inside the 25,000-seater Mrsool Park chanted his name, Ben Gordon, a sports diplomacy expert at Dentons Global Advisors, said that Saudis should get set for more superstar […] January 4, 2023
Analysis Gulf healthtech investment is just what the doctor ordered Technological innovation and broader changes in society are shifting the balance of power in healthcare across the Middle East region, increasing investment from entrepreneurs looking to capitalise on the sector’s digital revolution. “The same wave of personalisation and consumerisation that ushered in analytics-based recommendation engines for entertainment has programmed people to want healthcare that is […] January 4, 2023
Analysis Banking & Finance Gulf wealth funds look to snap up ‘cheap’ assets in West Sovereign wealth funds across the Middle East are forecast to take advantage of “limited competition” from global peers this year to pursue “cheap” assets in Europe, the US and other western markets. A sharp drop in stock and bond markets over the past year has resulted in the combined value of the world’s sovereign wealth […] January 3, 2023
UAE startup MangoGTM launches ‘Amazon for software vendors’ MangoGTM, a UAE-based startup, is aiming to help small regional entrepreneurs get their foot in the door with some of the biggest companies in the world. The business was set up four years ago as a consulting and servicing company but has since evolved into a wider technology marketplace, marrying buyers and vendors in what […] January 3, 2023
Banking & Finance Mena professionals vow to build up their savings in 2023 Saving money is the top new year’s resolution for Mena professionals, a survey has found. In the poll by jobs site Bayt.com, almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the 2,988 respondents said building a nest egg was their No 1 priority for 2023. Keren Bobker, a Dubai-based independent financial adviser and senior partner at Holborn Assets, […] January 2, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Ronaldo’s signing goes beyond money for Saudi Arabia Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr “is less about money and more about the Saudi Arabian geopolitical economy”, says a leading sports academic. The 37-year-old forward agreed to join the Saudi Pro League last week in a deal that will run until 2025 and is expected to earn him over $200 million a year. It […] January 2, 2023
Tourism Germany records 180% surge in Gulf visitors The number of Gulf nationals visiting Germany rose 180 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2022, figures from the German National Tourist Board reveal. GCC nationals accounted for more than 872,000 overnight stays from January to September, making the region Germany’s number one source market in Asia. Although the figure was up from […] January 2, 2023
Analysis Tourism Diversification is key to Tunisian tourism recovery Tunisia must diversify its tourism offerings, according to experts, as the country continues to chart a course of recovery from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The number of foreign visitors to the North African nation in 2022 is forecast to reach over 6 million, as revealed by Lofti Mani, central director of promotion at […] January 2, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Real Estate Middle East buyers to cash in on prime London property market Cash is king when it comes to the prime central London property market and Middle East buyers are perfectly positioned to take advantage of this. Vic Chhabria, managing director of London Real Estate Office, whose client base largely comprises overseas buyers from Mena and more specifically the GCC, said the potential for further interest rate […] December 30, 2022
Sustainability Private sector key to tackling climate change, says tourism chief The world cannot expect governments to combat climate change alone and the private sector must step up and safeguard the future of the planet, according to John Pagano, CEO of Saudi’s Red Sea Global. Countries across the world are taking various measures to address climate change. In the Middle East, the UAE and Oman have […] December 30, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Gulf airlines will collaborate more in 2023, says Emirates chief The Middle East aviation industry is perfectly positioned to launch greater collaboration among its leading players, according to Emirates president Sir Tim Clark. Middle East carriers are expected to post a loss of $1.1 billion in 2022, and a profit of $268 million in 2023 as per a report from the International Air Transport Association. […] December 28, 2022
Tech Gulf to see a surge in ‘super apps’ in 2023, says Kuwaiti retailer The future of the Gulf’s digital service economy lies in the creation of increasingly popular super apps, according to Tarek Sakr, CEO of Kuwait-based e-commerce and classifieds platform 4Sale. As technology continues to revolutionise the retail industry, building on the rapid shift to e-commerce during the coronavirus pandemic, in an exclusive column for AGBI, Sakr […] December 28, 2022
Energy ACWA Power signs $2.4bn wind farm deal in Uzbekistan Saudi-listed ACWA Power has signed a power acquisition deal with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan to build three wind power plants in the country. According to a bourse filing to the Tadawul exchange, the $2.4 billion Kungrad wind farm project in the north-western Karakalpakstan district of Uzbekistan, will be implemented through special purpose vehicles. […] December 27, 2022
