Real Estate Dubai’s bellwether Emaar to report Q3 profit rise Dubai’s Emaar Properties, bellwether of the emirate’s bourse, and its real estate development subsidiary, are likely to report sizeable increases in third-quarter profits versus the preceding three months as margins expand and under-construction projects reach revenue recognition thresholds. Emaar Properties owns 79 percent of Emaar Development and also has hospitality and retail divisions. It is […] October 24, 2024
Banking & Finance Investment banks enjoy fee windfall from debt issuance Investment banking fees on bond and sukuk issuance in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) have surged this year as governments, corporations and commercial banks raise increasing amounts of debt to meet their funding needs. Mena debt capital market underwriting fees in the first nine months of 2024 rose 74 percent year on year […] October 23, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Analysts expect ‘mixed’ picture from Gulf banks’ Q3 results The Gulf’s largest banks are likely to report mixed earnings for the third quarter, analysts say, as pressure on margins lessens the benefit of lending growth. Qatar National Bank and Dubai’s Emirates NBD – the Middle East and Africa’s largest and fifth largest banks by assets – have already published Q3 results. QNB’s profit rose […] October 23, 2024
Analysis Markets Saudi petchem profits could rise but margin pressures persist Saudi Arabian petrochemicals producers’ third-quarter earnings are likely to be better than the dismal results in the same period last year, but are unlikely to spark a stock price rebound as investors await further evidence that the industry is mounting a sustained recovery. The kingdom’s stock index of listed “materials” companies, which includes petrochemicals manufacturers […] October 18, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Japanese fund fails to deliver for Gulf investors Eight years ago next week Saudi Arabia became a founding investor in SoftBank’s Vision Fund, pledging $45 billion, and Abu Dhabi soon committed another $15 billion. The creator of the private equity fund, the world’s largest, was Japanese tech guru Masayoshi Son, who, at the time, predicted it would “accelerate the information revolution”. In October […] October 11, 2024
Analysis Economy Qatar to write off SME loans in bid to boost non-oil growth Qatar will write off some private sector loans as part of government efforts to boost the subdued non-oil economy. Its government said on Wednesday that the loan write-offs will include those for Qatari companies “benefiting” from the National Response Guarantee Program (NRGP), launched in 2020 to support businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. State-run Qatar Development […] October 11, 2024
Exclusive Banking & Finance Bond issuances to soar this year, says top Dubai banker Emirates NBD Capital, the investment banking unit of Dubai’s top lender, has issued a record number of bonds for its clients this year as corporate and sovereign borrowers shrug off historically high interest rates and geopolitical uncertainties. The Emirates NBD subsidiary launched operations in 2007. Today, it has eight full-time employees in its Dubai office […] October 10, 2024
Food & Drink Shareholder disputes worsen Saudi fast-food chain Herfy’s woes As its profits and share price plunge, Saudi Arabia’s leading fast-food chain Herfy has become embroiled in disputes with its two biggest shareholders. Founded in 1981 by Ahmed Al-Said after he returned from studying in the United States, Herfy operates about 385 restaurants across the kingdom, plus bakeries and meat processing factories. It also has […] October 9, 2024
Finance Abu Dhabi is top global city for SWF assets with $1.6trn Abu Dhabi’s various sovereign wealth funds have a combined $1.67 trillion in assets, having overtaken Oslo to become the wealthiest global city for SWF assets. This total includes Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), Mubadala, ADQ and Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, plus the federal government-owned Emirates Investment Authority, according to a report by Singapore-based consultants […] October 9, 2024
Analysis Finance Tunisia’s tough decisions: to reform or face debt default As Tunisia’s president Kais Saied celebrates his re-election, the former lawyer must decide whether to implement unpopular reforms to receive a foreign bailout or risk the North African country making its first ever debt default. Tunisia was close to reneging on some of its borrowings late last year and again earlier this year, but averted […] October 9, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Omani banking sector ripe for further mergers Oman’s banking sector has more than doubled in size since 2013 but may lack the scale to meet state financing needs. Lenders are already stretched in terms of their loan-to-deposit ratios, and further sector consolidation is probably needed along with borrowing on international bond markets. Bank Muscat is Oman’s largest with assets of OMR13.7 billion […] October 7, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Omani banks look to state spending to boost credit growth Lower interest rates should increase borrowing demand in Oman although the sultanate’s banks are waiting for a meaningful expansion in government infrastructure spending for credit growth to accelerate. Bank Muscat is Oman’s largest bank, reporting a 2023 net annual profit that was greater than those of the next four commercial banks combined, S&P Global data […] October 4, 2024
Analysis Finance Maldives nears first sovereign default on Islamic bonds The possibility of the first ever sovereign sukuk default by the Maldives would have negative repercussions for new sukuk issuance and the broader sharia-compliant fixed income market, industry experts have warned. Sukuk are sharia-compliant bonds that were developed as an alternative to conventional bonds, which are not considered permissible by many Muslims as they pay […] September 30, 2024
Analysis Markets Saudi Arabia leads in stock lending as short selling grows Saudi Arabia is the Middle East’s most active market for stock lending – an important part of the process of short selling – and demand from borrowers is likely to increase as more sophisticated investors start trading, new research suggests. In stock lending, an entity – usually a broker or financial institution – pays a […] September 25, 2024
Analysis Markets Oil IPO is latest step towards Oman’s emerging market status An Omani state oil company’s $2 billion initial public offering will boost the sultanate’s chances of eventually being reclassified as an emerging market by the world’s leading stock index providers. If achieved, Oman’s blue-chips will receive sizeable inflows from passive funds that track the MSCI and FTSE emerging market benchmarks, increasing bourse turnover and likely […] September 20, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Saudi banks primed for leap in corporate lending Saudi Arabia’s banks are financially well equipped to meet an expected surge in corporate borrowing once US interest rates start to fall, experts have said. They are unlikely to face lending constraints despite the industry’s loan-to-deposit ratio again edging higher, they added. In June 2022 Saudi Arabia’s central bank (Sama) placed about SAR50 billion ($13 […] September 17, 2024
Telecoms Iraqi telecoms firm loses appeal against $1.5bn corruption award A $1.5 billion decision against an Iraqi telecom operator and a prominent Iraqi businessman has been upheld by the International Court of Arbitration, part of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The arbitrators found that Korek Telecom and its chairman and top shareholder, Sirwan Saber Barzani, had “participated in a corrupt scheme” to defraud the […] September 16, 2024
Analysis Finance US rate cuts will help Gulf bonds but oil worries persist Imminent US interest rate cuts bode well for Gulf bonds and sukuk, although declining oil prices could lead to higher spreads on regional debt. Bonds are typically priced against 10-year US government treasuries and the difference between their yields is known as the spread. The yield on 10-year treasuries hit a 17-year high of nearly […] September 16, 2024
Finance ESG-focused companies ‘give better shareholder returns’ Middle East listed companies that score highly on environmental, social and governance criteria provide a bigger total return for shareholders than their less ESG-conscious rivals. The Hawkamah Middle East and North Africa ESG Index includes the top 50 companies by ESG score from the 150 blue-chip stocks that constitute the wider S&P Pan Arab Composite […] September 12, 2024
Analysis Markets Outlook for Gulf bourses is upbeat despite oil price jitters The Gulf’s stuttering stock markets are probably not indicating the start of a downturn, analysts have told AGBI, but are a good opportunity for investors to snap up cheaper shares. Dubai aside, the region’s bourses have been broadly lacklustre this year although heavyweight sectors such as banking and petrochemicals have reported a marked increase in […] September 11, 2024
Energy Gulf’s profits rise thanks to petrochemicals and banks A turnaround in Saudi Arabia’s long-troubled petrochemicals industry has helped Gulf companies’ second-quarter earnings rise year on year. The region’s banking, telecom and real estate sectors also prospered. GCC listed companies’ earnings totalled $60.7 billion in the three months to June 30, up from $57.4 billion a year earlier, a report by Kuwait’s Kamco Invest […] September 9, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance US interest rate cut will impact UAE bank margins UAE banking sector profits have soared as higher-for-longer interest rates boosted margins and loan defaults remained low. Yet analysts predict that imminent US interest rate cuts will squeeze profitability, despite the likelihood of reduced borrowing costs bolstering loan growth. Dubai’s Emirates NBD reported a record first-half profit of AED13.8 billion ($3.76 billion), while First Abu […] September 6, 2024
