Markets Dubai index falls from 10-year peak but remains bullish Dubai’s index fell on Wednesday, easing from this week’s 10-year peak, as investors booked some profits from recent gains. Its longer-term outlook remains bullish according to analysts. The emirate’s equity benchmark is up 24 percent in 2024, making it among the top performers globally this year. “From an economic growth perspective, Dubai merits that level […] December 18, 2024
Analysis Tax UAE’s corporate tax rules pose a complex challenge Companies operating in multiple countries with differing tax regulations face a complex challenge to comply with the UAE’s higher corporate earnings bracket announced this month. The UAE has said it will increase corporate tax on multinationals to 15 percent of profit from January 1, 2025. The higher rate will apply to companies operating in more […] December 17, 2024
Markets US fund managers expected to accelerate Gulf investment North American fund managers are underinvested in Gulf equities but that may soon change, according to new research. The region’s low correlation to global and other emerging markets, accelerating economic diversification and improving bourse diversification could make Gulf investments more attractive. Saudi Arabia (4.41 percent), the UAE (1.28 percent), Qatar (0.86 percent) and Kuwait (0.84 […] December 17, 2024
Finance Mubadala and Carlyle launch partnership Abu Dhabi sovereign fund Mubadala and a subsidiary of US investment firm Carlyle have launched a partnership to lend to private equity companies worldwide. Mubadala, which has $302 billion in assets under management, and AlpInvest Partners have already completed their first deal, according to a statement by the Abu Dhabi institution. The partnership will provide […] December 13, 2024
Analysis Tax Doubt surrounds e&’s earnings as UAE tax rise looms There is uncertainty over whether e&, the UAE’s former telecom monopoly, will pay more of its profit in taxes after the federal government announced it would raise corporate tax for multinational companies operating in the country from 2025. Emirates Telecommunications Group, which rebranded as e& but is better known under its previous name Etisalat, is […] December 12, 2024
Analysis Finance Cultural factors reduce risk for Gulf BNPL providers Buy-now-pay-later companies in the US and Europe have endured prolonged losses due to high operating costs and rising customer defaults, but BNPL operators in the Gulf may be faring better thanks to differing market dynamics, according to analysts. BNPL has soared in popularity in many regions as an easy and cheap form of consumer debt, […] December 11, 2024
Markets Oman’s OQBI poised to make Muscat bourse debut Oman’s OQ Base Industries will debut on Muscat’s bourse on December 15 after the state oil company subsidiary completed a $489 million initial public offering. OQBI, the third OQ unit to float since March 2023, has offloaded 49 percent of its shares. Of the shares sold, 30 percent went to institutions, 40 percent to retail […] December 5, 2024
Analysis Markets Mena delivery app Talabat outperforms its German parent When Talabat makes its debut on Dubai Financial Market next week, the food delivery app will be worth nearly as much as its parent company despite providing only about a quarter of Delivery Hero’s revenue. This might suggest Talabat’s initial public offering (IPO) was overpriced but a closer look at both companies’ earnings shows otherwise […] December 4, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Liquidity squeeze deepens for Saudi Arabia’s banks Liquidity in Saudi Arabia’s banking sector has tightened again as lending increased more quickly than deposits in the third quarter. The loan-to-deposit ratio among Saudi Arabia’s 10 largest banks was 100.1 percent in Q3, up from 97.8 percent in the previous three months, according to management consultancy Alvarez & Marsal. Loans and advances at the […] December 3, 2024
Analysis Retail Apple, HP and Dell lose market share in Gulf Apple, HP and Dell are losing market share in the Gulf, analysts have told AGBI, but their weakening position appears to be due to the allure of their rivals rather than a boycott of American brands. The region’s relatively wealthy, young and tech-savvy consumers are an attractive target for makers of smartphones, tablets and computers. […] December 3, 2024
Sustainability Latest talks on global plastics treaty end in stalemate Negotiations over creating a legally binding global treaty to combat plastic pollution adjourned on Monday with the 170 participating nations failing again to reach agreement. Some oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, objected to proposals supported by more than 100 other nations to limit plastic production, Reuters reported. Plastics are made from hydrocarbons – […] December 2, 2024
Energy Strong institutional demand for latest Omani IPO OQ Base Industries (OQBI) has attracted strong institutional interest in its $490 million initial public offering (IPO), the Omani business’s parent company said on Thursday. OQBI, which produces methanol, ammonia and liquefied petroleum gas, will be the third subsidiary of Omani state oil company OQ to float and join Muscat’s bourse. The Omani government is […] November 28, 2024
Analysis Real Estate Why Saudi real estate stocks are less popular than you might think Saudi Arabia has rising property prices, soaring homeownership rates and steady mortgage approvals – so you might think its real estate sector would be in high demand on the stock market. This is the case in Dubai, where Emaar Properties and its subsidiaries serve as a proxy for equity investors to gain exposure to the […] November 27, 2024
Analysis Markets Egypt’s bourse rally endures despite shaky foundations Cairo’s share index has trebled over the past two years as increasing numbers of Egyptians invest in stocks to preserve their wealth in response to double-digit inflation and a declining national currency. Company valuations remain cheap compared with regional peers, experts say, and so the market rally in Egypt may endure. However, the absence of […] November 27, 2024
Analysis Economy Rise of service-based economies highlights flaws in GDP data This month Dubai made headlines across regional media as the emirate announced its gross domestic product grew 3.3 percent in the second quarter, while similar economic statements by other Middle East governments also generated ample news coverage. Yet, as economies become increasingly services-based, capturing their real size and growth is becoming more difficult, and that […] November 20, 2024
Analysis Markets State-backed UAE companies lead the pack for share price gains The stock market performance of UAE companies that have gone public in the past few years varies greatly – but government-backed businesses have delivered the biggest gains. There have been 21 notable initial public offerings of UAE companies since the start of 2021 – 13 on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and eight on the […] November 19, 2024
Banking & Finance Saudi Arabia’s debt rule changes could increase sales Saudi Arabia’s market regulator has simplified its sukuk and bond issuance rules in reforms that should boost debt sales by both domestic and international entities in Riyadh, a top Islamic finance expert told AGBI. The kingdom’s debt capital market had $408 billion of outstanding issuance as of June 30, up 18 percent versus a year […] November 14, 2024
Telecoms PIF’s $1bn Saudi Telecom sale could be sign of things to come Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has offloaded a $1 billion stake in the kingdom’s former telecoms monopoly in a deal that could mark the start of further equity sales as government entities seek to raise money for infrastructure spending. In October, the International Monetary Fund lowered its GDP growth prediction for Saudi Arabia this year […] November 14, 2024
Mining Alba to decide on Ma’aden merger early next year Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) expects to decide whether to merge with subsidiaries of Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden by the first quarter of 2025, its chief executive said on Wednesday. Alba, Bahrain’s largest listed company with a market valuation of almost BHD2 billion ($5.3 billion), on September 16 announced it had entered a non-binding agreement with Ma’aden. Under […] November 13, 2024
Analysis Economy US dollar strength persists despite long-foretold decline Since the end of the gold standard in the 1970s, financial industry observers have long predicted the US dollar’s demise as the preeminent global currency. Yet 10 weeks from Donald Trump’s second inauguration as US president, the dollar still reigns supreme – at least for now. This is despite periodic efforts by oil-exporting US rivals […] November 12, 2024
Analysis Markets Dollar upbeat ahead of Trump’s White House return Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory has extended a dollar rally that began in late September on expectations that the real estate mogul’s return to the White House may ultimately force the Federal Reserve to resume interest rate rises. Five of the six GCC countries peg their currencies to the dollar, while the sixth – […] November 7, 2024
Markets China to sell dollar bonds in Saudi Arabia China will sell dollar bonds in Saudi Arabia this month, its first debt issuance denominated in the US currency since October 2021. The imminent issuance marks a further deepening of ties between Opec’s top oil producer and the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity. China is Saudi Arabia’s most important trade partner, buying 16 […] November 6, 2024
