Banking & Finance Gulf banks face margin squeeze as funding costs rise Gulf banks are likely to offer more attractive rates on savings accounts to woo depositors, putting more pressure on lenders’ already tight net interest margins, a report suggests. The move towards higher interest rates for savers is predicted to become more pronounced as expectations of imminent rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve fade. Benchmark interest […] May 23, 2024
Markets Adnoc Drilling successfully floats further stake Abu Dhabi state oil company Adnoc has successfully placed a further 5.5 percent of listed subsidiary Adnoc Drilling, increasing the company’s free float to 16.5 percent. The sale of an additional 880 million shares through a book-building process will boost trading of Adnoc Drilling’s stock on Abu Dhabi’s bourse. Adnoc restricted the share sale to […] May 23, 2024
Industry Chinese carmakers ‘taking Gulf by storm’ Chinese carmakers now claim a sizeable chunk of new car sales in the Gulf and it is likely they will increase their market share further by wooing regional consumers through their vehicles’ innovative designs and perceived value for money. That is the prediction of Amir Khurshid, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s ThinkDirect Automotive Consulting and an […] May 20, 2024
Analysis Real Estate Investor interest wanes as Saudi real estate trusts underperform Saudi Arabia’s publicly listed real estate investment trusts lag the kingdom’s main stock index as investor enthusiasm for the REIT asset class wanes. This is despite steady returns and an upbeat outlook in the property sector. REITs are often listed on bourses and invest in various property types such as offices, residential, education facilities and […] May 16, 2024
Analysis Finance Gulf asset managers remain wary of resurgent bitcoin Gulf asset managers and institutional investors remain reluctant to invest in bitcoin, despite the cryptocurrency’s resurgence over the past year. The Middle East and North Africa accounted for 7 percent – or $390 million – of global crypto volumes in the 12 months to June 30, 2023, according to Chainalysis. Turkey made up nearly half, […] May 16, 2024
Tech Flood warning startup Sadeem to seek more funding Tech startup Sadeem, which provides patented flood-warning systems to cities worldwide, will raise further funding this year, its co-founder told AGBI. The Gulf is among the driest inhabited regions worldwide, with on average less than 130 mm of rainfall annually, academic research shows. Yet when rainfall does occur it is often torrential and sustained, and […] May 13, 2024
Analysis Health Egypt misses healthcare targets as population ails Egypt is failing to meet its healthcare spending targets, exacerbating deteriorating living standards that are leading to a rising number of illnesses and health problems. Egypt’s parliament approved legislation in 2018 to achieve universal health coverage by 2030, pledging to expand provision to include the 50 percent of Egyptians lacking insurance, according to a 2023 […] May 10, 2024
Analysis People & Lifestyle Education underspend dents Egypt’s long-term prospects Egypt’s failure to meet its constitutionally mandated spending on education – partly as a result of spiralling state debts – is hurting its long-term development. The country’s education sector plan for 2023-2027 estimates 1.5 million children were out of school in 2021 and that 250,000 additional classrooms must be built to accommodate the current school […] May 8, 2024
Banking & Finance ADQ’s first $2.5 billion bond issue four times oversubscribed Sovereign wealth fund ADQ has issued its first bonds, selling $2.5 billion of debt on the London Stock Exchange, in what the company says marks a “significant step” in diversifying its funding sources. Founded in 2018, ADQ – Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Co – is one of three major Abu Dhabi sovereign funds and has […] May 2, 2024
Analysis Manufacturing Gulf petrochems sidestep curbs from global plastics treaty Major petrochemical exporters such as Saudi Arabia are unlikely to face mandatory production curbs despite latest efforts to craft a global plastics treaty and clamp down on single usage. At a UN Environment Assembly in early 2022, member countries approved a resolution to end plastic pollution and forge an “international legally binding agreement” by the […] May 2, 2024
Economy Demand for gold soars as Turkish investors seek safe haven Rampant inflation, a weakening currency and geopolitical tensions are boosting demand for gold in Turkey, according to a World Gold Council report published on Tuesday. Turkey’s annual inflation hit a 16-month peak of 69 percent in March, with the central bank’s aggressive interest rate rises doing little to slow the pace of consumer price increases. […] May 1, 2024
Finance EU reveals total aid to North Africa to combat migration The European Union provided €673 million ($718 million) in funding to four North African countries from 2021-23 to help the quartet reduce what it calls irregular migration to the 27-member bloc, official data shows. Last year about 270,000 “irregular migrants” arrived in the EU via sea crossings, 64 percent more than in 2022. Crossings from […] April 28, 2024
Analysis Finance More GCC insurance mergers likely after flooding impact Consolidation in the GCC’s insurance sector – already underway because of rising competition and stricter regulations on solvency capital requirements – could be accelerated by the impact of the flooding in the region last week. Ratings agency S&P Global said this week that many insurance companies – mainly in the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia […] April 25, 2024
Real Estate UAE puts up 2 billion dirhams to pay for flood-damaged homes The UAE has pledged AED2 billion ($545 million) to help rebuild homes of citizens that were damaged in this month’s floods. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai, said on X (formerly Twitter) that the UAE’s cabinet of ministers had also formed a committee to assess the flood […] April 24, 2024
Analysis Finance UAE insurers face ‘very severe’ impact from floods UAE insurers have been “badly hit” following April’s freak rains, a veteran industry executive warned on Tuesday, but the scale of companies’ losses from the floods will depend on their own reinsurance cover. The UAE experienced its heaviest rains in 75 years last week. The downpour turned main roads, particularly in Dubai, into waterways, leaving […] April 24, 2024
Real Estate Emirates REIT in profit after revaluation gain Dubai’s Emirates REIT reported a 55 percent rise in annual profit after making a nine-figure revaluation gain on its property portfolio. A REIT – a real estate investment trust – is a company that owns income-producing assets related to real estate such as buildings, land and real estate securities. Through REITs investors can have fractional […] April 17, 2024
Logistics Volumes up at Saudi ports in spite of Red Sea attacks Container volumes at Saudi Arabia’s ports were up last month compared to March 2023 despite continuing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, data from the kingdom’s ports authority shows. The Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, oversees 10 ports. These include facilities in Jeddah, Yanbu and Jazan on the country’s Red Sea coast, and […] April 11, 2024
Manufacturing Auto industry buoyant despite Turkey’s woes Production in Turkey’s auto industry is continuing to rebound after four years of falls, despite soaring interest rates dampening domestic demand and the country’s volatile currency making it tough for automakers to plan their activities. Turkey is the world’s 12th biggest automaker, the country’s government says. It made 242,000 vehicles in the first two months […] April 11, 2024
Analysis Economy Military’s role in economy muddies Egypt’s debt plan The military’s role in the Egyptian economy makes it unlikely the country will meet International Monetary Fund targets to increase tax revenue as a proportion of GDP, which could spell trouble for the hugely indebted nation. Egypt’s public external debt – money borrowed in foreign currencies – was $165 billion in September 2023, having more […] April 11, 2024
Economy Middle East exports to rebound as Red Sea fears ease Middle East goods export volumes, which include oil and gas, will expand 3.5 percent this year, the World Trade Organization predicts, adding that disruptions to Red Sea maritime trade are proving less severe than feared. The WTO’s Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report, published on Wednesday, says this expected increase contrasts with a 1.6 percent […] April 11, 2024
Sustainability Spacecraft that spots Gulf gases wins extra funding A Bahraini-British project to develop a spacecraft that will monitor Gulf greenhouse gas emissions from space has been awarded a further £1.4 million ($1.8 million) grant by the UK Space Agency. The partnership between the Bahrain National Space Science Agency, YBA Kanoo Group in Manama, and the University of Leicester and Geospatial Insight of Birmingham […] April 10, 2024
Analysis Economy US rate cuts to ease Turkey’s debt and benefit exports For Turkey, long-anticipated US interest rate cuts could be more significant in terms of stimulating growth in its major export markets than easing the costs of servicing its spiralling foreign currency debt. Turks have faced a deepening cost of living crisis as veteran president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s unorthodox economic policies exacerbated a collapse in the […] April 9, 2024
