Renewable Energy Masdar and Adnoc agree trio of green hydrogen deals Abu Dhabi renewable energy company Masdar has agreed a deal with two Japanese energy and chemicals firms to explore production of commercial-scale polypropylene made from carbon dioxide and green hydrogen in the UAE. Masdar has teamed up with Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation and Inpex Corporation, a Japanese oil and gas company. They have signed […] July 18, 2023
Analysis Sustainability Huge gap in sustainability funding for developing countries Developing countries including those in the Middle East face a combined annual $2.2 trillion investment shortfall in meeting sustainability and energy transition goals set by the United Nations. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad)’s World Investment Report 2023, published this month, says that globally an annual $4 trillion of investment is needed to […] July 17, 2023
Energy PIF and Engie to collaborate on green hydrogen French utilities firm Engie and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund have signed an initial agreement to develop green hydrogen projects in the kingdom, building on Gulf ambitions to become a world leader in the fast-growing renewable energy segment. Under the memorandum of understanding signed this week, Engie and PIF will explore opportunities to jointly develop […] July 13, 2023
Infrastructure Chinese telco enters Gulf with Zain Omantel tie-up One of China’s biggest wireless mobile network operators will make its GCC debut through a connectivity agreement with Zain Omantel International. State-owned China Telecom Global (CTG) signed the deal with Zain Omantel International (ZOI), a joint venture formed in May by Kuwait’s Zain Group and Oman’s Omantel. The deal with CTG is a “strategic subsea […] July 12, 2023
Banking & Finance Schools operator Taaleem enjoys profit rise of 35% Taaleem, the Dubai-listed schools operator, posted a surge in net profit for the nine months up to 31 May, driven by a strong increase in student enrolment. The company also benefitted from unrealised gains from its initial public offering (IPO) last November. Net profit rose 35 percent year on year to AED199.8 million ($54 million) […] July 11, 2023
Economy Foreign investment in UAE surges to record $23bn The UAE attracted 60 percent of the total $37 billion of foreign direct investment into the GCC in 2022, helped by inflows from Austria and South Korea in particular. According to the World Investment Report 2023 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into the UAE jumped 10 […] July 6, 2023
Banking & Finance Qatar firms boost hiring to clear backlogs Business conditions in Qatar’s non-oil private sector continued to improve in June, according to a report by Qatar Financial Centre and ratings firm S&P Global. The financial services industry was the biggest beneficiary. Rising employment helped firms “reduce their levels of outstanding business” and smooth supply chains, the report said. However, cost burdens rose – […] July 5, 2023
Manufacturing Turkish manufacturing faces stifling cost pressures Turkish manufacturing output grew by the end of the second quarter, but new order growth softened and price pressures mounted because of currency depreciation, the latest industry tracker showed. The headline Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for manufacturing, from Istanbul Chamber of Industry and S&P Global, stood at 51.5 in June. This was the same as […] July 4, 2023
Exclusive Real Estate Iraq’s Amwaj builds $3bn portfolio in ‘virgin country’ “The sky’s the limit” for real estate development in Iraq, says Namir El Akabi, whose company Amwaj International aims to capitalise on surging demand for upscale housing in Baghdad and beyond. The country, ravaged by war between 2014 and 2018 and stifled by almost 40 years of rule by Saddam Hussein, has been home to […] July 3, 2023
Banking & Finance Mena wealth funds sharpen up on sustainability Mena sovereign wealth funds’ efforts to improve their governance and sustainability practices to meet global standards appear to be bearing fruit, as they recorded the biggest improvement of all regions in a new analysis. Data platform Global SWF assessed the performance of 100 sovereign wealth funds and public pension funds on their governance, sustainability and […] July 3, 2023
Real Estate Egypt’s housing developers lift activity as demand rises Rising interest in homeownership and a surge in development are expected to lift Egypt’s real estate sector this year, as currency devaluation keeps prices high. A report from data firm Property Finder said 17 residential and mixed-use projects with a total value of $1.3 billion were completed in the first quarter of the year – […] June 28, 2023
Banking & Finance Gulf Investment Fund turns to Saudi stocks to drive growth The Middle East’s stock markets have struggled to attract Western portfolio investors, despite strong performances. Gulf Investment Fund (GIF), which has $83 million invested across the seven markets, is seeking to change that. The fund, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, recorded a net asset value increase of 15.4 percent for the year to June […] June 13, 2023
Exclusive Aviation Saudi flight bookings above pre-Covid levels International flight bookings to Saudi Arabia this summer are up 8 percent compared with the same time in 2019, indicating a post-pandemic recovery as the kingdom develops its tourism industry. As of May 23, flight bookings to Saudi Arabia in June, July and August were mainly driven by arrivals from Egypt. They were up 204 […] June 12, 2023
Real Estate UAE’s overseas property tax may push rents up The introduction of a tax on income from UAE property held by non-residents could cause rents to creep up as owners pass on the increment to tenants, experts have told AGBI. “The rental market is based on supply and demand, so if there’s less supply and more demand at any point, landlords can ask for […] June 8, 2023
Real Estate Lusail is first choice for wealthy Qatari buyers Lusail, Qatar’s second-largest city and host for much of the Fifa World Cup last year, has become wealthy buyers’ preferred destination for residential real estate in the Gulf state, a new report shows. Lusail Marina and Lusail Waterfront were named as the most popular destinations where Qatar-based high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are planning to […] June 7, 2023
Analysis Lifestyle Rising music streaming propels region’s artists into spotlight Not long ago, the only Arab music artists to make it big were traditional singers like Egypt’s Amr Diab and Lebanon’s Nancy Ajram, firm favourites in wedding playlists and live event calendars the region over. Today, new names and genres are pushing into the mainstream. One recent prominent example is Egyptian rapper Ahmed Ali, better […] June 4, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Giga-projects Red Sea signs ‘pioneering’ carbon-negative concrete deal Red Sea Global and Bahamas startup Partanna have agreed to trial the use of carbon-negative concrete and other products at the kingdom’s Red Sea and Amaala giga-projects. The deal – the value of which is not disclosed – is the next stage of partnership between the companies. As revealed by AGBI, the two began exploring ways […] June 1, 2023
Video length: 3:37 Video Real Estate Dubai’s wealthy buyers short of new homes in prime areas Global high-net-worth individuals are looking to Dubai to invest in property, but with only 289 units due to be completed in prime residential areas by 2026, supply in the emirate’s real estate market is low, driving prices up. “We are short of easy-to-activate waterfront development sites – we have run out of coastline,” said Faisal Durrani, […] May 31, 2023
Real Estate Egypt’s commercial property sector resists economic woes Demand for commercial property in Egypt remains buoyant despite the fragile economy, as retail and office landlords offer “flexible and generous” terms until the market stabilises, according to a report. Landlords are resorting to making changes to retail and office lease terms in response to “challenges stemming from the current local and global economic volatility”, […] May 31, 2023
Energy Opec ‘would welcome’ Iran once sanctions lifted Iran has the capacity to add “significant production volumes within a short period of time” and would be welcomed back to Opec when sanctions are lifted, its secretary general said on Monday. Iran is a member of Opec – the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries – but its oil exports are subject to US […] May 30, 2023
Analysis Tourism Oman tourism goals face an uphill road to success Mounting competition from Saudi Arabia, limited connectivity and a low profile are among the challenges to Oman’s progress on meeting its 2040 tourism goals. “We’ve done great [as an industry] but I think we can do better,” said Amir Golbarg, senior vice-president of operations, Middle East and Africa, at Minor Hotels. “With its landscape, people, […] May 29, 2023
Real Estate Dubai tenants staying put as rents continue to soar More Dubai renters are opting to renew their existing tenancies than move to a different property altogether, to avoid being hit by soaring rental rates in a “very strong” property market, according to CBRE. The number of rental renewals in Dubai’s residential market grew by 29.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, compared […] May 23, 2023
