Gaming Wynn scores UAE’s first commercial gaming licence Wynn Resorts, the US hospitality group, has won the first commercial gaming operator’s licence in the UAE. The company, which has its headquarters in Las Vegas, is building a $4 billion, 1,500-room resort on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, which is expected to open in 2027. The resort has now been licensed by […] October 7, 2024
Construction ADQ unveils plans for Ras El Hekma Egyptian project Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ has revealed the plans for the Ras El Hekma mega development, which is expected to contribute $25 billion annually to Egypt’s GDP and create 750,000 jobs both directly and indirectly. The sovereign fund has appointed Abu Dhabi-listed Modon Holding as the master developer for the 170 million sq m […] October 7, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Almarai Q3 2024 profit rises 17% amid revenue growth Almarai, the Middle East’s largest dairy farm, said third-quarter 2024 net profit rose 17 percent to SAR570 million ($152 million), compared with SAR486 million a year ago. The profit growth was driven by a 9 percent year-on-year increase in revenue to SAR5.2 billion amid growth in all product categories across all geographies, except Egypt. Despite […] October 7, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality PIF explores raising stakes in Japanese gaming companies Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is exploring increasing its stakes in Japanese gaming companies to develop the kingdom as a global centre for gaming. “There are always opportunities,” Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, vice chairman of Savvy Games Group told Kyodo News, a Japanese news agency. PIF now owns 8.6 percent of Nintendo, after […] October 6, 2024
Real Estate New Expo City plan to drive Dubai’s economic growth A new master plan has been released for Expo City Dubai, one of the five key urban centres set to double the emirate’s economy by 2033. The new master plan will establish Expo City Dubai as a hub for pioneers, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, educators and students, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, quoting Dubai […] October 4, 2024
Tech Mubadala acquires majority stake in Spanish IT company Abu Dhabu’s Mubadala Capital has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Babel, a Madrid-based IT and digital transformation services provider. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, further expands Mubadala’s presence in the business services sector, following its earlier purchase of Dutch safety-critical training company RelyOn Nutec this year. The terms of the […] October 4, 2024
Finance Aramco’s $3bn sukuk oversubscribed six times Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, said its $3 billion sukuk was oversubscribed by six times. The sukuk was issued in two US dollar-denominated tranches, each valued at $1.5 billion. The tranches, maturing in 2029 and 2034, carry annual profit rates of 4.25 percent and 4.75 percent, respectively, the company said in a statement. […] October 3, 2024
Finance Omani fund secures $2bn investment in new projects The Oman Future Fund has secured local and foreign investments worth OMR832 million ($2.2 billion) across 10 economic sectors. The OMR2 billion fund, owned by the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), will invest OMR220 million in these projects, while foreign investments account for OMR609 million. The major project categories include technology, industry, tourism, energy and electric […] October 3, 2024
Oil & Gas Opec calls WSJ report on oil price drop to $50 ‘inaccurate’ The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), led by Saudi Arabia, has denied a media report, calling it “wholly inaccurate and misleading”. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday that Saudi oil minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said oil prices could drop to as low as $50 per barrel if Opec+ members do not stick to production limits. […] October 3, 2024
Real Estate Work to resume on world’s tallest tower in Saudi Arabia Construction is to resume on the world’s tallest tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will be over one kilometre high when completed. Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), an associate of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) chaired by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, has reached an agreement with Saudi Binladin Group to continue developing the Jeddah Economic Company Tower, KHC […] October 3, 2024
Real Estate Abu Dhabi mortgage deals surge as real estate thrives Mortgage transactions in Abu Dhabi rose 20 percent year on year in the third quarter of 2024 amid robust growth in the real estate sector. The total value of the mortgage deals reached AED13.5 billion from 2,594 transactions, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, citing Dari, a unified property services platform. Overall, real estate […] October 2, 2024
Renewable Energy Abu Dhabi invites companies for greenfield solar project Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has invited expressions of interest (EoI) for a new greenfield solar project in the Al Dhafra region. The Zarraf solar PV independent power project, with a generation capacity of 1.5 gigawatts (GW), will match the scale of similar projects such as Al Dhafra, Al Ajban and Khazna, […] October 2, 2024
Construction PIF-backed Roshn raises $2.4bn for expansion Saudi Arabian giga-project developer Roshn has secured a new SAR9 billion ($2.4 billion) credit facility from a consortium of locally-listed banks. The loan will support the developer’s expansion and growth plans over the next five years, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. “We intend to use these funds to further advance our ambitious strategy in the […] October 2, 2024
Markets Saudi poultry producer gets nod to sell 30% stake in IPO Arabian Company for Agricultural and Industrial Investment (Entaj), a Riyadh-based poultry producer, has received the green light from the Saudi market regulator to list shares on the main market (Tasi). The company will float 9 million shares through an initial public offering (IPO), representing 30 percent of the total issued share capital. The prospectus detailing […] October 2, 2024
Finance Turkey targets $10bn FDI in 2024 on Saudi support Turkey is targeting more than $10 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, supported by a planned $5 billion investment from an unnamed Saudi company. Vice president Cevdet Yılmaz claimed the Saudi-owned company plans to invest in the country’s energy and other sectors, Daily Sabah newspaper reported. Ankara received credit upgrades from three global […] October 2, 2024
Health Sulaiman Al Habib secures $347m loan for Saudi expansion Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services Group Company has secured long-term financing to expand across Saudi Arabia amid growing competition for healthcare services in the kingdom. The company, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, has signed a sharia-compliant credit facility worth SAR1.3 billion ($347 million) with Al Rajhi Bank, a Saudi-listed lender. The 13-year-long facility will […] October 1, 2024
Aviation Qatar Airways to buy 25% stake in Virgin Australia Qatar Airways is to acquire a minority 25 percent stake in Virgin Australia from US private equity firm Bain Capital to gain access to the wider Australian market. The deal closure is subject to the approval of Australia’s foreign investment review board. No financial details were disclosed. Last year, the airline’s former CEO Akbar Al-Baker […] October 1, 2024
Renewable Energy Acwa Power-Sumitomo tie-up for Uzbekistan projects Saudi energy company Acwa Power and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation will jointly develop renewable energy projects worth $4.2 billion in Uzbekistan. The first set of projects include Sazagan 1 and 2 in Samarkand, each consisting of a 500 megawatt (MW) solar PV plant and 334MW battery energy storage systems (BESS). These projects are slated to begin […] October 1, 2024
Economy Suez Canal revenues fall by $6bn as unrest continues Suez Canal revenues have fallen by $6 billion this year amid regional geopolitical issues, president Abdel Fattah El Sisi has said. The income from the waterway, connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, declined by between 50 percent and 60 percent in the first eight months of 2024, local media reported, citing the president’s speech at […] September 30, 2024
Economy Oman to impose income tax on high earners post-2026 Oman is expected to implement its proposed personal income tax on high earners after 2026, according to a new report. In July, the Majlis al-Shura, the lower house of the Omani parliament, approved a draft law on income tax – the first of its kind in the GCC region – forwarding it to the State […] September 30, 2024
Industry EGA buys majority stake in US aluminium recycler Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the biggest non-oil industrial company in the UAE, has acquired an 80 percent stake in US-based aluminium recycling company Spectro Alloys Corporation. The owner-managers of Spectro will hold 20 percent. The funding will be in line with EGA’s green finance framework, launched in June, to support decarbonisation projects and enable the […] September 30, 2024
Markets Abu Dhabi National Hotels launches IPO of catering unit Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) said it will float a 40 percent stake in its catering unit, or 900 million shares, on the local stock exchange. The final offer price, determined through a book-building process, will be announced on October 16. The sharia-compliant ADNH Catering shares sold are owned by ADNH, which trades on […] September 30, 2024
