Food & Drink KFC and Pizza Hut owner ends franchise deal in Turkey Yum! Brands, the US-based owner of KFC and Pizza Hut, has terminated its franchise agreements with Turkish operator IS Gida. The decision was taken after IS Gida failed to meet its standards, Yum! Brands said. “Prior to termination, we engaged with IS Gida over several months to provide assistance and resolve key issues,” said Chris […] January 9, 2025
Infrastructure Arab Energy Fund-led group buys Dubai-based Metito A consortium led by the Arab Energy Fund (TAEF), formerly Apicorp, has acquired a 100 percent stake in Metito Utilities, a Dubai-based water and wastewater project developer. The acquisition was carried out in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Zamil Group Investment Company and the Ghandour family, the founders of Metito. No financial details were given. Metito […] January 9, 2025
Finance Adnoc L&S secures $2bn to fund expansion Adnoc Logistics & Services Plc (Adnoc L&S) has finalised up to $2 billion (AED7.3 billion) in new financing to support its growth initiatives. The company has signed a $1.1 billion-$2 billion Hybrid Capital Instrument (HCI). Initial drawing against the HCI will be $1.1 billion, leaving $0.9 billion capacity. Nearly $1 billion will be used to […] January 8, 2025
Finance Muscat-listed Ominvest secures $500m to fuel growth Oman International Development and Investment Company (Ominvest) has secured a $500 million loan for expansion and investment opportunities in the Sultanate and the wider region. The financing deal, arranged by Gulf International Bank (GIB), ABK, and Gulf Bank, will allow the Muscat-listed company to pursue “impactful investments and generate substantial value for the company and […] January 8, 2025
Finance UAE rolls over $2bn payment due from Pakistan The UAE has agreed to roll over the payment of $2 billion due from Pakistan in January, Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has said. Speaking at a press conference, Sharif said that the Emirati president extended the $2 billion repayment due this month in a one-on-one meeting during the UAE leader’s visit to Pakistan on […] January 8, 2025
Finance Oman targets $1.9bn to plug 2025 budget deficit The Omani government intends to raise OR750 million ($1.9 billion) in 2025 to address the projected budget deficit and service public debt. The funds will come through eight issues of government development bonds valued at OR550 million and two local sukuk issuances worth OR200 million, Muscat Daily reported citing the finance ministry’s 2025 budget guidance. […] January 8, 2025
Finance Order book for $12bn Saudi bond 3 times oversubscribed Saudi Arabia has raised $12 billion from a three-tranche bond to meet its funding needs. The tranches of $5 billion, $3 billion and $4 billion have a duration of three, six and 10 years, respectively, the National Debt Management Center (NDMC) said in a post on social messaging platform X. The total order book reached […] January 7, 2025
Oil & Gas Libya begins oil and gas production at Chadar field Zallaf Oil and Gas Exploration, Production and Refining Company, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) subsidiary, has commenced production at the Chadar oilfield. The facility is now producing approximately 7.5 million cubic feet of associated gas and 1,500 barrels per day (bpd) of crude. The production rates were reached on the first day, NOC said in […] January 7, 2025
Health UAE’s PureHealth expands US healthcare presence Abu Dhabi-listed PureHealth Holding has expanded its presence in the US healthcare sector. New York Stock Exchange-listed Ardent Health, a subsidiary of PureHealth, acquired 18 urgent care clinics across New Mexico and Oklahoma in the US from NextCare Urgent Care. In May 2023, PureHealth purchased a minority stake in Ardent Health for $500 million. The […] January 7, 2025
Construction Dubai launches $1.5bn housing projects Dubai has launched housing projects worth AED5.4 billion ($1.5 billion) across the emirate. The projects will result in 3,004 new homes being built for Emiratis, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Of these, 1,181 homes will be in Latifa City for beneficiaries under the housing loan category. For beneficiaries in the housing grant category, […] January 7, 2025
Transport Passenger traffic at Turkish airports rises to 230m in 2024 Passenger traffic at Turkish airports grew by 7.5 percent year on year to more than 230 million in 2024, according to the country’s transport and infrastructure minister, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. More than 95 million domestic and 134 million international passengers were served last year, he said. The number of aircraft movements, including landings and take-offs, rose […] January 7, 2025
Economy Saudi Arabia estimates 2025 budget funding at $37bn Saudi Arabia will need estimated funding of SAR139 billion ($37.02 billion) in 2025 to cover the potential budget deficit. Finance minister Mohammed Al Jadaan has approved the borrowing plan, the National Debt Management Cente said in a statement. The ministry anticipates a budget deficit of SAR101 billion for the year, with nearly SAR38 billion of […] January 6, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco explores building oil refinery in Bangladesh Saudi Aramco is willing to build an oil refinery in Bangladesh to address local and regional demand, according to an official news report. The proposed refinery is expected to meet Dhaka’s growing demand for petroleum products while serving regional markets such as China and India, state-run BSS news agency reported citing Saudi envoy Essa Al […] January 6, 2025
Construction Dubai’s $109m Al Mamzar Beach project to open in 2025 Dubai Municipality has awarded contracts for the AED400 million ($108.9 million) Al Mamzar Beach development project, set to open by the end of this year. The second phase focuses on upgrading the Al Mamzar Corniche beachfront and a focus on sustainable beach tourism, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Spread across 125,000 sq m […] January 6, 2025
Economy Egypt targets new $3bn funding despite IMF loan Egypt aims to raise nearly $3 billion by the end of the current fiscal year, which ends in June 2025, finance minister Ahmed Kouchouk has said. The funding will be secured through diverse issuances, Reuters reported, citing an interview with Kouchouk on ONtv, an Arabic-language channel. Kouchouk said Egypt expects to receive $1.2 billion from […] January 6, 2025
Finance UAE’s Phoenix Group opens US crypto mining facility Phoenix Group, an Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed company and one of the world’s leading bitcoin miners, has launched its 50 megawatt (MW) cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota, US. The opening of the site is part of the company’s bid to expand its capabilities and investments in the US. The company said that the facility, […] January 6, 2025
Tourism Foreign tourists in Dubai hit 17m in 11 months of 2024 International tourist arrivals to Dubai rose by 9 percent to 16.8 million in the first 11 months of 2024, compared to 15.4 million during the same period in 2023, according to official data. Western Europe remained the top source region, accounting for 3.3 million visitors, or 20 percent of the total, the UAE state-run Wam […] January 6, 2025
Finance Turkey’s inflation falls to lowest in 18 months Inflation in Turkey eased more than anticipated in December 2024, reaching 44.4 percent, the lowest level in 18 months, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat). This marks the seventh consecutive monthly decline following the monetary easing from the central bank. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 1.03 percent in December. Education, housing […] January 6, 2025
Leisure & Hospitality Dubai airport gears up for busiest January ever Dubai International (DXB) is set to welcome 4.3 million passengers in the first 15 days of the year, setting the stage for its busiest January yet. The airport saw its highest daily traffic on January 3, with over 311,000 passengers, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. An average of 287,000 guests are expected to […] January 5, 2025
Economy Oman estimates budget deficit of $1.6bn in 2025 Oman estimates a budget deficit of OR620 million ($1.61 billion) in 2025, with total spending likely to reach OR11.8 billion, a 1.5 percent increase year on year. The revenue forecast is based on an average oil price of $60 a barrel, state-run Oman state news agency reported. The deficit will be funded through local and […] January 3, 2025
Finance Saudi Arabia funds budget gap with $2.5bn loan Saudi Arabia has secured a sharia-compliant revolving credit facility of $2.5 billion to fund its budget gap in 2025. The credit facility for three years was secured from three regional and international financial institutions, according to the National Debt Management Center (NDMC). It falls within the kingdom’s medium-term public debt strategy by diversifying funding sources […] January 3, 2025
Finance Emaar EC cuts accumulated losses by nearly 54% Emaar the Economic City (Emaar EC) has cut accumulated losses without disrupting business operations after shareholders approved a capital decrease. Abdulaziz Ibrahim Alnowaiser, CEO of the master developer of King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Saudi Arabia, said: “The capital decrease is a critical enabler of our capital optimisation plan.” The approved capital cuts will reduce the company’s […] January 2, 2025
