Logistics Shipping giants not yet ready to resume Red Sea route Two shipping giants said on Friday that they are in no rush to resume routes through the Suez Canal after a Yemeni militia announced earlier this week it will scale back hostilities against vessels transiting through the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea if the ceasefire in Gaza holds. Danish shipper Maersk and Abu Dhabi […] January 24, 2025
Retail Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group buys eco brand Pangaia Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group has acquired a controlling stake in fashion brand Pangaia. No financial details of the transaction were revealed. Pangaia, which has its headquarters in London, designs eco-friendly clothing made from organic and recycled materials, sold primarily through its website. It uses next-generation materials for its clothing and accessories, including Mirum, a plant-based, plastic-free leather […] January 24, 2025
Infrastructure Etihad Rail train to link Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 30 minutes Authorities from Abu Dhabi and Dubai formally unveiled plans on Thursday for a high-speed passenger rail link that will reduce travel between the two cities to 30 minutes. Spearheaded by Etihad Rail, the train service will reach speeds of up to 350km/h, and “pass through key strategic destinations and tourist attractions”, an Abu Dhabi media […] January 23, 2025
Interview Aviation Wizz Air Abu Dhabi predicts slower growth Wizz Air Abu Dhabi expects slower growth in 2025 as delays of new aircraft deliveries, engine issues in some of its existing fleet and regulatory problems in some new markets affect its ambitious expansion plans. The airline, a joint venture between Hungary’s Wizz Air Holding and Abu Dhabi’s state-owned investment holding ADQ, is navigating global […] January 23, 2025
Energy Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Group signs Ethiopian power deal Abu Dhabi-based technology conglomerate Phoenix Group has acquired an 80 megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia. It follows just weeks after the company launched a 50MW cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota in the US. A PPA is usually a long-term electricity supply agreement. The deal, secured in partnership with UAE cybersecurity company […] January 22, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Mubadala seeks to balance AI risks and rewards Artificial intelligence “presents a significant amount of risk” but also “a lot of opportunity”, the head of one of Abu Dhabi’s largest sovereign wealth funds said this week. On Tuesday the emirate launched a new digital strategy that aims to invest AED13 billion ($3.54 billion) over the next two years. “In terms of the risks […] January 21, 2025
Telecoms Adia-backed EdgePoint to build 5,000 towers Southeast Asian mobile phone tower company EdgePoint Infrastructure plans to add at least 5,000 towers in the next two to three years. The Singapore-based company, backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), is planning to expand in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, where it already has a presence, and enter new markets such as […] January 21, 2025
Construction Eagle Hills signs contract for Budapest redevelopment Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills has signed a real estate purchase agreement with Hungary to start work on transforming a rundown area of Budapest. The project, spanning an area of 100 hectares, will have a development cost of more than €12 billion ($12.3 billion), the developer said in a statement. The project is supported by the […] January 20, 2025
Real Estate Eagle Hills plans Trump hotel project with Kushner The Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills and Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have agreed to build a luxury hotel and apartment complex in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. The project, on the site of the former Yugoslav defence ministry, will feature a 175-room Trump hotel as its centrepiece, and 1,500 […] January 17, 2025
Industry Adnoc produces graphene and hydrogen at Habshan plant Adnoc Gas has started producing hydrogen and graphene – a “miracle material” stronger than diamond, more conductive than copper and more flexible than rubber. A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Adnoc Gas has teamed up with Baker Hughes of the US to install decarbonisation technology patented by Levidian, a British climate technology enterprise, […] January 17, 2025
Transport Tenders issued for high speed Abu Dhabi-Dubai rail link Tenders have been issued for the design and construction of central components in a high-speed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Etihad Rail, the national rail company of the UAE, has sent out tenders for designing and constructing civil works and station packages for the line connecting the two cities as part of the […] January 16, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Wizz Air increases flights from UAE to Israel after ceasefire The budget carrier Wizz Air is increasing the number of flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The airline had previously scaled back its Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi service to four flights a week because of the conflict, down from its pre-crisis schedule of two flights a day. […] January 16, 2025
Transport Masdar City starts testing autonomous vehicles Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City has officially started testing autonomous vehicles to promote sustainable urban transportation. The first vehicle undergoing testing is a shuttle-style electric vehicle equipped with advanced sensors, electronic components and upgraded software, which enables it to navigate obstacles, detect other vehicles, and drive independently. The trials begin a series of tests featuring vehicles […] January 16, 2025
Trade Kenya-UAE Cepa may increase food exports and investment The UAE and Kenya have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) that is predicted to lead to a threefold increase in food exports from the East African nation. The trade deal, which was agreed in February last year, is expected to accelerate trade and investment in agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare, travel and tourism, financial services and […] January 15, 2025
Oil & Gas Adia to help fund $1bn Malaysian oil and gas firm Abu Dhabi Investment Company (Adia) is to invest in an oil and gas equipment-making unit in Malaysia. Adia is participating in the $1 billion funding round for Yinson Holdings’ equipment-maker alongside Asian investment firm RRJ Capital and British Columbia Investment Management. The funding, expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, will primarily support […] January 15, 2025
Finance Former Drake & Scull executives lose appeal in Dubai court UAE-based Drake & Scull International (DSI) has claimed a pivotal legal victory after an appeal from former executives of the company was thrown out. Ex-CEO Khaldoun Rashid Tabari and ex-executive Saleh Muradweij were previously ordered to pay almost AED152 million ($41 million) as compensation “for the material and moral damages suffered by the company”. The […] January 15, 2025
Energy Taqa among suitors for Germany’s $10bn Uniper The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) is interested in buying a stake in Germany’s government-owned power company, Uniper, media reports say. Uniper, which operates in more than 40 countries and has 34GW of generating capacity, was nationalised in 2022 during Europe’s energy crisis. The company needed a bailout when its former main gas supplier, Russia’s […] January 15, 2025
Tech UAE space company launches earth-monitoring craft Space42, a space technology company that has its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, deployed the second phase of its Foresight satellite constellation on Tuesday as the UAE continues its push to compete with the world’s leaders in the industry. The project is in collaboration with ICEYE, a provider of high-resolution images of the earth’s surface. The […] January 15, 2025
Tech Abu Dhabi seeks bidders for unified data centre project Abu Dhabi has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) to develop a unified data centre, a critical part of its plan to consolidate digital infrastructure across more than 40 government entities in the UAE capital. A unified data centre is a centralised facility that securely stores and manages data and applications, serving as the backbone […] January 15, 2025
Construction Abu Dhabi buys stake in US power company for $500m A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) will acquire a minority stake in Alpha Generation (AlphaGen), a US-based power infrastructure company, by investing $500 million, amid a surge in power demand. The investment is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first half of 2025. AlphaGen is owned by affiliates […] January 14, 2025
Opinion Real Estate The UAE is the world’s new capital for entrepreneurs Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become magnets for investors and the world's super-rich January 13, 2025
Logistics ADQ unit explores offer to buy Aramex stake in cash A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Development Holding Company (ADQ), a sovereign wealth fund, intends to submit an offer to buy 100 percent of the shares in Dubai-listed logistics company Aramex not already owned by Abu Dhabi Ports Company. Shareholders accepting the offer of Q Logistics Holding, an indirect subsidiary of ADQ Development Holding, will be […] January 13, 2025
