Logistics AD Ports in talks with Congo over trade hub Abu Dhabi Ports Group is in talks to invest in a new trade hub in the Republic of Congo as the UAE seeks to ramp up non-oil partnerships with the Central African country. President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo held discussions last week with Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and CEO of AD Ports, […] May 3, 2023
Tech Mubadala secures $500m stake in US broadband firm Brightspeed, a US-based broadband and telecommunications services company, has received a $500 million investment from Mubadala Investment Company, the sovereign investor of Abu Dhabi. Mubadala will become a minority shareholder, joining investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, a statement said. Brightspeed, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, says it has the capability to […] May 2, 2023
Manufacturing Kezad and Al Ghurair Foods sign lease for $272m projects Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad Group), a wholly-owned subsidiary of AD Ports Group, and Al Ghurair Foods, a part of UAE-based Al Ghurair Investment, have signed a 50-year land lease agreement for three food processing projects worth over AED1 billion ($272.31 million). The agreement marks the first phase of Al Ghurair Foods division’s investments […] April 30, 2023
UAE to launch homegrown Arabic ChatGPT model Artificial intelligence firm G42 is on the verge of launching its own versions of ChatGPT, including the largest Arabic language platform. G42 group chief executive officer Peng Xiao said it was “working on it as we speak”. “Arabic is a major body of language in the world but not served at all by the big […] April 28, 2023
Opinion Food & Drink UAE gastronomy dines out on global attention Homegrown chefs are becoming stars on the world's culinary stage April 27, 2023
Energy Taqa invests $31m into Xlinks Morocco renewables project Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) has given a substantial vote of confidence to the Xlinks’ Morocco-UK renewables project with its announcement of AED113 million ($31 million) in funding. Taqa’s investment comprises the lion’s share in the successful closing of UK renewable power firm Xlinks’ new development funding round. It raised a total of $37.4 […] April 26, 2023
Tech AD Ports digital arm buys customs systems firm Maqta Gateway, the digital arm of AD Ports Group, has acquired TTEK Inc, a developer of border control solutions and customs systems, in a deal worth $26.7 million. The acquisition involves an upfront payment of $17.1 million and adds to Maqta Gateway’s digital trade solutions portfolio, which uses disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine […] April 24, 2023
Food & Drink Abu Dhabi sets up $100m fund to elevate restaurant scene Abu Dhabi has set up a $100 million investment fund to help attract more global restaurant brands to the city. The Abu Dhabi Culinary Investment Fund, announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) Abu Dhabi, will also support building and establishing a culinary school. The school will offer an established core curriculum and […] April 19, 2023
Health M42 buys European dialysis group Diaverum Abu Dhabi’s newest tech-enabled healthcare company, M42, has made its first investment with the acquisition of Diaverum, a global renal care service provider. The value of the deal for Bridgepoint Group’s European dialysis clinic chain was not disclosed, although previous reports by Bloomberg suggest it could be in the region of $2.5 billion. M42 launched […] April 19, 2023
Banking & Finance Taqa raises $1.5bn in bonds as order book hits $15bn Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) has raised a combined $1.5 billion in five-year and 10-year dual-tranche senior unsecured notes. The 10-year bonds, sized at $1 billion, were issued at a coupon rate of 4.696 percent, reported state-run WAM news agency, citing a company statement. The net proceeds from Taqa’s first green bond issuance will […] April 19, 2023
Tech Brazil now has the Edge in defence technology Technology and defence giant Edge Group is opening a new regional office in Brazil’s federal capital, Brasilia. The office is part of Abu Dhabi-based Edge’s plans to take advantage of opportunities in local markets as experts expect defence spending in Brazil to increase to nearly $25 billion this year. The announcement was made at LAAD […] April 12, 2023
Banking & Finance Gulf IPO market could ride out global jitters with state offerings A wave of initial public offerings in Abu Dhabi shows little sign of abating, despite global market jitters and rising interest rates as investors bet on the emirate’s part-privatisation drive. While Saudi Arabia and Dubai’s bourses have also offered a flurry of new listings over the past 18 months, it’s the UAE capital that is […] April 11, 2023
e& takes $400m majority stake in Careem The former Emirates Telecommunications Group Company, e&, has acquired a $400 million majority stake in Careem. The super-app, which is owned by Uber, offers multiple services such as ordering taxis, grocery shopping and mobile payments. e& has taken a 50.03 percent share of the company, which has operations in over 80 cities, covering nine countries […] April 10, 2023
Banking & Finance AD Ports Group signs $2bn financing deal AD Ports Group has signed a $2 billion financing agreement with a syndicate of 13 regional and international banks, it announced in a bourse statement on Tuesday. Part of Abu Dhabi investment and holding company ADQ, AD Ports Group has a portfolio of ports, economic zones, logistics and digital businesses driving the growth of international […] April 4, 2023
Construction Abu Dhabi financial free zone set for office space boost Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties and Mubadala Investment Company have struck a deal to develop 63,000 square metres of commercial space within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), and are eyeing plots of land to further increase the free zone’s prime office supply. ADGM is Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone, located on Al Maryah Island in the […] March 30, 2023
Energy Shares soar at Israeli energy giant after BP and Adnoc offer Shares in Israeli energy giant NewMed Energy soared on Tuesday after BP confirmed that, together with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), it has made a non-binding offer to buy a 50 percent stake in the company. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange-listed natural gas operator saw its share price rise by more than 36 percent […] March 29, 2023
Banking & Finance Adnoc lines up another unit for Abu Dhabi listing Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc) plans to launch an initial public offering of its maritime and logistics unit in June, Reuters reported, in what will be the government-owned conglomerate’s latest flotation of an ancillary business. Adnoc’s part-privatisation drive began in 2017. It has sold minor stakes in subsidiaries Adnoc Drilling, Adnoc Gas, Adnoc Distribution, […] March 24, 2023
Analysis A new age as Abu Dhabi accelerates its longevity push Abu Dhabi has grand plans to dominate the multi-billion-dollar longevity sector in the Gulf with the opening of two new facilities. The longevity industry is focused on the science of ageing and its related illnesses. The market is predicted to grow to as much as $32 billion in the UAE by 2026. And the region’s […] March 22, 2023
Exclusive Tech Food Tech Valley set to triple food production in Dubai The development of Food Tech Valley just outside Dubai represents a milestone in the UAE’s efforts to improve food security. The Emirates currently imports 90 percent of its food and only 5 percent of its land is suitable for arable production. Food Tech Valley, a partnership between the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and […] March 21, 2023
Banking & Finance Assets under management at ADGM rise by over 50% Abu Dhabi Global Market saw its assets under management increase by 56 percent year-on-year in 2022 as the authority became the fastest growing international financial centre in the region. Total licence issues for financial and non-financial firms increased by 30 percent from 4,262 companies in 2021 to 5,546 in 2022, according to figures released on […] March 20, 2023
Exclusive Markets Presight to use IPO as springboard to global expansion Big data and analytics company Presight is targetting international expansion once they have listed later this month. The firm, part of Abu Dhabi’s G42, plans to raise $495 million from its floating on the ADX. The subscription period for the initial public offering (IPO), which was 136 times oversubscribed, closed on Friday with a total […] March 17, 2023
Energy Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc Gas shares up 18% on debut Shares of Adnoc Gas rose 18 percent above its listings price, as the state-backed oil giant made its debut on the Abu Dhabi stock market on Monday. The energy firm’s shares traded at AED2.8 ($0.7625), versus its initial public offering (IPO) price of AED2.37, according to Reuters. Adnoc raised $2.5 billion from the listing of […] March 13, 2023
