Markets Tabby and Kitopi plan IPOs but raise economic concerns Fintech company Tabby and cloud kitchen operator Kitopi are preparing to go public. However they have warned about potentially limited share allocations to international investors and Gulf economic risks linked to oil prices being at a four-year low. Dubai-based Tabby, a regional buy-now-pay-later platform, said global funds are reluctant to spend the time and energy […] May 7, 2025
Finance Crypto payment provider Ripple plans UAE growth Cryptocurrency company Ripple Labs has outlined plans to expand in the UAE after winning approval to operate in Dubai. Based in San Francisco, Ripple was the first blockchain payments provider to be licensed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in March, the company said in a statement. One in five Ripple customers is based […] May 7, 2025
Real Estate Luxury Olaia Residences launches on Palm Jumeirah Dubai developer Gulf House Real Estate has launched Olaia Residences, its first luxury development, for sale in the heart of Palm Jumeirah. The upscale residential project is planned to open in 2027 and will consist of one-to-three-bedroom apartments and three-to-five-bedroom duplexes. State-of-the-art amenities will include indoor and rooftop pools, a wellness centre, a mini-golf course […] May 7, 2025 In association with
Real Estate Dubai Holding to list real estate investment trust Dubai Holding is to list its residential real estate investment trust (REIT), shrugging off local investor scepticism towards the structures and becoming the first initial public offering (IPO) on the Dubai stock exchange this year. The investment conglomerate owned by Sheikh Muhammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the emirate’s ruler, said on Monday that it will […] May 5, 2025
Real Estate Omniyat raises $500m to fund sustainable projects Dubai real estate developer Omniyat has raised $500 million to fund its sustainable developments. The order book of the inaugural three-year green sukuk was oversubscribed 3.6 times, reaching $1.8 billion. The sukuk will be listed and traded on Nasdaq Dubai and the London Stock Exchange’s international securities market. The pricing details were not given. Sukuk […] May 5, 2025
Analysis Leisure & Hospitality UAE hotels absorb rising costs at expense of profit Many UAE hoteliers are reluctant to raise prices to compensate for rising operational costs, even as intensifying global competition and geopolitical volatility tighten profit margins. According to data from CBRE Middle East, growth in UAE hotel revenue per available room (RevPAR) has slowed over the last two years, from 6 percent in 2023 to 3 […] May 5, 2025
Real Estate Tecom profit rises on higher revenue and demand Tecom Group, a Dubai-based developer and operator of business parks and free zones, reported an increase in net profit for the first quarter, driven by record demand in the emirate’s commercial property sector. Net profit grew by 23 percent year-on-year to AED361 million ($98 million) during the three months to March led by “improved collections […] May 2, 2025
Aviation Emirates signs agreement with Greek air carrier Aegean Greece has signed an outline deal with Dubai’s Emirates that includes a codeshare agreement with Greek air carrier Aegean, the country’s Tourism Ministry said on Friday, as it seeks to attract more tourists all year round. The codeshare agreement will expand travellers’ access to popular destinations, including the islands of Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes, the […] May 2, 2025
Markets DFM first-quarter profit jumps on higher trading activity Profit at Dubai Financial Market surged more than 40 percent year on year in the first quarter, driven by the highest trading activity in more than a decade, the company said. Net profit before tax rose to AED135 million ($37 million) in the three months to March 31, compared with AED95.6 million in the same […] May 2, 2025
Real Estate Dubai’s DXB site to become prime real estate opportunity Dubai International Airport will become one of the emirate’s most valuable real estate assets once operations shift to the new Dubai World Central airport within the next decade. The DXB site, located in the densely developed Al Garhoud district and spanning 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres), will eventually cease operations as Dubai consolidates air traffic at […] May 1, 2025
Real Estate Dubai scores football-themed homes in Chelsea Residences Chelsea fans finally have something to celebrate: Dubai’s first football-themed development will wear the blue of the famous west London club. As part of a new partnership between Chelsea FC and Damac Properties, the Dubai-based property developer will build a Chelsea-themed real estate project in the emirate. Chelsea Residences “will be built with Chelsea Football […] May 1, 2025
Banking and Finance Mashreq Q1 profit down but shares see gains Tighter net interest margins and increased expenses have hit first quarter profits at Mashreq, the fifth-largest lender in the UAE by assets. The Dubai-listed bank said net profit after tax decreased 12 percent annually in the three months to March to AED1.8 billion ($490 million). Mashreq’s shares, which closed at AED242 on Wednesday, are nonetheless […] May 1, 2025
Economy Eric Trump: the Gulf is dependent on a strong America The Gulf region is dependent on a strong United States and wants security so local economies can flourish, the US president’s son Eric Trump said in an interview with Reuters. In Dubai as an executive of the president’s family business, the Trump Organization – which launched a new tower in the city in partnership with […] April 30, 2025
Aviation Sheikh Ahmed: China’s Boeing rejects won’t fly for Emirates Emirates Airline’s chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has downplayed speculation that the carrier could buy Boeing planes originally destined for China. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Tuesday, Sheikh Ahmed said Emirates was actively exploring options to expand its fleet, but the Boeing aircraft – ordered by Chinese carriers but […] April 29, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Boeing delays are hampering Flydubai expansion, says CEO Delays in the delivery of Flydubai’s first wide-body aircraft from Boeing are hampering the carrier’s expansion into long-haul routes and it may seek compensation, its CEO has told AGBI. The low-cost carrier is waiting for 30 Boeing 787-9 twin-aisle planes, part of an $11 billion deal announced at the 2023 Dubai Airshow. The first deliveries […] April 29, 2025
Opinion People & Lifestyle In Trump’s world, Irish migrants should choose DXB over DUB The Republic of Ireland, it strikes me, is uniquely vulnerable in the tariff wars April 29, 2025
Finance Binance powers crypto dialogue with community events Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume, is helping to unite the industry, facilitate connections and drive conversation through its calendar of live and online events. Kim Murphy, its head of global event marketing, gives us the lowdown Why are events so important to Binance and the industry? Events bring crypto to life. They […] April 28, 2025 In association with
Real Estate Dubai ad portals exploring IPOs as real estate rises Dubai-based classified ad portals Dubizzle and Property Finder are both said to be exploring the idea of selling shares to the public in an initial public offering, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Dubizzle is preparing to meet with potential investors and could raise at least $500 million in a possible IPO, the […] April 28, 2025
Tourism International visitors to Dubai rise 3% Dubai welcomed 3 percent more international visitors in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, with the largest single group coming from Western Europe. More than 5.3 million people visited the emirate – the most populous of the seven-member UAE federation – with those from Western Europe accounting for […] April 28, 2025
Analysis Markets Market volatility adds allure to utilities and telecoms In a month of wild market swings, Gulf equity investors have felt panic, trepidation, bewilderment and more. With further volatility probable, experts say a prudent strategy is to focus on defensive sectors less exposed to the global economy. Gulf bourses tumbled in early April, along with the US dollar and oil prices, after President Donald […] April 28, 2025