Analysis Trade Turkey sets bold targets for trade with the Gulf Turkish e-commerce marketplace Trendyol has announced a plan to lift sales across the GCC – one of the latest developments as Turkey seeks to increase trade with the Gulf. The fashion and lifestyle platform will be rebranded for Gulf markets under a deal with Saudi retail group Cenomi. The pair hope to increase annual orders […] December 14, 2023
Video length: 04:21 Analysis Sustainability Wary optimism for Cop deal to ‘set world in right direction’ Cop28 left behind an air of mixed emotions as it wrapped up on Wednesday, reflecting the complexity of the discussions and outcomes. A visibly jubilant Sultan Al Jaber strolled into the plenary, sharing a warm hug with UN climate chief Simon Stiell, basking in the applause as they marked a “historic” milestone: the first time […] December 13, 2023
Video length: 04:21 Sustainability Historic deal struck at Cop28 to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels The Cop28 climate summit in Dubai concluded with the adoption of a landmark agreement urging countries to “transition away” from coal, oil, and gas this decade. This wording replaced the previously proposed “phase out” language that was a central point of contention throughout the talks. It marks the first time in Cop’s 30-year history that […] December 13, 2023
Sustainability Western Australia looks to Gulf for green deals The state of Western Australia – the heart of the country’s mining, steel and oil and gas industries – is planning partnerships with Arab nations to develop its renewables sector and curb emissions. “We’ve got a dual mission,” Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s minister for environment and climate action, told AGBI during Cop28 in Dubai. “We’ve […] December 12, 2023
Oil & Gas Fitch predicts strong growth for Mena oil producers in 2024 Oil exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region will register stronger growth in 2024, supported by the momentum in non-oil real GDP and stabilising oil production following output cuts in 2023, Fitch Ratings said. Brent crude oil is expected to average $80 per barrel with robust oil prices likely to support […] December 12, 2023
Analysis Banking and Finance New certification to swell sharia-compliant funds A London-based fund manager hopes a pioneering Islamic finance certification can boost sharia-compliant equity investments worldwide and help ensure Muslim clients’ wealth is deployed to meet both their religious ideals and benefit society. Most sharia-compliant equity funds focus on excluding haram industries such as alcohol, tobacco, weapons, pork and gambling. Yet such a methodology has […] December 12, 2023
Sustainability Arab Coordination Group announces $50bn for Africa The Arab Coordination Group, made up of regional and international development institutions, has allocated $50 billion to advance sustainable development in Africa through to 2030. The funding was announced at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference in Riyadh and further discussed at a panel arranged by the Saudi Fund for Development on Sunday on the sidelines of […] December 11, 2023
Sustainability Turning trash into tokens: blockchain’s answer to waste Trash, garbage, detritus. Whatever you call it, the waste management industry around the world faces a huge challenge as it must handle a substantial and growing volume of rubbish. In 2020, according to the World Bank, the world generated 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to a footprint of 0.79 kg per person per […] December 11, 2023
Aviation India’s newest airline awaits nod to start GCC flights Akasa Air, India’s newest airline, is currently awaiting approval from the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait to launch operations to the Gulf states, according to a media report. “It’s going to be another few months. We’re hoping another three to four months. But we are a little dependent in terms of permissions we (need […] December 11, 2023
Analysis Banking and Finance Late-year flurry could boost the sukuk market Sukuk issuance fell in the first nine months of 2023 – but this year’s total could yet equal that of 2022, Fitch Ratings’ Islamic finance chief told AGBI. Gulf governments and corporations are issuing sharia-compliant bonds to diversify their funding and ease their reliance on bank borrowing. Sukuk were developed as an alternative to conventional […] December 7, 2023
Video length: 06:23 Renewable Energy Arab alliance allocates $10bn for green energy projects The Arab Coordination Group, an alliance of regional and international development institutions, has allocated $10 billion until 2030 to support energy transition in developing countries. The funding will drive a “comprehensive and affordable” transition to renewable energy in developing countries, the group said in a statement released during the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. The […] December 6, 2023
Oil & Gas Russia says Opec+ ‘ready’ to hike oil output cuts in 2024 Opec+ members may increase oil production cuts in the first quarter of 2024 to remove “profiteering and restrict volatility”, according to Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak. The decision by Opec+ to lower oil production by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first quarter of 2024 will help the world to navigate through […] December 6, 2023
SPECIAL REPORT Giga-projects Giga-projects gobble up building supplies and talent Saudi Arabia’s enormous building programme is luring workers from other GCC countries and placing a strain on the supply of raw materials, construction executives have warned. Builders in the UAE in particular are concerned about the resources demanded by the Saudi market, which posted record growth in construction activity during the third quarter. The latest […] December 5, 2023
SPECIAL REPORT Construction How Mena is moving to sustainable construction The year is 2065 and humans are living in space, in villas of celestial materials mined from asteroids and equipped with infinity pools. Far-fetched? Perhaps, but this model was one of dozens featured last month in an exhibition on the past, present and future of sustainable design in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). […] December 5, 2023
SPECIAL REPORT Infrastructure After stops and starts, GCC rail is back on 2030 timetable In the same week that Dubai announced a 30km extension of its metro network, Kuwait revealed that its $20 billion four-line metro project is to be cancelled. If anything sums up the difficulties associated with connecting the GCC countries by rail, then it is this. Kuwait’s metro hit the buffers as a result of “significant […] December 5, 2023
Energy No transition without fossil fuels, says GCC energy chief As Cop28 negotiators tussle over the future of fossil fuels, a senior GCC official has suggested there will be no energy transition without them. Dr Mohammed Al Rashidi, director of energy and economic affairs at the GCC’s general secretariat, told AGBI at the climate summit: “If fossil fuels were gone from tomorrow, everything would shut […] December 4, 2023
Energy Lula says Brazil will never be a full member of Opec+ Brazil will never join the Opec+ group of oil-producing nations as a full member and instead only seeks to participate as an observer, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday. Lula’s remarks to reporters at the UN Cop28 climate summit in Dubai clarified his statements a day earlier that Brazil would “participate” […] December 4, 2023
Retail Food inflation leads to rise of Gulf discount operators Rising food costs in the Gulf over the last two years have spurred an increase in the number of discount operators entering the market. The food and beverage category of the UAE’s consumer price index rose from 100.3 in 2021 to 107.5 in 2022, and is forecast to rise further to 111.8 in 2023, according […] December 2, 2023
Banking and Finance Aster DM to sell majority stake in Gulf business for $1bn UAE-based hospital chain Aster DM Healthcare will sell a majority stake in its Gulf business to a regional consortium for $1 billion as part of a plan to separate the unit from its Indian operations. A consortium led by state-backed Fajr Capital will own 65 percent of the Gulf business, while Azad Moopen, the founder […] November 29, 2023
Opinion Renewable Energy The GCC needs to make green upskilling a priority A speedy and successful energy transition needs a retrained workforce – Gulf leaders must act now November 28, 2023
