Media & Advertising Streaming service Starzplay planning to go public Starzplay Arabia, an Abu Dhabi-based streaming platform, expects to go public in the next two or three years, its chief executive said on Thursday. Starzplay is among the global and regional streaming players vying for a share of the burgeoning Middle East market, hoping to tap into the region’s large youth population and take advantage […] June 2, 2022
Retail Dubai’s Aramex in $265m deal to buy US e-commerce firm Dubai-listed courier firm Aramex has bought US-based e-commerce company Access USA Shipping, in a deal valued at around $265 million, it was reported on Wednesday. Access USA Shipping, operating as MyUS, is described as a technology-driven, cross-border e-commerce platform, and serves customers in the US, UK and China. “We see significant benefits to be derived […] June 1, 2022
Analysis Banking and Finance Opening a bank account still the ‘biggest hurdle’ for UAE startups Some bank accounts taking up to a year to set up Startups waiting, despite obtaining a business licence Lack of consistency on requirements, rules for new businesses Opening a bank account is “still the biggest hurdle” entrepreneurs and business founders face in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with some waiting as long as a year […] June 1, 2022
Markets Dubai bucks the trend, as Gulf bourses fall on inflation fears Most Gulf bourses ended lower on Wednesday, in line with global peers as rising inflation fears around the globe deepened worries over growth prospects, with Dubai bucking the trend.Soaring food and energy costs drove euro zone inflation to a record high of 8.1 percent in May, figures on Tuesday showed, stoking concern about interest rate […] June 1, 2022
Abu Dhabi leads $725m fundraising by US insurance broker Acrisure said on Tuesday it had raised $725 million in a fresh funding round led by a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, valuing the insurance brokerage at $23 billion. The company has benefited from a jump in global commercial insurance premiums that rose 11 percent on average in the first quarter, according […] June 1, 2022
Tourism Qatar Airways ready to see $1bn Airbus dispute through to trial Qatar Airways is ready to see its legal dispute with Airbus over flaws with the protective skin of A350 wide-body jets through to trial, the Gulf carrier said on Tuesday. Qatar Airways is suing the European planemaker in a UK court for $1 billion in damages after grounding about two dozen of its A350s experiencing […] June 1, 2022
Sharjah’s Arada Developments set to raise $350m with debut sukuk Arada Developments, the largest developer in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, was set to raise $350 million in its debut foray in the debt markets, a document showed on Tuesday. The yield was set at 8.12 percent, tightening from initial price guidance of around 8.25 percent. The Islamic bonds, or sukuk, received more than […] June 1, 2022
Banking and Finance Bahrain’s GFH commences trading on Abu Dhabi bourse Bahrain investment bank GFH Financial Group commenced trading today on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) after the listing of its shares on the stock market under the ticker ‘GFH’. It marks the investment bank’s fourth regional listing; its shares are already listed and actively traded on the Bahrain Bourse, Boursa Kuwait and the Dubai Financial Market. Today’s listing is set to further expand GFH’s […] June 1, 2022
Analysis Energy Gulf to see revenue boost from oil price uplift, Russia embargo EU leaders have said they will block most Russian oil imports by sea by the end of the year, a move expected to keep oil prices at their highest since the last peak in 2014 and buoy GCC economies. June 1, 2022
Opinion How payments tech will supercharge government digitisation The CEO of UAE-based payment solutions firm Network International says the near-zero cost of digital platforms will increasingly optimise public sector services May 31, 2022
Analysis Development UAE, Egypt and Jordan industrial pact will ‘unleash billions’ The partnership hopes to strengthen each country’s economic clout and competitive standing, both in the region and further afield The UAE, Egypt and Jordan’s decision to enter into an economic partnership stands out from recent announcements of bilateral deals struck between Arab countries and Western partners. The regional partnership, announced in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, […] May 31, 2022
Development Israel signs major trade pact with UAE Israel signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, its first big trade accord with an Arab state that reduces or removes tariffs and over time targets lifting annual bilateral trade to more than $10 billion. The pact was signed in Dubai by Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivai […] May 31, 2022
Analysis Banking and Finance Digitisation costs, but UAE banks need to take the plunge Banks in the United Arab Emirates are seeing their profits squeezed due to the cost of digitalising their operations, but experts believe lenders still need to invest more to keep up with global benchmarks. The latest S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), released earlier this month, found that costs are at their highest levels […] May 30, 2022
Real Estate Dubai’s Damac makes US debut with $120m Miami deal Damac Properties plans to use the beachside site in Miami to build an ultra-luxurious, Cavalli-branded condominium May 28, 2022
UAE to open first robotic biobank in 2023 Al Jalila Foundation, a member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, will establish the UAE’s first robotic biobank, in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The collaboration will advance medical research in the areas of genetic disorders, cancer and […] May 28, 2022
Lifestyle Dubai ranked most overworked city in the world Dubai is the most overworked city in the world, according to a new global report out this week – but a workplace culture expert said this could be due to the type of workers the emirate traditionally attracts. Kisi, a New York-based cloud-based security systems provider, looked at the work-life balance in 100 global cities. […] May 27, 2022
Exclusive Banking and Finance UAE-Israel annual trade expected to hit $5bn within two years News that bilateral trade between the United Arab Emirates and Israel amounted to more than $1 billion during the first quarter of this year is “no surprise” to a senior Emirati official involved in spearheading relations between the two countries. As Israel relaxes its pandemic travel restrictions and investment funds begin to enter the market […] May 27, 2022
Opinion Corporate tax will enhance transparency in the UAE Businesses will no longer be able to inflate their profit, and will have to justify their deductible expenses May 27, 2022
Banking and Finance Abu Dhabi to allow investors to donate shares to charity The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has signed an agreement to allow investors to fund charitable causes by donating some of their shares. The agreement with Dubai’s Awqaf and Minor Affairs Foundation (AMAF) will see dividends from the shares donated used to fund a wide range of charitable causes, and investors can choose which charities […] May 27, 2022
Crypto Oasis smashes Blockchain ambition in the UAE The United Arab Emirates has set a new goal to attract 1,500 Blockchain-related entities by the end of 2022, after achieving its initial target of 1,000 seven months early. In January 2020, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) announced a partnership with Switzerland’s Crypto Valley to develop the […] May 25, 2022
