Finance ADQ buys 96% of Bank Audi’s Turkish unit The Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ has signed an agreement to acquire 96 percent of Lebanon-based Bank Audi’s Turkish subsidiary, Odeabank. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, including from Turkey’s banking regulation and supervision authority and the competition authority. As part of the deal, Bank Audi and other investors such as the International Finance […] October 16, 2024
Video length: 05:57 Analysis Artificial Intelligence UAE data centres struggling to meet AI demand The UAE has the largest concentration of data centres in the Middle East and North Africa, but it is grappling with a capacity crunch. A surge in demand from the artificial intelligence sector is putting a strain on existing infrastructure, driving up costs and posing a challenge to future growth, industry experts have told AGBI. […] October 16, 2024
Aviation Boeing 777X delay ‘highly expensive for us’, says Emirates Planemaker Boeing’s announcement of more delays in the delivery of its 777X aircraft to customers has had a “significant and highly expensive” impact on Emirates’ fleet programme, the Dubai carrier said this week. Emirates has already spent an extra $3 billion for a massive cabin refurbishment programme on 191 of its existing planes, 110 A380 […] October 15, 2024
Transport Plans agreed for Dubai’s skyborne transport system Dubai’s latest transport initiative aims to move people around the city at speeds of up to 120 kilometres an hour, with the intention of automating a quarter of all trips by 2030 and removing thousands of cars from the roads in the process. Plans for Dubai’s Suspended Transport Systems Project were approved earlier this month […] October 15, 2024
Industry Adnoc to complete $3.6bn Fertiglobe stake purchase today State-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is expected to close the acquisition of Amsterdam-based OCI Global’s 50 percent stake plus one share in Fertiglobe on Tuesday after receiving all required approvals. A block trade was initiated on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on October 11, which will settle today. After the stake buyout, […] October 15, 2024
Real Estate World Islands ‘still a decade away from completion’ The multi-billion dollar World Islands off the coast of Dubai will not be complete for another decade at least as logistics and costs stymie development, the man behind its biggest project has revealed. The $14 billion development, originally consisting of 300 man-made islands, was launched by the government-backed property company Nakheel more than 20 years […] October 15, 2024
Trade Clouds clear as DP World seals London Gateway deal UAE port operator DP World has announced that it will go ahead with a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) investment in the UK after days of uncertainty, but the episode should be viewed as a “warning”, an expert has told AGBI. The expansion of DP World’s London Gateway port is intended to make it Britain’s largest […] October 14, 2024
Health Mubadala pharma subsidiary makes four acquisitions from Yas Mubadala Investment Company’s newly acquired subsidiary, Kelix Bio, has bought four pharma assets from Yas Holdings’ healthcare unit, GlobalOne Healthcare Holdings. Kelix Bio purchased Bioventure, Bioventure Healthcare, Gulf Inject and Wellpharma, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala said on Monday. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Mubadala said the four acquisitions would […] October 14, 2024
Logistics UK minister confirms DP World to invest in London Gateway Dubai’s DP World will invest £1 billion ($1.3 billion) in its London Gateway port, business minister Jonathan Reynolds has confirmed. “The investment is going ahead,” business minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News after media reports suggested that DP World executives had threatened to boycott the International Investment Summit on October 14 and refrain from investing in […] October 14, 2024
Trade UAE and Malaysia sign Cepa to increase bilateral trade The UAE and Malaysia have signed a free trade deal, bringing the number of deals the Gulf state has agreed with foreign governments to 12. The comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) will seek to eliminate or reduce tariffs, lower trade barriers, increase private sector collaboration and create new investment opportunities, the two countries said in a […] October 11, 2024
Analysis Lifestyle Christie’s to open new office in Saudi Arabia British auction house Christie’s announced last month that it had received a commercial licence to conduct sales and exhibitions in Saudi Arabia. From its new base in Riyadh it is hoping to tap into a secondary market for luxury goods and state institutions’ growing appetite for art. The company, which has its headquarters in London, […] October 11, 2024
Oil & Gas Adnoc drops plan to upgrade UAE’s only LNG facility An upgrade of the Das Island liquefied natural gas plant has been cancelled by Adnoc Gas, as it shifts priorities towards greenfield developments. “We have a funnel of exciting opportunities in which we can invest while at the same time exercising capital discipline,” Adnoc Gas said. Das Island’s liquefaction and export terminal, the only LNG […] October 11, 2024
Tech UAE and Mitsubishi sign agreement for asteroid belt mission The UAE has signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to provide services for its 2028 mission to the asteroid belt. The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt – the first multiple-asteroid tour and landing mission to the main belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter – will launch the Mohammed Bin Rashid Explorer spacecraft […] October 11, 2024
Banking and Finance Crypto giant OKX bullish on UAE launch Cryptocurrency exchange company OKX has launched operations for retail and institutional investors in the UAE. UAE residents will be able to deposit and withdraw AED from all Emirates bank accounts and trade more than 280 cryptocurrencies and 480 trading pairs. The Seychelles-based crypto trading platform has more than 50 million customers in 200 international markets according […] October 10, 2024
Analysis Banking and Finance Adia’s Thames Water write-off could discourage UK FDI Abu Dhabi’s decision to write off its investment in Thames Water will make international investors more cautious about backing UK projects, despite efforts by the UK government to make its water sector more attractive. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) owned 9.9 percent of the UK’s largest water supplier, but according to reports citing accounts […] October 10, 2024
Transport Hafeet Rail secures $1.5bn loan for UAE-Oman rail link Hafeet Rail, formerly Oman and Etihad Rail Company, has secured funding of $1.5 billion from a consortium of regional and global banks for the 238km railway network. The $2.5 billion Omani-Emirati railway network project is the first link in a unified regional transport and logistics chain and will link five major ports and various industrial and free […] October 10, 2024
Exclusive Banking and Finance Bond issuances to soar this year, says top Dubai banker Emirates NBD Capital, the investment banking unit of Dubai’s top lender, has issued a record number of bonds for its clients this year as corporate and sovereign borrowers shrug off historically high interest rates and geopolitical uncertainties. The Emirates NBD subsidiary launched operations in 2007. Today, it has eight full-time employees in its Dubai office […] October 10, 2024
Banking and Finance UAE VAT exemptions to boost funds, crypto and FDI New exemptions by the UAE on value added tax for investment funds and digital or crypto-related services will strengthen the Gulf state’s position as a financial hub and help attract more foreign business, experts have said. The Federal Tax Authority’s amendments announced this week exempt the management of investment funds from 5 percent VAT from […] October 9, 2024
Gaming Wynn Resorts says UAE site will earn $1bn in gaming revenue Wynn Resorts estimates that gaming revenue from its forthcoming resort in Ras Al Khaimah will be between $1 billion and $1.66 billion, it revealed at an investor presentation. The range assumes a UAE market size of $3 billion to $5 billion and Wynn’s 33 percent share of it, based on two more integrated resorts eventually […] October 9, 2024
Tourism Holiday homes fend off competition from Dubai’s hotels The number of holiday home listings in Dubai hit 18,000 in August, up 38 percent year on year, as investors look to capitalise on the emirate’s popular tourism industry. The mix of short and long-term lets are most favoured in hotspots such as Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai and Business Bay, according to the […] October 9, 2024
