Analysis Real Estate Marbella beckons for Abu Dhabi real estate developers A joint venture with a high-end Spanish residential developer has been launched by two Abu Dhabi real estate companies to build ten hectares of luxury homes in the Golden Mile, a premier area in Marbella. The deal with Mabel Real Estate to co-build Mabel Marbella Residences is the first luxury project in Europe for Bloom […] May 16, 2024
Education Dubai’s Amanat moves ahead with education platform IPO Amanat Holdings is planning for a potential initial public offering (IPO) of its education platform. The Dubai-listed healthcare and education investment company aims to monetise its education platform by creating a new holding company. Advisors have been appointed to explore the monetisation options to unlock significant shareholder value, the company said in a Dubai Finanical Market filing […] May 16, 2024
Aviation UAE wealth fund in $4bn bid to privatise Malaysian airport A consortium that includes the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has announced a voluntary offer to acquire all the shares in Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) for nearly $4 billion. The other consortium partners are Malaysian government-backed Khazanah Nasional and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and New York-headquartered Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Upon completion of the offer, Khazanah ownership stake in MAHB […] May 16, 2024
Logistics DP World’s $142m projects enhance Romania’s trade links The global ports operator DP World has opened three new sites in Romania with an investment of €130 million ($142 million), enhancing the country’s growing status as a key trade hub in Europe. Two new facilities were opened in Constanta, the largest container port on the Black Sea, following a €65 million investment. These include a five-hectare cargo […] May 16, 2024
Finance Dubai tops ‘greenfield’ FDI ranking for third year Dubai is the world’s top location for “greenfield” foreign direct investment for the third consecutive year, according to fDi Markets. A total of 1,070 greenfield FDI projects, where a company sets up in a foreign country, building its facilities from the ground up, were reported in Dubai in 2023. This was more than double the […] May 15, 2024
ANALYSIS Tourism Travel startups seen as ‘high risk’ by VC investors The co-founder and CEO of Dharma, an Abu Dhabi business travel management platform, has claimed the tourism sector isn’t seen as attractive enough for investors. Dharma, which was one of the first startups accepted into Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 incubation programme, closed a $4.7 million Series A funding round last year. “I think for venture capital […] May 15, 2024
Energy Profit at Abu Dhabi’s Taqa falls 82% on one-off items Net profit at Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) dropped 82 percent to AED2.1 billion ($572 million) in the first quarter of 2024, from AED11.6 billion a year ago. Taqa’s fall in profit was attributed to one-off items recognised in 2023. Net income at Taqa, excluding the one-off items, increased by AED100 million, 6.9 percent […] May 15, 2024
Real Estate Dubai’s Emaar sets quarterly sales record of $3.7bn Dubai-listed Emaar Properties reported its highest-ever quarterly sales, driven by sustained real estate demand in the emirate. Sales surged 47 percent year on year to AED13.5 billion ($3.7 billion), the developer said in a statement. Despite a 9 percent decline in net profit year on year to nearly AED3 billion, net profit before tax rose 16 percent […] May 15, 2024
Aviation Dnata CEO confident of victory in Rome airport case The group CEO of Dnata, the Dubai-based global air and travel services provider, is “very confident” the company will soon begin operations in Rome. “We’re certainly planning to be operating this year,” Steve Allen told AGBI at a media event on Tuesday, referring to an appeal ruling on the decision to award ground-handling contracts due […] May 14, 2024
Economy Egypt receives second tranche of UAE’s $35bn investment Egyptian authorities have received the second tranche of a $35 billion investment from the UAE, local media reported on Tuesday. The payment secures the right of Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ to develop the land of Ras El Hekma on Egypt’s north coast. The $20 billion tranche consists of $14 billion fresh money and […] May 14, 2024
Food & Drink ADIA consortium bids for stake in India’s largest snack maker A consortium including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has submitted a bid to acquire a controlling stake in the snacks business of India’s Haldiram, according to a media report. The consortium, which also include US-based alternative asset manager Blackstone and GIC of Singapore, aims to secure 75 percent of the Indian company’s snacks unit, valuing it […] May 14, 2024
Retail Dubai’s Spinneys plans Saudi entry as profit rises 13% First quarter 2024 net profit at Spinneys rose 13 percent year on year to AED75 million ($20.4 million) as it targets opening its first stores in Saudi Arabia. Revenue grew by 11 percent annually to AED815 million over the period, driven by higher retail revenue, the supermarket operator said in its first quarterly results after listing […] May 14, 2024
Logistics AD Ports Q1 revenue doubles on robust business growth Revenue for the first quarter of 2024 at the UAE’s AD Ports Group more than doubled year on year to AED3.9 billion ($1.1 billion). The topline was supported by its maritime and shipping, ports and logistics divisions. Mergers and acquisitions, including that of Spanish integrated logistics company Noatum and Dubai container shipping company Global Feeder […] May 14, 2024
Transport Air Arabia profit falls 22% amid fuel and currency woes UAE carrier Air Arabia reported a 22 percent decline in net profit for the first quarter of 2024 compared with the previous year. It cited challenges such as fuel price fluctuations, currency volatility and a shift in seasonality as a result of Ramadan. The low-cost carrier reported earnings of AED266 million ($71 million) for the first three months of […] May 14, 2024
Video length: 08:25 exclusive Banking and Finance Rate of debt skipping falls 90% at Dubai’s biggest bank There has been a dramatic decline in the number of people leaving the country to avoid debt obligations to UAE banks. The fall in so-called “skips” is a result of the Gulf state’s introduction of legal reforms such as the decriminalisation of bounced cheques, and new insolvency and bankruptcy laws, experts said. In the past […] May 14, 2024
Opinion Mining The Gulf has solid reasons to intervene in BHP’s bid for Anglo Anglo's board has rejected two offers. A 'white knight' could step in – and become a force in mining May 13, 2024
Oil & Gas Mubadala Energy makes second gas discovery off Indonesia Mubadala Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi wealth fund Mubadala, has made a significant deep-sea gas discovery in Indonesia’s South Andaman Block. The Tangkulo-1 exploration well was drilled about 65 kilometres off North Sumatra and has an estimated capacity of 80 million-100 million cubic feet per day and over 2,000 barrels of condensate. […] May 13, 2024
Aviation Dubai to receive $1bn dividend after record Emirates profits Emirates Group will pay more than $1 billion in dividends to its owner, the Investment Corporation of Dubai sovereign wealth fund, after it announced record profits of just over $5 billion for the year. The holding group includes Dubai-based flag carrier Emirates and aircraft and airport services company Dnata. It repaid $596 million from the […] May 13, 2024
Real Estate Overseas buyers dominate in Sharjah’s reformed real estate Overseas buyers in Arada’s two mega-developments in Sharjah have vastly outnumbered locals in the year-and-a-half since the emirate expanded full real estate ownership rights to non-GCC nationals. From when Aljada, Sharjah’s biggest mixed-use project, launched in 2017 until the land reform of late October 2022, Emirati nationals bought more than 63 percent of the value […] May 13, 2024
Transport Dubai road toll revenue hits $153m as tourism flourishes Revenue generated by Dubai’s road toll operator Salik rose 8 percent year on year to AED562 million ($153 million) in the first quarter of 2024, as the number of tourists to the city continues to rise. There were 122 million revenue-generating trips through eight toll gates in the first three months of the year. Net profit […] May 13, 2024
