Analysis The Ukraine war is pushing up insurance premiums everywhere An EU/UK plan to ban their insurers from providing cover to ships transporting Russian oil is causing tensions with Washington. America contends that Europe’s dominance of global insurance will make it difficult for Russia to export oil if this goes ahead, potentially pushing oil prices far higher than they are already. Yet this may not […] June 21, 2022
Turkey proposes $57bn extra budget to tackle rising costs Turkey’s government has submitted a proposal to parliament for a supplementary budget of some 1 trillion lira ($57.74 billion) to cover rising costs of tackling a currency slide, soaring energy prices and rampant inflation, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Monday. Sources had told Reuters this month that Ankara was mulling pushing a supplemetary […] June 21, 2022
Gulf sovereign funds sign deals to spur investment in Africa Three Gulf sovereign funds signed a deal on Monday in Rabat with nine African peers to promote investment on the continent. The deal was signed by Abu Dhabi’s Investment Authority and holding firm ADQ in addition to Kuwait’s Investment Authority on the sidelines of the first meeting of Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF), a platform […] June 21, 2022
Moody’s to shut Moscow office, relocate some staff to Dubai Credit rating firm Moody’s will formally shut its office in Russia’s capital Moscow at the end of the month, sources told Reuters, with staff either being cut or relocated elsewhere. Western sanctions mean the main US and European-based rating agencies Moody’s, S&P Global and Fitch have all suspended their operations in Russia and withdrawn their […] June 21, 2022
UAE to build port in Sudan as part of $6bn investment package The United Arab Emirates will build a new Red Sea port in Sudan, as part of a $6 billion investment package, said DAL group chairman Osama Daoud Abdellatif, a partner in the deal which marks the first major foreign investment since the military took power in an October coup. Abdellatif said the package includes a […] June 21, 2022
Tourism Turkish Airlines mulls IPOs, joint ventures for cargo business Turkish Airlines is considering joint ventures and initial public offerings for its cargo business and regional carrier as it weighs up options to grow both internally and through deals, the chairman of Turkey’s national airline said. The airline also plans to participate in international bond markets, including issuing Eurobonds, to finance future investments and growth, […] June 20, 2022
Tunisian party will not accept terms of $4bn IMF loan One of Tunisia’s main political parties, the Constitutional Free Party, said on Sunday it would not recognise any agreement that Tunis makes with international lenders in exchange for unpopular reforms, the latest threat to a possible deal with the International Monetary Fund. The director of the Middle East at the IMF, Jihad Azour, will visit […] June 20, 2022
Banking & Finance HSBC Oman to hold talks on possible merger offer HSBC Bank Oman said on Sunday it would hold preliminary talks with local rival Sohar International Bank after the latter last week held out the possibility of a cash-and-shares deal to merge the two lenders. In a statement the unit of UK-based HSBC Holdings said it had considered the letter of intent it received from […] June 20, 2022
Internet Explorer gravestone goes viral in South Korea For Jung Ki-young, a South Korean software engineer, Microsoft Corp’s decision to retire its Internet Explorer web browser marked the end of a quarter-century love-hate relationship with the technology. To commemorate its demise, he spent a month and 430,000 won ($330) designing and ordering a headstone with Explorer’s “e” logo and the English epitaph: “He […] June 17, 2022
Top US Treasury official to visit Turkey for talks US Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo will visit Turkey next week and hold talks with top central bank and finance ministry officials, two sources said on Friday. One person, requesting anonymity because plans are still private, told Reuters that Adeyemo will meet both Finance Minister Nuredden Nebati and Central Bank Governor Sahap Kavcioglu. A central […] June 17, 2022
Analysis Forget the gloom, startup funding will bounce back The global slowdown in venture capital funding for startups has spread to the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), with May proving to be lowest month so far this year. But local experts believe that while new trends are emerging within the sector, it will rebound quickly in the second half of the year. Global […] June 17, 2022
Private equity firms face ‘perfect storm’ as market turmoil bites Private equity investors gathered in Berlin at their annual get-together are fretting a season of record buyouts is drawing to a close after a week of market turmoil and recession fears as central banks across Europe have hiked interest rates. Cash-rich buyout funds are set to face higher financing costs to get their deals to […] June 17, 2022
Ukraine receives first funds through IMF account Ukraine has received a loan of one billion Canadian dollars ($770 million) on concessional terms, its first funds through an “administered account” set up by the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Friday. “Grateful to…(Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland) for support & comprehensive assistance to Ukraine in the fight against the […] June 17, 2022
Egypt dominates Mena startup funding rankings in May The amount of funding raised by startups in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) rose 62.7 percent year-on-year in May. But it still declined 40 percent month-on-month to record the lowest monthly amount so far this year, according to data compiled by Wamda, the largest early-stage investment fund in the Middle East. A total […] June 17, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Fed hike hits Gulf stocks as well as price of food and property Gulf stock markets quickly reacted negatively this morning to the announcement that local central banks were to follow the US Federal Reserve and hike interest rates, in a bid to curb inflation and rising costs. AGBI spoke to experts across the business community to see how the move will impact everyone from property developers and […] June 16, 2022
Analysis Mena region has record year for startup investment The geographic location of the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) provides access to large markets in Europe, Africa and Asia, and is home to a large, young population. In a context of geopolitical instability and high unemployment, many of these young people are increasingly seeking new opportunities and looking to improve the world via […] June 16, 2022
IPO expected for Dubai road toll operator Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Wednesday issued a new law establishing road toll operator Salik as a public joint stock company (PJSC), paving the way for a potential initial public offering (IPO). According to the law, Salik Company PJSC will have a term of 99 years, starting from the date of […] June 15, 2022
Opinion Banking & Finance Bahrain – and the world – needs a centrally-owned digital currency The Bahraini government aims to foster a digitalisation culture and set a framework for the e-economy June 15, 2022
Banking & Finance Egypt in ‘race against time’ with privatisation drive Egypt’s economy is facing a perfect storm of economic headwinds. While its currency is plummeting, its budget deficit is rising along with its borrowing costs. In an effort to counter rapidly growing external imbalances, Egypt’s government devalued its currency, the Egyptian pound, by 10 percent in March and subsequently requested a support package from the […] June 15, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Foreign government workers to benefit from new saving scheme A new savings scheme for foreign employees working in Dubai Government, which aims to enhance the end-of-service benefits system, is set to come into effect on July 1. Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the entity responsible for supervising the implementation of the Savings Scheme for Foreign Employees in the Government of Dubai, has held several […] June 15, 2022
Banking & Finance Digital banking platform Revolut launches in Oman Digital banking platform Revolut said it was launching a streamlined version of its app in Sri Lanka, Chile, Ecuador, Azerbaijan and Oman, allowing customers to transfer money to over 50 countries using more than 30 currencies. The London-based company said there would be no fee for customers transferring to other Revolut customers, while transfers to […] June 15, 2022
Banking & Finance The Prince and the PIF: The way ahead for Saudi’s top investor The prince who’s the international face of Saudi business may no longer be able to call all the shots. For years, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Saudi Arabia’s self-styled Warren Buffett, has made hundreds of millions of dollars by investing in companies from Citigroup to Uber to Twitter with almost complete autonomy. Now, his Kingdom Holding […] June 15, 2022
