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 & 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
Abu Dhabi Borouge’s $2 billion IPO set to be ADX’s biggest Abu Dhabi-based petrochemicals company Borouge raised more than $2 billion on Tuesday after demand for its initial public offering topped $83.4 billion. The shares are due to start trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on Friday under the symbol BOROUGE, the largest listing to date on the exchange which has seen a string […] May 31, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Gulf SWFs are back on a roll but beware Russian ties Buoyant oil prices are keeping Gulf treasuries full following the pandemic The past few years may have been decidedly mixed for Gulf sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), but with a recent surge in oil prices and lockdowns ending the pressure is now easing. During the Covid-19 pandemic many funds found their reserves heavily depleted by governments […] May 31, 2022
Israel’s long-awaited sovereign wealth fund to start on June 1 Israel’s long-delayed sovereign wealth fund can begin operating on June 1 now taxes on profits from natural gas have passed 1 billion shekels ($301 million), the country’s Finance Ministry and Tax Authority said on Monday. Finance minister Avigdor Lieberman will sign an order to transfer 1.14 billion shekels in levies to the fund on Wednesday, […] May 30, 2022
Analysis Banking & 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
Exclusive Banking & 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
Turkey to receive $500m from World Bank for COVID-19 vaccines The World Bank said on Thursday that its board had approved $500 million in additional financing to support Turkey in its efforts to fight against COVID-19. The funds, which will have a maturity of 10.5 years with a five-year grace period, will be used to ensure access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in Turkey, […] May 27, 2022
Banking & Finance Abu Dhabi’s first SPAC lists, raising $100m from share sale Abu Dhabi’s first special-purpose acquisition company listed today, raising $100 million in the share sale, its co-owners said. ADC, owned by state investor ADQ and Chimera Investment, will identify scalable businesses with strong management teams and acquire one or more businesses, the statement said. Shares of ADC were trading at 10.50 dirhams, up from an […] May 27, 2022
Banking & 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
Banking & Finance Tough year lies ahead for MENA, warns IMF The MENA region faces “uncertain” economic prospects this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “2022 is a very important year for the MENA region,” said Jihad Azour, director, Middle East and Central Asia Department at the IMF. “Policies are going to be very important and we are going to see challenges arising from the […] May 27, 2022
Banking & Finance Cryptocurrencies face regulation to avoid illicit dealings Cryptocurrency firms, many of which lined the main street in Davos this week, were told they will need to clean up their act before gaining complete acceptance from the World Economic Forum’s old guard. “The future of crypto, I’m sorry to say, looks regulated to me,” said Nela Richardson, senior vice president and chief economist […] May 27, 2022
Exclusive Banking & Finance UK $350m venture capital fund sees Dubai on the Horizon Founder of London-based Digital Horizon targets investment potential in UAE startups London-based venture capital fund Digital Horizon is targeting the UAE for growth, with investments in its first Dubai-based startups expected to be completed later this year. Alan Vaksman, founder and general partner of Digital Horizon, which has $350 million of assets under its management, […] May 26, 2022
Analysis Qatar promise may trigger deluge of Gulf investments in UK More Gulf sovereign wealth funds could make huge investments in the United Kingdom following a £10 billion commitment from Qatar. On Tuesday the UK and Qatar signed a new Strategic Investment Partnership which will see the emir state invest billions over the next five years in key sectors of the UK economy including fintech, zero […] May 26, 2022
Banking & Finance Saudi firms lead MENA IPO charge amid global gloom Initial public offering (IPO) activity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is bucking global trends, with investors rushing to take opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Despite uncertainties affecting the global IPO outlook – including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict – the MENA region saw a 400 percent year-on-year increase in the number […] May 25, 2022
Banking & Finance World’s first carbon credit exchange boosts green projects Abu Dhabi Global Market pioneers the milestone exchange allowing companies to trade carbon credits like conventional financial assets The launch of the world’s first regulated carbon credit exchange and clearing house to regulate carbon credits will help mobilise capital for renewable energy projects in the MENA region. It will also help companies reach their decarbonisation […] May 25, 2022
Banking & Finance Qatar sovereign wealth fund can’t exit Russia The Qatar Investment Authority cannot exit the Russian market and is waiting to assess its position there because of the Ukraine crisis, one of the sovereign wealth fund’s chief investment officers said yesterday. Moscow placed restrictions on foreign investors trading Russian assets in March, saying it wanted to ensure decisions to exit were considered and […] May 25, 2022
Banking & Finance Dubai among lead managers of Indonesia’s biggest Islamic bond Indonesia has raised $3.25 billion by selling US dollar-denominated Islamic bonds with 5-year and 10-year tenures, the country’s biggest global sukuk issuance, the finance ministry said today. The 5-year notes carry a coupon of 4.40 percent, while the 10-year notes have a 4.70 percent coupon, below the sovereign’s initial price guidance, it said in a […] May 25, 2022
Zelensky tells Davos the world is ‘at a turning point’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed global business leaders at Davos on Monday, telling them the world faced a turning point and had to ramp up sanctions against Russia as a warning to other countries considering using brute force. “History is at a turning point… This is really the moment when it is decided whether brute […] May 23, 2022
Banking & Finance Oman’s wealth fund considers IPO for water company Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), is considering a public share sale for water company Majis Industrial Services. The OIA has invited banks to pitch for roles in Majis’s initial public offering, said two sources, declining to be named. The OIA and Majis did not respond to Reuters’s requests for comment. The […] May 23, 2022
Banking & Finance Abu Dhabi investors to plough $200m into Borouge IPO Alpha Dhabi, IHC and Multiply Group plan to invest in the plastics maker, which is set to list on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange on June 3 May 23, 2022
