Sustainability Climate transition galvanises ties between UAE and France Climate transition is becoming a central focus of economic cooperation between the UAE and France as the countries agreed to establish a “Bilateral Climate Investment Platform”. The platform aims to accelerate joint projects and investments in clean energy sectors, with a particular focus on advancing the decarbonisation of industries such as steel, cement and petrochemicals. […] February 22, 2024
Banking & Finance Saudi remittances fall as expats invest domestically Expatriate remittances from Saudi Arabia have fallen over the past two years, despite a rise in the number of overseas workers needed to develop the kingdom’s slate of huge giga-projects. Some experts have predicted the slump in funds sent back home could be as a result of improved investment opportunities inside the kingdom. Yearly remittances […] February 22, 2024
Renewable Energy Dewa and Masdar secure funding for sixth phase of solar park Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy major Masdar have achieved the financial closing of the 1,800-megawatt (MW) sixth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The funding has been jointly provided by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered […] February 22, 2024
Banking & Finance HSBC’s Middle East unit increases lending in Q4 HSBC’s Middle East subsidiary expanded its loan book in the fourth quarter, outperforming the bank’s other units. Customer lending at HSBC Bank Middle East was $20 billion on December 31, up $1.6 billion, or 8 percent, on three months earlier. Worldwide, HSBC’s customer lending fell by 2 percent over the same period. The Middle East […] February 21, 2024
Economy Financial services help Bahrain to record $1.7bn in investments Bahrain attracted more than $1.7 billion in investments last year through its government-backed investment company. The financial services sector was the main driver. The figure, released by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, was 55 percent up on 2022. The investments covered 85 local and international projects, which are forecast to create 5,700 jobs in Bahrain […] February 21, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Gulf’s neobanks must hone the user experience Digital banking in the region must learn from European pioneers and innovate further February 20, 2024
Banking & Finance VC firm Shorooq focuses on AI, biotech and gaming Venture capital company Shorooq Partners will target companies specialising in sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotech and gaming, a senior executive told AGBI. Shorooq is based in Abu Dhabi and manages about $350 million in assets and invests in startups in the Middle East and North Africa and beyond. It is focused on on fintech […] February 20, 2024
Analysis Economy Lebanon’s EDL harnesses the power of ‘dollarisation’ Lebanese citizens will soon be able to pay their electricity bills in US dollars as the unofficial “dollarisation” of the nation’s economy continues. The decision by Électricité du Liban (EDL) to allow customers to choose to pay their bills in USD instead of Lebanese lira was ratified by the electricity provider’s board of governors this […] February 20, 2024
Sustainability UAE climate fund aims to mobilise $250bn by 2030 Altérra, a $30 billion climate-focused fund set up by the UAE and asset managers BlackRock, TPG and Brookfield, aims to catalyse the investment of $250 billion of private capital by 2030, its chief executive said. “The vision for Altérra was borne out of the Cop28 agenda for how to make climate finance more available, accessible […] February 19, 2024
Banking & Finance Rothschild’s Saudi office signals vote for Riyadh Rothschild & Co has opened an office in Saudi Arabia, giving a vote of confidence in the country’s massive economic development plans. The investment bank’s office in Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District will manage advisory services including mergers and acquisitions, debt advisory and restructuring and private equity. Nasser Al Issa, managing director of the Saudi […] February 19, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Rothschild move confirms the new allure of Riyadh Rothschild will be one of the few foreign banks to set up so far in KAFD February 19, 2024
Banking & Finance Finance free zone takes action against greenwashing A clampdown on greenwashing by “bad actors” trying to enter the fast-growing sustainable finance industry is underway in the UAE financial free zone Abu Dhabi Global Market. Greenwashing is the use of deceptive marketing by companies to persuade investors and the public that their products, aims and policies are environmentally friendly. “The challenge is [creating] […] February 16, 2024
Banking & Finance Not yet time to write off UAE cheque payments Cheque books are on their way out in the UAE, but experts have said there is still some way to go before they are signed off for good. The number of cheques cleared through the country’s banks has fallen from 26 million in 2019 to just over 20 million for the first 11 months of […] February 16, 2024
Finance Record occupancy at DIFC despite Riyadh’s HQ drive Occupancy levels in Dubai’s International Financial Centre (DIFC) have risen significantly in the last year, despite strong competition from neighbouring Saudi Arabia. “The fastest growth we ever witnessed in the DIFC has been in the last three or four years,” Essa Kazim, the DIFC governor, told a media briefing on Thursday. He revealed that the […] February 15, 2024
Banking & Finance Saudi Arabia raises $230m from its first savings product Subscriptions to the first round of the Saudi government’s sukuk savings product reached SAR861 million ($229.6 million), the National Debt Management Center (NDMC) said. The total number of savers for the sukuk product stood at 35,000, with the yield set at 5.64 percent, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The sukuk maturity date is February […] February 15, 2024
Banking & Finance Emirates NBD wins first UAE green bond fee waiver Emirates NBD has become the first financial institution to benefit from a fee waiver intended to boost sustainability-related debt security issuances in the UAE. The Dubai Financial Services Authority, which announced the green bond fee waiver during the Cop28 summit last year, said more financial institutions were submitting applications to benefit from the scheme. However, […] February 15, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Banks swap bricks and mortar for clicks and torture Fuelled by the ill effects of the Covid pandemic, everything in retail banking has gone digital February 14, 2024
Finance Remittances to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia and UAE reach $6.5bn Total remittances from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Pakistan reached $6.5 billion between July 2023 and January 2024, a Pakistani local daily reported. Saudi Arabia led the list of nations with remittance inflows to Pakistan, reaching nearly $4 billion in the first seven months of fiscal year 2024, Dawn news outlet reported, citing State […] February 14, 2024
Finance Al Ansari profit falls 16% as remittance takes a hit UAE remittance and foreign exchange house Al Ansari Financial Services reported a 16 percent year on year decline in profit due to a drop in the remittance segment and increased expenses. The company reported a net profit of AED495 million for 2023, hoping the newly announced remittance fee hike will help offset costs and strengthen […] February 14, 2024
Finance Ooredoo’s 2023 profit reaches all-time high of $824m Qatari telecom major Ooredoo reported an all-time high net profit of QAR3 billion ($824 million) in 2023, up 28 percent year on year thanks to solid performances in Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria and the Maldives. Revenue increased by two percent year on year to QAR23.2 billion, the company, which trades on the Qatar stock exchange, said […] February 13, 2024
Banking & Finance Investcorp stays cool on digital assets Investcorp, the Gulf region’s largest alternative investment company, will not be turning to digital assets to boost its bottom line in the short term. The Bahrain company’s Abu Dhabi-listed Investcorp Capital invested more than $639 million in the first half of its financial year to December 31, 2023. The company’s latest financial reports revealed a […] February 13, 2024
Banking & Finance UAE remittance fee to rise 15% for first time in five years UAE foreign exchange and remittance houses have received permission for a minimum increase of 15 percent, or AED2.50, for the first time in five years. This is the first “optional” fee increase due to the evolving regulatory landscape and related cost increases, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported, citing the Foreign Exchange and Remittance […] February 13, 2024
