Economy Qatar calls for greater GCC cooperation as it diversifies economy Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund will continue a policy of diversification, investing in Central Asia and Africa, but Gulf countries need to do more to unify their economic growth plans to face rising geopolitical risks, Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday. “Our focus in terms of the sovereign wealth fund and investment continues following the strategy […] 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
Finance Hong Kong plans fund on Saudi stock exchange Officials in Hong Kong are planning to set up an exchange-traded fund with Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange, as Middle East investors increasingly go “bargain hunting” in the Asian city state to take advantage of lower valuations. An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is an investment fund traded on regulated stock exchanges, much like individual stocks are bought and […] May 10, 2024
Analysis Economy Saudi Arabia grapples with new penal code A legislative committee is grappling with the text of a new penal code which could cement — or jeopardise — the gains made by Saudi Arabia after it introduced a new commercial law code last year. The kingdom is trying to shake off a reputation for opaque and arbitrary justice to meet ambitious tourism and […] May 10, 2024
Economy Egyptian businesses yet to feel effect of $60bn new funding The close to $60 billion in new funding announced for Egypt in recent months has yet to trickle down to average business people in the country, according to the results of a new monthly survey. Difficult market conditions in Egypt continued in April as the monthly S&P Global Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) slid from 47.6 […] May 9, 2024
Economy Saudi budget deficit rises fourfold in Q1 2024 Saudi Arabia recorded a budget deficit in the first quarter of 2024 of SAR12.4 billion ($3.3 billion), four times higher than a year ago – confirming a revenue squeeze that has raised doubts about the funding of some of the kingdom’s giga-projects. The Q1 deficit in 2023 was SAR2.92 billion, the finance ministry’s quarterly budget […] May 6, 2024
Economy Egypt’s outlook revised up as external financial risks ease Fitch Ratings has upgraded Egypt’s outlook to “positive” from “stable” citing lower external financing risks and increased foreign capital inflow. The $35 billion Ras El-Hekma deal with the UAE, a flexible exchange rate, and tightening of monetary policy have reduced near-term external financing risks, the global rating agency said in a report. “The Ras El-Hekma investment underscores the […] May 6, 2024
Opinion Economy In times of conflict, spare a thought for the non-Gulf economies Confidence and growth have taken hits – but the tide is turning for some nations, if not all May 3, 2024
Economy Flooding dents UAE business confidence but optimism remains Business and consumer confidence in the UAE was hamstrung by last month’s heavy rain and flooding, leading to the slowest increase in orders since February 2023, according to a business sentiment survey published on Friday. Private business activity in the non-oil sector still showed significant growth in April amid a “robust” economic landscape and the […] May 3, 2024
Economy Lebanon to receive $1bn in financial aid from the EU A financial aid package for Lebanon from the EU valued at more than $1 billion was announced on Thursday by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. The money, most of which will be grants, will be made available over the next three years. Some will go towards helping to control the flow of […] May 2, 2024
Opinion Economy Is it back to the 1970s as global macro storm clouds loom? Even the rises in US Treasury bond yields and dollar have not derailed the bull market in gold May 2, 2024
Economy Saudi economy contracts for third quarter in a row Saudi Arabia’s economy contracted by 1.8 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2024, while growth in non-oil activities slowed to its lowest rate in a year, statistics released this week show. The country’s GDP fell for the third quarter in a row, although the drop eased from the 4.3 percent contraction in […] May 1, 2024
Economy Demand for gold soars as Turkish investors seek safe haven Rampant inflation, a weakening currency and geopolitical tensions are boosting demand for gold in Turkey, according to a World Gold Council report published on Tuesday. Turkey’s annual inflation hit a 16-month peak of 69 percent in March, with the central bank’s aggressive interest rate rises doing little to slow the pace of consumer price increases. […] May 1, 2024
Economy Turkey secures $6bn from Islamic Development Bank Turkey has secured $6.3 billion in funding over the next two years from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group to support its economic development. The facility will support sectors such as education, health, transport, finance, agriculture, industry, energy and infrastructure, state-run Anadolu Agency said, quoting Turkey’s treasury and finance minister Mehmet Şimşek. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered straight […] April 30, 2024
Real Estate Aldar’s Egyptian sales unhindered by war and economic risk Real estate developer Aldar says geopolitical and economic volatility is not affecting its expansion in Egypt. The Abu Dhabi-listed company acquired its Egyptian subsidiary Sodic in December 2021. Since then, sales have risen by more than 50 percent on a dollar-basis, Faisal Falaknaz, Aldar’s chief finance and sustainability officer, told reporters on Monday. “What has […] April 30, 2024
Video length: 02:46 Opinion Economy Davos really comes to the desert as the WEF arrives in Riyadh There were elephants – and camels – in the room at the World Economic Forum event April 29, 2024
Finance EU reveals total aid to North Africa to combat migration The European Union provided €673 million ($718 million) in funding to four North African countries from 2021-23 to help the quartet reduce what it calls irregular migration to the 27-member bloc, official data shows. Last year about 270,000 “irregular migrants” arrived in the EU via sea crossings, 64 percent more than in 2022. Crossings from […] April 28, 2024
Opinion Economy Asset freeze on Libyan wealth fund at least keeps it safe Smart sanctions may well put the Libyan people’s money at risk April 26, 2024
Economy ‘Worst is behind us’ in Egypt’s black market dollar war says BMI The Egyptian government’s priority for 2024 should be to keep the gap between the official and parallel exchange rates for Egypt’s pound and the US dollar as narrow as possible, says BMI Research. In a webinar on Tuesday BMI, a Fitch Group firm specialised in country risk, said that “the worst is behind us” in […] April 23, 2024
Economy Saudi Arabia world’s fifth biggest arms buyer in 2023 Saudi Arabia remains the world’s fifth largest arms buyer, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank’s latest report said that Saudi Arabia spent $76 billion on arms in 2023, a 4 percent increase on the previous year, making it the biggest spender after the US, China, Russia and India. The kingdom’s […] April 23, 2024
Banking and Finance Saudi fund agrees $67m deal to support Omani SMEs The Saudi Fund for Development in Oman has signed an OR 25 million ($67 million) deal with the Oman Development Bank to finance startups and create more jobs for the sultanate’s youth. The agreement is part of a wider $150 million package of support provided by the Saudi government through the fund, which offers loans […] April 22, 2024
Opinion Economy Shanghai’s enterprising spirit is China’s best hope Returning to the city 20 years after his first visit, our columnist is still bowled over by its dynamism April 22, 2024
