Banking & Finance School operator Taaleem up next in string of Dubai IPOs UAE schools operator Taaleem Holdings is the latest in Dubai’s string of initial public offerings (IPOs) as the emirate continues to open up key state-owned assets for investment. Dubai’s privatisation drive this year to raise revenue and boost investor interest includes the listing of 18 percent of utility company Dewa on the Dubai Financial Market. It […] November 18, 2022
Opinion Tech The digital world increasingly feeds into the real world Gaming and digital innovations are feeding into the real world with the rise of trends from virtual status symbols to mentor and mentee connections November 14, 2022
Dubai school operator Taaleem sets IPO price range Dubai schools operator Taaleem Holdings has announced a price range of between AED2.95 and AED3 ($0.80- 0.82) per share for its upcoming initial public offering. The company plans to list up to 25.32 percent of its share capital with the set price range implying a market capitalisation of between AED2.96 billion and AED3 billion at […] November 10, 2022
Analysis Construction Private sector urged to step up to build homes, schools and clinics The GCC’s private sector should carve itself a bigger role in infrastructure delivery, according to Cyril Lincoln, executive vice president and global head of real estate, finance and advisory at Dubai-based Mashreq Bank. There is plenty of work to go around: the region has more than $121 billion of so-called social infrastructure projects planned or […] November 7, 2022
UAE’s Taaleem to raise $204m from IPO on Dubai bourse Taaleem Holdings, the UAE-based K-12 premium education provider with 26 schools, will launch an initial public offering on the Dubai Financial Market to raise AED 750 million ($204.19 million) to expand its network. The company will offer 10 percent of its shares to retail investors starting November 10 and 88 percent to professional investors on […] October 31, 2022
EXCLUSIVE English language skills top of learning list for UAE workers An online course in English for career development from the University of Pennsylvania has emerged as the most popular course in the Mena region and among the top five courses in Gulf countries. In addition, a course in how to write professional emails in English from the Georgia Institute of Technology ranked among the five […] October 30, 2022
Exclusive Interviews ‘The metaverse can change the way we school our children’ Some schools still rely on more traditional teaching methods but an Emirati entrepreneur believes the metaverse has the potential to extend the physical classroom experience. Using blended learning options such as augmented and virtual reality technologies, Amin Al Zarouni, CEO of UAE-based Web3 company Bedu, is aiming to give the Gulf’s education system an overhaul. […] October 23, 2022
Dubai’s GEMS Education owners mull $6bn stake sale UAE-based private school operator GEMS Education is planning to sell a controlling stake in the business or a market listing in a potential exit route, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and GEMS founder Sunny Varkey may sell their stakes, which could be valued at as much […] September 27, 2022
Analysis Class act: UAE is a magnet for private school investment The post-pandemic rise in migration to the UAE is fuelling demand for private schools, making the Emirates a “magnet” for investors and school operators, industry experts have said. The UAE’s population grew by one percent in 2021, according to the World Bank. The country’s population currently stands at 9.89 million people and is projected to […] September 2, 2022
Analysis Retail Back-to-school is big business after home learning era The 2022 back-to-school season is forecast to be the best in history – and it’s typically the second biggest spending event for parents globally, behind holiday expenditures. Parents are forecast to spend a record amount this year, in a bid to treat their children, after two years of coronavirus pandemic uncertainty brought normal school life […] August 30, 2022
Energy Aldar says retrofit project to save $11m per year in energy costs Abu Dhabi-listed Aldar Properties’ retrofit project will save AED 40 million ($10.89 million) per year in energy consumption costs, with the developer reporting it reduced energy consumption by 20 percent in 2021. In its 2021 Sustainability Report, the company said that the group’s retrofit project is the largest of its kind in the UAE and […] August 24, 2022
LONG READ Business of Sport Saudi Arabia’s next goal: women’s sport Likely Saudi investment in an overseas women’s football team Kingdom may fund other sports such as athletics Sector’s contribution to Saudi GDP is $7bn Just five years ago, Saudi women were banned from watching football at stadiums. Fast forward to 2022 and Saudi Arabia has officially announced its intention to bid for the 2026 AFC […] August 13, 2022
Analysis Economy Mixed reception for UAE’s Golden Visa discount programme Some experts accuse initiative of being mere ‘window dressing,’ while others praise its ingenuity Dubai has bolstered its Golden Visa scheme with associated discounts to help attract high-level entrepreneurs, doctors, academics and creatives to its shores. The government announced this week that it would provide its Esaad privilege card – originally only for public sector employees […] July 21, 2022
Exclusive Retail Vision giant Magrabi eyes IPO and global expansion Magrabi Retail could be set for international expansion and an upcoming IPO, according to Amin Magrabi, CEO of the Middle Eastern ocular powerhouse. With 142 stores, an estimated market share of 40 percent, 1,350 employees and revenue of $220 million a year, Riyadh-headquartered Magrabi Retail plans to double in size by 2025. “International expansion is […] July 20, 2022
Lifestyle Who is Konstantin Sidorov? Konstantin Sidorov is an international entrepreneur and investor with over 25 years’ experience in building, developing and restructuring businesses within the tech sector. He has successfully built and sold several IT businesses. In 2016 he sold the Eastern European division of RRC Group to a leading US-listed distributor Ingram Micro. In 2020, he sold his […] May 12, 2022
Dubai school operator Taaleem in preliminary talks for IPO Dubai school operator Taaleem is in preliminary talks with banks for an initial public offering in Dubai, two sources told Reuters, a transaction that would test market appetite for UAE’s education sector. The private education sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is recovering from a slowdown during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. Schools […] April 8, 2022
