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Finance

Finance, economics, markets and trade news from the Middle East. All the important stories, exclusive interviews, plus authoritative opinion and analysis

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Finance news

Business partnerships between India and the UAE are strengthened by the new deal

New deal gives India and UAE plenty to smile about

As the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates comes into force, AGBI looks at a highly lucrative co-regional relationship Of the many alliances that have sprouted out of the Middle East, the one between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stands out – seemingly weathering all global political and […]

Emirates aims to start repaying Dubai $4.1bn in Covid aid

Dubai’s Emirates hopes that it will soon start paying back the 15 billion dirhams ($4.1 billion) in state assistance it receive from the government during the pandemic, its chairman said on Monday. The Dubai government injected billions of dollars into its flagship airline via equity injections over the course of the pandemic that had at […]

Amr Nosseir used to be managing director, chairman and head of Middle East Business Development at CVC Capital Partners

CD&R hires Amr Nosseir, CVC’s top Mideast dealmaker

Private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) has hired CVC Capital Partners’ top dealmaker for the Middle East as it seeks to bolster its presence and expand relationships with investors in the region. CD&R said yesterday it had appointed Amr Nosseir as senior advisor to the firm. Nosseir previously served as managing director, chairman […]

Khaldoon Khalifa al-Mubarak, Mubadala CEO

Mubadala posts record $33bn income in 2021

Abu Dhabi state investor Mubadala posted a record income of 122 billion dirhams ($33 billion) in 2021, citing strong investment returns, the monetisation of some assets and new partnerships. “2021 was Mubadala’s strongest financial year in its 20-year history,” Group CEO Khaldoon Khalifa al-Mubarak said in a statement. The 2021 result for so-called total comprehensive […]

Japan’s Nikkei hits two-month low after Wall Street slides

Japan’s Nikkei fell to its lowest in almost two months today as technology heavyweights tracked a sharp decline on Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei share average fell 1.77 percent to 25,748.72, the lowest since March 15. The broader Topix fell 1.19 percent to 1,829.18. “It was hard to bet on Japanese stocks after the Nasdaq’s […]

High Rise, City, Urban

UAE’s first SPAC on launch pad as alternative to IPO

Abu Dhabi’s ADC Acquisition Corporation (ADC), the UAE’s first special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), on Tuesday announced its initial public offering (IPO) subscription period will start on Thursday. Shares will be available for purchase to retail and professional investors in a public subscription in the UAE and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).  […]

Train Station, Terminal, Train

Revealed: The countries leading the FDI surge into Dubai

The UK is driving a surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Dubai as the UAE continues to launch incentives to attract money and talent from overseas. According to new data from Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), an agency of the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the UK was behind more than a […]

Person, Human, Suit

Omani leader meets with Russian Foreign Minister in Muscat

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Muscat today, as the Russian politician toured the Sultanate. During the meeting, Lavrov conveyed the greetings of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation to Sultan Haitham and wished the Omani people continued progress and prosperity, praising the country’s wisdom in dealing […]

What is a SPAC and how do they work?

Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) raise capital through an initial public offering (IPO) for the purpose of acquiring an existing operating company. Subsequently, an operating company can merge with (or be acquired by) the publicly traded SPAC and become a listed company in lieu of executing its own IPO. According to PwC, this approach offers […]

Wio appoints execs to drive digital banking push

Wio Bank, a new digital banking platform established in the UAE, today announced senior leadership appointments following its licence approval by the UAE Central Bank. Salem Al Nuaimi has been named chairman of the board and Jayesh Patel has been appointed as CEO. Wio is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi Holding Company (ADQ), Alpha Dhabi, […]

In the race to be the global hub of Web3, there is significant opportunity

Will Dubai win the Web3 race?

The co-founder of Tahseen Consulting, one of the MENA’s top tech policy firms, rates Dubai’s chances of becoming a hub for the decentralised web and crypto exchange

UK-Gulf deal will be ‘tough nut to crack,’ says top Johnson ally

The co-chairman of the UAE-UK Business Council and former chief strategic adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the upcoming UK-Gulf trade agreements could be delayed but bilateral opportunities remain immense Lord Udny-Lister, co-chairman of the UAE-UK Business Council and one of Boris Johnson’s closest political allies, cuts a distinguished figure amid the sumptuous surroundings […]

Downtown Dubai and Burj Khalifa

Dubai sets up office to manage $49.4bn sovereign debt

The Dubai government has established a debt management office and appointed Rashid Ali bin Obood Al-Falasi as its chief executive, it announced on Monday. The office – which analysts say will streamline debt issuance and improve transparency – will manage the sovereign debt portfolio and be responsible for meeting the government’s financing requirements, the Dubai […]

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani last visited Iran in January 2020 to reduce tensions between Tehran and Washington

Qatar’s emir to visit Iran and Europe to aid Iran nuclear pact

Qatar’s emir will visit Iran, Germany, Britain and other European states starting this week on a trip expected to discuss efforts to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and energy security in Europe, a source briefed on the visit said on Sunday. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, ruler of one of the world’s top natural […]

Could crowdfunding seed the Gulf’s next Unicorn?

Democratised funding is set to breed a new generation of innovative regional businesses, say experts Crowdfunding, the alternative funding concept, represents an exciting reality in the Gulf region following a flurry of regulatory reforms. This innovative practice of funding a venture by raising smaller amounts of money from a large number of people is a […]

‘Savvy’ investors snap up DEWA shares

Plenty of mystery surrounds the listing of Dubai utilities giant DEWA, the Middle East’s largest IPO since the floating of Saudi Aramco in late 2019. When CNBC’s Dan Murphy organised an interview with DEWA’s CEO, he hoped to extricate some details from the infamously secretive boss.  Amid surging shares following news of the float, Saeed […]

How I got to the top: Kamal Al Samarrai, co-founder, Verity

What does your company do? Verity is a UAE-based fintech startup on a mission to teach kids and teens how to earn, save, give and spend responsibly, while offering parents the ability to guide their money management. By integrating our family banking and financial literacy app with a personalised pre-paid debit card, we’re making learning […]

Hezbollah are riding high in the polls

Lebanese elections spark fears of more instability

The Lebanese government recently ordered the demolition of the blast-hit grain silos that were decimated during the August 4, 2020 port explosion. The silos absorbed much of the blast’s impact, saving sections of the city’s western residential areas from total devastation. The government has now determined that they must be removed amid reports that the tilting […]