Banking and Finance Syria to reconnect to Swift ‘within weeks’ Syria will be fully reconnected to the Swift global payment system within weeks, central bank governor Abdulkader Husrieh has confirmed in a media interview. The move comes after the US last month lifted its sanctions after 14 years, which will allow the rebuilding of the war-torn nation to commence. Husrieh said the return to the […] June 9, 2025
Analysis Finance The KIA maintains its low profile approach – for now Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is not only the oldest Gulf sovereign wealth fund, but also the most opaque. It publishes little information about its assets and usually invests abroad through asset managers rather than directly. Its low-profile approach contrasts with the likes of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala and the Qatar […] June 9, 2025
Analysis Finance Saudi Arabia demands more from global asset managers International asset managers looking to raise funds in Saudi Arabia can no longer do so as easily without establishing a presence in the kingdom and aligning their activities with the country’s Vision 2030 diversification goals, analysts say. Despite the kingdom’s commitment this year to invest and trade as much as $600 billion in the US […] June 9, 2025
Economy Qatar economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Qatar, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Oman economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Oman, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Bahrain economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Bahrain, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Kuwait economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Kuwait, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Saudi Arabia economy The latest economic indicators and demographic trends for Saudi Arabia, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, expats, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Remittances to Egypt almost double to reach $26bn Remittances from Egyptian expatriates hit a new record in the first nine months of fiscal year 2024/2025, driven by renewed confidence in the economy. Inflows surged by 83 percent to $26.4 billion between July 2024 and March 2025, compared with $14.4 billion a year earlier, Egypt Today reported, quoting the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) […] June 6, 2025
Markets Asian companies in talks to list on Saudi stock market Several Asian companies are in talks to list in Saudi Arabia as the kingdom considers a new listing regime to pave the way for share sales of foreign issuers, the chief executive of the Saudi bourse told Reuters. Conversations are underway with Asian companies that are evaluating opportunities to tap into Saudi Arabia’s deep and […] June 6, 2025
Finance IMF says Lebanon needs soft loans for economic recovery Lebanon has made progress on reforms needed to revive its economy but still has key steps to take and will need external funding on concessional terms, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday after a week of meetings in Beirut. Lebanon’s economy went into a tailspin in late 2019, prompted by decades of profligate […] June 6, 2025
Analysis Banking and Finance Qatar and UAE banks vulnerable to interest rate cuts Many Gulf banks reported bumper first-quarter profits thanks to increased lending. But Qatari and Emirati lenders are the most vulnerable to expected interest rate cuts. Kuwaiti dinar aside, the five other Gulf currencies are pegged to the dollar, so their countries’ benchmark interest rates mirror those of the United States. The rapid rise in US rates […] June 6, 2025
Markets Sport Clubs announces IPO subscription date Institutional investors will be able to start subscribing to the Riyadh-based Sport Clubs Company’s initial public offering (IPO) from June 22. The subscription period will run for five days, the company said in a statement. In March, the Capital Market Authority, the market regulator, approved the sale of 34.3 million shares, or 30 percent of […] June 5, 2025
Trade Talks begin on US-UAE trade pact as metal tariffs double UAE officials are to begin negotiations toward a bilateral trade deal with the United States as part of efforts to secure lower tariffs on Emirati steel and aluminium products in particular. Washington and Abu Dhabi have agreed to commence talks after the idea was floated during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf in mid-May, […] June 5, 2025
Markets Dubai’s FIVE considers London or New York listing Dubai party hotel operator FIVE Holdings is considering listing in London or New York, sources have said. The company, which owns the Pacha hotel and nightclub, has been exploring an initial public offering (IPO) in Dubai, it said. Chairman and founder Kabir Mulchandani said last year the company was worth up to $3 billion and was considering […] June 5, 2025
Banking and Finance FAB joins banks to lend $750m to India’s Adani unit Adani Airports Holdings, the largest private airport operator in India, has raised $750 million from banks including the UAE’s First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). The other banks involved are Barclays and Standard Chartered, the Bombay Stock Exchange-listed company said in a statement on Wednesday. Adani Airports Holdings (AAHL) is a subsidiary of India’s Adani Enterprises, […] June 5, 2025
Analysis Economy Debate, but no turning back for the team driving Turkey’s economy Two years after reversing a policy of fiscal unorthodoxy, Turkey’s economy and its finance minister are at a crossroads. Criticism has mounted that the reforms put in place by Mehmet Şimşek since mid-2023 have either not gone far enough to restore stability or gone too far in clamping down on inflation, causing a slowdown in […] June 5, 2025
Economy United Arab Emirates economy The latest economic indicators and demographic trends for the United Arab Emirates, including the UAE's GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, expats, unemployment and more June 4, 2025
Opinion Markets From petrostate to deal state: Gulf IPO markets mature The Gulf's regional exchanges are defying the global slowdown and outperforming their Western peers June 4, 2025
Markets Two IPOs scrapped on Saudi Arabia’s junior market Two planned initial public offerings (IPOs) on Saudi Arabia’s junior stock market have been scrapped. Yaqeen Capital and Watheeq Capital, the respective lead managers and financial advisors for Alkhaldi Logistics Company and Dome International Investment, announced that the IPOs had been declared void. The statements did not specify the reasons for the cancellations. Refund of […] June 4, 2025
Trade Italy’s billion-dollar jewellery sales lead trade with UAE Italian exports of jewellery to the UAE grew 24 percent in February over the same month last year, reaching €238 million ($268 million), according to the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). With overall sales of more than €1.22 billion in 2024, up 12 percent year-on-year, Italy remains the world’s third-largest supplier of jewellery to the Emirates, […] June 4, 2025
Finance Saudi Arabia targets $12.6bn from bonds for rest of 2025 Saudi Arabia is expected to issue $12.6 billion in bonds for the remainder of the year, JPMorgan said, as the kingdom resorts to the debt markets amid huge investments to overhaul its economy and lower oil prices. The Gulf country, which forecasts a budget deficit of $26.9 billion this year, is seeking funds to invest in […] June 4, 2025
