Manufacturing Egyptian and Chinese firms sign $487m industrial deals Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) said $487 million agreements and contracts have been signed between Chinese companies and Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (Teda) Egypt to establish new projects in the Al Ain Al Sokhna industrial zone. The SCZone delegation, led by chairman Waleid Gamal El Dein, met with officials of Tianjin city, comprising 270 representatives of […] May 28, 2023
Analysis Energy Saudi petrochemical giants braced for hike in gas costs Saudi Arabia’s petrochemicals companies, whose margins have tumbled this year, could be hit by higher prices for gas feedstocks if reforms to state subsidies materialise. The petrochemicals industry is the kingdom’s most important after oil and chemicals manufacturing is a key part of the Vision 2030 economic diversification plan. Yet some producers suffered losses in […] May 26, 2023
Energy Saudi Arabia to invest billions in Iraq, officials say Saudi Arabia will develop an Iraq gas field and invest $3 billion across various industries in the country, Iraqi officials said on Thursday, in a further sign of improving ties between the neighbours. Riyadh has endured a fraught relationship with Baghdad over the past two decades as Iraq fell under the increasing influence of Saudi’s […] May 26, 2023
Opinion Economy China-GCC FTA will be a game changer A deal would galvanise Middle Eastern economic transformation May 25, 2023
Trade Canada and Saudi Arabia restore diplomatic relations Canada and Saudi Arabia have brought an end to a five-year dispute by resuming diplomatic relations. They will now appoint new ambassadors and renew diplomatic talks. A statement from both countries said that the decision was reached “on the basis of mutual respect and common interests”. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Saudi Crown Prince […] May 25, 2023
Opinion Food & Drink The Arab world needs to ease global food trade barriers The region must embrace food imports May 23, 2023
Manufacturing Saudi Arabian Mining Co profit slumps 80% in Q1 The Middle East’s largest mining and metals company has reported an 80 percent drop in net profit for the first quarter of 2023. Saudi Arabian Mining Co, better known as Ma’aden, blamed the fall in part on increased costs related to raw materials and softer commodity prices. It posted net profit on Monday of just […] May 22, 2023
Analysis Energy Petchems sector shows signs of recovery after torrid Q1 Saudi Arabia’s petrochemicals industry is showing tentative signs of recovery, although product prices are likely to remain under pressure despite the re-opening of the major market of China, analysts say. The sector is the kingdom’s most important earner after oil. Saudi has become a global petrochemicals player thanks to an abundant supply of feedstock gas […] May 22, 2023
Manufacturing UK to invest $1.3bn to build chip supply chains Britain announced £1 billion ($1.26 billion) of investment for its semiconductor sector on Friday in a long-awaited strategy that aims to strengthen the domestic industry and chip supply chains. The strategy focuses on Britain’s role in designing semiconductors, used in everything from cars to smartphones and washing machines, the government’s newly formed department for science, […] May 19, 2023
Energy Saudi mining firm exports blue ammonia to China Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has exported its first shipments of low-carbon blue ammonia to China. The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul)-listed mining major signed an agreement to supply 25,000 tonnes of blue ammonia to China’s Shenghong Petrochemicals. Ma’aden is among the largest exporters of blue ammonia, having received certification for production in 2022. It will ship […] May 19, 2023
Manufacturing Tesla proposes India factory after refusal to lower tax Tesla Inc has proposed setting up a factory in India to build electric cars for domestic sale and export, the carmaker told government officials on Wednesday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The proposal comes after India refused to agree to Tesla’s request last year to lower the import tax on cars, which can reach as much […] May 18, 2023
Economy Hospitality helps Tunisian economy grow 2% in Q1 The Tunisian economy grew by 2.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, although unemployment hit 16.1 percent, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The year-on-year growth was driven by increased revenues from the communications, transport and hotels, restaurants and coffee shops sectors, which grew 4.8 percent, 5.3 percent and […] May 17, 2023
Retail Elon Musk reverses course on Tesla advertising its cars Tesla Inc boss Elon Musk, who has never used traditional advertising to sell cars, said on Tuesday that the automaker would try it and see whether it produced results. Musk said it was “ironic” that as CEO of Tesla, he now owns Twitter. The social media platform is highly dependent on ads and will soon […] May 17, 2023
Manufacturing Ma’aden buys $126m stake in US mining firm Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma’aden) has bought a 9.9 percent stake in US minerals exploration company Ivanhoe Electric as part of a joint venture exploring an area in the kingdom that’s larger than Denmark. The $126 million deal includes a $66 million joint venture where Ma’aden will use Ivanhoe’s Typhoon geophysical surveying technology to mine […] May 16, 2023
Manufacturing EGA signs alumina supply agreement with Alcoa UAE-based Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has signed a long-term agreement with New York Stock Exchange-listed aluminium producer Alcoa Corp for smelter-grade alumina. The eight-year agreement, which commences in 2024, will allow EGA to procure as much as 15.6 million tonnes of alumina from Western Australia, the companies said in a joint statement. “Most of our […] May 16, 2023
Analysis Lebanon’s export orders rise for first time in two years In spite of an overall decline in business activity, Lebanon recorded an increase in its export orders during April owing to improved currency stability. “Lebanon’s currency started to stabilise, particularly around mid-April,” Wael Menhem, a partner in the Beirut office of Lundy Investors, said. “It’s the first time in a long time that the currency […] May 15, 2023
Logistics Oman and UAE explore transport of minerals by rail Oman and Etihad Rail Company, the developer and operator of the UAE-Oman Rail Network, has signed an agreement with Brazilian mining firm Vale to explore transporting iron ore and its derivatives by rail. The railway line will connect Vale’s industrial complex in Sohar Port and Freezone in Oman to its planned mega-industrial complex in the […] May 14, 2023
Energy Brazil’s Braskem confirms takeover bid from Adnoc Braskem confirmed on Tuesday that its controlling shareholder Novonor received a takeover offer from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Apollo Global Management. The Brazilian petrochemicals producer had previously said that a non-binding bid of 37.5 billion reais ($7.5 billion) had been presented to Novonor but did not say where the offer had come […] May 11, 2023
Manufacturing Saudi funding fails to stem $780m losses at Lucid Electric vehicle maker Lucid Group’s losses continue to widen despite the Saudi government extending $2.4 billion in funding last year. Lucid, in which the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, owns a 65 percent stake, reported a first-quarter net loss for 2023 of $779.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 28.8 percent. “I believe that there […] May 10, 2023
Energy Adnoc ‘in talks’ to buy Brazilian petro firm Braskem Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and US-based asset manager Apollo Global Management are said to have submitted a joint bid of 37.5 billion reais ($7.5 billion) to acquire São Paulo-headquartered Braskem. Discussions are in the early stages, Bloomberg reported, citing sources close to the potential deal. AGBI has contacted Adnoc for comment. The state-owned […] May 9, 2023
Manufacturing Egypt’s new pharma venture to boost local manufacturing The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) and private equity firm B Investments have announced the launch of EZ International, which will expand the country’s manufacturing capabilities and trade services in the pharmaceutical sector. The new venture will be developed by TSFE’s healthcare and pharmaceutical industries Subfund and local pharmaceutical chain El-Ezaby Pharmacy. EZ International will […] May 9, 2023
Tech UAE air taxis and drones set for take-off with China deal A Chinese company has signed a deal to build and operate electric powered air taxis and cargo drones in the UAE as the Gulf country seeks early adopter advantage in the vertical take-off and landing transport market. Monarch Holding in Abu Dhabi is partnering with EHang Holdings, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company, to establish […] May 7, 2023
