Analysis Manufacturing Morocco in drive to become a global EV manufacturing hub Ask anyone to name the global electric vehicle manufacturing powerhouses and the US and China are the first countries that will spring to mind. But Morocco now looks set to join the big league after its government announced in July that it is planning to ink a deal with several EV battery manufacturers to construct […] September 16, 2022
Banking and Finance Egypt issues warnings against dealing in virtual currencies Egypt’s central bank has reiterated its warning against dealing with cryptocurrencies through regional or global platforms, a local media outlet reported. The Central Bank of Egypt said that virtual currencies are not issued by the central bank or any official authority; therefore, they are not deemed legal tender, the newspaper said, citing a bank statement. […] September 14, 2022
Manufacturing Oman’s copper-gold project to be commissioned in April 2023 Oman’s Al Washihi Majaza copper-gold project is on track for commissioning in April 2023, the Oman Daily Observer reported, citing site developer Al Hadeetha Resources. Australian mining firm Alara Resources Limited, which holds a 51 percent stake in the Al Hadeetha Resources joint venture, recently said that key hardware pieces had arrived at the project […] September 12, 2022
Markets Saudi Arabia’s bourse generates over $4bn from IPOs in H1 2022 The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) have raised SAR 15.2 billion ($4.04 billion) in the first half of 2022 through initial public offerings (IPOs), Arab News reported. The bourse saw 10 listings and nine offerings from existing listed companies, generating SAR 10.7 billion. Nahdi Medical Company was the biggest on the IPO list, garnering a collection of […] September 11, 2022
Economy Saudi Q2 GDP rises 12.2% amid high crude prices Saudi Arabia’s real gross domestic product rose 12.2 percent in the second quarter of 2022 year-on-year amid rising oil prices, according to the General Authority for Statistics. The second quarter growth figure beat the government’s flash estimate of 11.8 percent growth issued at the end of July. The economy grew 2.2 percent compared to the […] September 7, 2022
Economy Exports help Saudi non-oil sector hit 10-month high A sharp surge in exports in the second quarter of 2022 has helped business activity in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil sector rise to a ten-month high, boosting employment and sentiment for the year ahead. The General Authority for Statistics reported that exports increased by 85.1 percent year-on-year in Q2 to SAR 429.8 billion ($114.61 billion). Oil […] September 5, 2022
Manufacturing Record profits for Gulf’s materials sector but growth set to slow Profits among the Gulf’s listed companies in the materials sector reached their highest levels on record in the second quarter of 2022. However, industry experts believe supply chain issues and the Ukraine war will see growth begin to slow. Across the whole of the GCC, the total net profit of listed companies reached $77.3 billion […] September 2, 2022
Manufacturing Saudi to award Umm Ad Damar mining licence in November The Saudi Geological Survey has completed the pre-qualification phase to award the exploration license for the Umm Ad Damar mining project, CEO Abdullah Al-Shamrani told Arab News. “The project will go through different cycles, but by the end of November, we will see the winning company,” he said. Umm Ad Damar covers an estimated area […] September 1, 2022
Manufacturing Manufacturing and mining help Saudi industrial output rise 20.8% Industrial production in Saudi Arabia increased by 20.8 percent year-on-year in June, with the mining and manufacturing sectors the main catalysts for growth. The Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) found that in June the Industrial Production Index (IPI) rose 20.8 percent year-on-year. A dive into the figures of their report showed that manufacturing activity […] August 16, 2022
Banking and Finance Saudi Arabia’s Maaden’s Q2 profit triples to $1.1bn Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Maaden) reported Q2 2022 net profit more than tripled to SAR 4.03 billion ($1.07 billion) from SAR 1.10 billion in the year-earlier period on higher sales prices and increased production. Sales revenue stood at SAR 11.87 billion in Q2 2022 compared to SAR 6.10 billion in the prior period, the mining […] August 12, 2022
Analysis Development Middle East nets half of China’s Belt and Road funding The Middle East received the largest share of China’s $28.4 billion investments through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) during the first half of 2022, with Saudi Arabia the single biggest recipient. The BRI was launched by Chinese president Xi Jinping in October 2013. Over the last nine years a total of $932 billion has […] July 27, 2022
Opinion Manufacturing The Gulf can become the crucible of world industry if it acts now The GCC economies are diversifying already. If they can move further and faster into manufacturing, they could win a great prize July 19, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East US-Saudi trade relationship in rude health The US-Saudi trade relationship rebounded from the pandemic lows of 2020 to posting record high exchanges of non-oil and non-defence goods last year as vehicles and vaccines boosted American imports into the kingdom. According to data from the US-Saudi Business Council, total trade volume amounted to SR92.5 billion ($24.7 billion) during 2021, rising 22 percent […] July 8, 2022
Opinion Manufacturing Electric vehicles: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em Opportunities in battery manufacturing as well as clear net-zero goals allow oil-rich countries to embrace the inevitable switch to EVs rather than fear it June 15, 2022
UAE sends ministerial delegation to Morocco to boost trade The United Arab Emirates’ minister of economy, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, will today lead a high level delegation to Morocco to discuss ways to boost bilateral investment between the two Arab countries. “The visit aims to promote cooperation between the business communities of the two countries and motivate the private sector and entrepreneurs to […] June 9, 2022
Exclusive Manufacturing UAE’s aluminium drive is out of this world Aluminium has been a bedrock of the UAE’s economy and its industrial ambitions for years with exports reaching more than 50 countries around the world. Now, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the country’s largest industrial company outside oil and gas, is looking to enter the ultimate export market – outer space. The company is in talks […] May 24, 2022
