Analysis Agriculture Export deal with India tipped to boost Morocco’s fertiliser industry Morocco is set to sign a long-term agreement with India to export rock phosphate, a key ingredient in fertiliser. The North African country is already one of the largest producers of phosphates and fertilisers, but the India deal is expected to lead to other agreements with governments around the world, according to an industry analyst. […] January 11, 2023
Analysis Banking & Finance Gulf wealth funds look to snap up ‘cheap’ assets in West Sovereign wealth funds across the Middle East are forecast to take advantage of “limited competition” from global peers this year to pursue “cheap” assets in Europe, the US and other western markets. A sharp drop in stock and bond markets over the past year has resulted in the combined value of the world’s sovereign wealth […] January 3, 2023
Analysis Sustainability Mining for profits increases foreign investment in Oman Oman is emerging as a hub for industrial minerals with dozens of mining sites covering an area of 2,000 sq km. But experts believe the sector’s true potential will be realised over the next decade. Mining is one of the Omani government’s focuses under its economic diversification programme. It has attracted interest from both foreign […] December 21, 2022
London-listed Centamin reports higher gold reserves in Egypt London and Toronto-listed Centamin reported an increase in its Sukari gold mine reserves in Egypt by about 1.3 million ounces, representing the largest increase in the reserves in a decade. The growth represents an increase of 13 percent in proven and probable mine reserves, reaching 11.11 million ounces at the end of June 2022, compared […] December 15, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Banking & Finance Dubai entrepreneur to launch crypto community for nickel A prolific Dubai-based entrepreneur is set to launch a crypto token aimed at opening up the asset market and “shaping the future of nickel”. The Nikel token will launch in Dubai next week. Safi Qurashi, CEO of NewTek, told AGBI that it will “create a community that can help shape the future of nickel, and […] December 1, 2022
Analysis Manufacturing Saudi non-oil export orders rise at fastest pace for a year New export orders for Saudi Arabia’s non-oil sector in October increased at their fastest rate for nearly a year, the Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey revealed on Wednesday. This demand helped the PMI, which gauges business confidence, to climb 0.6 percentage points to 57.2 in October. A reading above 50.0 shows […] November 2, 2022
Development Saudi to auction five mining exploration licences in 2023 Saudi Arabia is set to auction five new mining exploration licences next year, state news agency SPA has reported, citing Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, the minister of industry and mineral resources. The licences, aimed at international and local investors, will include copper, zinc, lead and iron deposits and will be auctioned for sites in Bir […] October 31, 2022
Analysis Energy Aramco, Adnoc and the long road to decarbonisation As some of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, the Gulf’s national oil companies have come under considerable scrutiny in recent years. Several are now ramping up their decarbonisation efforts in response to the deepening climate crisis and tougher targets for environmental, social, and corporate governance. In October last year Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil-exporting […] October 28, 2022
Banking & Finance PIF launches regional entities to invest $24bn in multiple sectors Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) plans to set up five regional investment companies in Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Iraq and Oman, crown prince and fund chairman Mohammed bin Salman said in a statement. The announcement, made on the second day of Riyadh’s flagship Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference, comes after the PIF established an investment […] October 27, 2022
Analysis Development The Golden Triangle: treasures of the Eastern Desert In Ancient Egypt, real wealth was measured in grain. Temple granaries were the reserve banks of their day, with gold and silver seen as lesser commodities. “In my brother’s country, gold is as plentiful as dirt,” marvelled one foreign king in a begging letter to Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Even so, mining was a serious business. […] October 17, 2022
ANALYSIS Economy 200 billion reasons why the Gulf is China’s hottest trading partner When Deng Xiaoping, the former communist leader of China, started his modernisation drive in the late 20th century, he looked to the Middle East as the only place that could provide the enormous quantities of oil and gas that his country required to become a global powerhouse. By the end of this decade, less than […] September 22, 2022
Economy New CEO named for Saudi’s $1.3trn private sector push A new CEO has been appointed to the Private Sector Partnership Reinforcement Program which aims to facilitate investments of $1.33 trillion from Saudi private sector businesses by 2030. Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Arifi, advisor to the Secretariat General of the Cabinet and a former CEO of finance at Jadwa Investment, has been hired to lead the […] September 21, 2022
Analysis Economy Saudi capital spending surges 38% on back of higher oil prices Capital expenditure surged in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2022, part of a wider spending spree on the back of higher oil prices. S&P Global Ratings said capital expenditure (capex) rose by 38 percent to SR51 billion ($13.6 billion) despite this year’s initial budget statement forecasting it would fall. Revenue was up 43 […] September 20, 2022
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 & 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
