Analysis Telecoms Analysts question possible Adia bid for India telecoms group Abu Dhabi’s top sovereign wealth fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), is among the preferred bidders for a minority stake in Vodafone Idea, a struggling Indian telecom company. However, analysts are warning that the deal makes little commercial or financial sense. Vodafone Idea is India’s third largest mobile operator, but has lost about 210 million […] August 20, 2024
Telecoms Chinese brands gain ground as Mena smartphone sales surge Economic stability and rising populations have fuelled a 20 percent year-on-year surge in the sale of smartphones in the Middle East and North Africa. Chinese brands have made significant gains on other, more established manufacturers. Smartphone shipments in the Middle East reached 11.5 million units in the second quarter of 2024. That was a 20 […] August 20, 2024
Analysis Telecoms Worst is over for Etisalat shares but don’t expect a rebound Shares in UAE blue-chip e& – more commonly known as Etisalat – have fallen by more than half from a 2022 peak as investors fret over difficulties related to some of the telecom operator’s foreign investments. Yet analysts believe these issues are now priced in and so the worst should be over for the stock. Etisalat […] August 19, 2024
Analysis Telecoms UAE broadband users pay dearly for lack of competition Telcos may have generated nearly AED94 billion ($25 billion) in revenue for the UAE government, but a lack of competition and steep costs means that residents have been hit with the highest broadband bills in the Gulf. With an average price of $142.65 per month, people in the UAE are paying more than double than […] August 18, 2024
Transport Driverless cars for Saudi officials by next year Saudi Arabia has launched a project for driverless cars which could result in government agencies using them as early as next year. The government is installing smart communication devices along roadways that interact with autonomous vehicles, the official Saudi Press Agency said, announcing a new Saudi Road Code. “These devices provide real-time road condition data, […] August 16, 2024
Analysis Telecoms Telcos turning to tech to propel growth Fear of market irrelevance has spurred former Gulf telecom operators such as e& to bet on providing more sophisticated, tech-based services to consumers and businesses. This strategy differs from earlier efforts to create a vast geographic footprint for their operations, which, in many cases, led Gulf telcos to nurse billion-dollar losses. E&, which is listed […] August 15, 2024
Banking and Finance Mena startup funding trebles with fintech leading the way Technology entrepreneurs across the Middle East and North Africa led a recovery in startup investments in July despite ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties. The value of investments in the Mena region hit $355 million last month across 38 startups, an increase of 206 percent on the previous month and 260 percent year on year. NewsletterGet […] August 13, 2024
Sustainability Saudi Aramco and Kaust to invest $100m in R&D Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) are to invest $100 million in research and development projects. The 10-year investment will support projects focused on energy transition, sustainability, materials innovation, upstream technologies and digital solutions, aiming for both environmental and commercial benefits. NewsletterGet the Best of […] August 12, 2024
Tech Magic Leap seeks additional funds after big PIF investment Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has invested $750 million into technology and software developer Magic Leap since the beginning of 2023, strengthening its role as the majority owner. This year’s funding of $160 million builds on the sovereign wealth fund’s previous allocation of $590 million in 2023 facilitated through convertible debt arrangements, as detailed in […] August 7, 2024
Media & Advertising Turkey’s Instagram ban hits $57m-a-day ecommerce trade For four days and counting, Instagram has been blocked in Turkey – not only putting a dent in the social lives of millions of users but also placing additional pressure on an economy under strain. Turkish regulators gave no reason when they imposed a ban on the Meta-owned platform on August 2. However, the shutdown […] August 6, 2024
Opinion Artificial Intelligence How I learned to stop worrying and love AI You fear what you do not know – like Excel spreadsheets and ChatGPT August 2, 2024
Telecoms UAE’s e& revenue surges to $8bn in strong year for Gulf telcos Abu Dhabi-listed telco e& reported revenues of AED28 billion ($7.7 billion), rising 6 percent year on year, as the Gulf telecoms industry showed strong performance. Net profit grew by 17 percent to AED5.5 billion, driven by growth in local and international markets. Net earnings for the second quarter rose to AED3.2 billion, from AED2.5 […] August 2, 2024
Telecoms Ooredoo H1 profit rises on strong core market growth Ooredoo Group, the Qatari telecommunications company, said net earnings attributable to shareholders rose 4 percent year on year to QR1.9 billion ($512 million) in the first six months of 2024, driven by strong performance in its core markets. Revenue grew 3 percent annually to QR11.8 billion thanks to solid operational performances in Iraq, Algeria, Qatar, Tunisia […] August 1, 2024
Analysis Entrepreneurs Gulf investors show renewed appetite for Egypt’s startups Venture capital companies are reporting renewed interest in Egyptian startups after a difficult few years for the country’s tech entrepreneurs. Emirati and Saudi investors are leading the return, say VC experts, after record-high inflation and a prolonged foreign exchange crisis dented deal-making. Since the Egyptian authorities floated the pound in March and the economy has […] July 31, 2024
Video length: 04:26 VIDEO Finance AI is adding extra lustre to gold market Gold isn’t just for jewellery and bullion bars – it is also an important material in the tech sector. Andrew Naylor, head of the Middle East region at the World Gold Council, explains how the precious metal’s increasing use in artificial intelligence chips is raising demand – and prices. Watch the video to find out […] July 30, 2024
Tech Yahsat H1 profit rises despite revenue dip The UAE satellite provider, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), said its net profit for the first half of 2024 rose 62 percent year on year despite falling revenue. Net earnings stood at AED269 million ($73 million) during the period, compared with AED166.4 million a year earlier. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered straight to your […] July 30, 2024
Tech Turkey commits billions to domestic high tech funding Turkey has committed up to $30 billion to woo foreign tech investors and bolster its domestic technology sector. It is offering a mix of tax incentives and direct grant funding to kickstart sectors identified as crucial to the country’s industrial development. The country’s new High Technology Incentive Programme (HIT-30) aims to attract $20 billion in […] July 29, 2024
Telecoms STC approves PIF purchase of telecom company Shareholders of Saudi telecom giant STC have approved plans to create a new telecommunications infrastructure company in which the Public Investment Fund will have a 51 percent stake valued at SAR8.7 billion ($2.3 billion). Under the deal, the STC-owned Telecommunication Towers Co. Limited (Tawal) will become a PIF subsidiary through a merger with Golden Lattice […] July 26, 2024
Video length: 04:47 VIDEO Retail Tech to help UAE’s baqalas hold off larger grocery rivals Baqalas — small convenience stores – represent 81 percent of the UAE’s grocery retail outlets. But they need to adopt technology if they are to maintain their 56 percent market share against competition from supermarkets and hypermarkets. Watch the video to find out more. More videos from AGBI July 25, 2024
Analysis Artificial Intelligence Local talent vital for UAE to achieve AI ambitions The UAE is on a quest to lead the artificial intelligence sector but one of the stumbling blocks it is striving to address is the lack of local professionals coming into the industry. AI is expected to contribute $320 billion to the Mena region’s economy by 2030 – $96 billion of which will be attributed […] July 24, 2024
Analysis Gaming Investment yet to turn a profit in Saudi esports drive Saudi Arabia’s aggressive entry into esports, marked by the $60 million Esports World Cup and the successful bid to host the 2025 Olympic Esports Games, has grabbed global headlines. Yet a multitude of challenges to the commercialisation of esports could blunt the kingdom’s ambitions to become a global force within this thriving new industry. NewsletterGet […] July 23, 2024
Media & Advertising Du quarterly profit jumps 46% as subscribers rise Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), which operates the Du and Virgin mobile brands in the UAE, reported a 46 percent jump year on year in net profit to AED581 million ($158 million) as subscriber numbers increased. Revenue grew 7 percent to AED3.6 billion in the April to June period, compared to AED3.3 billion a year […] July 23, 2024
