Tech Ceer signs $2.2bn deal with Hyundai to power its EVs Ceer, Saudi Arabia’s first electric vehicle brand, will use technology from South Korea’s Hyundai to power its cars, as the kingdom continues to ramp up its presence in the EV market. The Saudi EV maker has signed a SAR8.2 billion ($2.2 billion) contract with Hyundai Transys to supply EV drive systems (EDS). The integrated EDS […] June 12, 2024
Finance EU woos Emirati investors while keeping UAE on ‘grey list’ The European Union is intensifying efforts to attract investment from the UAE despite keeping the Emirates on its “grey list”, a marker of heightened scrutiny and potential obstacles for investors. An EU delegation visited Abu Dhabi last week to promote the bloc’s Capital Markets Union (CMU) plan. A single market for capital, harmonising exchange regulations […] June 11, 2024
Analysis Finance Egypt confronts sell-off of more state assets More sales of Egyptian state assets from petrol stations to wind farms are likely to be announced in the financial year to June 2025, according to people familiar with the negotiations. A deal with the UAE worth $35 billion to develop a resort at Ras El Hekma on the Mediterranean has eased the pressure on […] June 11, 2024
Analysis Health Wearable tech shoppers track price as well as health Gulf consumers who are interested in wearable tech – smart watches, rings, glasses and implants – are opting for mid-range gadgets rather than premium devices, industry experts have told AGBI. Dubai retailer Jumbo Electronics reported 50 percent year-on-year growth in the AED600-1,000 (about $163-$272) price segment in the first four months of 2024. The AED1,000-1,500 […] June 10, 2024
Tech UAE-Czech telecom deal set to close by year end despite EU probe UAE telecom company e&, formerly known as Etisalat, expects to close the acquisition of Czech PPF Group’s telecoms business in four countries before year-end, despite confirmation that the European Commission is to investigate the deal. In August 2023, the telecom company signed a binding agreement with PPF Group to acquire a 50 percent plus 1 […] June 10, 2024
Tech Yahsat appoints Airbus to build $1.1bn new satellites Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, known as Yahsat, has appointed a unit of US-headquartered Airbus Group to manufacture its two new geostationary telecommunications satellites. The company initially authorised Airbus Defence and Space to commence activities on the Al Yah 4 (AY4) and Al Yah 5 (AY5) satellite programme in the second quarter of 2023. NewsletterGet the Best […] June 10, 2024
Analysis Finance Agriculture startups failing to cultivate VC interest Agriculture technology founders in the Gulf are having to resort to alternative sources of funding, as interest from venture capital entities dries up. The region is following a global trend. Startups in so-called “agtech” cumulatively raised $1.2 billion across 161 deals in the first quarter of this year, down almost 26 percent and 20 percent […] June 10, 2024
Tech Saudi Arabia campaign aims to attract chipmakers Saudi Arabia has launched a National Semiconductor Hub in a bid to attract international chipmakers. The kingdom is targeting at least 50 semiconductor design companies to set up business by 2030, aiming to cut its reliance on imported computer chips. The global semiconductor industry, once plagued by shortages, is now showing signs of recovery and […] June 6, 2024
Finance Qatari wealth fund targets expansion in Japan Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, is exploring new opportunities in Japan, according to a media report. “It’s a key market for us,” Abdulla Ali Al-Kuwari told Nikkei, a financial daily in Japan. The fund’s investments in Japan have “more than doubled” after it opened an office in Singapore in 2021, he […] June 6, 2024
Infrastructure STC weighs bid for Dutch telecom operator Saudi telecoms conglomerate STC Group has initiated talks to buy the Dutch telecom and pay-TV operator United Group. British private equity firm BC Partners has enlisted advisors to start the sale of United Group, Reuters reported, quoting unnamed sources. STC has begun early discussions regarding a potential transaction, the report added. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI […] June 4, 2024
Artificial Intelligence China’s OpenAI rival backed by Saudi fund Saudi Aramco’s venture capital fund Prosperity7 has joined a $400 million investment round for Chinese generative AI startup Zhipu AI. Prosperity7 is a minority investor in Zhipu, which is valued at nearly $3 billion, the Financial Times reported on Friday. This marks the first instance of foreign investment in China’s quest to establish a homegrown […] May 31, 2024
Analysis Banking and Finance Digital lenders eager to tap into Egypt’s unbanked masses Egyptian banking history was made this month when Misr Digital Innovation (MDI) became the first Egyptian company to receive preliminary approval for a digital banking licence. MDI, a subsidiary of Banque Misr, will open Onebank – Egypt’s first digital bank – by the first quarter of next year at the latest. Experts predict many more […] May 29, 2024
Tech China’s Lenovo issues $2bn bonds to repay Saudi Alat debt China’s Lenovo Group has issued $2 billion in convertible bonds to Alat, a Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed technology manufacturing company, to repay its existing debt and boost working capital. As part of the agreement, the Hong Kong-headquartered personal computer maker will open a new PC and server manufacturing facility and establish its Middle East and Africa […] May 29, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Prince Alwaleed part of Elon Musk’s $6bn AI funding round Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI has secured $6 billion in a series B funding round led by investors including Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and his investment firm Kingdom Holding Company. The round, which also included investments from Dubai-based Vy Capital and US companies Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, will assist the commercial […] May 28, 2024
Industry PIF launches space unit, despite Saudi funding constraints Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has launched a space unit to develop off-planet commercial activities, despite challenges the sovereign wealth fund faces funding Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects. The PIF-owned Neo Space Group will invest in satellite navigation and communications, Earth observation and remote sensing. It will also include a venture capital fund to help Saudi startups […] May 28, 2024
Markets Alef Education valued at $2.5bn as IPO price range set Alef Education, the first education technology company to list on a UAE stock exchange, has set its initial public offering (IPO) price range between AED1.30 and AED1.35 ($0.35-0.37) a share. Accordingly, the market capitalisation on listing will be between AED9.1 billion ($2.5 billion) and AED9.45 billion on listing. The IPO subscription period starts on May […] May 28, 2024
Analysis Markets Bahrain tops dividend yields in mixed quarter for bourses First-quarter company earnings in the UAE, Bahrain and Oman were mixed across major economic sectors, with the four bourses trading at markedly varied valuations. As of March 31, Dubai and Bahrain had price-to-earnings ratios of 8.3 and 7.9 respectively, while Abu Dhabi’s was 19.9 and Oman’s 12.9, according to Kuwait’s Kamco Invest. Bahrain (7.7 percent) […] May 27, 2024
Trade Austrian finance unicorn to open in UAE Austria’s first unicorn has announced plans to set up in Dubai, as officials from the UAE hold top-level talks in Vienna to build on a 22 percent increase in bilateral trade last year A unicorn is a startup company valued at more than $1 billion that is privately owned and not listed on a share […] May 24, 2024
Finance Mubadala trims stake in US chipmaker GlobalFoundries Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company is offloading some of its holdings in chipmaker GlobalFoundries. A Mubadala subsidiary is offering to sell $950 million worth of GlobalFoundries shares, two years after the US semiconductor manufacturer went public on Nasdaq. Mubadala Technology Investment Company will receive the funds from the secondary public offering, which […] May 23, 2024
Tech G42 and Microsoft to invest $1bn in Kenya data centre Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence (AI) company G42 has partnered with US tech giant Microsoft to invest $1 billion in a green data centre in Kenya. The data centre, which will be built by G42 and its partners, will provide access to Azure – a computing platform developed by Microsoft – through a new East Africa cloud region. […] May 23, 2024
Artificial Intelligence UAE and France agree joint investments in AI France and the UAE are to increase their collaboration in artificial intelligence, including joint investments, as they seek to become leaders in the AI sector. The French economy minister, Bruno Le Maire, signed a strategic agreement with Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chief executive of the UAE investment fund Mubadala and a member of the Abu Dhabi […] May 22, 2024
Artificial Intelligence IBM to help Saudi Arabia train AI models in Arabic Saudi Arabia has signed a deal with US tech giant IBM to develop the kingdom’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) said on Tuesday that its Arabic language AI model, ALLaM, will be trained on IBM’s platform to run more efficiently. This will also add new language skills […] May 22, 2024
