Finance Turkey and Qatar aim to double trade to $5bn Turkey and Qatar have set a $5 billion bilateral trade target, more than double the level reported last year, a Turkish minister has confirmed. The figure is expected to be reached once the trade and economic partnership agreement between the two countries comes into force, Turkish trade minister Ömer Bolat said on the social messaging […] December 6, 2023
Analysis Trade UAE-Russia trade grows as Putin arrives in Gulf President Vladimir Putin will be hoping to build on Russia’s $9 billion of trade with the UAE as he visits the Gulf this week. Putin arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and is also expected to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trade between Russia and the UAE increased […] December 6, 2023
Trade Saudi offers 30-year tax breaks under regional HQ scheme Saudi Arabia will offer a 30-year corporate income tax exemption to foreign companies that locate their regional headquarters to the kingdom. In 2021, the government set a target of January 1, 2024, for companies to set up in the kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter, to gain access to government contracts worth SAR1 million ($266,000) […] December 6, 2023
Trade UAE and Philippines kick off Cepa talks to expand trade The UAE and the Philippines have started preliminary talks to establish a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) to strengthen existing bilateral and economic ties. “The Philippines is a key strategic partner for the UAE and a high-growth economy in the heart of a rapidly growing region,” UAE minister of state for foreign trade Thani bin […] December 4, 2023
Analysis Trade Coffee fuels growth plans for UAE-Colombia trade The UAE finalised the terms of a trade deal with Colombia on Saturday as a Dubai free zone is also targeting growth with the commodities-rich nation. The comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) is the first bilateral trade deal between the Gulf and South America. Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC) brought its Made for Trade Live roadshow […] December 4, 2023
Agriculture RedSea to dig further into Egypt’s agricultural market RedSea, an agtech business based in Saudi Arabia, is prioritising Egypt to transform the North African nation’s agricultural industry. The company has also announced the appointment of Bruno De Oliveira as vice president of Egypt and East Africa as a result of increasing customer demand for its products. RedSea has already installed heat-blocking roofing materials […] November 30, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Sustainability Opec Fund piles up financing for wheat, wind and water The Opec Fund for International Development is on track to meet its pledges to increase grants and loans to climate-related projects, its Middle East and North Africa head has told AGBI. Musab Alomar, the fund’s director of public sector operations for Mena, said climate financing made up 33 percent of all Opec Fund approvals in […] November 30, 2023
Trade UAE and China renew $4.9bn currency swap deal The UAE and China have renewed their currency swap agreement to settle cross-border financial and trade transactions in local currencies. The Central Bank of the UAE and the People’s Bank of China signed a currency swap agreement with a nominal value of AED18 billion ($4.9 billion) for the next five years, UAE state-owned Wam news […] November 29, 2023
Analysis Trade Raiven launches fund to strengthen UAE-Canada ties Raiven Capital, a venture capital company based in Toronto, has launched a new $125 million fund in Dubai with a focus on tech-based founders. The fund, set up in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), will invest in entrepreneurs developing artificial intelligence to disrupt sectors including fintech and cybersecurity. “Raiven has ambitious plans for the region […] November 23, 2023
Trade UK-GCC free trade deal is still best bet, says minister Britain’s investment minister has told AGBI he still supports a free trade agreement between the UK and the GCC, despite the protracted negotiations and calls for Gulf states to strike bilateral deals instead. Speaking on the sidelines of the Arab British Economic Summit in London on Monday, Dominic Johnson, a minister of state in the […] November 22, 2023
Finance Turkish bank backs exporters with $34bn in funding The state-owned Türk Eximbank, Turkey’s largest export credit and credit insurance institution, has provided financing worth $33.6 billion to exporters in the first 10 months of 2023, as the country’s trade with Gulf countries continues to grow. Turkey’s trade minister, Ömer Bolat said in a post on the social messaging platform X (formerly Twitter) that the […] November 21, 2023
Analysis Trade China shows faith in Egypt with deeper investment When President Xi Jinping welcomed the prime minister of Egypt, Mostafa Madbouly, to Beijing’s Great Hall of the People in October, it was a signal that China is stepping up bilateral co-operation with Cairo. Their meeting, on the sidelines of the Belt and Road forum, took place as Egypt grapples with mounting debt and delays […] November 15, 2023
Analysis Trade Zimbabwe sharpens focus on trade with UAE The UAE could soon rival South Africa as Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner as the southern African country competes to attract more foreign investment. Zimbabwe is working to develop a number of sectors with the UAE, including agriculture, mining and energy, to build on the $2 billion bilateral trade registered last year, Lovemore Mazemo, Ambassador of […] November 13, 2023
Trade Saudi Arabia says 180 HQs moved to Riyadh so far Saudi Arabia has issued licences to 180 companies to set up regional headquarters inside the country, as a January deadline approaches for international businesses to move or be cut out of lucrative contracts. The kingdom’s investment minister, Khalid al-Falih, gave the figure, which he said exceeds the target of 160, at the Bloomberg New Economic […] November 9, 2023
Trade World’s biggest law firm sets up in Saudi Arabia Law firm Kirkland & Ellis is to open its first Middle East office in Riyadh ahead of new legislation which aims to make it easier for businesses operating in the kingdom. The office will serve as its regional headquarters. Kirkland & Ellis is the world’s largest international law firm by revenue and completed nearly 800 […] November 3, 2023
Finance UAE and Jordan to explore $2bn opportunities The UAE’s Ministry of Investment has signed a deal with the government of Jordan to explore potential opportunities worth more than $2 billion. The memorandum of understanding will look to boost bilateral investments in sectors including renewable energy, industrial projects, manufacturing, transport, pharmaceuticals and food processing, the UAE state-run news agency Wam said. The UAE’s […] November 2, 2023
Analysis Trade Dubai-Dutch office digs into UAE and Netherlands trade Dubai International Chamber has inaugurated its fourth European representative office, in Amsterdam. The UAE is seeking to build on bilateral non-oil trade of AED11.2 billion ($3.1 billion) with the Netherlands in the first half of 2023. Officials said the new office, which opened last month, will play a key role in enabling Dubai-based companies to […] November 2, 2023
Economy Bahrain economy grows 2% despite GCC trade slump Bahrain’s economy grew by 2 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2023, despite a drop in trade with neighbouring GCC countries. The kingdom saw its non-oil sector increase by 2 percent, while the oil sector was up 2.2 percent. Bahrain’s fiscal and current account break-even oil prices are among the highest in […] November 1, 2023
Trade UAE-Turkey trade set for 50% rise to $15bn in 2023 Bilateral trade between the UAE and Turkey is set to jump by 50 percent to hit $15 billion by the end of the year following the signing of a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (Cepa) in September. “We have exceeded $14 billion in the first nine months of this year,” Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing trade […] November 1, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Trade Scotland to forge GCC trade links independently of UK Scotland will continue to build relations throughout the region even after a long-awaited trade deal between the UK and the GCC is signed, according to a government minister. Neil Gray, Scotland’s cabinet secretary for wellbeing economy, fair work and energy, signed a memorandum of understanding in the UAE last week with Dr Thani bin Ahmed […] October 30, 2023
Analysis Trade UAE-Swiss trade golden age adds technology to luxury The trade relationship between the UAE and Switzerland is enjoying a golden era, with the European nation now the top non-oil destination for Emirati exports. Gold, jewellery and luxury watches traditionally dominated non-oil bilateral trade but innovation is growing in importance, according to Swiss Business Hub Middle East. It said that technology was increasingly important […] October 26, 2023
FII Trade Saudi Arabia to enforce 2024 regional HQ deadline The January 2024 deadline for global companies to move their regional headquarters to Saudi Arabia will be implemented without delay as scheduled, the kingdom’s finance minister has confirmed. Saudi Arabia announced in February 2021 that it will no longer sign contracts with foreign companies that do not have a regional headquarters in the country before […] October 26, 2023
