Tech e& completes deal to buy stake in Careem super-app By Pramod Kumar December 10, 2023, 5:42 AM Reuters Abu Dhabi-listed e& owned 20% of the UK’s Vodafone as of August 2023 e&, formerly known as Etisalat, has completed the acquisition of a 50.03 percent stake in Careem Technologies for $400 million. The investment is part of the Emirati telco’s strategy to scale up its consumer digital offering and accelerate its transformation to a global technology group, the company said in a statement published on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). The transaction will be financed through debt and is not associated with related parties. Careem Technologies operates the Careem Everything App, which is a new entity created by carving out the non-rideshare businesses from Careem. The app will operate alongside Careem’s rideshare business, which remains fully owned by US ride-hailing giant Uber. The acquisition was first announced in April this year. Established in Dubai in 2012 offering a ride-hailing service, Careem has grown to what it calls a “super-app”, offering a range of services from local and global companies, including laundry, home cleaning and car rentals. Careem, which operates across 80 cities in 10 countries, was acquired by US rival Uber in 2020 for $3.1 billion.
Real Estate Emaar hikes dividend distribution for 2024 Emaar Properties said on Friday that it would double dividend payouts in 2024 over the previous year. The Dubai-listed property developer will disburse AED 8.8 billion (US$ 2.4 billion), or 100 percent of its share capital, up from AED 4.4 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) in 2023, according to a press release. “At Emaar, our priority […] 1 day ago
Energy Former BP boss named on Adnoc’s investment board Bernard Looney, the former CEO of BP, is among the board members of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s new lower carbon energy and chemicals investment company, XRG. Formed by Adnoc last month, XRG aims to more than double its $80 billion asset value over the next decade by capitalising on the demand for low-carbon energy […] 1 day ago
Aviation Used private jets soar as Gulf aircraft deliveries stall The Gulf’s second-hand private jet market has enjoyed a surge in popularity due to an influx of wealthy residents and delays in the delivery of new aircraft. “It is hard for [buyers] to get access to assets,” Vincent Rolland, director of JetNet IQ, a US-based market analysis and business aviation consultancy company, told AGBI. Clients […] 1 day ago
Development Syria upheaval could be a sign of progress for the region The removal of the Assad regime in Syria is a “step in the right direction for the region”, according to a leading economist from Standard Chartered. Eric Robertsen, managing director of global head of research and chief strategist at Standard Chartered, was discussing the fallout of a series of geopolitical crises during a media round […] 1 day ago