Banking & Finance GCC needs common policy on crypto, says Saudi academic Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states should develop aligned policies and regulations around the potential use of cryptocurrencies as a payment tool, a prominent Saudi academic and economist has said. While the largest Arab economy generally forbids the use of cryptocurrencies, the UAE has put some policies in place to regulate their use. “Saudi […] February 5, 2025
Opinion Tech US ambitions are a fork in the road for GCC crypto If Trump follows through on deregulation, the States could be a serious competitor to the Gulf February 4, 2025
Energy Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Group signs Ethiopian power deal Abu Dhabi-based technology conglomerate Phoenix Group has acquired an 80 megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia. It follows just weeks after the company launched a 50MW cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota in the US. A PPA is usually a long-term electricity supply agreement. The deal, secured in partnership with UAE cybersecurity company […] January 22, 2025
Construction Dubai Multi Commodities Centre announces “Crypto Tower” Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and software company Reit Development have announced plans to build a 17-storey “Crypto Tower” that they say will demonstrate the use of blockchain technology. Blockchain will be used for tenant interactions and transactions through the use of on-chain voting mechanisms, shared resources, smart contracts and other automated services. The 150,000 sq […] January 16, 2025
Opinion Finance Trump would do well to look to UAE for crypto guidance Incoming US policy will boost blockchain innovation and, in turn, cryptocurrencies January 16, 2025
Analysis Banking & Finance Gulf sets ambitious targets in its quest to go cashless The Middle East has set ambitious targets in its bid to become a cashless society. The UAE is aiming for 75 percent of transactions to be cashless by 2026 and Saudi Arabia has set a target of 70 percent by 2030. Late last year, the process was made simpler by the introduction of Tap to […] January 16, 2025
Finance UAE’s Phoenix Group opens US crypto mining facility Phoenix Group, an Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed company and one of the world’s leading bitcoin miners, has launched its 50 megawatt (MW) cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota, US. The opening of the site is part of the company’s bid to expand its capabilities and investments in the US. The company said that the facility, […] January 6, 2025
Finance Dubai busts global money laundering gangs Dubai has broken up two major international networks conducting money laundering operations worth a total of AED641 million ($174.5 million). The Dubai Public Prosecution referred an Emirati national, 21 British nationals, two Americans, a Czech national, and two companies owned by the Emirati national to the Criminal Court of First Instance at Dubai Courts. The […] December 27, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance The ‘race is on’ to set up bitcoin national reserves The concept of national bitcoin reserves is moving from theoretical discussion to geopolitical reality. A member of Russia’s parliament has called on its central bank to consider bitcoin as a reserve asset, it was reported last week. Thirteen nations already hold the cryptocurrency, according to a report released this month by bitcoin exchange River. The […] December 16, 2024
Banking & Finance UAE stablecoin gets green light from Central Bank UAE businesses could soon be able to accept AE Coin, the first regulated cryptocurrency in the Emirates. The AE Coin, which has just received regulatory approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, is pegged to the dirham, making it less volatile than other cryptocurrencies. Cryptos tied to a fiat, or government-issued, currency are known as […] December 11, 2024
Finance Eric Trump tells Abu Dhabi bitcoin will hit $1m President-elect Donald Trump is planning to make the US the “crypto capital of the world”, his son Eric Trump said in a keynote speech in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Speaking at the Bitcoin Mena event being held at Abu Dhabi’s ADNEC centre, the younger Trump said he was “confident” that bitcoin would hit $1 million. […] December 10, 2024
Finance Trump’s crypto team in Abu Dhabi for bitcoin conference Several key staff in President-elect Donald Trump’s new cryptocurrency venture are in Abu Dhabi today for the largest bitcoin gathering in the Gulf region, Bitcoin Mena 2024. Speakers include Trump’s son Eric and billionaire Steve Witkoff, the new White House envoy for the Middle East and co-founder of World Liberty Financial (WLF), a crypto platform […] December 9, 2024
Video length: 03:05 Video Finance Hedge funds and wealth managers ‘are a boon’ for DIFC The DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority) the independent regulatory agency that oversees financial services in the Dubai International Financial Centre, approved more than 60 new companies in the first half of 2024. Patrick Meaney, head of enforcement at DFSA, says that many of them are wealth management companies or hedge funds, which is a “boon […] December 4, 2024
Finance Bitcoin price passes $70,000 on US election speculation The price of Bitcoin reached $72,479 this week, the first time that the cryptocurrency has gone above the $70,000 price mark since June. Although still below its March peak of $73,803.25, the world’s most prominent digital currency may have headroom to rise further. “Bitcoin has rallied more than 65 percent year-to-date, with prices surging above […] October 30, 2024
Banking & Finance Crypto giant OKX bullish on UAE launch Cryptocurrency exchange company OKX has launched operations for retail and institutional investors in the UAE. UAE residents will be able to deposit and withdraw AED from all Emirates bank accounts and trade more than 280 cryptocurrencies and 480 trading pairs. The Seychelles-based crypto trading platform has more than 50 million customers in 200 international markets according […] October 10, 2024
Banking & Finance UAE VAT exemptions to boost funds, crypto and FDI New exemptions by the UAE on value added tax for investment funds and digital or crypto-related services will strengthen the Gulf state’s position as a financial hub and help attract more foreign business, experts have said. The Federal Tax Authority’s amendments announced this week exempt the management of investment funds from 5 percent VAT from […] October 9, 2024
Banking & Finance Bahraini bank launches Gulf’s first bitcoin investment fund The National Bank of Bahrain has launched a bitcoin-pegged structured investment product, aimed at targeting growing demand for the cryptocurrency among institutional investors in the Gulf countries. The fund, developed in partnership with digital asset firm ARP Digital, will offer investors access to any rise in bitcoin’s price, capped within a predetermined threshold, and guarantee […] October 8, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Finance Dubai’s crypto regulator defends ‘robust’ approval process Dubai is viewed as a crypto-friendly destination, but the head of the regulator overseeing the sector has told AGBI its processes are rigorous and only a small fraction of applicants are approved. “It’s probably fair to say at the beginning there was a perception from the market that it would be straightforward to get a […] October 3, 2024
Video length: 03:30 VIDEO Artificial Intelligence Dubai AI leaders call for global regulations Digital economy leaders in the UAE called for the global unification of artificial intelligence regulations at the launch of DMCC’s AI Centre last week. Dubai issued a universal blueprint for AI earlier this year, but a unified framework governing the growing AI technology sector is still lacking. “How can you disregard the artificial intelligence sector […] September 18, 2024
Video length: 04:56 VIDEO Finance Turks turn to crypto to ‘escape’ currency fluctuations As blockchain platform Tether introduces the first dirham-pegged stablecoin – cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to a currency, commodity or financial instrument – in the UAE, AGBI looks into how unstable economies such as Turkey have used cryptocurrencies as a hedge against inflation. Turkey banned the use of cryptocurrencies for payments in 2021, the same year […] August 28, 2024
Opinion Finance American business weighs prospect of ‘Trump trade’ Some sectors, such as energy and real estate, stand to gain on an election win July 15, 2024
Finance Hong Kong’s Animoca considers Gulf bourses Animoca Brands, a major Web3 and crypto gaming company valued at nearly $6 billion, is considering a public listing in 2025, with the Gulf and Hong Kong as potential venues. The company’s investors include heavyweights such as Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and the Saudi Arabia government’s Neom project, which injected $50 million into it last year. […] July 5, 2024