Oil & Gas SLB predicts record Middle East oilfield services revenue SLB, the world’s largest oilfield services company, is predicting record revenue growth in the Middle East this year, as the region’s oil and gas companies ramp up capacity levels. The US company reported that international revenue rose 12 percent to $6.6 billion in the third quarter, its highest level since 2015. Opportunities in the GCC, […] October 30, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Energy Give private sector green incentives, says Sharjah oil CEO While the state-owned Sharjah National Oil Corporation plans to use its depleted fossil fuel resources to store carbon, its CEO believes that private companies are unlikely to follow Snoc’s green ambitions voluntarily, unless they are given incentives to act. The innovation could help to halve the UAE’s carbon emissions, but the company is owned by […] October 27, 2023
Video length: 3:34 VIDEO Tech New sectors to drive e& growth as telecoms becomes ‘saturated’ UAE tech and telecoms company e& – formerly Etisalat – is looking at more acquisitions in the GCC as well as Africa and Eastern Europe. “We are in processes as we speak,” said Salvador Anglada, CEO of e& enterprise, during an exclusive roundtable at Gitex. The telecoms major rebranded from Etisalat last year to become […] October 20, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Business of Sport Baseball ready to strike home run in the Middle East When the opening pitch is thrown at Dubai International Stadium in November it will signal the official start of the first ever professional baseball league in the Middle East and South Asia. And the power broker behind the ambitious project hopes the 25,000-seater venue will be at least a quarter full to mark the inaugural […] August 6, 2023
Exclusive Energy Acwa Power bids to turbocharge Saudi’s green targets When it comes to the green transition, Saudi Arabia has got some catching up to do. The country is targeting a 50-50 split in electricity generation between renewables and gas by 2030, but in 2021 just 0.2 percent of electricity came from renewable sources. To achieve this Vision 2030 goal, the country has tasked its […] July 28, 2023
Video length: 03:22 VIDEO Employment Only 7% of GCC board seats are held by women Only 7 percent of board seats in the GCC are held by women compared to 20 percent globally, a report by Bain & Company says. “There is an issue in retaining, mentoring and supporting women to make it all the way to CEO positions and the board,” said Karen Khalaf, partner at Bain & Company […] July 14, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Hamish Harding: British billionaire in the UAE Hamish Harding was one of the five people who died on the Titan submersible in the Atlantic on June 18. He founded Action Aviation, a UAE-based international aircraft brokerage company, and was chair of the Middle East chapter of The Explorers Club. Read below AGBI’s interview with him last September, when he had just been […] June 21, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Tech Lottoland founder bets on softened gambling rules in UAE The entrepreneur behind the global lottery betting platform Lottoland is confident that he will one day be able to offer the service in the UAE. David von Rosen-von Hoewel, an international investor and founder of businesses in fashion, finance and gaming, said plans for the UAE’s first casino in Ras Al Khaimah put forward by […] June 19, 2023
Exclusive Markets Presight to use IPO as springboard to global expansion Big data and analytics company Presight is targetting international expansion once they have listed later this month. The firm, part of Abu Dhabi’s G42, plans to raise $495 million from its floating on the ADX. The subscription period for the initial public offering (IPO), which was 136 times oversubscribed, closed on Friday with a total […] March 17, 2023
Banking & Finance Gulf edges closer to its first homegrown tech unicorn The Gulf region is two years away from realising its first tech unicorn, according to Mohammad Alblooshi, head of Dubai International Financial Centre’s Fintech Hive. Becoming a unicorn – a company with a valuation over $1 billion before being listed on the stock exchange – is the dream of many tech startups. In the fintech […] March 14, 2023
Exclusive Food & Drink Chef Jason Atherton sees Dubai as hotspot for restaurant openings When British restaurateur and celebrity chef Jason Atherton was searching for the location of his latest business venture, Dubai was a no-brainer. He met and married his wife Irha in the emirate and is quick to describe Dubai as “like a second home to me”. The launch of City Social, which opened its doors earlier […] February 20, 2023
EXCLUSIVE Interviews UAE’s centre stage in Bollywood blockbusters The UAE is set to become a major post-production and financing hub for the Bollywood film industry. Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur told AGBI: “Infrastructure for filmmaking is coming up in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and more Indian filmmakers will come to the UAE to make their films. There are very good studio facilities in Dubai […] February 13, 2023
Exclusive Tourism ‘Constantly evolving’ Mena key to Hyatt growth plan, says new VP Hyatt Hotels, the US-based hospitality giant, is placing emphasis on the Middle East and Africa for its global growth strategy. Stuart Deeson, newly appointed vice president of operations for the region at Hyatt, told AGBI that Saudi Arabia in particular was witnessing a “significant point in history”. He also believes Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco offer […] February 1, 2023
Exclusive Manufacturing Cars, property and superjets: Pagani plots future with PIF Horacio Pagani, founder of the supercar that bears his name, is open to further partnerships with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund as his company expands into luxury real estate and private jet design. PIF acquired a 30 percent stake in the Italian business in 2021. Pagani, who acts as its CEO and chief design officer, […] January 29, 2023
Exclusive Food & Drink Cashless economy is at the door, says food delivery boss A cashless economy in the UAE is no longer just an ambition, according to Tatiana Rahal, managing director of food delivery giant Talabat UAE. “The future in the UAE is digital and we see cashless payments as the primary currency,” said Rahal, the company’s first MD who has previously worked on data analytics for brands […] January 23, 2023
Food & Drink Success brewing for UAE’s speciality coffee culture Three years after the Covid pandemic broke many businesses, a new landscape is brewing that could fundamentally change the UAE’s coffee culture. Coffee shops were among the first to shut their doors in 2020 and bear the brunt of prolonged lockdowns. But the pandemic has changed customer behaviour and palettes, and the country’s independent operators […] January 1, 2023
How I got to the top Lifestyle Kemal Yazici, founder, Bedia Gallery Kemal Yazici is founder of Bedia Gallery, an art gallery and studio located in Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai. What does your company do? Currently Bedia Gallery is exhibiting my artworks. However, in the very near future we will work together with Turkish and German artists and curators. Also, in the long term we […] December 23, 2022
How I got to the top Entrepreneurs Katie Wachsberger, co-founder, Dana Global Dana Global is an Abu Dhabi-based venture builder for women-led startups in desert technology: agtech, foodtech, water solutions, circular economy, and renewable energy specifically geared for the unique desert climate of the Middle East. What does your company do? We work closely with our portfolio companies – early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs – to guide them […] December 16, 2022
How I got to the top Lifestyle Caroline Ralston, founder, Proposal Boutique Proposal Boutique is a Dubai-based luxury marriage proposal planning company, helping couples enjoy an unforgettable “will you marry me?” experience. What does your company do? We work closely with men from all over the world to help them deliver the most romantic and unforgettable proposal. We source the venue, flowers, decorations, musicians, fireworks, and much […] December 9, 2022
Exclusive Retail Cenomi in bid to shake up kingdom’s online retail industry The retail behemoth previously known as Fawaz Alhokair Group is overhauling its operations from being predominantly bricks and mortar-based to one of the region’s biggest online marketplaces. “Over the past three decades, we’ve done a fantastic job at making the business what it is today, but we know there is a lot more to be […] December 9, 2022
Exclusive Interviews MassiveMusic is making some noise with Middle East move “Sonic branding” is not a term many people outside the marketing industry are familiar with, especially in the Gulf region. But they may become more so, as companies increasingly adopt music strategies to reach their customers. “We know the effect that successful music can have on communication, and it is fast becoming a point of […] November 25, 2022
Exclusive Development Cherie Blair ‘optimistic’ for Middle East entrepreneurial equality Nearly 20 years ago, Cherie Blair CBE, leading King’s Counsel and committed campaigner for women’s rights, predicted that the UAE would lead the Middle East’s drive on gender equality. Her first visit to the GCC region – during her husband Tony’s 10-year stint as British Prime Minister – was promptly followed by the appointment of […] November 14, 2022
