Analysis Construction Australian titan grows public-private partnerships in Gulf Plenary Group, the Australia-based investor, developer and manager of public infrastructure with assets under management worth more than $45 billion, is expanding its Middle East operations and has projects in the UAE and Bahrain in its sights. The company has opened its second office in the UAE, in Dubai, just months after launching in Abu […] December 13, 2022
Markets KFC Mena franchisee set for first GCC dual listing next week Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of KFC and Pizza Hut, will list on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) next Monday, the two bourses said in statements on Friday. According to a circular issued by ADX, the shares will be listed on the exchange under the […] December 9, 2022
Analysis Xi Jinping visits Saudi as GCC looks east on trade When President Xi Jinping of China arrives in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, it is likely to add further momentum to a flourishing relationship with the GCC that surpassed trade with the US and Europe combined last year. Three summits are planned during the three-day visit with over 20 agreements worth more than $29.3 billion expected […] December 7, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Iraq: a hidden gem for bargain-hungry tech investors Flush with oil and boasting one of the Middle East’s largest and youngest populations, war-blighted Iraq could yet be the region’s next big investment destination. Many of the apparent disadvantages of Iraq, such as being a cash-based society and low startup valuations, present opportunities for the right investors looking to use their cash for maximum […] December 6, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Dubai’s wealth fund hunts for opportunities after H1 profit The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) said it would remain “cautious and selective” when making new investments, having reported a tenfold annual increase in net profit to $4 billion for the first six months of 2022. Described by ICD as “exceptional”, the results mark a return to pre-pandemic-level earnings by the Dubai sovereign wealth fund, […] December 2, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Heavy industries replace tech in Middle East funding rounds More traditional industries such as manufacturing and oil and gas services have replaced technology as the driving force behind capital flows between Europe and the Middle East, according to new research The switch comes as technology giants including Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and Amazon reported disappointing third-quarter results and the tech-heavy Nasdaq stock market has lost […] December 1, 2022
Banking & Finance Investcorp targets mid-sized buys in $500m China investment push The Bahrain-based asset manager has launched a fund with Hong Kong's Fung Capital, to snap up family-owned firms with growth potential November 29, 2022
Markets KFC Mena franchisee generates $105bn in orders for dual IPO Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of KFC and Pizza Hut, has set the final offer price for its upcoming initial public offering at $0.71 per share in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the UAE state-owned WAM news agency reported. The dual listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the […] November 29, 2022
Banking & Finance Younger Arabs invest in equity markets, tech and Islamic finance Nearly three-quarters of rich young Arabs believe equity markets will continue to perform well and are actively planning to invest, with regional entities, Islamic finance, technology and sustainability their key priorities. Geneva-headquartered global wealth and asset management company Lombard Odier surveyed around 200 high net worth individuals with assets of at least $1 million across […] November 24, 2022
Banking & Finance School operator Taaleem up next in string of Dubai IPOs UAE schools operator Taaleem Holdings is the latest in Dubai’s string of initial public offerings (IPOs) as the emirate continues to open up key state-owned assets for investment. Dubai’s privatisation drive this year to raise revenue and boost investor interest includes the listing of 18 percent of utility company Dewa on the Dubai Financial Market. It […] November 18, 2022
Markets KFC Mena franchisee Americana doubles UAE retail size of IPO Americana Restaurants, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut, has doubled the UAE retail offer for its initial public offering (IPO) from five percent to 10 percent of the total offering. The move makes the UAE retail offer equivalent to Saudi Arabia, the company said in a statement. […] November 18, 2022
Health Venture capital firm to bring healthcare technology to the UAE An Abu Dhabi-based venture capital firm has obtained approval from regulators to invite investors into healthcare startups in the US and elsewhere with a view to bringing specialist technology to the Middle East. Biosis Ventures said this week it had in principle received permission from the Abu Dhabi Global Market to offer venture capital products […] November 17, 2022
Banking & Finance Digital bank launches Gulf’s first IPO subscription service Customers of online bank Liv. can now subscribe to an IPO in its app, a first for a digital lender in the region. Liv., which is owned by Dubai’s Emirates NBD, is launching a digital platform that will allow investors to register their interest for upcoming IPOs and will provide information on individual listings, such […] November 16, 2022
Construction Saudi’s $500bn Neom targets Berlin and Paris for investment Neom, the $500 billion futuristic city being built in Saudi Arabia, is targeting potential business partners in Europe as part of its ongoing efforts to attract investors. Located in a vast region in the northwest of the kingdom, Neom is at the heart of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 drive to diversify the […] November 16, 2022
Markets Empower raises nearly $724 mln following book-building process Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has set the final offer price for its initial public offering (IPO) at AED 1.33 per share, at the top of the price range, raising nearly AED 2.7 billion ($724 million). This comes following the successful completion of the book-building and public subscription process for its IPO, the UAE […] November 10, 2022
Analysis Construction Design changes mean Middle East has world’s worst project delays Construction projects in the Middle East are facing some of the longest delays of any region in the world, with average overruns adding more than 80 percent to timelines, and dispute claims increasing costs by more than a third. Despite the prevalent availability of cash reserves in the region, due to the high oil price […] November 8, 2022
Real Estate Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan plans to list its Dubai subsidiary Saudi-listed Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company plans to list its Dubai subsidiary on an international stock exchange. In a statement published on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), the developer said it was considering several strategic and capital markets options for its international property business in Dubai, which may include listing. The developer recently completed […] November 7, 2022
Analysis Sustainability 30 of the most sustainable companies in the Middle East With Cop27 beginning today in Egypt, we focus on 30 businesses tackling the social and environmental challenges that threaten the region Middle Eastern companies large and small are going green as they realise the environmental and commercial potential of being socially conscious. Governments are also focusing on sustainability, placing green projects at the heart of […] November 6, 2022
Tech IPO juggernaut Bayanat eyes driverless vehicle acquisitions Abu Dhabi’s geospatial and data analytics firm Bayanat AI Plc expects its next wave of growth to come from the driverless vehicles segment and is in the market for potential acquisitions. The company this week recorded the best first-day performance of any global stock market listing of at least $100 million this year. It nearly […] November 3, 2022
UAE’s Taaleem to raise $204m from IPO on Dubai bourse Taaleem Holdings, the UAE-based K-12 premium education provider with 26 schools, will launch an initial public offering on the Dubai Financial Market to raise AED 750 million ($204.19 million) to expand its network. The company will offer 10 percent of its shares to retail investors starting November 10 and 88 percent to professional investors on […] October 31, 2022
Banking & Finance Jared Kushner’s firm leads $200m funding for Dubizzle’s owner UAE-based unicorn Emerging Markets Property Group (EMPG) has completed a $200 million investment led by Affinity Partners, a global firm launched in 2021 by former US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. EMPG owns leading UAE classifieds platforms Bayut and Dubizzle, along with several platforms across emerging markets focused on Mena, South and Southeast Asia. The investment round […] October 28, 2022
Analysis Mena markets buck global IPO downturn The Middle East and North Africa (Mena’s) IPO market continued to “forge its own path” during the first nine months of 2022, showing significant growth while the global landscape remained subdued. According to the latest EY Mena IPO Eye report, the Mena region witnessed a 288 percent year-on-year increase in the number of companies listing […] October 26, 2022
