Opinion Markets Stock-picking in Chinese, American and Middle Eastern markets China’s economy is looking weaker than it has for decades February 12, 2024
Markets Investcorp lines up diverse strategies for east and west Multibillion-dollar asset manager Investcorp Capital is planning listing activity from its companies in the east in the next six months, but sees more profit in mergers and acquisitions in the west. The Bahrain-based company, which was listed on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange in November, on Monday reported income of $34 million for the first […] February 12, 2024
Finance Saudi Arabia taps banks for new Aramco share sale Saudi Arabia is set to hire banks including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs Group and HSBC Holdings for a potential secondary share sale in state oil company Aramco that could raise nearly $20 billion – up from earlier estimates of $10 billion. Bloomberg and Reuters reported that the kingdom is in talks with several banks as it […] February 9, 2024
Tech Domestic deals push Presight AI’s profit up 5% to $155m Presight AI Holding, part of Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence group G42, said 2023 net profit rose 5.1 percent year on year to AED570.6 million ($155.35 million) in 2023, supported by major domestic project deployments. Revenue jumped 14.7 percent to AED1.78 billion last year from AED1.55 billion in 2022. Net profit rose marginally by 0.4 percent year on year […] February 8, 2024
Markets Qatar sets up $200m fund to drive trade in Doha stocks Qatar Investment Authority has launched a $200 million fund for Doha-listed stocks as part of plans to reinvigorate trading on the country’s bourse. Trading turnover on the Qatar Stock Exchange has dropped from QAR160.4 billion ($44.1 billion) in 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine boosted the prices of Gulf hydrocarbon exports, spurring local, regional and […] February 8, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Saudi stock market Nomu poised for listings flurry Saudi Arabia’s lower-tier stock market, Nomu, is poised for a further flurry of new listings this year as an increasing number of the kingdom’s small and mid-sized companies opt to go public to raise money and improve corporate governance standards. Since launching in 2017, Nomu, which means growth in Arabic, has swelled to 79 listed […] February 7, 2024
Analysis Markets Saudi Arabia and UAE to dominate Mena IPOs in 2024 Nearly 30 companies in the Middle East and North Africa plan to launch initial public offerings this year, despite mixed share price performance from many regional businesses that went public last year, a report has found. Businesses from Saudi Arabia and the UAE will again dominate Mena IPOs in 2024, according to the report by […] February 6, 2024
Markets Gulf markets attracting more international investors International investors are increasingly considering opportunities in Gulf markets, according to traders and observers. The only exception is China, where interest in investing in the Gulf remains relatively low. GCC countries raised $6.8 billion through 29 offerings during the first nine months of 2023, buoyed by a privatisation push in Dubai, several record-breaking listings from […] February 6, 2024
Markets Appetite high for Aramco’s $10bn second listing Now is the right time for the Saudi state oil company Aramco to follow through on its much-anticipated second share listing, industry experts have said. Observers believe that growing international investor appetite for the region’s stock markets makes the timing attractive. However, geopolitical regional tensions, concerns about global oil demand, and high interest rates could […] February 5, 2024
Opinion Real Estate School’s in: UAE education is ripe for investment The listing of more education-based real estate investment trusts will diversify UAE capital markets February 5, 2024
Markets Dubai bourse operator’s 2023 profit up 124% to $90m Dubai Financial Market Company, the operator of the Dubai bourse, said net profit jumped 124 percent to AED329.4 million ($89.68 million) last year. The earnings surge was driven by a substantial increase in trading activities, capital inflow and an influx of new investors. Total revenue reached AED541.6 million in 2023, an increase of 54 percent […] January 31, 2024
People & Lifestyle Pure Health buys Abu Dhabi hospital stake for $150m A subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s Pure Health Holding has agreed to acquire Mayo Clinic’s shares in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City for $150 million. Under the agreement, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) will acquire 25,000 shares, or 25 percent, of the total issued shares of Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Pure Health said in a statement […] January 30, 2024
Aviation Saudi will top Gulf business travel chart, says Wego boss Business travel to and from Saudi Arabia is expected to surpass neighbouring UAE, according to the CEO and co-founder of online travel marketplace Wego. As of the start of this month, foreign companies hoping to gain access to billions of dollars worth of government contracts must have their regional headquarters in Riyadh. The regional HQ […] January 25, 2024
Finance Avalon Pharma’s market value at $437m on listing Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Pharmaceutical Industries Company (Avalon Pharma) has priced its initial public offering (IPO) at the top of its range at SAR82 ($21.87), implying a market capitalisation of SAR1.64 billion ($437.33 million) on listing. The recorded orders during the institutional book-building stood at SAR68.27 billion, representing a coverage of 138.76 times. The retail […] January 25, 2024
Analysis Economy Oman expects a ratings rebound but oil’s grip is strong Oman is on course to regain its investment-grade rating but analysts say challenges remain in reducing the economy’s dependence on hydrocarbons. Standard Chartered has forecast that Oman’s continued improvements in fiscal performance, de-leveraging (lowering debt) and commitment to reform could see the sultanate’s rating rebound “as early as 2024”. The bank’s Global Focus 2024 report […] January 24, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Saudi funds, serial founders and more trends to shake up startups Saudi Arabia will lead the region, while corporates will play a growing VC funding role January 23, 2024
Opinion Lifestyle In Dubai, it looks like the Russians are staying Russia's move away from the West puts the UAE in focus January 22, 2024
Industry Saudi F&B company Almarai Q4 profit up 4% to $100m Saudi Arabian food and beverage company Almarai said its net profit for the final quarter of 2023 rose four percent year on year to SAR370.72 million ($98.84 million), driven by a positive performance in its core GCC markets. Saudi Arabia contributed the most to the quarterly revenue growth, driven mainly by the poultry and dairy […] January 22, 2024
Opinion Markets Frogs, dogs and elephants – the zoology of business talk Sometimes only an animal analogy will do to describe complex corporate concepts January 19, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Education Taaleem aims to double revenues after 60% profit rise Taaleem, the UAE schools operator, plans to double its revenues by 2028 by opening “at least one school every two years”, managing more government schools and diversifying into early years, its chief executive told AGBI. The company, which has low debt, has yet to deploy the proceeds of its AED750 million ($204 million) initial public […] January 16, 2024
Banking & Finance Class action lawsuit against Saudi builder approved A class action lawsuit against a Saudi construction company has been given the green light to proceed by authorities. The Capital Market Authority said the Committee for the Resolution of Securities Disputes (CRSD) has accepted the lawsuit filed by an investor against some members of the board and employees of Mohammad Al Mojil Group. The […] January 16, 2024
People & Lifestyle Aster DM plans dividend payout from Gulf unit sale India’s Aster DM Healthcare intends to distribute between 70 percent and 80 percent of the $903 million proceeds it will receive from selling its Gulf business. The company agreed in November 2023 to sell a majority stake in its Gulf business to Alpha GCC Holdings for $1 billion as part of a plan to separate […] January 16, 2024