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Mergers & acquisitions

The Shard, London

Gulf SWFs are back on a roll but beware Russian ties

Buoyant oil prices are keeping Gulf treasuries full following the pandemic The past few years may have been decidedly mixed for Gulf sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), but with a recent surge in oil prices and lockdowns ending the pressure is now easing.  During the Covid-19 pandemic many funds found their reserves heavily depleted by governments […]

Majis Industrial Services water

Oman’s wealth fund considers IPO for water company

Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, the Oman Investment Authority (OIA), is considering a public share sale for water company Majis Industrial Services. The OIA has invited banks to pitch for roles in Majis’s initial public offering, said two sources, declining to be named. The OIA and Majis did not respond to Reuters’s requests for comment. The […]

If you learn any simple Arabic greetings, you’re likely to please your regional business contact

Get ahead in the Gulf with our networking advice

This month’s guide on how to succeed in the Middle East offers essential tips on business practices and social etiquette The Middle East is rich in opportunity for businessmen and women, but entrepreneurs keen to forge partnerships need to remember that norms and practices can vary from those in Europe or the US. The region […]

Emirates NBD was the first bank merger to occur, in 2007

UAE needs bigger but fewer banks, says expert

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has too many banks and the sector needs to see more consolidation, especially as profits are squeezed and costs continue to rise, an industry expert told AGBI today. “I think it would be helpful to have fewer banks [in the UAE]. I have been an advocate of that,” Asad Ahmed, […]

Elie Habib's Anghami generates close to one billion streams a month with a catalogue of more than 72 million Arabic and international tracks

Make some noise for Anghami’s Elie Habib

The Lebanese music streaming mogul talks to AGBI about the meteoric rise of his Nasdaq-listed company, its battles with music pirates, relocation to Abu Dhabi and his ambition to launch Arab music stars Elie Habib fell in love with coding early. He started selling software at the age of 17 and launched several companies in […]

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan changed the face of the United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Khalifa, ‘master statesman’ who put UAE on the map

Analysts pay tribute to the visionary leader who transformed his region “The UAE is almost unrecognisable from 20 years ago and has developed into a vibrant and dynamic place where individuals and businesses can flourish,” according to Scott Livermore, chief economist at research group Oxford Economics Middle East. That is the legacy of Sheikh Khalifa […]

Etisalat launched its e& identity in February

$4.4bn sounds a lot but e& has made the right call on Vodafone

Vodafone and e&, formerly known as Etisalat, will look to launch new products globally while working together to make greater efficiencies following the UAE telco’s deal to buy a $4.4 billion stake. Following the announcement that the UAE’s biggest telecoms operator has acquired a 9.8 percent stake in British mobile operator Vodafone Group, AGBI spoke […]

High Rise, City, Urban

UAE’s first SPAC on launch pad as alternative to IPO

Abu Dhabi’s ADC Acquisition Corporation (ADC), the UAE’s first special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), on Tuesday announced its initial public offering (IPO) subscription period will start on Thursday. Shares will be available for purchase to retail and professional investors in a public subscription in the UAE and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).  […]

What is a SPAC and how do they work?

Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) raise capital through an initial public offering (IPO) for the purpose of acquiring an existing operating company. Subsequently, an operating company can merge with (or be acquired by) the publicly traded SPAC and become a listed company in lieu of executing its own IPO. According to PwC, this approach offers […]

Could crowdfunding seed the Gulf’s next Unicorn?

Democratised funding is set to breed a new generation of innovative regional businesses, say experts Crowdfunding, the alternative funding concept, represents an exciting reality in the Gulf region following a flurry of regulatory reforms. This innovative practice of funding a venture by raising smaller amounts of money from a large number of people is a […]

Tech firm lands tasty deal

FOODICS, a cloud-based technology firm serving restaurants in the Middle East, has raised $170 million from investors led by Prosus and Sanabil Investments, which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF. The series ‘C’ funding would support regional and international expansion by FOODICS, including its merger and acquisition (M&A) strategy to increase market […]