Analysis Manufacturing PIF’s Aston Martin deal will put Saudi’s auto industry in fast lane The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) £78m investment in Aston Martin is set to turbocharge the kingdom’s domestic automotive manufacturing industry, according to experts. Last week, the PIF announced it would be a part of a £653 million takeover of Aston Martin Lagonda, and that the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund — one of the […] July 20, 2022
Analysis Economy Sheikh Mohamed underlines ties with France on first foreign trip The Louvre Abu Dhabi is perhaps the most visible symbol of the flourishing relationship between the UAE and France. The museum on Saadiyat Island, which opened in 2017 under an agreement between the two governments, is said to be France’s largest cultural project abroad. Given this backdrop of cultural and commercial ties, France was a […] July 19, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East 43 billion reasons why the US is key to Saudi’s wealth fund Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is expected to continue with an investment strategy of “bargain hunting” in the United States but will likely deploy some caution, given current volatility in the US stock market. US president Joe Biden’s visit to the kingdom is an opportunity to strengthen bilateral business ties, commentators told AGBI, and […] July 8, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Gulf sovereign investments may be hit by new UK tax plans Gulf-based sovereign wealth funds could see tax exemptions on investments in the UK slashed under new proposals put forward by the British government. Britain is planning to reduce the scope of the exemption to just interest income from investment activity. This would move income profits and capital gains from investment in UK real estate, as […] July 8, 2022
Exclusive Economy UAE trade minister: ‘NextGenFDI is a game changer’ The United Arab Emirates is looking to compete against the world’s most popular cities for international businesses, the nation’s trade minister said as he announced incentives aiming to attract 300 digital companies to set up offices over the next year. “What we have seen in the last few years is that things are moving, despite […] July 7, 2022
Analysis A UK recession may spook Arab investors – or present an opening The economic outlook for the UK has grown progressively bleaker over recent months. After contracting 0.1 percent in March, Britain’s economy shrank by a further 0.3 percent in April, marking the first back-to-back declines since the onset of the global pandemic in March 2020. Last week the pound plunged to its lowest level against the dollar […] June 23, 2022
Analysis Energy ACWA places faith in hydrogen to power Saudi’s future Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has grand ambitions to become the globe’s number one producer of green hydrogen. The kingdom is aiming to produce around four million tonnes of the gas by 2030 as part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MbS) Vision 2030 to diversify the economy. Green hydrogen is set […] June 17, 2022
UAE splashes out more foreign investment than it receives The UAE ranked first in the Gulf for foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in 2021, but the amount the emirates invested overseas overtook this figure during the same period. The rising oil price is likely to see this trend continue, experts said. The newly released United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) World Investment […] June 13, 2022
Analysis Canada and Dubai grow closer with every deal struck A Canadian pension fund company’s decision to invest $5 billion in UAE multinational logistics company DP World’s assets is a striking example of the deepening commercial ties between the two countries. Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec’s (CPDQ) announced the deal on Monday. It will see CPDQ take a 22 percent stake in DP World’s prized assets in […] June 7, 2022
Analysis Development How Oman’s sultan is reshaping the nation Omanis went into three days of mourning after the death of Sultan Qaboos bin Said in January 2020. When they reemerged with a new leader in Qaboos’ first cousin, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the oil-rich country was unaware that two waves of crises were looming on the horizon. A sudden dip in oil prices soon […] June 2, 2022
Analysis Food & Drink Saudis want the world to wake up and smell their coffee Did Arabica coffee originate in Arabia? Many say it hails from Ethiopia and then spread to Yemen and the rest of the Middle East. As coffee experts and aficionados continue to debate its history, Saudi Arabia is working to put a new stamp on the industry. Saudi Arabia has named 2022 the year of Saudi […] May 31, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance 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 […] May 31, 2022
Analysis Qatar promise may trigger deluge of Gulf investments in UK More Gulf sovereign wealth funds could make huge investments in the United Kingdom following a £10 billion commitment from Qatar. On Tuesday the UK and Qatar signed a new Strategic Investment Partnership which will see the emir state invest billions over the next five years in key sectors of the UK economy including fintech, zero […] May 26, 2022
Energy ‘We’re serious about net zero’ says Saudi’s PIF chief PIF establishing new hydrogen company Fund plans to develop 70 percent of renewable energy targets Kingdom to phase out almost all liquids Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is committed to achieving its goal of developing 70 percent of the kingdom’s renewable energy by the end of the decade, PIF’s governor confirmed today. Despite it […] May 20, 2022