Oil & Gas Italy’s Saipem expects Aramco orders to drop 20% Italian energy contractor Saipem is forecasting a 20 percent decline in annual orders from Saudi Aramco to 2027 following the state-backed oil major’s decision to hold its capacity expansion plans. Saipem had annual average orders of around €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) from the Saudi-listed company between 2021 and 2023. It signed a 12-year deal with […] March 1, 2024
Renewable Energy Masdar acquires 49% stake in UK’s offshore wind farms Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar has acquired a 49 percent stake in the 3-gigawatt (GW) Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind farm project in the UK, as part of its global expansion drive. The acquisition is part of the planned £11 billion ($14 billion) joint investment with Germany’s renewables major RWE to support net-zero […] March 1, 2024
Analysis Construction Foreign expertise vital for Saudi construction Saudi Arabia’s construction industry needs more foreign involvement if achieving its Vision 2030 goals is to become a reality, according to attendees of the Big 5 conference in Riyadh. In the first half of 2023 alone $44 billion worth of new projects were awarded in the kingdom’s $140 billion construction sector, according to real estate […] February 29, 2024
Sustainability Turkey and Europe join up to promote carbon trading The European Energy Exchange (EEX) and Turkish energy bourse Enerji Piyasalari Isletme A.S (Epias) have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop carbon emissions trading in Turkey. “We look forward to working with Epias in creating a robust emissions trading system (ETS) in Turkey by providing our expertise in carbon markets,” said EEX chief executive […] February 29, 2024
Aviation Passengers pay for aviation’s sustainability shortcomings Penalties imposed on the aviation industry for failing to meet stringent sustainability targets will ultimately lead to higher air fares for passengers, according to an industry expert. “The customer is going to pay the extra cost,” said Wahab Teffaha, secretary general of the Arab Air Carriers’ Organization, speaking at the 11th annual Arab Aviation Summit […] February 29, 2024
Tech Ericsson and Turkcell to lead 6G research in Turkey Swedish telecom company Ericsson and Turkish operator Turkcell will begin advancements on research and development of 6G in Turkey. The sixth-generation wireless network will use higher frequencies than its predecessor 5G and provide substantially higher capacity and much lower latency. The advent of 6G networks holds promise of faster connectivity in various sectors including wireless […] February 28, 2024
Analysis Banking and Finance GCC banks look to US and Europe GCC banks may be forced to look overseas to fulfil growth ambitions as home markets become increasingly saturated, experts say. While some banks have already ventured abroad – mainly into Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan, which constitute nearly a half of their presence outside the Gulf – more developed markets such as the US and Europe […] February 28, 2024
Banking and Finance Qatar commits $11bn for French startups and funds Qatar will invest €10 billion ($10.9 billion) in French startups and investment funds as part of a new strategic partnership. The announcement was made in a French-Qatari joint communique released during Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani’s state visit to Paris. The investments will focus on energy transition, semiconductors, aerospace, artificial intelligence, health, […] February 28, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Why cricket could be next on the list for Saudi Arabia’s PIF Saudi Arabia wants sports with mass participation, rich histories and big economies February 27, 2024
Sustainability UK’s Solent Cluster courts Gulf for green investment The Solent Cluster, a network of 114 companies with interests on the English south coast, is considering working with Gulf companies to deliver $15 billion of green investment. The group is prioritising decarbonisation and among its proposals are a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant for which Dubai’s national carrier Emirates and other airlines could become […] February 26, 2024
Oil & Gas Adnoc faces hurdles in completing ambitious European deals Abu Dhabi state oil company Adnoc is facing challenges to a duo of major European deals it is trying to get over the finish line, according to media reports. Talks with Austrian energy group OMV have been put on hold to allow parties to navigate a series of disagreements, the Financial Times reported on Friday. […] February 23, 2024
Sustainability Climate transition galvanises ties between UAE and France Climate transition is becoming a central focus of economic cooperation between the UAE and France as the countries agreed to establish a “Bilateral Climate Investment Platform”. The platform aims to accelerate joint projects and investments in clean energy sectors, with a particular focus on advancing the decarbonisation of industries such as steel, cement and petrochemicals. […] February 22, 2024
Trade UK cheese sales buck trend in F&B exports to the GCC British cheese continues to grow in popularity with regional consumers, but it could not prevent total food and drink exports from the UK to the GCC declining in 2023. Exports were down by almost 7 percent year on year to £816 million ($1 billion). The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs attributed the […] February 22, 2024
Sustainability Take action to keep climate goal in reach, urges Al Jaber The UAE consensus achieved at the Cop28 summit in Dubai set a clear roadmap for keeping global temperature rise to within 1.5C. Now the world must turn the plan into action and results, said Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber. Al Jaber told the International Energy Agency roundtable in Paris on Tuesday that all stakeholders must […] February 21, 2024
Opinion Media & Advertising After Tucker-Putin, some advice for media interviews There are some words and phrases that always announce 'car crash ahead' February 16, 2024
Aviation Flydubai expands in Europe with four new routes Dubai low-cost airline Flydubai has launched four new services to expand its European network to 43 destinations in 21 countries. The carrier will be the first UAE airline to operate direct flights to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, starting August 2. Flydubai is also marking its first entry into the Baltic region with direct flights to Riga International Airport […] February 16, 2024
Analysis Infrastructure Digital economy central to UAE-Greece partnership The UAE’s Ministry of Investment and Greece’s Ministry of Digital Governance have signed an agreement to create a framework for investments in digital infrastructure. The UAE government is keen to invest in data centres and become a technological leader in south-east Europe. Data centres to be developed under the deal will reach a total capacity […] February 15, 2024
Oil & Gas Some countries missing oil cut targets, says Opec Crude production by Opec fell by 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January, as members of the wider Opec+ group started implementing voluntary output cuts, the oil bloc said in its monthly report published this week. Some countries did not adhere to the pledged amounts, complicating Opec’s efforts to stabilise global oil prices. Kuwait and […] February 14, 2024
Tourism Moscow courts UAE to bump up inbound tourism Moscow aims to double the number of annual visitors from the UAE this year, to expand its international tourist base amid headwinds such as the war with Ukraine. Bulat Nurmukhanov, head of the International Cooperation Division at Moscow City Tourism Committee (MCTC), told AGBI that while the Russian capital’s domestic tourism has broadly recovered since […] February 13, 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
Business of Sport Sobha Realty strikes sponsorship deal with Arsenal Dubai real estate developer Sobha Realty has secured the naming rights for the training ground of English Premier League football club Arsenal. Arsenal’s facility in Hertfordshire will be known as the Sobha Realty Training Centre. It is the first time the naming rights have been sold. The deal is part of Sobha’s plan to expand […] February 2, 2024
Opinion Media & Advertising ‘Street of Shame’ can’t lecture about editorial independence Desire of media owners to influence the content of their publications is as old as the hills February 2, 2024