Private equity firms face ‘perfect storm’ as market turmoil bites Private equity investors gathered in Berlin at their annual get-together are fretting a season of record buyouts is drawing to a close after a week of market turmoil and recession fears as central banks across Europe have hiked interest rates. Cash-rich buyout funds are set to face higher financing costs to get their deals to […] June 17, 2022
Energy Italy may declare state of alert on gas next week Italy may declare the state of alert on gas next week if Russia continues to curb its gas supplies to Rome, two government sources said on Friday. Italy’s existing gas emergency protocol envisages three stages going from a state of pre-alert, imposed at the end of February after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, before moving […] June 17, 2022
Ukraine receives first funds through IMF account Ukraine has received a loan of one billion Canadian dollars ($770 million) on concessional terms, its first funds through an “administered account” set up by the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Friday. “Grateful to…(Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland) for support & comprehensive assistance to Ukraine in the fight against the […] June 17, 2022
Analysis Economy UK targets Gulf for growth post-Brexit and Covid Rocked by the double whammy of Brexit and the global pandemic, UK businesses have endured a tumultuous two years. As European trade battles sharp retrenchment – UK-EU exports dropped by 12 percent last year, a loss of £20 billion – British companies are pursuing new growth avenues and the Gulf is proving to be a […] June 16, 2022
Lifestyle Saudi slips and UAE soars as millionaires seek new homes Saudi Arabia is forecast to lose 600 high net worth individuals this year while the UAE is set to gain 4,000, according to a new report June 15, 2022
Tourism EU official concerned about Russia flying Western-made planes European’s top aviation safety regulator said on Tuesday that he is “very worried” about the safety of Western-made aircraft continuing to fly in Russia without access to spare parts and proper maintenance. The European Union and the United States have moved to restrict Russia’s access to spare parts following its invasion of Ukraine. “This is […] June 15, 2022
Markets UAE stock markets target London in foreign investment push Stock markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are targeting London as they aim to strengthen their status as key destinations for international investors. Both the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) have completed investor roadshows in the British capital, holding hundreds of meetings with some of the world’s largest asset […] June 14, 2022
Retail UAE shoppers less price-conscious than Europeans but not for long UAE shoppers are much less price-conscious when buying goods and services, compared to their European counterparts, but the record rising cost of living may see this becoming more of a priority for some over the next 12 months, according to a new retail report. In a survey in April of 5,250 consumers in seven countries […] June 14, 2022
Opinion Banking & Finance What I learned from five years at the top The outgoing chairman of the British Business Group Dubai discusses the importance of loyalty, advocacy and resilience for companies and individuals June 14, 2022
Tech Bahrain’s Investcorp sells German software developer for $125m Investcorp has sold German software firm softgarden for around 120 million euros ($125 million), said Hazem Ben-Gacem, co-chief executive officer of the Bahrain-based company. The sale to Poland’s Grupa Pracuj marks a three times return on investment for Investcorp, which bought its controlling stake in the human resources software specialist in 2018, Ben-Gacem said on […] June 14, 2022
Analysis Banking & Finance Arbitrageurs: the funds making tons from messy markets ‘Arb trading’ is not for everyone but can be profitable The crypto market’s a hot mess, leaving many investors struggling to turn a buck. Enter the arbitrageurs. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have either been shackled to ranges or in decline since January, leaving your regular buy-and-hold investor with little option but to sell or to […] June 14, 2022
Media & Advertising Swedish gaming group defends Saudi deal Lars Wingefors, Embracer's CEO, said 'only a handful of players' could provide the capital it needs. The PIF is buying an 8% stake June 13, 2022
Food & Drink Saudi region awarded global gastronomy title The Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia is to be given a global showcase after being awarded the title of World Region of Gastronomy 2024 by the Barcelona-based International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). The move is part of a wider $13 billion plan to redevelop the tourism potential of the little-known […] June 13, 2022
Business of Sport LIV Golf crowns first champion and nabs another PGA star South African golfer Charl Schwartzel won $4.75 million as Saudi-backed LIV unveiled the signing of US favourite Patrick Reed June 13, 2022
Sustainability Nottingham aims to become Britain’s first net zero city The smoking towers of Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power station loom outside the English city of Nottingham, a fitting beacon for an area long known as a hub of a once-thriving coal industry. Now local leaders are betting on a green industrial revolution, pledging to go carbon neutral by 2028 and so become the country’s first city […] June 10, 2022
Aviation World Cup, Russians and business travel help airlines rebound Middle Eastern airlines reported a 265 percent year-on-year increase in demand in April, according to the latest monthly data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Industry analysts also reported that while demand in the region is still operating at around two-thirds what it was pre-pandemic, the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Russian tourists […] June 10, 2022
Development Spain vows to defend interests after Algeria halts non-gas trade Spain said it will firmly defend its national interests following Algeria’s decision to suspend a 20-year-old treaty of friendship and cooperation and ban all non-gas trade, a move that also alarmed EU officials. Spain was also monitoring gas flows from Algeria, its second-largest supplier after the US, but these were unaffected by the diplomatic rift over Madrid’s […] June 10, 2022
Banking & Finance Saudi wealth fund takes 8% stake in Tomb Raider developer Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is taking an 8.1 percent stake in gaming group Embracer via a direct share issue as part of a push into the games and esports industry. Sweden’s Embracer said in a statement it was issuing 99.9 million shares at a price of 103.47 per share to Savvy Gaming Group which […] June 9, 2022
Opinion Energy UK and UAE are powering the global energy transition A shared passion for reaching net zero binds together two nations known for their historical reliance on fossil fuels June 8, 2022
Tourism UK should have done better on Covid-19: IATA director general A top airline industry official on Tuesday said the UK should have responded “a hell of a lot better” to Covid-19 and argued aviation should have been more forceful in challenging government-mandated border closures during the pandemic. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), also defended airlines’ handling of a rebound […] June 8, 2022
Ukraine and Gulf announce diplomatic and economic alliance Ukraine, the Gulf bloc and the Organisation of lslamic Cooperation (OIC) announced on Tuesday the establishment of a special Advisory Council. The Council, headed by the Ukraine President’s Office and Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will focus on political, diplomatic, economic and humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and the Middle East. The Head of the President’s […] June 7, 2022
Mubadala and EQT fund to buy Sweden’s Envirotainer Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala and a fund managed by European buyout firm EQT have agreed to buy Envirotainer, a Swedish company that makes and leases cold containers for transporting temperature-sensitive healthcare products. Mubadala and the EQT X fund are buying the company from European buyout firm Cinven and Danish life-sciences investor Novo Holdings, Mubadala […] June 7, 2022