Aviation Qatar Airways gets nod to buy 25% of Virgin Australia The Australian government has cleared an offer by state-backed Qatar Airways to acquire a minority 25 percent stake in Virgin Australia from Bain Capital, a US private equity company, the companies said in a statement. The Gulf carrier made the offer to buy the stake in October, but the Australian transport minister, Catherine King, rejected […] February 27, 2025
Tourism Gallipoli takes centre stage in Turkey’s battlefield tourism plans Visitors from as far afield as Canada and Australia wishing to pay respects at Gallipoli are proving to be another string to Turkey's tourism bow February 7, 2025
Logistics DP World and NSW Ports to invest in rail expansion Dubai’s DP World and Australia’s NSW Ports have announced plans to invest $249 million in doubling the rail capacity at Port Botany in Sydney. The project will extend the rail terminal at the port with the addition of five new rail sidings to accommodate 600-metre-long regional trains. Expected to start in June, it will take […] January 30, 2025
Finance $500bn QIA to go ‘aggressive’ and close big deals says CEO The $500-billion Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will be investing more “aggressively” and closing more “big-ticket” deals, according to a news report. Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, the fund’s new chief executive officer, told the Financial Times that QIA will invest with “more frequency” and undertake a review of its investment strategy. The fund remains bullish on the US, […] December 12, 2024
Oil & Gas Adnoc Gas awards contract for processing project Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) subsidiary Adnoc Gas has awarded an engineering and design contract for its new gas processing facilities at Bab Gas Cap (BGC) to Australia’s Worley Engineering. Part of the UAE’s gas self-sufficiency drive, the new facilities will increase Adnoc Gas’s current processing capacity by 20 percent or 1.8 billion standard […] December 4, 2024
Aviation Australia gives interim nod to Qatar Airways-Virgin deal The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has granted interim approval for a partnership between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia, which allows them to sell long-haul return flights starting in June 2025. The temporary approval will allow Virgin Australia to fly 28 weekly return flights between Doha and Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The Australia-Doha […] November 29, 2024
Trade UAE-Australia trade expected to triple after Cepa deal Trade between the UAE and Australia is expected to grow threefold in the next eight years following the signing of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) on Wednesday. The trade agreement will eliminate tariffs on more than 99 percent of Australia’s exports to the UAE. The deal, which was announced in September, is expected to […] November 7, 2024
Analysis Mining How the UAE has made a global mining power grab Expanding trade deals Supply chain investment Overseas expansion Embracing copper from Peru, lithium from Zimbabwe, tantalum from Kenya and bauxite from Pakistan, the UAE’s mining interests nowadays span three continents. Trade deals... Register now: It’s easy and free This content is available for registered members only. Register for your free account today for exclusive emails, […] November 4, 2024
Trade New Zealand agrees free-trade deal with GCC The GCC has agreed a new free-trade deal with New Zealand. The agreement will give duty-free access to 99 percent of New Zealand exports over 10 years, according to New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay. McClay said the agreement was the culmination of an 18-year-long ambition to agree a trade deal in the Middle East. […] November 1, 2024
Opinion Trade UAE-Australia trade deal will help business take off Tariff savings will help to grow multi-billion bilateral trade across many industries October 4, 2024
Aviation Qatar Airways to buy 25% stake in Virgin Australia Qatar Airways is to acquire a minority 25 percent stake in Virgin Australia from US private equity firm Bain Capital to gain access to the wider Australian market. The deal closure is subject to the approval of Australia’s foreign investment review board. No financial details were disclosed. Last year, the airline’s former CEO Akbar Al-Baker […] October 1, 2024
Trade UAE adds New Zealand to long list of trade partners The UAE’s plans to increase non-oil foreign trade to AED4 trillion ($1 trillion) by 2031 took another step forward on Thursday as New Zealand became the 12th country to sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) with the Gulf state. The deal will reduce or remove tariffs, eliminate barriers to trade, improve market access and […] September 26, 2024
Trade Australia and UAE hope for $678m boost after trade deal Australian exports to the UAE are expected to increase by $678 million after the two countries completed discussions over a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa). The deal, expected to be signed later this year, will make more than 99 percent of Australian exports to the UAE tariff-free, saving exporters up to $160 million annually. The […] September 17, 2024
Real Estate Arada moves into Australia with first project set for 2025 UAE developer Arada is planning multiple projects, valued at AED6 billion ($1.6 billion) in Australia, adding more than 2,500 dwellings in Sydney, the country’s most populous city. The Dubai-based master developer announced that the first project will be launched next year, after opening its office in Sydney. Arada’s Australian-born group CEO Ahmed Alkhoshaibi will spearhead […] August 15, 2024
Oil & Gas Aramco says Santos is not a target Saudi Aramco has denied reports that it was considering a bid for Santos, Australia’s second-largest oil and gas producer. In an emailed statement to Reuters, the Saudi oil giant said the information was inaccurate. The UAE’s Adnoc told AGBI that the company has no “comments on this report”. Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that state-backed […] July 5, 2024
Oil & Gas Adnoc and Aramco consider bids for Australia’s Santos State-backed oil companies of the UAE and Saudi Arabia are considering bidding for Australia’s energy company, Santos, according to a media report. Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) are conducting preliminary studies on acquiring Santos, Bloomberg said, adding no bids have been finalised. Shares of Santos rose nearly 1 percent on the Australian […] July 4, 2024
Oil & Gas Iran, Iraq and Libya among worst offenders on gas flaring Environmentally ruinous flaring of gas at upstream oil and gas facilities has risen to its highest level for five years, despite pledges to end the practice, the World Bank has said. Iran, Iraq and Libya were among the biggest contributors in 2023, according to a World Bank report published on June 20. Along with six […] June 25, 2024
Analysis Trade UAE and Australia deal in sight with trade almost $10bn The Aussie accent is a familiar one in Dubai, with about 16,000 Australians calling the emirate their home and trade links between Australia and the UAE creeping back to pre-Covid levels. Bilateral non-oil trade between Australia and the UAE was worth $4.5 billion in 2022, up 28 percent compared with 2021 and almost double the […] May 21, 2024
Opinion Mining The Gulf has solid reasons to intervene in BHP’s bid for Anglo Anglo's board has rejected two offers. A 'white knight' could step in – and become a force in mining May 13, 2024
Trade UAE and NZ in talks to build on non-oil trade The UAE has agreed to start negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) with New Zealand as part of plans to boost the Gulf state’s foreign trade to AED4 trillion ($1.1 trillion) by 2031. A joint declaration of intent confirming the agreement has been signed by Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Todd […] May 8, 2024
Infrastructure ADQ buys stake in Australian investment company The UAE’s investment fund ADQ has acquired a 49 percent stake in Australian infrastructure investor Plenary Group as part of its expansion drive. The Abu Dhabi state-backed company will acquire all shares currently owned by Canadian pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which will continue to invest in a range of Plenary’s […] April 24, 2024
Trade UAE and Australia to hold Cepa talks The UAE and Australia have agreed to hold talks on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement. Once concluded, the Cepa would be Australia’s first with a country in the Middle East and Africa. The UAE is Australia’s biggest trade partner in the Middle East. Bilateral non-oil trade between Australia and the UAE was worth $4.5 billion […] December 12, 2023
