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Salim Al Aufi

Subsidies not route to affordable energy, says Omani minister

Providing affordable energy is the biggest priority for Oman’s minister of energy and minerals, but subsidies are still not an option.  “Affordable energy, sustainable energy and clean energy in that order. We cannot flip it,” Salim Al Aufi told AGBI in an exclusive interview during the Oman Petroleum and Energy Show on Monday. “We’ve seen […]

Saudi defence spending

Saudi Arabia was world’s fifth biggest arms buyer in 2023

Saudi Arabia remains the world’s fifth largest arms buyer, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank’s latest report said that Saudi Arabia spent $76 billion on arms in 2023, a 4 percent increase on the previous year, making it the biggest spender after the US, China, Russia and India. The kingdom’s […]

Abandoned cars on a flooded road in Dubai

UAE offers loan relief in response to flood damage

The UAE central bank has instructed banks to defer personal and car loan installments for six months for customers affected by last week’s flooding.  The deferral will come without additional fees, interest or profits, and won’t increase the principal amount of the loan for the deferral of the repayment of installments, the UAE state-run Wam […]

Trending

  1. Spinneys targets market cap of $1.5bn on Dubai listing

  2. Aramco targets another petrochemical company in China

  3. 300 UK company chiefs to descend on Riyadh for expo

  4. Remittances from UAE to Bangladesh surge 48%

  5. OQ and Total approve $1.6bn LNG project in Oman

OPINION & Analysis

Best of AGBI

Iraq shapes up as a destination for UAE investors

Emirati investors may be increasingly tempted to look at Iraq after additional safeguards are introduced under a new bilateral investment treaty, observers believe. The treaty between Iraq and the UAE was signed in October 2021 and ratified by both states last year. All that is left now is for the instruments of ratification to be […]

The banking blame game stifling Lebanon’s IMF deal

Lebanon’s proposed International Monetary Fund deal, agreed two years ago and designed to put the country on the road to recovery, seems no closer to realisation. One of the key stumbling points is reform of the banking sector. The combined liabilities of the country’s banks amount to more than three times the size of Lebanon’s […]

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UAE latest

farmoing robotics UAE

Agricultural robotics centre planned for the UAE

Khalifa University of Science and Technology and agri-food giant Silal plan to create a centre of excellence for farming robotics in the UAE. The proposed research centre, to be located at Silal’s Innovation Oasis site in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, will feature a dedicated autonomous greenhouse equipped with various robotic platforms, sensors and Internet of […]

Emaar dividend Dubai mall

Emaar doubles dividend to $1.2bn after $11bn in sales

Shareholders of Emaar Properties, Dubai’s largest listed developer, have approved a dividend of AED4.4 billion ($1.2 billion) for 2023, up from AED2.2 billion the year before. The dividend payout reflects the company’s “robust profitability and solid financial health”, the developer said in a statement.  Shareholders also voted to appoint new board members “to drive the […]

Abandoned cars on a flooded road in Dubai

UAE offers loan relief in response to flood damage

The UAE central bank has instructed banks to defer personal and car loan installments for six months for customers affected by last week’s flooding.  The deferral will come without additional fees, interest or profits, and won’t increase the principal amount of the loan for the deferral of the repayment of installments, the UAE state-run Wam […]

The final offer price of Spinney's IPO will be determined by May 1 through a book-building process

Spinneys targets market cap of $1.5bn on Dubai listing

Supermarket operator Spinneys will have a market capitalisation of between AED5.11 billion to AED5.51 billion ($1.39 billion-$1.5 billion) after its initial public offering (IPO) price range was set between AED 1.42 and AED 1.53 per share. The total offering size is expected to be between AED1.3 billion and AED 1.4 billion, the company said. Spinneys last […]

Saudi Arabia latest

Clothing, Coat, Formal Wear Oliver Dowden UK business LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 21, 2022: Minister without Portfolio and Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party Oliver Dowden leaves Downing Street in central London on February 21, 2022 in London, England. Ministers were expected to finalise the government's long-term plan on living with Covid in England including an end of the legal requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus by the end of this week and scaling back the universal free testing. (Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE

300 UK company chiefs to descend on Riyadh for expo

The UK is sending hundreds of business executives to a trade expo in Riyadh in May as part of a year-long drive to win contracts in Saudi Arabia, as the Gulf state seeks to increase foreign investment in its giga-projects.  “The Great Futures launch event in Riyadh on 14-15 May 2024 aims to bring to […]

Aramco China Fujian

Aramco targets another petrochemical company in China

Saudi Aramco has begun talks to acquire a 10 percent stake in Hengli Petrochemical Company, owner of a 400,000 barrel a day refinery and chemicals complex in Liaoning, north-east China. Hengli Petrochemical, a subsidiary of Hengli Group, also operates plants and production facilities in Jiangsu and Guangdong provinces. The kingdom’s state-owned oil company is looking […]

Saudi defence spending

Saudi Arabia was world’s fifth biggest arms buyer in 2023

Saudi Arabia remains the world’s fifth largest arms buyer, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank’s latest report said that Saudi Arabia spent $76 billion on arms in 2023, a 4 percent increase on the previous year, making it the biggest spender after the US, China, Russia and India. The kingdom’s […]

Officer, Person, Adult

Saudi fund agrees $67m deal to support Omani SMEs

The Saudi Fund for Development in Oman has signed an OR 25 million ($67 million) deal with the Oman Development Bank to finance startups and create more jobs for the sultanate’s youth. The agreement is part of a wider $150 million package of support provided by the Saudi government through the fund, which offers loans […]

BEIJING, CHINA - APRIL 08: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on April 8, 2024 in Beijing, China. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits China from April 4 to 9. (Photo by Jiang Qiming/China News Service/VCG )No Use China.

US treasury holdings high in Saudi Arabia’s estimation

Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US treasuries stayed close to a two-year high in February at $130.5 billion as yields rose in recent months, according to new data. The Saudi central bank’s holdings fell $3.2 million month on month, or 0.3 percent, to $130.5 billion, maintaining Saudi Arabia’s place at number 17 in the list of […]

Around the Middle East

Total and OQ executives at the FID signing ceremony for the LNG bunkering project in Sohar Port

OQ and Total approve $1.6bn LNG project in Oman

State-owned Oman National Oil (OQ) and French energy major TotalEnergies have finalised the construction of a $1.6 billion Marsa LNG bunkering project at Sohar Port. The project will be developed by Marsa Liquefied Natural Gas, a joint venture owned 80 percent by TotalEnergies and 20 percent by OQ, the state-run Oman News Agency reported. The upstream component […]

UAE Oman trade

Oman’s sultan in UAE to push for rebound in trade

Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman will arrive in the UAE on Monday for a state visit as he looks to cement ties with his country’s biggest trade partner. During the visit the Omani ruler will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss bilateral relations which were worth more than $14 […]

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., walks with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani during arrival honors at the Malacanang Presidential palace in Manila, Philippines, April 22, 2024. Aaron Favila/Pool via REUTERS

Philippines and Qatar sign nine agreements on trade

The Philippines and Qatar have signed nine agreements aimed at boosting trade and investment between the two countries, while also addressing global challenges such as climate change and human trafficking.  The agreements were signed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday, the Philippine News Agency […]

Officer, Person, Adult

Saudi fund agrees $67m deal to support Omani SMEs

The Saudi Fund for Development in Oman has signed an OR 25 million ($67 million) deal with the Oman Development Bank to finance startups and create more jobs for the sultanate’s youth. The agreement is part of a wider $150 million package of support provided by the Saudi government through the fund, which offers loans […]

Boat, Transportation, Vehicle

Oman signs LNG supply pact with Turkey’s Botas

State-backed Oman LNG has signed an agreement with Turkey’s Botas Petroleum Pipeline Corporation to supply one million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for 10 years. The agreement will commence in 2025, the state-run Oman News Agency reported. Hamed Mohammed Al Nu’amani, CEO of Oman LNG, said the agreement with Botas […]

Construction work in Kuwait. Nurseries, schools and shops are being built for the new residential district of Al Metlaa

Kuwait signs $140m contracts for Al Metlaa development

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) has signed two contracts worth KD42 million ($140 million) to construct public buildings in Al Metlaa, a new residential district north of Kuwait City. Nurseries, stores, schools and shops will be included, state news agency Kuna reported. Electricity connections have been provided for 109 buildings in the district, […]

Iraq gas oil

Iraq to auction 30 oil and gas projects this month

Iraq will auction 30 new oil and gas projects in two licensing rounds before the end of April. The bidding round will be held on April 27, Reuters reported, citing an oil ministry statement. Last October Iraq passed a long-awaited oil and gas law, which will help the country attract more international investments into the hydrocarbon industry and boost government revenues.  Ali Metwally, an […]

A customer paying with a credit card inside the Black Friday Market in Beirut. Lebanon wants more people to move away from cash

Lebanon launches plan to promote use of bank cards

Lebanese central bank Banque du Liban announced a new agreement on Thursday that it hopes will result in a rebound in the use of bank cards. As part of the agreement, Mastercard and Visa will lower card fees on transactions, particularly for people with bank accounts based outside Lebanon. In a press release, the bank […]

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Turkey Latest

The Turkish Airlines deal with Rolls-Royce and Airbus will be announced later this month

Turkish Airlines nears $20bn deal with Airbus and Rolls-Royce

State-backed Turkish Airlines is expected to sign an agreement with UK’s Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc and European planemaker Airbus to manufacture $20 billion worth of aircraft components locally. The deal will be announced in Istanbul later this month, Bloomberg reported, quoting Turkish officials who were aware of the agreement. Last December the Turkish national carrier announced […]

Turkey textiles

Hit by rising costs, Turkey’s textile producers move overseas

Textile manufacturers in Turkey, struggling with pricing pressures and labour costs, are moving their operations overseas, although at least some in the sector see a turnaround by the year’s end. The Istanbul Chamber of Industry sectoral purchasing managers’ index for March showed sentiment among textile manufacturers was the lowest among the 10 sectors covered by […]

Mubadala-backed Getir weighs asset sales

Turkey’s grocery delivery startup Getir is considering asset sales as part of its ongoing restructuring talks, according to a media report. The company, operating in five markets, including the UK, aims to sell off assets such as US online grocer FreshDirect, acquired last year, and BiTaksi, a ride-hailing app in Turkey, Sky News reported, citing unnamed […]

Turkey's unemployment rate for women was 11.3% in February, down from 11.6% in January

Jobless rate in Turkey edges back towards 10-year low

Turkey’s unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points month on month in February, to 8.7 percent, according to official data released on Monday. The seasonally adjusted figure is edging back down towards the 8.6 percent recorded in October last year, the lowest for a decade.  The unemployment rate for women was 11.3 percent in February, down […]

Nature, Undersea cables account for as much as 90 percent of Europe-Asia telecommunications, Water

Iraq and Kuwait team up for European telecom corridor

Iraq’s Informatics and Telecommunication Public Company, a division of the Ministry of Communications, has signed an agreement with Kuwait’s Zajil Telecom to create a telecommunications corridor from the Gulf region to Europe, transiting through Iraq and Turkey. The new route will pass through Iraqi sea and land ports. Iraq’s minister of communications Hayam Al-Yasiri said […]

Egypt Latest

reducing inflation Egypt Mohamed Maait finance minister

Reducing inflation is Egypt’s top priority, says minister

Reducing inflation in Egypt to align with the central bank’s target is the government’s main priority, the country’s finance minister, Mohamed Maait, has announced. Inflation in Egypt fell to 33 percent in March from 38 percent in September, passing the central bank’s target range of a 5 to 9 percentage point fall. Maait, speaking at […]

Egypt growth forecast Cairo street

World Bank lowers Egypt’s growth forecast again

The World Bank has downgraded Egypt’s growth forecast for the current fiscal year to 2.8 percent, the lowest for 11 years, despite recent investment in the country of nearly $60 billion. In its latest Middle East and North Africa economic update, the bank blamed “sluggish industrial sector performance” and the effects of war in the […]

A container vessel passes through the Suez Canal. Global supply chain volatility is falling, according to the latest data

Transportation costs fall as Suez disruption eases

Global transportation costs fell last month to their lowest level since December as the diminishing impact of Suez Canal disruption led container rates to decline.  Latest data shows no discernible impact on supplies from either the Red Sea attacks or from reduced capacity on the Panama Canal, with businesses adjusting to longer delivery schedules. The […]

A woman buys cooking oil at a market in downtown Cairo, Egypt

EU to provide ‘urgent’ $1bn short-term aid to Egypt

The European Union (EU) will provide €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in urgent short-term financial aid to support Egypt’s economy. The funding is part of the larger €5 billion macro-financial assistance package.  The remaining €4 billion will be released as longer-term assistance over 2024-2027 but is yet to be cleared by the 27-member bloc. The aid […]

Egypt's logistics corridors will link its Red Sea ports with those on the Mediterranean coast

Egypt building seven logistics corridors says minister

Egypt is building seven integrated logistics corridors as part of its plan to become a regional centre. The logistics corridors are under construction and will connect production facilities with ports, Egypt Today newspaper reported, quoting transport minister Kamel El Wazir. The corridors are located in Sokhna/Alexandria, Arish/Taba, Cairo/Alexandria, Tanta/Mansoura/Dameitta, Gargoub/Salloum, Cairo/Aswan/Abu Simbel, and Safaga/Qena/Tartour, the […]

Features

The Line at Neom

Saudi Arabia strives to counter giga-project doubts

As Saudi Arabia ramps up its global tour to attract more giga-project investment, doubts have begun to set in over costs and whether they will meet the imminent 2030 deadline. The kingdom’s officials put on a big show at an international real estate event in Cannes in March and this week Neom kicked off the […]

Rising prices risk making Dubai homes ‘unattainable’

Escalating home prices in Dubai’s affordable communities are making it even more difficult for residents to get on the property ladder, real estate experts have warned. February data from property consultancy ValuStrat shows the highest annual growth in apartment values was recorded in the emirate’s more budget-friendly neighbourhoods.  Prices in Discovery Gardens and The Greens […]

Space trash offers Saudi Arabia a new revenue source

Saudi Arabia is targeting lucrative and environmentally critical opportunities in the rubbish removal sector – in outer space. More than 27,000 man-made objects larger than 10 centimetres, such as defunct satellites and spent rocket stages, orbit Earth, according to Nasa. This space debris puts at stake billions of dollars of assets such as spacecraft and […]

The Mena metaverse: moving beyond the hype

Two years ago, the concept of metaverse lands transformed from an interesting subculture into a thriving multi-billion-dollar market, capturing the interest of major investors both regionally in the Middle East and globally.  Metaverse lands, made of pixels and digital images, refer to buildings and plots within a virtual environment, offering spaces for gaming, socialising, business […]

Lithium’s highs and lows – and what they mean for the Gulf

For one of the world’s most critical minerals, the past two years have been the best of times and the worst of times. First, lithium prices shot skywards, hitting around $80,000 per metric tonne in 2022 amid fears that global supply would not meet demand. Then, in just a year, the soft, silvery-white metal lost […]

People & Lifestyle

Electronics, Headphones, Adult Foreign investment in esports has been slowing but experts remain upbeat about the future of the market esports game gaming Saudi Arabia

World Cup’s brimming prize pot to revive Saudi esports

Saudi Arabia will offer a record-breaking $60 million prize pool for its upcoming Esports World Cup, at a time when the kingdom is facing challenges attracting foreign investments to the sector. The amount of prize money for this summer’s event breaks the previous record of $45 million set by esports festival Gamer8 in 2023. Saudi […]

The number of customers playing digital games in Jordan expanded to just under 6 million in 2023

Jordan’s digital game spend at $82m in 2023

The total amount spent on digital games in Jordan reached $82.5 million in 2023, official data has revealed. Nearly $17 million was allocated to paid games while $7.3 million was spent on live in-game purchases, state-run Jordan News Agency said, quoting the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (Intaj). Mobile games commanded the largest […]

Dubai has more than 13,000 restaurants and cafes, according to tourism officials

Dubai restaurant scene ‘at risk of hitting saturation point’

Food and beverage operators in Dubai have warned that the emirate’s restaurant market is increasingly saturated as one company calls time on a prominent location. Gates Hospitality, which operates venues across the Middle East, announced this week that two of its restaurants in Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Folly and Publique, would close at the end of […]

Taaleem has doubled its investment in edtech over the past five years but says it is selective with its use

Mena reaches for tech to upgrade results in education

Demand for education technology, or edtech, is growing in the Middle East and North Africa as countries seek to bolster learning to drive economic growth.  However, experts warned against excessive use of technology in classrooms, saying it could affect the attainment of basic skills such as reading and writing.  Examples of edtech include interactive whiteboards, […]

Riyadh women's tennis Iga Swiatek

Riyadh secures three years of women’s world tennis finals

Riyadh is to host the Women’s Tennis Association finals for the next three years, with record prize money for participants. The top eight singles players and doubles teams in the annual Race to the WTA Finals will play for a prize pot of $15 million, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement. The […]

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

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Around the world

Marcel Ciolacu, Romania's PM, speaks to reporters in Rome. He is now in Qatar for trade talks

Romania touts $16bn of opportunities as PM visits Qatar

Romania is looking to secure €15 billion ($16 billion) of investment from Qatar during a visit by its prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu. He is set to hold talks with Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Ciolacu is also due to have discussions with representatives of Qatar […]

Debt-for-nature swaps may give $100bn boost to climate fight

Debt-for-nature swaps, where poorer countries have debt written off in return for protecting ecosystems such as barrier reefs or rainforests, could provide $100 billion for the fight against climate change, a new report has calculated. The UK-based, non-profit International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) based the estimate on the possibility of debt swaps in […]

An artist's impression of the new Casablanca cruise terminal to be operated by a consortium led by the UK's GPH

UK’s Global Ports to operate Casablanca cruise terminal

A consortium led by British cruise operator Global Ports Holding (GPH) has secured preferred bidder status for operating a new cruise terminal in Casablanca. The consortium was awarded a 15-year concession agreement with Morocco’s state-owned Agence Nationale des Ports (ANP). The consortium and ANP are working towards finalising the concession terms, the London stock exchange-listed […]