Banking & Finance Remittances from Egyptian workers abroad at $2.4bn in May Remittances from Egyptian workers abroad at $2.4 bln in May Remittances from Egyptian workers abroad reached $2.4 billion in May, the central bank said on Sunday. Remittances, one of Egypt’s main sources of foreign currency, were at $2.6 billion in May 2021, the bank added. Egypt’s M2 money supply rose by 23.4 percent year-on-year in […] August 1, 2022
FTX wins full approval to operate crypto exchange in Dubai Cryptocurrency exchange FTX said on Friday it was fully approved to operate its exchange and clearing house in Dubai, as the Gulf emirate pushes forward with plans to develop its digital asset sector. The Bahamas-based company said it will start by offering regulated crypto derivatives products and trading services to institutional investors in Dubai as […] August 1, 2022
Dubai lessor asks Indian regulator to de-register 3 SpiceJet planes A Dubai-based lessor of SpiceJet Ltd has asked India’s aviation regulator to deregister three of the budget airline’s planes as SpiceJet struggles with high costs and maintenance challenges. The United Arab Emirates aeronautics firm AWAS did not specify why it was seeking to deregister the three Boeing 737s in Friday’s notification, published by India’s aviation […] August 1, 2022
Manufacturing Loss-making Saudi-backed Aston Martin says finances will improve Aston Martin expects its finances to improve in the second half of 2022 after burning through tens of millions of pounds in cash earlier this year, it said on Friday, as easing supply chain snarls help boost deliveries of higher margin cars. Its positive free cash flow forecast comes as the luxury carmaker posted a […] August 1, 2022
Energy UAE’s ADNOC Distribution buys 50% stake in TotalEnergies Egypt Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Distribution has signed a $186 million agreement with TotalEnergies Marketing Afrique SAS to acquire a 50 percent stake in its Egypt unit. Established in 1998, TotalEnergies Egypt is among the top four fuel retail operators in the north African country. Listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, ADNOC Distribution operates 464 retail […] July 29, 2022
Economy Turkish central bank hikes inflation view to 60% Turkey’s central bank raised its annual inflation forecast to 60.4 percent for the year-end from 42.8 percent three months ago, continuing a trend of playing catch up with extreme price rises, according to a presentation by Governor Sahap Kavcioglu on Thursday. A Reuters poll showed economists expect inflation of 70 percent at the end of […] July 29, 2022
Banking & Finance UAE’s top bank FAB cautious after flat second quarter profit First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) , the United Arab Emirates’ biggest lender, struck a cautious tone on the second half of the year on Thursday, as it reported broadly flat second quarter profit. Gulf banks have been supported by high crude prices, which historically boost economic activity in the oil-rich region. But they are increasingly […] July 29, 2022
Real Estate UK and Russian buyers help Dubai real estate sales surge Dubai’s red-hot property market surged in the first half of the year as investors piled in, while Russians were among the top five buyers as the emirate benefits from an influx of wealth in the wake of Western sanctions. The first half saw residential real estate transaction volumes up 60 percent with an 85 percent […] July 29, 2022
Economy Egypt and IMF working out ‘remaining points’ on loan Egypt and the International Monetary Fund are discussing remaining points in negotiations over a new extended fund facility, finance minister Mohamed Maait told Al-Arabiya on Wednesday. Asked if there were differences between Egypt and the IMF, Maait said: “In talks with anyone you go from one point of view to another. The talks are ongoing, […] July 28, 2022
Development Lloyd’s insurers preparing to cover Ukraine grain Lloyd’s of London insurers and brokers are preparing to provide cover for grain shipments from Ukraine and are likely to announce their plans shortly, the commercial insurance market’s chairman said on Wednesday. Russia and Ukraine signed a deal on Friday, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, to reopen grain and fertiliser exports that have […] July 28, 2022
Real Estate Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties posts 54% jump in Q2 profit Aldar Properties, the builder of Abu Dhabi’s Formula One motor racing circuit, reported a 54 percent rise in second-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by record sales on strong local and international demand. Profit attributable to shareholders came in at 803.99 million dirhams ($218.91 million) for the three months to June 30, compared with 520.83 million […] July 28, 2022
Banking & Finance Dubai’s Emirates NBD profit rises in second quarter Dubai’s biggest lender, Emirates NBD, posted on Thursday a jump of 42 percent in second-quarter net profit, boosted by higher income and lower impairments. Emirates NBD’s net profit of 3.5 billion dirhams ($952.98 million) for the three months to June 30 was up from 2.46 billion in the year-earlier period. Net interest income rose 27 […] July 28, 2022
Business of Sport Stenson loses sponsorship after he joins LIV Golf Mutual of Omaha have ended their sponsorship of Henrik Stenson, the American company said on Wednesday, a week after the Swede joined the lucrative LIV Golf Invitational Series. Stenson, who won the 2016 British Open with a record score, was stripped of Team Europe’s Ryder Cup captaincy last week, hours before he announced his decision […] July 28, 2022
Economy Gulf central banks lift rates as Fed makes second 75-bps hike Most Gulf central banks lifted their main interest rates by three quarters of a percentage point on Wednesday, moving with the US Federal Reserve as their currencies are pegged to the dollar. The Central Bank of Kuwait, the only one of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that ties its currency to a basket […] July 28, 2022
Saudi Arabia’s biggest bank almost doubles its Q2 profit Saudi National Bank (SNB) , the kingdom’s largest lender, said on Wednesday its net profit almost doubled in the second quarter due to higher operating income and lower expenses, which include impairment charges. The Saudi lender’s net profit for the three months to June 30 was 4.59 billion riyals ($1.22 billion), compared with 2.32 billion […] July 27, 2022
Economy IMF cuts global growth forecast, warns of recession from inflation The International Monetary Fund have cut global growth forecasts again, warning that downside risks from high inflation and the Ukraine war were materializing and could push the world economy to the brink of recession if left unchecked. Global real GDP growth will slow to 3.2 percent in 2022 from a forecast of 3.6 percent issued […] July 27, 2022
Economy Egypt adds 1m more people to social support programme Egypt will add one million families to a social safety net programme that provides cash transfers, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to more than 20 million, the presidency said in a statement on Tuesday. The “Solidarity and Dignity” programme began in 2015 with World Bank funding. Payments to families start at 350 Egyptian pounds […] July 27, 2022
Turkey’s $800m robotic dinosaur amusement park lies desolate Giant dinosaurs and robot models abandoned among decrepit fair rides create a dystopian atmosphere in a defunct amusement park in the Turkish capital, which its opposition party mayor is now highlighting as a testament to past government profligacy. Three years ago, President Tayyip Erdogan opened the massive theme park with great fanfare ahead of local […] July 27, 2022
Manufacturing Kuwait sovereign wealth fund invests in Italian ATM operator Italian fund FSI, the main investors in which include state lender CDP and the sovereign wealth funds of Kuwait and Singapore, has signed a preliminary deal for an investment in payments card and cash machine operator BANCOMAT. FSI and BANCOMAT have agreed the terms under which FSI is set to invest in BANCOMAT “to sustain […] July 27, 2022
Energy EU puts forward new draft text to revive Iran nuclear deal The European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Tuesday he has proposed a new draft text to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying there is no room left for further major compromises. “I have now put on the table a text that addresses, in precise detail, the sanctions lifting as well as the nuclear […] July 27, 2022
Energy Saudi and Greece seal deal on undersea data cable Greece and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday sealed a deal to lay an undersea data cable that will connect Europe with Asia and discussed the possibility of linking their power grids to supply Europe with cheaper green energy. Greece and Saudi Arabia agreed in May on the main terms of a planned joint venture to build […] July 27, 2022
Deutsche Bank global investment chief to join Abu Dhabi SWF Deutsche Bank’s global investment banking coverage and advisory chief Drew Goldman will step down and be replaced by regional heads, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Monday. Goldman, who has held numerous leadership roles during his 22-year tenure at the German lender, wants to pursue opportunities outside investment banking, according to the memo […] July 26, 2022
