Company Insights Saudi Telecom Company Telecoms Saudi Telecom Company News Analysis Economy Differing VAT rates complicate intra-GCC trade Differing rates of VAT across the GCC are complicating intra-regional trade and adding costs to exporters and importers, according to experts. The six-member bloc in 2016 signed an agreement to levy 5 percent VAT on the sale of goods and services within their respective countries. Saudi Arabia and the UAE were the first to implement […] June 12, 2023 Analysis Banking & Finance Mid-cap stocks offer best dividend yields in Gulf Dividend-seeking Gulf investors are likely to find little value among the region’s blue-chip stocks and should instead target mid-cap companies with steady cash flows and low debt, experts suggest. When interest rates hovered near zero and average dividend yields on GCC stocks were around 4 percent, the difference with the risk-free rate – the return […] June 2, 2023 Energy Aramco dividends outstrip rival blue-chips Saudi Aramco’s payouts of dividends surpass those of other leading global companies, and the world’s top oil producer provides sizeable returns for its shareholders in monetary terms. Aramco listed on Riyadh’s bourse in December 2019 following a $29.4 billion initial public offering that sold around 1.7 percent of the government-owned company’s stock. Since then, it […] May 31, 2023 Analysis Economy Gulf awaits vital Turkish election results The Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday will be keenly watched by Gulf investors who have bet billions of dollars on the world’s 19th-largest economy. Should incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AK Party again prevail in the votes, Turkey will maintain its unorthodox monetary policies. The central bank has slashed interest […] May 12, 2023 Banking & Finance Saudi Telecom unit to buy European towers for $1.34bn Tawal, a Saudi Telecom Company (STC) subsidiary, has agreed to buy tower infrastructure worth 1.22 billion Euros ($1.34 billion) from United Group’s telecommunications tower assets. The agreement supports STC’s strategy to expand its international footprint in key markets with significant growth potential, the Saudi-listed telecom firm said in a statement. STC is majority owned by […] April 21, 2023 Exclusive Tech Osman Sultan on Mena’s move from ‘telco’ to ‘techco’ Osman Sultan proclaimed in 1997 he would put “a mobile in the hand of everyone” in Egypt. At the time, even some shareholders at Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (MobiNil), where he was CEO, were unsettled by his audacious statement. Egypt’s telecoms regulator granted him a licence to become the country’s first mobile operator, but […] April 7, 2023 Analysis Economy Chinese investors target Middle East for growth More than three-quarters of Chinese businesses are looking to expand their presence in Middle East markets or enter them. The UAE and Saudi Arabia were named as the top two destinations for Chinese investment over the next three to five years. According to a new survey – part of the Report on Chinese Investors’ Confidence […] January 4, 2023 Analysis Banking & Finance Inside Riyadh’s plan to be a global fintech player Saudi Arabia is poised to launch three digital banks over the next 12 months, plus new regulations, as part of its aim to become a major player in the financial technology (fintech) industry. The sector is “on the cusp of being propelled onto the global stage,” said Nezar Alhaidar, director of Fintech Saudi – an […] November 18, 2022 Analysis Development Ooredoo’s PIF deal is the latest in the ‘big telco tower sell-off’ State-owned Qatari telecoms firm Ooredoo’s planned sale of nearly 20,000 towers has attracted bids from some of the biggest names in the business. American Tower Corp, IHS Holding, Helios Towers and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are all competing for the acquisition, according to reports by Bloomberg. The newswire cited […] November 15, 2022 Banking & Finance Saudi PIF to consider bidding for Ooredoo’s tower unit Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is weighing submitting the final bid for Qatari telecommunications firm Ooredoo’s network towers, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. American Tower Corporation, IHS Holding Limited and Helios Towers Plc are contemplating offers for all or part of the portfolio. Ooredoo’s tower assets, located in the Gulf and other markets, including Iraq […] November 8, 2022 Posts navigation Previous 1 … 5 6 7 Next
Analysis Economy Differing VAT rates complicate intra-GCC trade Differing rates of VAT across the GCC are complicating intra-regional trade and adding costs to exporters and importers, according to experts. The six-member bloc in 2016 signed an agreement to levy 5 percent VAT on the sale of goods and services within their respective countries. Saudi Arabia and the UAE were the first to implement […] June 12, 2023
Analysis Banking & Finance Mid-cap stocks offer best dividend yields in Gulf Dividend-seeking Gulf investors are likely to find little value among the region’s blue-chip stocks and should instead target mid-cap companies with steady cash flows and low debt, experts suggest. When interest rates hovered near zero and average dividend yields on GCC stocks were around 4 percent, the difference with the risk-free rate – the return […] June 2, 2023
Energy Aramco dividends outstrip rival blue-chips Saudi Aramco’s payouts of dividends surpass those of other leading global companies, and the world’s top oil producer provides sizeable returns for its shareholders in monetary terms. Aramco listed on Riyadh’s bourse in December 2019 following a $29.4 billion initial public offering that sold around 1.7 percent of the government-owned company’s stock. Since then, it […] May 31, 2023
Analysis Economy Gulf awaits vital Turkish election results The Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday will be keenly watched by Gulf investors who have bet billions of dollars on the world’s 19th-largest economy. Should incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling AK Party again prevail in the votes, Turkey will maintain its unorthodox monetary policies. The central bank has slashed interest […] May 12, 2023
Banking & Finance Saudi Telecom unit to buy European towers for $1.34bn Tawal, a Saudi Telecom Company (STC) subsidiary, has agreed to buy tower infrastructure worth 1.22 billion Euros ($1.34 billion) from United Group’s telecommunications tower assets. The agreement supports STC’s strategy to expand its international footprint in key markets with significant growth potential, the Saudi-listed telecom firm said in a statement. STC is majority owned by […] April 21, 2023
Exclusive Tech Osman Sultan on Mena’s move from ‘telco’ to ‘techco’ Osman Sultan proclaimed in 1997 he would put “a mobile in the hand of everyone” in Egypt. At the time, even some shareholders at Egyptian Company for Mobile Services (MobiNil), where he was CEO, were unsettled by his audacious statement. Egypt’s telecoms regulator granted him a licence to become the country’s first mobile operator, but […] April 7, 2023
Analysis Economy Chinese investors target Middle East for growth More than three-quarters of Chinese businesses are looking to expand their presence in Middle East markets or enter them. The UAE and Saudi Arabia were named as the top two destinations for Chinese investment over the next three to five years. According to a new survey – part of the Report on Chinese Investors’ Confidence […] January 4, 2023
Analysis Banking & Finance Inside Riyadh’s plan to be a global fintech player Saudi Arabia is poised to launch three digital banks over the next 12 months, plus new regulations, as part of its aim to become a major player in the financial technology (fintech) industry. The sector is “on the cusp of being propelled onto the global stage,” said Nezar Alhaidar, director of Fintech Saudi – an […] November 18, 2022
Analysis Development Ooredoo’s PIF deal is the latest in the ‘big telco tower sell-off’ State-owned Qatari telecoms firm Ooredoo’s planned sale of nearly 20,000 towers has attracted bids from some of the biggest names in the business. American Tower Corp, IHS Holding, Helios Towers and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are all competing for the acquisition, according to reports by Bloomberg. The newswire cited […] November 15, 2022
Banking & Finance Saudi PIF to consider bidding for Ooredoo’s tower unit Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is weighing submitting the final bid for Qatari telecommunications firm Ooredoo’s network towers, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources. American Tower Corporation, IHS Holding Limited and Helios Towers Plc are contemplating offers for all or part of the portfolio. Ooredoo’s tower assets, located in the Gulf and other markets, including Iraq […] November 8, 2022
