Real Estate Kuwait eases property laws around foreign ownership Kuwait is gradually opening its real estate market to foreign ownership. It has now updated its law to allow entities licensed by the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), companies listed on the Kuwaiti stock exchange and licensed real estate funds and investment companies to own property in the country for their operations or for […] February 18, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas Cyprus-Egypt pipeline paves way for island’s gas industry After years of high hopes and false starts, Cyprus’s natural gas industry might finally be flowing after the island state agreed this week to pipe prospective gas to Egypt, which is likely to be exported to Europe in liquid form. The deal highlights the potential importance of Cypriot gas in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly after […] February 18, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas Opec+ market share to fall as US ramps up oil output Opec+ members’ market share is likely to shrink this year and in 2026 as non-Opec supply led by the US accelerates, according to energy experts. The Opec+ group’s market share was 53 percent when it was set up in 2016. That figure is likely to drop to 46 percent in 2025 and 2026, even as […] February 18, 2025
OpinionFINANCEFor the umpteenth year, DIFC confirmed that it is the leading financial centre in the regionFrank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
OpinionenergyBaghdad needs to work fast to avoid an energy crisis and the GCC could be a critical partnerRobin Mills, CEO, Qamar Energy
OpinionOIL & GASThe so-called ‘Trump factor’ will only exacerbate the challenge for oil-exporting statesAmena Bakr, Head of Middle East Energy and Opec+ Insights, Kpler
Analysis Trade Gulf-South America trade surges as economies grow When Dubai’s Emirates airline started flying from Dubai to Bogotá in Colombia last summer, it not only provided a vital link between the two cities but also highlighted growing trade and investment links between the Gulf and South America. UAE-Argentina non-oil trade surged more than 70 percent last year to $537 million, according to the […]
Analysis Telecoms Red Sea attacks put security spotlight on vital subsea cables What do Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a new data centre in Saudi Arabia and the icy waters of the Baltic Sea have in common? In short, they reflect a new Gulf Arab, and indeed global, focus on protecting vital submarine cable networks and potentially developing alternative, terrestrial routes. The Yemeni militia’s […]
Economy Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption efforts paying off Bribery and abuse of influence are the leading corruption offences in Saudi Arabia’s public sector, according to a new report. Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), formed in 2011, arrested 1,708 people last year on corruption charges, according to legal, risk and regulatory advisory company Secretariat. Charges included embezzlement, money laundering, forgery and misuse […]
Tourism Gulf’s first casino likely to spur hotel demand in RAK The Gulf’s first casino, being developed by Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), is likely to spur investment in the emirate’s hotel sector through to 2030 to plug an expected shortfall in supply, say developers. Home to the UAE’s sixth biggest town by population, RAK needs to add about 24 […]
Analysis Energy Oman advances liquefied hydrogen export project While countries in the Gulf have big ambitions for hydrogen projects, they are still trying to work out how to export it. Oman, however, is advancing plans to establish what it says is the world’s first commercial scale liquid hydrogen “corridor” to export to Europe green hydrogen produced domestically. Usually, producers think about transforming it […]
Gaming Second casino in UAE not on cards, says Wynn’s CEO A second casino in the UAE is unlikely for quite some time, according to the man whose company is building the first gaming outlet in the Gulf. Wynn Resorts of Las Vegas last year won a licence to build and operate a casino in the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Wynn CEO Craig Billings, […] February 18, 2025
Opinion Finance If you’re looking for bad news, DIFC is not the place It was another record year for the company, including a mind-boggling 68 percent leap in net profits February 18, 2025
Finance Number of hedge funds doubles at DIFC The number of hedge funds registered at Dubai International Financial Centre doubled in the last year as the district brushed off the challenge of neighbouring Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Overall 1,823 new companies registered within the financial district, up 25 percent year on year. It is now home to 6,920 active companies, including 75 hedge […] February 18, 2025
Logistics UAE tops list for ship abandonment The UAE ranked at the top of a global list last year of sea vessels abandoned by their owners as a result of there being limited regulations, according to a seaman’s union. Of 312 vessels abandoned in 2024, 42 – or 13 percent – were in the UAE, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) said. […] February 18, 2025
Trade UAE-Ukraine trade deal to increase GDP by $1bn The UAE and Ukraine have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) that is expected to increase GDP in the two countries by $1 billion over the next six years. The Cepa allows 99 percent of Ukrainian imports of UAE goods and 97 percent of Ukrainian exports to the UAE to be exempt from customs […] February 18, 2025
Business of Sport PIF’s $1bn Dazn deal creates new Mena sports streamer Surj Sports Investment, a unit of Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has acquired a minority stake in UK-based global sports network Dazn. The deal, believed to be worth $1 billion, will establish new broadcasting joint venture Dazn Mena, which the companies say will broadcast live and on-demand sports from Saudi Arabia. The partnership will also […] February 18, 2025
Analysis Construction Ambitious plans accelerate Gulf construction costs Construction costs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are in danger of accelerating over the next few years as both countries pour billions into infrastructure, energy and housing projects, observers have warned. Rises in the prices of steel, cement, glass, aluminium and components for air conditioning systems are driving the growth of building materials costs, […] February 18, 2025
Renewable Energy Saudi Arabia’s Taqa and EDF partner on geothermal energy A unit of Saudi-based Taqa group and French state-owned electric utility company EDF have signed an agreement to collaborate on developing geothermal energy projects in the kingdom. Under the agreement Taqa Geothermal Energy and EDF will use their combined expertise to develop HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and compressed air energy storage solutions in […] February 17, 2025
Markets PIF invests in delivery app DoorDash and drops Walmart Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has sold its stake in US retailer Walmart and more than doubled its holdings in ecommerce giant Amazon, it has announced. PIF also invested in food delivery business DoorDash in the three months to December 31, according to the sovereign wealth fund‘s latest filing to the US Securities and Exchange […] February 17, 2025
Real Estate Dar Al Arkan wins $1bn Jeddah real estate deal A consortium including the Saudi construction company Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development has been awarded a deal worth SAR4.46 billion ($1.2 billion) covering a square kilometre of land in Jeddah. The consortium includes the real estate investment company Kenzi Al Arabiya and a group of investors, according to a statement filed to Tadawul, the […] February 17, 2025
Industry Cheap sugar from India and Brazil forces cuts on Gulf refiners Cheap sugar from India and Brazil flooding the global market has forced Gulf refiners to cut production. Managers at Al Khaleej Sugar in Dubai told local media at a conference that the company was operating at 70 percent capacity as regional sugar refineries struggle with overcapacity. The UAE is among the top consumers of sugar, […] February 18, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas Opec+ market share to fall as US ramps up oil output Opec+ members’ market share is likely to shrink this year and in 2026 as non-Opec supply led by the US accelerates, according to energy experts. The Opec+ group’s market share was 53 percent when it was set up in 2016. That figure is likely to drop to 46 percent in 2025 and 2026, even as […] February 18, 2025
Banking & Finance Arab banks draw up plan to rebuild Syria’s ailing banking sector A three-year plan to restructure Syria’s ailing banking sector, which is suffering from massive non-performing loans, is being prepared by the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), an industry association, with the help of unnamed European institutions. The Beirut-based UAB’s secretary general, Wisam Fatouh, told the Saudi Arabic language daily Aleqtisadia on Monday that the restructuring plan involves […] February 18, 2025
Oil & Gas Kurdistan to resume oil exports next week Oil exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region will resume next week, Iraq’s oil minister said on Monday, resolving a near two-year dispute as ties between Baghdad and Erbil improve, potentially adding more supply to the oil market and weighing on prices. The oil flows were halted by Turkey in March 2023 after the International Chamber […] February 18, 2025
Real Estate Oman awards contracts to build homes for low-income nationals Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has awarded contracts worth $170 million to build homes and related infrastructure for low-income nationals in outlying regions. Of 1.35 million working Omanis, about 12 percent earn a minimum wage, according to official statistics. In 2022, the government raised the minimum wage from $815 to $1,000 per month. […] February 17, 2025
Oil & Gas Two new LNG terminals in Iraq to replace Iran gas Iraq is planning to build two offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to tackle a persistent electricity supply shortage, its oil minister said on Monday. One facility to receive imported LNG needed to run its power stations will be located in the Faw port under construction in southern Iraq. The other will be at the […] February 17, 2025
Economy New Kuwait debt law could unlock billions for projects Kuwait is close to finalising long-moribund legislation around government borrowing that will allow it to take more debt and better finance infrastructure and other projects, its finance minister said. Speaking to local reporters on Sunday, Noura Al-Fassam said the borrowed money would be used in partnership with the private sector. “The debt law is now […] February 17, 2025
Analysis Trade Gulf-South America trade surges as economies grow When Dubai’s Emirates airline started flying from Dubai to Bogotá in Colombia last summer, it not only provided a vital link between the two cities but also highlighted growing trade and investment links between the Gulf and South America. UAE-Argentina non-oil trade surged more than 70 percent last year to $537 million, according to the […] February 17, 2025
Sustainability Turkey receives climate funding from Beijing agency Turkey has secured a $5 billion investment commitment from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a Beijing-based multilateral funding agency, to support its long-term climate strategy. Turkish finance minister Mehmet Simsek and AIIB president Jin Liqun signed a memorandum of understanding for the investment programme, at a conference in Saudi Arabia, the bank said. The programme […] February 18, 2025
Manufacturing Turkey’s Togg considers factories in Asia Turkey’s electric vehicle (EV) maker Togg is looking to expand manufacturing to Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan, President Tayyip Erdoğan has said. Pakistan has already expressed interest in producing Togg vehicles, Daily Sabah reported citing the president. Erdoğan has given Toggs to each of the leaders of the three nations, saying it is […] February 17, 2025
Tourism Tourists shun Turkish resort over earthquake fears Hotel bookings in the popular tourist resort of Bodrum on Turkey’s Aegean coast are down because of fears over earthquakes and tsunamis. The Greek island of Santorini has recently suffered a spate of quakes, which has prompted an exodus of tourists. The Bodrum Hoteliers Association said early season hotel reservations are down on this time […] February 14, 2025
Trade Turkey and Pakistan target $5bn bilateral trade Turkey and Pakistan plan to increase bilateral trade to TL180.5 billion ($5 billion) after it rose 30 percent year on year to $1.4 billion in 2024. “The bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Pakistan reached its highest level in 2024,” Daily Sabah newspaper reported, quoting President Tayyip Erdoğan’s speech at a business forum in Islamabad. […] February 14, 2025
Agriculture Cut flowers are a growth industry for Turkey February is the busiest month for Turkey’s cut flower exporters, as Valentine’s Day on the 14th of the month results in 70 million or more blooms being shipped to markets across the continent. Revenue of between $8 million and $10 million is expected, and with International Women’s Day following close behind on March 8, increased […] February 14, 2025
Analysis Oil & Gas Cyprus-Egypt pipeline paves way for island’s gas industry After years of high hopes and false starts, Cyprus’s natural gas industry might finally be flowing after the island state agreed this week to pipe prospective gas to Egypt, which is likely to be exported to Europe in liquid form. The deal highlights the potential importance of Cypriot gas in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly after […] February 18, 2025
Real Estate Emaar to up investments in Egypt by another $7bn Emaar Properties, Dubai’s largest listed developer by market capitalisation, intends to increase its investments in Egypt to $25 billion over the next three years, up from the existing $18 billion, the company’s founder Mohamed Alabbar has said. The increase reflects growing confidence in Egypt’s real estate market, Al Arabiya, an Arabic-language news channel, reported citing […] February 17, 2025
Logistics DP World nears opening of $80m logistics hub in Egypt Global ports operator and logistics company DP World has completed nearly two-thirds of the work on the first phase of a $80 million logistics hub in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone. The 300,000 sq m complex is due for completion in June. It aims to reduce logistics costs and strengthen connections between Egypt, the Middle East […] February 12, 2025
Real Estate Egyptian contractor to build houses in Equatorial Guinea Egypt-based Arab Contractors Company will build 100,000 housing units in Equatorial Guinea as part of a cooperation agreement signed between the two governments. The mega project will be under the direct supervision of Egypt’s housing ministry. Financial details of the project were not disclosed. The ministry is currently supervising the Tanzanian dam project, which is […] February 11, 2025
Economy Egypt raises minimum wage in private sector by 17% Egypt’s private sector minimum wage will increase by 17 percent to EGP7,000 ($139) a month from EGP6,000, effective March 1, following directives from president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. A minimum wage for part-time workers will also be introduced for the first time, providing a net hourly wage of at least EGP28 ($0.56), the state-run National Wages […] February 10, 2025
Tourism Luxury travel is the engine of Saudi’s tourism market Saudi Arabia has focused on high-end tourism to create a name for itself, but will need to cater to the broader market in the longer term
VIDEO Banking & Finance Why KBW Ventures is focusing its funds closer to home Saudi investor Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed’s KBW Ventures has invested 90 percent of its funds in US companies such as Colossal Biosciences, but now it is keen to invest closer to home, its chief investment officer tells AGBI. CIO Ekta Tolani says KBW Ventures now wants to invest at least 30 percent of its funds […]
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Analysis Infrastructure Turkey’s rebuilding goes on two years after devastating quakes Two years since twin earthquakes devastated much of Turkey’s southern region, the country is still picking up the pieces. Fewer than one-third of the 680,000 homes lost have been rebuilt so far and 600,000 people are still living in converted shipping containers. More than 53,000 people lost their lives in the February 6 earthquakes, which […]
LUNCH WITH FRANK KANE Media & Advertising Nayla Tueni: ‘I am a journalist, a journalist, a journalist’ Nayla Tueni is as close as you get in the Middle East to media aristocracy. She is the fourth generation of a family that, for the best part of a century – through wars, assassinations, man-made disasters and economic crises – has kept publishing Annahar, a Lebanese broadsheet described by Time magazine as “the newspaper […]
Analysis Health Tech specialists tap into Gulf’s market of the sleep deprived People in the Gulf are among the worst sleepers in the world, research has found – and that makes the region a rousing proposition for sleep-aid businesses such as the US pair Whoop and Eight Sleep. A survey of 2,727 people across the GCC, published last month, found that only half manage to sleep for […]
Analysis Real Estate Dubai WFH push unlikely to curb strong office space demand Dubai’s policy of encouraging people to work from home to help curb the city’s growing traffic congestion is unlikely to dent the high demand for office space and rising commercial rental rates, real estate experts say. “Remote work is here to stay, let us it embrace together,” Omar Al Olama, UAE minister of state for […]
Employment Saudi fund helps 17% more citizens join private sector The Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) contributed to the employment of 437,000 Saudi citizens in the private sector in 2024, 17 percent more than the year before, the fund has announced. The fund said it also provided training and guidance services to 2 million people last year in support of the kingdom’s “Saudisation” efforts to […]
Opinion People & Lifestyle The top hotspots for millionaire migrants Dubai, Australia and Singapore are expected to emerge as the biggest beneficiaries
Analysis Media & Advertising The million-dirham draw of digital billboards Revenues for billboard operators have grown as much as eightfold in the past few years as digitalisation has given out-of-home (OOH) advertising a notable boost. Sometimes seen as a bellwether for the local economy, billboards get plenty of viewing time in places such as Dubai during morning and evening traffic rush hours when cars are […]
Opinion Media & Advertising Television: Who watches the watchers? Saudi Arabia is taking a long-awaited step forward in audience measurement
Economy Turkey faces $3bn payout for pensioners and wage support Turkey will have to pay out an estimated TL110.8 billion ($3.12 billion) after increasing minimum pension payments and wage support to companies. Vedat Isıkhan, the labour minister, announced on January 7 that the minimum monthly state pension would be increased by 15.75 percent, taking the base rate payment to TL14,469 ($409). Nearly 3.87 million pensioners will benefit […]
Analysis Employment UAE and Kuwait companies struggling to hire staff Companies in the UAE and Kuwait are struggling to afford new staff as a result of squeezed margins, according to the latest business sentiment survey. For the third successive month, non-oil companies operating in the UAE highlighted a reduction in prices charged, with discounting used to support sales amid a highly competitive market. This was […]
Oil & Gas Opec+ to take joint stance on Trump oil policy The Opec+ group of leading oil producers is set to discuss President Donald Trump’s efforts to raise US oil production and take a joint stance on the matter, Kazakhstan said on Wednesday. Trump last week laid out a sweeping plan to help maximise oil and gas production, including by declaring a national energy emergency to speed up permitting […]
Economy EU’s $3bn to back Jordan’s economy amid challenges The European Union (EU) will provide a €3 billion ($3.13 billion) financial package to Jordan to support its growth, as it manages the impact of regional geopolitical challenges. The 2025-2027 financial package will include €640 million in grants, €1.4 billion in investments, and €1 billion in macro-financial assistance. “Jordan is a key partner for Europe in the Middle […]
Banking & Finance Adia-backed bidders close in on Malaysia Airports buy-out A $4.2 billion bid to buy out Malaysia Airports backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia), the emirate’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, has moved a step closer. Shareholder acceptance of the bid is above 95 percent. The offer is by a consortium called the Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), which is led by Malaysia’s sovereign […]
Real Estate London tower project announced by Abu Dhabi’s Modon A joint venture with property developer British Land and the Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC to develop a dual high-rise office-led tower project in central London has been announced by Abu Dhabi’s Modon Holding. The partnership will deliver a 750,000 square feet mixed-use project at an office-led campus in Broadgate in the City of London. It […]
