Tourism Salvator Mundi destined for Riyadh giga-park The $450 million Leonardo Da Vinci painting Salvator Mundi is destined for a museum of art inside the King Salman Park giga-project in Riyadh in time for hosting the World Expo in 2030, two separate sources have said. The artwork is a big part of Saudi Arabia’s plans to rebrand itself globally as a socially […] November 18, 2024
Analysis Health Golden returns draw investors to fitness markets Investors are showing increasing interest in homegrown fitness companies, tempted by the “golden egg” returns on offer. The fitness market in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) has been growing at an annual rate of 30 percent since 2020, with the UAE sector valued at an estimated $550 million and Saudi Arabia at $1.7 […] November 18, 2024
Video length: 03:36 VIDEO Retail Landmark Group expands into Asia Landmark Group, based in Dubai and one of the biggest retail chains in the Gulf region with annual revenue of more than $7 billion, is investing $1 billion in its Asia expansion. As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, Renuka Jagtiani, chairwoman, and Landmark Retail CEO Kabir Lumba explain Landmark’s growth strategy and the challenges […] November 15, 2024
Analysis Tourism Algeria must forge its own identity to hit tourism targets If Algeria’s tourism industry is to become the vital engine of the country’s economy its tourism minister hopes, it must find a way to differentiate itself from its neighbours, experts have told AGBI. The Algerian government aims to welcome more than 12 million foreign visitors by the end of the decade, as part of its national tourism […] November 15, 2024
Analysis Food & Drink Saudis getting a taste for non-alcoholic drinks The Saudi government’s drive to improve the nation’s health is boosting the food and beverage market in the most unlikely of places – zero-alcohol beer. A report by MarkNtel Advisors shows the Gulf market is growing by 7.7 percent a year. The local and international brands vying for share include Aujan Group Holding, Anheuser-Busch InBev, […] November 15, 2024
Aviation Etihad profit soars on passenger and cargo volumes Etihad Airways has reported a 66 percent increase in nine-month profit built on higher passenger and cargo revenue. The Abu Dhabi carrier said profit after tax for the period reached $381 million (AED1.4 billion), up from $222 million a year earlier. Total revenue was up 21 percent to $5 billion, which the airline said was […] November 14, 2024
Opinion Tourism Wars have skewed effects on Middle East tourism The most immediate impact on tourism has been caused by a reduction or elimination of flight connections November 14, 2024
Gaming PIF cuts stake in Nintendo as Switch sales slow Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has trimmed its holding in Nintendo, as the Japanese gaming company suffered a drop in sales for its biggest product. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund reduced its stake to 7.54 percent from 8.58 percent, according to a Japanese regulatory filing on Tuesday. The news of the cut comes just […] November 13, 2024
Business of Sport Audi slams brakes on Qatari F1 buyout rumours Carmaker Audi has said its F1 team is not for sale, scuppering online rumours that the company was preparing to sell to Qatar’s QIA sovereign wealth fund. “We do not engage in speculation. The team is not for sale,” an Audi F1 spokesperson told AGBI on Tuesday. Qatar already holds a major stake in VW, […] November 13, 2024
Markets Restaurant chain AlAbraaj plans IPO on Bahrain Bourse AlAbraaj Restaurants Group is planning to list on Bahrain Bourse before the end of 2024. Founded in 1987, the restaurant chain manages 15 brands across 37 locations in Bahrain. It employs about 1,200 people. AlAbraaj also franchises five restaurants, three of which are in Saudi Arabia – Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh. The company is finalising […] November 11, 2024
Markets Talabat focusing on core markets ahead of listing, says CFO Food delivery app Talabat aims to prioritise organic growth over geographical expansion, its chief financial officer says, as it prepares to launch one of the region’s largest listings. Delivery Hero, the German parent company of the UAE-headquartered app, announced on Monday that it plans to sell a 15 percent stake in Talabat. The initial public […] November 11, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Talabat plans to list 15% on Dubai bourse via IPO Talabat Holding, a UAE-based online food ordering and delivery platform, plans to list 15 percent of its share capital on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). Nearly 3.49 billion shares, each with a nominal value of AED 0.04, will be divested through the initial public offering. The shares will be offered by the sole shareholder, Delivery […] November 11, 2024
Analysis Tourism More tourists in Turkey, but they spend less and leave quicker Turkey is on track to break records for tourist arrivals this year, but it may fall short of revenue targets, as visitor numbers are up but spending is flatlining and average holiday stays are getting shorter. Just over 23.2 million overseas visitors made Turkey their destination in the third quarter of the year, the statistics […] November 11, 2024
Food & Drink Chocolate trend sends Dubai nuts for Turkish pistachios It may have started with a UAE resident trying to assuage her hunger cravings during pregnancy, but the latest taste sensation to sweep the Middle East and beyond is causing contractions in the supply of Turkish pistachios as demand for Dubai chocolate swells. Turkey is in line to post a record high pistachio harvest for […] November 10, 2024
Video length: 4:47 VIDEO Tourism Ras Al Khaimah’s tourist draw: concerts, casinos and crypto Historically, the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has been known for industry and manufacturing, but tourism has taken centre stage over the past decade. It has just 400,000 residents and attracted 600,000 visitors to its airport this year, but expects to increase its tourist numbers to 3.5 million overnight guests in the coming years. Raki […] November 8, 2024
Food & Drink Talabat profits soar ahead of planned IPO Food delivery company Talabat reported a 46 percent increase in third-quarter profits ahead of its planned IPO. Delivery Hero, the Berlin-headquartered parent company of the business, said net income reached $98 million in the three months, up from $67 million the previous year. It said the increased profit was due to improved logistics efficiency, continued […] November 8, 2024
Retail Spinneys profit rises 25% on UAE and Saudi expansion UAE supermarket operator Spinneys said net profit attributable rose to AED39.7 million ($10.6 million) in the third quarter, an increase of 25 percent from AED31.8 million a year ago. The profit rise was driven by expansion in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the roll-out of new concepts and the expansion of its e-commerce offerings. Top […] November 8, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality Sotheby’s pins hopes on Saudi auction launch Sotheby’s is to open an office and stage its first auction in Saudi Arabia next year. The new branch will be located in the Faisaliah Tower in the capital Riyadh. The auction will take place on February 8, 2025 in the Unesco World Heritage site of Diriyah. Prior to the auction, an exhibition featuring the […] November 7, 2024
Transport Dubai Taxi revenue up but profit slides Revenue at Dubai Taxi Company, a subsidiary of the emirate’s transport regulator, rose 13 percent year on year to AED1.6 billion ($436 million) in the first nine months of 2024. The company said the result was due to a positive macroeconomic environment, a rise in tourism and population growth. The taxi segment was the primary […] November 7, 2024
Food & Drink Boycotts help send Turkey’s Coca-Cola sales down A boycott of brands seen as supporting Israel in the Middle East has helped bring a double-digit drop in third-quarter sales in Turkey and Pakistan for a Coca-Cola subsidiary. Coca-Cola Icecek (CCI), which is based in Istanbul, said sales in Turkey in Q3 fell 12.2 percent, while sales in Pakistan were down by 22.9 percent. […] November 6, 2024
EXCLUSIVE Business of Sport Roshn seeks contractors for Riyadh World Cup stadium Saudi real estate developer Roshn is inviting expressions of interest from international and local contractors for its 45,000-seat football stadium in Riyadh. Iain McBride, Roshn’s head of commercial, said the Public Investment Fund subsidiary was actively seeking partners “very early in the process” to help “de-risk” the project. “What we don’t want is to design, […] November 6, 2024
Food & Drink Americana CEO says boycott ‘worst is behind us’ Americana Restaurants, the Middle East franchise owner for KFC, Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme and Hardee’s, believes the company has weathered the worst of the boycott issues it faced this year, which led to a significant slump in its profit. CEO Amarpal Sandhu said it is not predicting a “hockey stick recovery” – a sudden and […] November 5, 2024
