Markets Saudi Arabia prods blue chips to list more shares Saudi Arabia is prodding blue-chip companies on its stock exchange to offer more shares to the public as part of a drive to become a global financial centre. Abdullah Binghannam, deputy head of financing and investment at the kingdom’s Capital Market Authority, told a markets forum in Riyadh on Tuesday that a regulatory framework was […] February 21, 2024
Analysis Manufacturing Saudi Arabia joins the dots from minerals to manufacturing Consider for a moment how many different steps there are between digging a lump of iron ore out of the ground in Mauritania and pressing the starter button on a new electric vehicle (EV) in Riyadh. The ore must be mined, concentrated, combined with other elements, put through a furnace, a casting machine, cold- or […] February 13, 2024
Analysis Trade $112bn of trade with India ‘ready to be tapped’ Untapped trade opportunities between India and the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey could be worth more than $112 billion, research has found. An HSBC report, which analyses data from the UN/WTO International Trade Centre, estimates that there is a $61 billion export gap for Indian companies in the key markets of the UAE, Saudi […] February 12, 2024
Opinion Logistics Red Sea attacks could harm more than ports and shipping The Houthi strikes could have serious implications for Saudi Arabia and Egypt January 23, 2024
Leisure & Hospitality PIF’s new deal to spark surge in e-motorsports Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced a multi-year partnership with Formula E, Extreme E and E1 powerboat racing to boost the profile of sustainable electric motorsports in the kingdom. The Electric 360 programme is part of the sovereign fund’s carbon reduction initiatives. PIF ranks first in the Middle East for sustainability among the […] January 23, 2024
Markets Saudi US treasuries holdings hit two-year high Saudi holdings of US treasuries surged to a two-year high of $128.1 billion in November from a six-year low of $108.7 billion in June, according to newly released data from the US Department of the Treasury. Treasuries are government debt instruments issued by the Treasury and auctioned by the US Federal Reserve, and are considered […] January 22, 2024
Giga-projects Red Sea crisis a threat to Saudi giga-project investment The Red Sea conflict between western powers and Houthi rebels in Yemen could put Saudi Arabia’s mammoth economic development projects at risk, the sovereign wealth fund advisory Global SWF said this week. The US and UK began airstrikes against targets in Houthi-controlled north Yemen on 12 January to stop them firing missiles at Red Sea […] January 18, 2024
Analysis Finance Gulf investors expected to bet big on bitcoin ETFs Gulf sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors are expected to expand their portfolios to include cryptocurrencies, after spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds were given the green light. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the trading of 11 spot bitcoin ETFs, issued by global asset management companies such as BlackRock, Invesco, Grayscale, Fidelity, and Franklin. […] January 16, 2024
Finance PIF top spender among sovereign funds in 2023 Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF), was the top spender worldwide among state-owned investors, the 2024 Global Sovereign Wealth Fund report has revealed, underlining the kingdom’s determination to reallocate its hydrocarbon revenues to diversify and expand its domestic economy. State-owned investors include sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), public pension funds and central banks, […] January 1, 2024
Analysis Industry Saudi seeks gold in the Aseer hills – for tourism and mining Hidden in the heart of Saudi Arabia’s largest mountain range, the Aseer province was largely unknown to the West until the 1950s. The region’s remoteness helped to preserve its distinctive culture, with early visitors offered crowns of red and orange blooms for sale by its so-called Flower Men. Today tourists are an important part of the […] December 21, 2023
Analysis Trade UAE-US trade relations defy region’s pivot to the east The trade relationship between the UAE and the US remains strong even while GCC countries increasingly look east for opportunities. In October 2023, the US trade balance with the UAE stood at $1.63 billion, while US exports grew 28 percent year on year to reach $2.3 billion the same month. Martina Strong, the US ambassador […] December 19, 2023
Analysis Trade Saudi leaders gather in Beijing to boost $106bn trade Saudi Arabia’s investment minister Khalid Al Falih is leading a delegation in Beijing this week as the kingdom looks to tighten ties with its largest trade partner. Government and private sector leaders will participate in the China-Saudi Investment Conference on Tuesday, as part of Al Falih’s six-day visit. China-Saudi trade stood at $106 billion in […] December 11, 2023
Analysis Trade UAE and Kazakhstan launch trade investment platform The UAE and Kazakhstan have announced the launch of a new investment vehicle focused on high-growth sectors. The countries are planning $1 billion in annual bilateral trade. Abu Dhabi’s ADQ and the Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC), the main driver of direct investment into Kazakhstan, said the focus will be on food and agriculture, mobility, healthcare, […] December 7, 2023
Analysis Industry Future is rosy for Mena phosphate producers With Morocco and Saudi Arabia now holding the bulk of the world’s high-quality, accessible phosphate rock reserves, the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is a major centre for the phosphate mining industry’s future growth, analysts say. Morocco alone holds around 70 percent of the world’s total reserves of phosphate rock, the raw material […] November 17, 2023
Analysis Trade GCC chief predicts China free trade deal ‘soon’ China and the GCC will sign a free trade agreement “soon”, according to a Gulf official, nearly 20 years after negotiations began. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the GCC’s secretary general, has predicted the deal will be “wrapped up during the next short period”, adding that its fruits “will be reaped as soon as possible”. His comments […] October 23, 2023
Analysis Trade Shark Tank’s O’Leary touts Abu Dhabi as crypto centre Venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary believes Abu Dhabi could soon eclipse the US as the global centre of crypto innovation. While regional insiders told AGBI they agreed the UAE is set to be a significant digital assets hub, they said overtaking the US remains a tall order. In a Fox Business interview this week, O’Leary said […] October 6, 2023
Analysis Economy Turkey’s bounced cheques, loan and card defaults soar The value of bounced cheques in Turkey is soaring as small and medium-sized enterprises grapple with resurgent inflation. Personal loan and credit card defaults are also at 2023 highs following a borrowing splurge ahead of May’s elections. Veteran leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had pushed state-owned banks to expand lending in the run-up to the parliamentary […] October 3, 2023
Transport Qatar leads $150m funding for Indian industrial park fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has led the $150 million fundraising round for the new fund of IndoSpace, which develops grade-A industrial and logistics parks in India. QIA is the world’s 10th largest sovereign wealth fund with $475 billion of assets under management, the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute said in May. The fundraising round also included […] September 6, 2023
Finance Mena targets US as outbound M&A deals jump 53% Entities from the Middle East and North Africa agreed deals to purchase companies outside the region worth almost $31 billion in the first half of 2023 as cash-rich sovereign wealth funds and other government-related bodies shrugged off rising interest rates to expand their foreign portfolios. The outbound M&A total deal value was $30.6 billion, up […] August 31, 2023
Finance Al Mukhaizeem to head Kuwait fund’s London office The Kuwait Investment Authority has appointed Abdulmohsin Al Mukhaizeem as president and chief executive officer of its London branch. A subsidiary of the KIA’s headquarters in Kuwait, the Kuwait Investment Office (KIO) in the UK capital manages part of the Future Generations Fund (the savings portion of the sovereign wealth fund). This includes a portfolio […] August 18, 2023
Analysis Economy Saudi tourism revenue grows as budget surplus shrinks Tourism revenue is beginning to emerge as a serious component on Saudi Arabia’s balance of payments, tripling in a year, and experts see the sector as a “very important” offset to any decline in oil earnings. While the kingdom’s current account returned another surplus in the first quarter of 2023 of $17.7 billion, this was […] August 16, 2023
Finance UAE’s Al Ansari set to buy majority stake in Omani firm UAE remittance and foreign exchange house Al Ansari Financial Services has proposed to acquire a majority stake in an exchange company in Oman as part of its regional expansion plan. The acquisition is subject to the necessary regulatory approvals and due diligence, the company said in a statement on Monday. It is expected to be […] August 7, 2023
