UAE consumer spending expected to rise by 5% in 2024: Mastercard report
Dubai, UAE -- Consumer spending in the UAE is expected to increase by 5 percent in 2024, while consumers and...
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries up $399 million in Oct 2023
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia’s holdings of US Treasuries reached $117.5 billion in October 2023, up $399 million month-on-month...
Business
Business
Assets of banks in UAE up 2.6% in first quarter to reach $1.02 trillion
In its UAE Monetary, Banking, and Financial Markets Developments Report for Q1, which provides insights into the monetary and banking...
- Money Supply M1, comprising Currency in Circulation outside Banks and Monetary Deposits, witnessed a 3 percent q-o-q increase during the first quarter of 2023.
- At the end of the first quarter of 2023, there were 22 locally incorporated banks, while the branches of these banks decreased to 494.
Business
solutions signs $118m contract
The contract's impact will show in the firm's Q3 financials.
- The company that under the 42-month contract, awarded on April 26, it will support and operate an information technology management program for NCGR.
- The company reported a revenue of SAR 2.7 billion in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 19 percent from the same quarter last year.
Geostrategy
Kuwait urges Europe to facilitate Schengen visas for its citizens
Kuwait-- Kuwait has urged European states to facilitate the granting of Schengen visas for Kuwaiti citizens. The call was made...
- The call was made by Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who received at a luncheon several European ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions.
- The Schengen area is a group of European countries that have agreed to allow passport-holders from one country to travel freely within the area without border controls.
Business
Saudi SME Bank signs $266m deals with fintech firms, investment funds
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The SMEs Bank system of the National Development Fund has signed 20 agreements valued at more...
- These deals include 10 agreements and MoU by the SMEs Bank worth SAR 500 million and three agreements signed by the Saudi Venture Capital Company SVC worth SAR 232 million.
- A total of seven MoUs were signed by the Small and Medium Enterprises Financing Guarantee Program "Kafalah" worth SAR 300 million with a leverage of up to five times.
Business
Kuwait Oil Company’s five-year digital strategy to reduce expenses
Kuwait -- Kuwait Oil Company announced on Saturday that it has upgraded its five-year digitalization strategy, which will contribute to...
- The upgrading of the strategy will also enhance safety and security, and help manage risks in a better way, Deputy CEO for gas and innovation at KOC Bader Ahmad Al-Munaifi said.
- "KOC will announce a roadmap for digitalization and launch a massive database during a conference on June 18," he said.
Business
Dubai records $2.45 billion in weekly real estate transactions
Dubai, UAE -- A total of 3,397 real estate and properties transactions valued at AED 9 billion ($2.45 billion) were...
- The DLD data showed that 204 plots were sold for AED 1.52 billion, 2,562 apartments and villas were sold for AED 5.69 billion.
- A total of 134 properties were granted between first-degree relatives worth AED 340 million and the sum of mortgaged properties was AED 1.52 billion.
Business
Middle East rich looking for alternative investments: EY report
Dubai, UAE -- High net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in the Middle East are increasingly looking for alternative investments, such as private...
- The EY report also noted that the HNWIs, who are expected to grow by 10 percent to 225,000 in 2023, are increasingly adopting digital channels to manage their wealth.
- According to the report, private equity is the most popular alternative investment among HNWIs in the region, followed by real estate and hedge funds.
Business
Al-Futtaim leads $15m start-up funding
The firm led the funding in River, which manufactures electric two-wheelers.
- River is a Bengaluru-based company that was founded in 2020. The company has developed a range of electric two-wheelers, including scooters and motorcycles.
- The investment from Al-Futtaim Automotive will be used to help River scale up its manufacturing and distribution operations.
Business
Saudi Arabia to import 1.5 million head of cattle this Hajj season
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's livestock imports during the current Hijri year increased by 40 percent compared to the...
- Since the beginning of this month, a total of 700,000 imported head of livestock have been cleared by the ministry at Jeddah Islamic Port.
- The ministry said it expects half a million more head to arrive in the coming days, in preparation for this year's Hajj season.
Business
Barakah Plant’s final unit begins operational readiness preparations, says ENEC
ABU DHABI, UAE - The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced that Unit 4, the fourth and final unit...
- Barakah Plant has had a transformational impact on the UAE, spearheading the rapid decarbonization of the UAE’s power sector.
- Unit 4 will raise the Barakah Plant’s total clean electricity generation capacity to 5.6GW, equivalent to 25 percent of UAE’s electricity needs.
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UAE consumer spending expected to rise by 5% in 2024: Mastercard report
Dubai, UAE -- Consumer spending in the UAE is expected to increase by 5 percent in 2024, while consumers and...
Economy
Company News
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SIRC and Edama sign partnership
Business
Agreements worth $3.54bn inked at Global Health Exhibition
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- A total of 138 agreements, MoUs and deals worth more than SAR 13.3 billion ($3.54 billion)...
Business
Second quarter foreign investments in Saudi Arabia hit $666bn
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Foreign investments in Saudi Arabia increased 4 percent year-on-year (YoY) to SAR 2.50 trillion ($666. 39...
Business
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Business
Firms listed on Qatar Stock Exchange post 9M profit of $10.27bn
Doha, Qatar -- Companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange have reported a net profit of QR 37.42 billion ($10.27...
- According to figures published on QSE website on Tuesday, Industrials declined by 40.90 period with QR 7.005 billion in net profit to top the declining sectors.
- Net profit of Insurance was the highest with QR 853.744 million, a rise by 334.92 percent, followed by Telecoms which achieved an increase of 26.42 percent.
Business
Bupa Arabia’s 9M 2023 up 27%
The third quarter net profit fell 23% compared to the Q3 2022.
- Compared to the second quarter of 2023, the insurer's Q3 2023 declined 25.9 percent from SAR 371.35 million.
- Insurance service result grew 41.02 percent year-on-year (YoY), or by SAR 232.01 million, driven by higher insurance revenue.
Economy
Saudi Arabia’s Q3 real GDP falls by 4.5% on decreased oil activities
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 4.5 percent in the third quarter of...
- Non-oil activities and government activities grew by 3.6 percent and 1.9 percent respectively in the third quarter due to a 17.3 percent fall in oil activities.
- Seasonally adjusted real GDP decreased by 3.9 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter, due to a decrease in oil activities and government activities.