MENA brief Jun 11: Umrah returns, ADGM surges, Abu Dhabi property market up
China has extended visa-free entry for up to 30 days to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain—boosting bilateral...
Geostrategy
New WEF report reveals how tech convergence will reshape industries
Geneva, Switzerland – The World Economic Forum today released a new report examining how emerging technology combinations are reshaping industries...
Geostrategy
Economy
Central & Southern Asia and Oceania region leads the world in cryptocurrency adoption
The fifth annual Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index looks at both on- and off-chain data to determine which countries are...
- This year, crypto activity increased across countries of all income brackets
- Central & Southern Asia and Oceania accounted for over $750 billion in crypto asset inflows
Business
UAE banking sector assets exceed $1.16 trillion by the end of June
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) revealed that total banking assets, including bank acceptance certificates,...
- The assents registered a month-on-month increase of 0.5 percent, compared to AED 4.28 trillion in May 2024.
- The total foreign assets of the Central Bank of the UAE exceeded the AED 770 billion barrier at the end of June, for the first time in its history.
Economy
How Pakistan is becoming a top tech hub in the GCC
Pakistan's IT sector is thriving, with growing exports and recognition as a tech hub, driven by government support, skilled talent,...
- While Pakistan has been declared the "Tech Destination of the Year" at GITEX GLOBAL 2024, one of the key players driving this growth is the Pakistan Software Houses Association
- Across the GCC, Pakistani companies provide cybersecurity and AI driven solutions across various sectors, including banking and fintech industries
Qatar strikes new 15-year 3 mtpa LNG supply deal with Kuwait
Qatar agreed on Monday to supply Kuwait with 3 million tons per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for...
- Kuwait has been boosting its reliance on imported gas to meet power demand
- Qatar this year announced a further expansion of its North Field project
Business
China’s robot makers chase Tesla to deliver humanoid workers
Beijing, China - China dominates the market for electric vehicles. Now it's chasing in the race to build battery-powered humanoids...
- Annual global market for humanoid robots could reach $38 billion by 2035
- Tesla, reiterated it expected to move beyond prototypes to start producing Optimus in small volumes next year
Business
Anthropic hit with class-action lawsuit over copyright infringement
Anthropic, the Amazon-backed artificial intelligence startup, on Monday, was hit with a class-action lawsuit in California federal court over alleged...
- "An essential component of Anthropic’s business model is the larges scale theft of copyrighted works"
- This case follows another lawsuit brought against Anthropic last October by Universal Music
Saudi bid to host 2034 World Cup positions Kingdom as global center for top sports events
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the Kingdom’s bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. He said this...
- Saudi topped the UNs’ list for highest growth in international tourist numbers in 2023
- FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 event in December
Business
Dubai welcomes record 9.31m international overnight visitors in H1
Dubai, UAE -- Dubai welcomed 9.31 million international overnight visitors from January to June 2024, a 9 percent increase over...
- Dubai was named the No.1 global destination for an unprecedented third successive year in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards in January.
- Occupied room nights increased by 3 percent, with 21.35 million at the end of H1 2024, compared to 20.73 million in H1 2023.
Economy
Record high Gold prices amidst expected September FED rate cut
Gold prices continued to notch new records Wednesday, lifted by increasing conviction that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates...
- Gold rose 0.5% to $2,482.29 per ounce, hitting an all-time high
- Markets are fully pricing in a rate cut of at least 25 basis points
GCC tourism’s contribution to GDP expected to surge by 2030: Fitch
GCC tourism's GDP contribution will rise from $130 billion in 2023 to over $340 billion by 2030, driven by aviation...
- The GCC countries have set ambitious targets for their tourism sectors to diversify their economies away from oil dependence
- The aviation industry is anticipated to play a critical role in this expansion, with air passenger traffic projected to grow substantially
MENA brief Jun 11: Umrah returns, ADGM surges, Abu Dhabi property market up
China has extended visa-free entry for up to 30 days to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain—boosting bilateral...
Geostrategy
Company News
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Trump’s tariffs shake up MENA economies, hitting allies, adversaries, oil trade and emerging industries: Report
Trump's sweeping tariffs are reshaping trade dynamics across MENA, impacting oil-exporting Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, according...
Economy
UAE tourism generates $12.24bn in hotel revenues in 2024: Minister
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Hotel revenues in the UAE reached approximately AED 45 billion ( $12.24 billion) in 2024, reflecting...
Business
Abu Dhabi’s non-oil foreign trade grows by 9% in 2024 to $83bn
Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Abu Dhabi Customs reported a 9 percent increase in the emirate’s non-oil foreign trade in 2024,...
Business
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Business
AD Ports Group 2024 revenue $4.70bn
The Group's EBITDA increased by 69 percent YOY.
- All of the Group’s business segments — Ports, Economic Cities and Free Zones, Maritime and Shipping, Logistics, and Digital — contributed to the record-breaking revenue.
- The Group successfully integrated two major acquisitions and accelerated its international expansion strategy, boosting profitability.
Business
ADNOC Gas to pay $3.41bn dividend
It includes $1.7 billion scheduled for distribution in Q2 2025.
- It reported a record adjusted net income of $5 billion, up 13 percent year-on-year, and strong EBITDA growth of 14 percent year-on-year to $8.65 billion.
- ADNOC Gas' full-year 2024 results demonstrate the success of its disciplined strategy, unveiled in November 2024, the company said.
Business
Al Ansari approves $85m dividend
This is approx 78% of the company's net profit after tax.
- Al Ansari Financial Services is preparing to finalize the acquisition of BFC Group Holding for AED 735 million, a move that will significantly expand its regional footprint.
- Post-acquisition, the company will emerge as the largest exchange company in Bahrain and the third largest in Kuwait.