IHC’s shareholders approve Dhs5bn buyback plan

UAE’s IHC shareholders approve Dhs5bn share buyback program

The conglomerate said the rationale behind the buyback is driven by its robust financial standing, characterised by significant cash flow and a strong balance sheet

Bahrain attracts recordbreaking FDI flows in 2023 Getty-Images-1471641887

Bahrain attracted record FDI inflows of $6.8bn in 2023

The top countries contributing to Bahrain’s FDI stocks as part of a diverse portfolio include Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE

UAE-MoF-announces-key-projects-toboost-competitiveness Photo-courtesy-WAM-MoF

UAE Ministry of Finance unveils key new projects to boost competitiveness

These projects, led by the Ministry of Finance, are part of the UAE’s comprehensive strategy to future-proof its economy and reinforce its status as a leading global financial hub

UAE - Millionaire

Wealth Migration Report 2024: The UAE remains a millionaire’s favourite country

The report shows a significant increase in HNWI migrations, highlighting a growing trend of millionaires seeking stability and opportunity in favourable jurisdictions

Careem app

Payrails and Careem: Strategic partnership to upgrade payment integration in MENA

By leveraging Payrails’ platform, Careem can route payments along the most strategic paths, driving higher payment conversions and simplifying the checkout experience for its customers

Abu Dhabi Government lists $5bn bonds on local exchange

Abu Dhabi Government lists $5.3bn bonds on local exchange

The stock exchange said that the listing will be in three tranches, starting on June 21

GCC markets Image: Getty Images - ipo

China approves first ETFs tracking Saudi equities, fund managers say

Through the ETF, investors in China will be able to trade Saudi stocks including Saudi Aramco and Saudi National Bank

National Bank of Egypt secures $1bn syndicated loan

National Bank of Egypt secures $1bn syndicated loan

The proceeds from the facility will be used for general corporate funding purposes and trade finance requirements of NBE, providing essential support to its operations and growth

DIFC-based Aditum and scb partner on first of its kind fund structure -Image-WAM-DIFC

Aditum, SCB partner on new fund structure; 4 funds launched, 10 approved

This launch marks a major milestone as the first fund structure to be made available to UAE investors under the new UAE regulatory regime for public funds

Apple turns to third parties for ‘buy now, pay later’

Apple turns to third parties for ‘buy now, pay later’ after sunsetting product

The tech giant said its new solution will enable it to bring flexible payments to more users, in more places across the globe

Advent and ADIA unit to acquire minority stake in Fisher Investments

Advent and ADIA unit to acquire minority stake in Fisher Investments

The money-management firm oversees $275bn for more than 150,000 clients including individuals and institutions

Egyptian fintech Sahl successfully raises $6m in Series A round

Egyptian fintech Sahl successfully raises $6m in Series A round

Sahl’s strategic vision is to dominate Egypt’s EGP2.5tn digital payments sector by capturing a significant portion of collections for utility companies, a segment worth EGP250bn annually

ACI Worldwide's Santhosh Rao showcases trends in real-time payments

ACI Worldwide’s Santhosh Rao showcases trends in real-time payments

For businesses, it’s time to rethink where real-time payments sit in the customer journey and the end-to-end payments landscape, says Santhosh Rao, SVP MEASA, ACI Worldwide

UAE banks liquid assets rise in Q1 2024_CBUAE GettyImages-927096466

UAE banking sector’s liquid assets rise to Dhs786.6bn in Q1 2024

CBUAE highlighted a quarter over quarter rise of 5.7 per cent, equivalent to Dhs42.7bn, compared to about Dhs743.95bn at the end of Q4 2023

Edmond de Rothschild

Edmond de Rothschild to open Saudi office and launch debt platform

The platform could help Saudi Arabia with its vast Vision 2030 plan

Brookfield Place is Dubai’s newest placemaking destination

Brookfield eyes $5bn for UAE-backed climate fund

The asset management firm said at least 10 per cent of the fund’s capital will be provided by Brookfield, which manages a portfolio of $925bn

Emirates NBD and Citi partner to offer 24 7 USD cross broder payments _GettyImages-910730068-1-e1690091225134

Citi, Emirates NBD to launch round-the-clock USD cross-border payments

The service, initially available in Emirates NBD’s branches in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, aims to eliminate payment flow barriers caused by different weekend schedules

UAE cabinet approves housing aid valued at Dhs1.86bn ahead of Eid-Al-Adha

UAE Cabinet approves housing aid valued at Dhs1.86bn ahead of Eid-Al-Adha

In addition to approving the housing aid, the cabinet launched the Manzili initiative, a streamlined service bundle designed to simplify the housing loan application process for programme beneficiaries

Insights: How IT solutions are enhancing factoring and supply chain finance

Insights: How IT solutions are enhancing factoring and supply chain finance

Banks should invest in robust SCF solutions that offer comprehensive features for automating end-to-end factoring processes from uploading of invoices to settlement

BlackRock acquires GIP (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

BlackRock appoints MD for UAE, Oman and Bahrain

The global financial giant has tapped former Mubadala and Goldman Sachs executive to lead its operations in the three GCC countries

Saudi Arabia plans Aramco share sale as soon as June

Saudi Aramco shares trade higher after share offering

The world’s top oil exporter has been seeking to bring in international investment as it launches a range of projects as the Saudi government seeks to diversify its oil-based economy

QATAR VC firm Rasmal ventures launches debut fund GettyImages-520283407-e1714712344221

Qatar’s Rasmal Ventures launches $100m debut VC fund

While sector-agnostic, the fund will have a strategic focus on climate and energy tech, fintech, supply chain logistics, B2B SaaS and AI

Zand Bank, MANTRA partner to streamline real-world asset tokenisation

The digital bank and MANTRA will develop frameworks for RWA tokenisation that comply with regulations set by the Dubai’s VARA

Egypt sees progress on loan program

Egypt will have access to about $820m subject to IMF Board approval, fund says

The IMF said its Executive Board would consider the staff agreement and disbursement in the coming weeks

Mubadala increase investments

Mubadala-backed Zamp to buy Starbucks brand rights, stores in Brazil

Zamp said the deal requires approval from Brazil’s antitrust watchdog CADE and the court overseeing SouthRock’s bankruptcy

XPANSE

A sneak peek into Xpanse: World’s first forum for exponential technologies

Dr Zina Jarrahi Cinker, director general of MATTER, reveals key details about one of the biggest events of the year set to come to Abu Dhabi in November

Saudi Arabia joins China and UAE in mBridge project

Saudi Arabia joins central bank digital currency project mBridge

The initiative was unveiled in 2021 to pilot cross-border payments in digital currencies issued by central banks

Alef’s $515m IPO oversubscribed 39 times

Abu Dhabi edtech firm Alef’s IPO draws $20bn in orders

The shareholders are offering 1.4 billion shares, equivalent to 20 per cent of the company’s total issued share capital

Middle East: Assets under management surge 13%, rising to $2.3tn, according to A BCG study

Middle East: Assets under management surge 13%, rising to $2.3tn in 2023

According to the Boston Consulting Group report, globally in 2023, assets under management rose by 12 pr cent to nearly $120tn

Central Bank of UAE launches multi-CBDC platform for cross-border payments

Central Bank of UAE launches multi-CBDC platform for cross-border payments

The mBridge platform is an initiative under the CBUAE’s Financial Infrastructure Transformation programme that seeks to accelerate the digital transformation of the UAE’s financial services sector