Emirates Development Bank

Emirates Development Bank contributes Dhs1.91bn to UAE’s GDP

The bank’s strategy involved direct and indirect financing of 1,350 SMEs across priority sectors

Dubai’s DEWA boosts retail offer in one of region’s biggest IPOs

Including the employee tranche, retail investors will represent 9.2 per cent of the deal

UAE’s ADGM and Finastra team up for ‘Hack to the Future 4’

ADGM’s hackathon is seeing participants explore innovative ideas around themes of ESG, embedded finance and decentralised finance

Where is Bitcoin heading? Look at the options market

Demand for call options that give the right to buy the cryptocurrency in the future has climbed this month as Bitcoin’s spot price rallied

Gold steady after best quarter since 2020 on rising haven demand

US inflation-adjusted consumer spending declined in February

ADX, FTSE Russell benchmark blue chip index to launch on March 30

The FTSE ADX 15 Index will include 15 of the largest and most liquid companies listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange

Abu Dhabi Global Market

World’s first regulated carbon credit trading exchange to launch in UAE

Corporates will be able to trade and finance carbon credits like conventional financial assets

Bitcoin’s stealth rally has bulls eyeing $51,000 once again

The coin has added 15 per cent over the past week

Oman

Oman to allow full foreign ownership in listed companies

Muscat Clearing and Depository finalised measures to open up the market

Bitcoin is struggling below $45,000 but there are signs it could break out

Bitcoin is well above its 50-day moving average, which currently sits around $41,085

How 2021 was a record year for M&A

Regional and global M&A activity witnessed strong growth last year

Business24-7 expands services to online traders in the MENA region

The online portal, which guides users through the complex process of finding the right broker, features objective broker and trading platform evaluations

Abu Dhabi’s Multiply Group to invest Dhs367m in DEWA IPO

In 2021, Multiply Group acquired stakes in UAE-based assets and international high growth firms such as Firefly, Savage X Fenty, Getty images and Viola

Alpha Dhabi invests Dhs367m in DEWA’s IPO

The investment has been made through its subsidiary Alpha Dhabi Partners Holding

Egypt’s EFG Hermes Holding reports EGP1.5bn in net profit in 2021

The group’s revenues crossed the EGP6 billion mark for the first time

Etihad Airways

Etihad: New co-branded credit card gives complimentary gold tier status

The Emirates NBD Etihad Guest Visa Credit Cards are available as Elevate and Inspire variants

UAE’s DEWA IPO subscription period opens today

The price range is set between Dhs2.25 and Dhs2.48 per share, implying a market capitalisation of between Dhs112.5bn and Dhs124bn

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ, Turkey Wealth Fund launch $300m venture capital fund

The fund will invest in companies developing emerging technologies or improving existing ones in key sectors

KFC Operator

Middle East KFC operator starts early talks over listing

Discussions are ongoing, but no advisers have been hired

Dubai’s Shuaa Capital launches $250m venture debt fund

The fund claims to be the largest venture debt fund in the GCC

Lebanon’s Central Bank chief charged with money laundering

Riad Salameh is also under investigation in France and Switzerland

Biggest Saudi listing since Aramco surges on trading debut

Nahdi’s IPO is the largest listing in the kingdom since Saudi Aramco raised almost $30bn in 2019

Bahrain sees higher oil helping it beat budget balance target

The International Monetary Fund estimates Bahrain needs oil prices of around $107 a barrel to balance its budget

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank approves cash dividend equalling 48.5% of net profit for 2021

The bank’s shareholders also elected a new board of directors

UAE’s ADGM, FSRA look to amend capital markets framework

ADGM’s FSRA has published a paper proposing wide-ranging amendments covering virtual assets, securities, derivatives, commodities and benchmarks

How is the cross-border payments space evolving

Speaking to Gulf Business, Amir Nagammy, Wizz Financial co-founder and group chairman delves into the company’s expansion plans and the disruption within the payments space

Dubai’s Shuaa Capital acquires majority stake in Souqalmal

Shuaa joins existing investors Riyad Capital and UK comparison website GoCompare

The changing landscape of investment advisory across UAE and GCC

Clients are increasingly seeking the advice of asset managers who possess a rich knowledge of local and regional market dynamics

Gold advances as traders weigh Fed rate hike, growth risks

Investors continue to seek a store of value amid the uncertainty

Saudi Arabia’s real GDP grows 3.2% in 2021

The kingdom’s real GDP grew by 6.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021