MENA

Saudi Arabia leads MENA IPO market as proceeds reach $2.4 billion with 106 percent YoY growth

Saudi Arabia recorded 12 out of 14 listings in the MENA region during this quarter

Visa and Whish Money partner to elevate digital payment solutions across Lebanon, international markets

The collaboration enables Whish Money to integrate Visa’s advanced payment technologies for improved services

14 MENA IPOs raise $2.4 billion in Q1 2025, proceeds surge 106 percent

Saudi Arabia's Umm Al Qura for Development & Construction led the quarter with the highest proceeds

MENA startup funding grows 300 percent to $228.4 million in April 2025

Saudi Arabia led MENA startup funding during the month, attracting $158.5 million across eight deals

IMF cuts MENA 2025 growth forecast to 2.6 percent as global policy uncertainty looms

GCC economies are expected to grow 3 percent in 2025 and 4.1 percent in 2026

Emirates and American Express Middle East join forces to empower SMEs across MENA

The agreement will explore a range of offerings, and potential incentives for American Express Middle East card holders participating in the Emirates Business Rewards program

Gold demand grows in Q1 2025 amid record high prices, gold ETF revival

Gold investment demand in the Middle East remained resilient amid continued geopolitical uncertainty

GCC countries contribute over 35 percent of all emerging-market U.S. dollar debt in Q1 2025, Fitch reports

Primary market dollar issuance shows promise despite recent quietness in the GCC region

Flydubai’s summer 2025 schedule begins with 11 holiday destinations across Europe and MENA

Flydubai will resume summer services to several favourite destinations including Batumi, Bodrum, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Olbia, Santorini, Tivat, and Trabzon

Upcoming $950 million T-bill auction by CBE aims to cover previous dollar tender maturity

CBE allows local and foreign institutions to subscribe to T-bills, starting at a minimum of $100,000 

Joint Saudi-Qatari initiative paves way for $15 million payment to World Bank for Syria

Commitment aims to accelerate the recovery of Syria’s economy and development 

GCC real estate transactions grow 20 percent to $78.2 billion in Q1 2025: Report

Dubai has once again emerged as the leading market in the GCC, posting $38.7 billion in sales

Dubai AI Week 2025: DFF, Google Cloud partner to empower chief AI officers

The initiative aims to deepen expertise of AI leaders and align with Dubai’s AI blueprint

Middle East aviation market emerges as world’s second-fastest-growing region

Low-cost carriers now make up 29 percent of all Middle East capacity, more than doubling from 13 percent in 2014

Jordan’s new Watani company to optimize natural gas resources, lower energy costs

New company will supply gas to Amman and Zarqa, lowering costs in key sectors.

Lebanon: New banking secrecy reforms to restore financial stability, fulfill IMF demands

New law allows regulators to access ten years of banking records to combat corruption

Lebanon: World Bank approves $250 million loan with plans to increase to $400 million

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber announced loan details after meeting World Bank Vice President Osama Weden 

MENA region’s growth to rise moderately to 2.6 percent in 2025, says World Bank

In 2026, real GDP is projected to grow by 4.5 percent among GCC economies

Abu Dhabi stocks record region’s highest foreign investor buying in Q1 2025 at $2.3 billion

GCC stock markets recorded net buying of $2.8 billion compared to $3.0 billion in net buying during Q4 2024

ORA Developers: Accelerating growth in the UAE with strategic initiatives

With a new headquarters and a powerhouse leadership team, Engineer Naguib Sawiris' global development firm is positioning itself to capitalize on the region's booming property market

UAE bond and sukuk issuances grow 61.6 percent to $10.17 billion in Q1 2025, GCC issuances dip 7.1 percent

Primary debt issuances of bonds and sukuk in the GCC region amounted to $51.51 billion through 125 issuances

Türkiye central bank unexpectedly hikes interest rate to 46 percent

Monthly core goods inflation is expected to rise slightly in April due to recent developments in financial markets

Travel and tourism accounts for 11.4 percent to Gulf’s GDP, says GCC-Stat

The sector's contribution to the Gulf's GDP is expected to reach 13.3 percent in 2034, with a value of $371.2 billion

Business travel in MENA set to soar to $270.8 billion by 2030: Report

Business travel in the MENA region rose by 50 percent in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024