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Agriculture
April 2026 15 Apr — 2Q IPO listing window opens. Region-wide 25 Apr — Sinai…
IEA cuts outlook for oil demand as supply nosedives
PLUS: Higher inflation in Cairo + Muscat as luxury retail spending stumbles in Dubai
EBRD extends EUR 5 bn lifeline for war-affected economies
PLUS: Paris Criminal Court hands down terrorism finance ruling to Lafarge for Syria cement factory
Abu Dhabi Inc pushes ahead with global dealmaking, signaling that it’s business as usual
Plus: The World Bank has USD 500 mn for Morocco
AI
UAE + Saudi business sentiment remains resilient as investors recalibrate strategies -HSBC
AI readiness is now the main driving factor of new market choices for global investors
Saudi corporates have an uneven 1Q earnings outlook
Because the conflict escalated during Ramadan, Sico believes its immediate impact on earnings may be…
Lebanon + Israel hold peace talks as Iran, US consider next steps
The talks between Lebanon and Israel are the first direct negotiations in more than 40…
Bahrain rolls out BHD 7 bn banking sector relief package
Borrowers will get debt relief for up to three months, whereas banks will have access…
Automotive
Newly cost conscious, Saudi is turning to Egyptian builders to deliver on its housing ambitions
As Riyadh targets 305k new homes by 2034, first-tier Egyptian contractors are being fast-tracked to…
Saudi salary premium is shrinking as the Saudi-UAE talent war matures
The shift is likely driven by the scaling back of giga projects
It’s the first live issue of EnterpriseAM MENA+
Good morning, wonderful people, and welcome to our first ‘live’ issue of EnterpriseAM MENA+. We’re…
April 2026 13 Apr — IMF / World Bank spring meetings begin (through 18 Apr).…
Banking
Turkish banks are eyeing Syria — and Stellantis is doubling down on Algeria
PLUS: Surprising exactly no one, business activity slumped last month in Qatar and Kuwait
Jordan cuts reserve requirements, frees up JOD 700 mn for banks hit by Gulf war fallout
The measures could inject some JAD mn in lendable liquidity
Gulf money will back Hollywood’s biggest merger
PLUS: Adia wrote a ticket for the biggest US medical services buyout in more than…
Big oil and gas discoveries in the Mediterranean and Libya are very welcome news for Egypt
Eni, Repsol, and Sonatrach all reported big finds that should be fairly quick to come…
Commodities
Talks between Lebanon and Israel could be make-or-break for the Gulf ceasefire
The UAE, Saudi, and Qatar reported no drone or missile attacks overnight — for the…
Saudi, UAE double down on talent nationalization
Saudi is moving in on more administrative and middle management roles, while the UAE is…
Egypt startup funding went dark in March — but one VC says capital is still moving
Although Egypt remains investable, startups with export potential or with USD-denominated earnings are at an…
PIF pivots Alat from chip manufacturing to data center buildout
The change in focus comes as the kingdom reviews some of its major spending plans
Construction
The Gulf’s next lifeline to Europe hinges on Syria’s recovery — and cutting through knots of red tape
Reopening the land route through Syria would offer the Gulf a new lifeline to Europe
The UAE’s bailout of Bahrain will irk the Saudi booster boys
PLUS: We’re heading into IMF / World Bank spring meeting week in Washington, DC
April 2026 9 Apr — Martyrs’ Day (public holiday, markets closed). Tunisia 9 Apr —…
GCC can stand up to the pounding, Georgieva says
PLUS: Air Asia backing away from Bahrain would be good news for Flydubai and Air…
E-commerce
Also on Our Radar
Plus: A unit of Italian hospitals group San Donato eyes expansion in Saudi, Egypt
GCC banks could see a 25% surge in losses in 2026
Dubai Islamic Bank and the First Abu Dhabi Bank reportedly have the biggest exposure to…
UAE IPOs are officially in ‘wait-and-see’ mode
Plus: Saudi retail player BinDawood closes yet another acquisition
Morocco’s tourism industry had a good 1Q as others in the region struggled
Morocco was the most visited country in Africa last year
Education
A new frontier in the war?
Iran has moved to target more industries and infrastructure in the UAE
Tehran, Washington agree to two-week ceasefire hours before Trump deadline
The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened for vessels to transit
Morocco has its eye on the long game with a massive investment drive ahead of 2030 World Cup
The mega investments will ultimately boost the GDP and productivity, but rising public debt and…
US, Iran signal they’re putting down their weapons for two weeks
There were still reports of inbound UAVs and missiles an hour after the announcement
Energy
April 2026 9 Apr — Martyrs’ Day (public holiday, markets closed). Tunisia 9 Apr —…
Remote work policies take hold
PLUS: Non-oil private sectors across the region take a beating
Also on Our Radar
Sports, investments, and shipping updates from across the region
Wartime Hormuz crossings peaked over the weekend, but it's a far cry from peacetime rates
Some tankers have reportedly paid around USD 1 per barrel through Iran’s toll booth play…
Finance
PIF looks to protect SpaceX turf as Elon hurtles toward an IPO
Plus: Gulf sovereigns are backing Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros.
Egypt lifts cap on banks’ ownership of non-banking financial services providers
As banks raise stakes, these firms will ultimately fall under the CBE oversight
MENA+ outbid Asian hubs for capital markets talent in 2025 — will it hold after the war?
The top regional financial capitals of the region are increasingly pulling professionals from established hubs…
We can only hope that Trump Always Chickens Out
Private sector confidence is slumping across the region
Fintech
April 2026 5 Apr — OPEC+ ministerial meeting. Vienna (virtual) 9 Apr — Martyrs’ Day…
Dubai property market keeps its head above water in 1Q
PLUS: UAE denies Iran hit Oracle data center
Also on Our Radar
Shipping, energy, and rail financing updates from across the region
GCC could be heading into recession, Oxford Economics says
Saudi and Oman will be spared the worst, but the rest are in for a…
Healthcare
Emirates NBD is closing in on a USD 3 bn acquisition of a 60% stake in India’s RBL Bank
PLUS: Masdar + TotalEnergies’ USD 2.2 bn JV
MENA oil exporters search for sustainable rerouting alternatives
In an ideal world, energy exporters in the region would cooperate to establish a redundant…
Iran claims it’s talking to Oman about jointly “supervising” the Strait of Hormuz
The report comes as separate Bloomberg and Reuters reports suggest Omani oil and gas carriers…
April 2026 10 Apr — Central Bank of UAE policy rate decision. UAE 12 Apr…
Infrastructure
Emirates snubs aviation sector’s rising war-risk ins.
What we’re tracking this morning regionally and around the world
Damietta to forward EU cargo to the Gulf + Big Oil commits to Egypt
Oil and shipping updates from across the region
Cross-border acquisitions is the flavor of the day for DP World + IHC
PLUS: Emirates NBD pulls off the largest syndicated borrowing in the GCC this year
Dubai Investments taps Nishant Shah as permanent CFO
Shah has been with the firm since 2019
Hospitality + tourism
The region’s credit cracks are widening
Signs of stability are starting to show in some corners of the market
Regulators move to shore up bank liquidity as conflict enters second month
While GCC banks entered the conflict with solid buffers, a prolonged standoff changes the calculus
Private credit funds to list on Tadawul
The proposed rule change could be good for small and mid-sized businesses squeezed out of…
Aramco-Dow JV Sadara suspends operations at Jubail
Some 30% of global ethylene supplies could be disrupted because of the conflict
Manufacturing
The longer the war in the Gulf drags on, the more desalination infrastructure is at risk
Gulf states rely on desalination for over 90% of their drinking water
Why the Red Sea playbook won’t work in Hormuz
The Red Sea disruption forced ships to reroute, while Hormuz leaves them nowhere to go
Trump will address the world tonight on Iran war. What he’s gonna say is anyone’s bet.
Meanwhile, the WSJ *really* wants to see the UAE join the war
April 2026 10 Apr — Central Bank of UAE policy rate decision. UAE 12 Apr…
Media
More Trojena contracts scrapped
What we’re tracking this morning regionally and around the world
GCC banks can weather the storm, but shareholders won’t be necessarily happy
Shareholders in GCC banks could be looking at a 50% cut to their 2026 dividends…
Egypt struggles to stay the course + JMP’s Electronic Arts buzzer-beater
Plus: Oman’s stock market is the surprise performer YTD
Oman takes control of SalamAir
Oman quietly ends its experiment in domestic airline competition, folding budget carrier SalamAir into the…
Mining
Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon are the most vulnerable to war shocks, EBRD warns
Many of these governments have stretched their monetary and fiscal policies thin due to successive…
New Saudi-Ukraine pact paves way for anti-drone defense tech
Ukrainian drone technology offers Saudi Arabia a cost-effective air shield
Aluminum and steel producers are now fair game for air strikes
Two major Iranian steel production complexes were hit on Friday, and Iran struck GCC-based steel…
Private capital hasn't frozen in MENA — but the exit playbook could change if the war drags on
PE and VC-backed companies were already pivoting to local exchanges before the war. That bet…
NBFS
Trump says he wants Iran’s oil, has more than 10k troops heading to the Gulf
“To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran.”
April 2026 10 Apr — Central Bank of UAE policy rate decision. UAE 12 Apr…
Another Neom contract canceled
AND: Morocco to launch secondary market for bad debt
A growing repair bill
The recovery timeline for facilities across the region will also depend on how fast capital…
Oil + gas
Tomaso Rodriguez jumps ship from Talabat
Flyby is working towards a series A funding round
Turkey swaps gold for foreign reserves as war raises inflationary pressures on emerging markets
Turkey is turning to gold-for-currency swaps in a bid to rein in the incoming war-induced…
GCC aluminum output nosedives, putting pressure on buyers to find alternatives
Japan, the US, and the EU are the most exposed, with each importing some 19%…
Drones? What drones? The Gulf’s BSD’s are pushing big deals across the finish line.
AND: Kuwait’s Trolley goes public
Private equity
Investors aren’t loving Dubai real estate debt
The emirate as a whole is bearing the brunt of war-driven regional repricing
Waitlists at Cairo schools as expats in the Gulf come home?
Plus: FII Priority Summit rolls on in Miami
March 2026 30 March — Egypt International Energy Conference and Exhibition begins (through 1 April).…
The Giga-scaleback continues as Saudi exes USD 1 bn tunnelling contract for The Line
...while Syria hopes 2026 is going to be its year
Real estate
UAE blockchain startup Utexo bags USD 7.5 mn in seed round
PLUS: Syria-based proptech Miftah secures pre-seed funding ahead of marketplace launch
Saudi’s LEAP tech conference postponed to August
PLUS: Germany wants the EU to de-risk doing business in Syria
SWFs are keeping busy
PLUS: Quick-delivery unicorn Ninja tests IPO waters
No signs of diplomatic off-ramp to war as regional shipping and aviation struggle
The state of diplomatic play remains up in the air, as we wait for updates…
SMEs
Governments across MENA are looking for energy alternatives the disruption bites
A few years of tighter supply and higher prices is now the base-case scenario for…
Riyadh looks at worst-case scenario as oil prices threaten to hit USD 180
The ongoing conflict has already withheld mns of barrels from the global supply
Is Israel running an op on the US press?
Plus: OpenAi pulls the plug on Sora
April 2026 10 Apr — Central Bank of UAE policy rate decision. UAE 12 Apr…
Sports
What we’re keeping an eye on as we head into the break
We send you off into Eid vacation no clearer about when the war might end…
Vulture investor, indeed
Lufthansa’s CEO expects Gulf carriers to take it on the chin
DFM flirts with the bears
PLUS: India shelving plans to sell majority stake in IDBI Bank?
Could the Gulf start to change tactics as the war drags on?
From supporting the US in the Strait of Hormuz to giving it more access to…
Telecoms
Egypt rolls out a rejigged playbook to reel in Asian automakers
The aim is no longer to “catch up” with Morocco
Bahrain’s economy is teetering on the edge
Bahrain's fiscal math was already broken before the war. The war made it worse —…
The soundtrack of the morning: booms and public safety alerts
Good morning, wonderful people. It’s our last issue before we slide into Eid El Fitr,…
April 2026 10 Apr — Central Bank of UAE policy rate decision. UAE 12 Apr…
Tech
A record run for UAE property bonds is unravelling
PLUS: Is Syria’s financial isolation coming to a close?
GCC countries face USD bns in foregone energy revenues — and it’s a boon for Algeria
With Brent rising above the USD 100 mark, the North African country is looking at…
Saudi banks are shoring-up their balance sheets as the war drags on
PLUS: Talabat approves 5% share buyback
Al Zaabi named Taqa chairman and Egypt’s NBE says its serious about growing in the UAE
#1- Jassem Al Zaabi is the new chairman of Taqa after shareholders signed off on…
Trade + logistics
The IEA’s record 412 mn barrel oil release won’t close the gap — and Iran is making sure of it
The largest-ever emergency stockpile draw can deliver maybe 2 mn bbl/d. Hormuz is holding back…
You’re going to pay more for your tech gadgets thanks to Qatar’s natural gas shutdown
RIsing RAM prices made it bad — the helium shortage is gonna make it even…
The cost of instability: F1, MotoGP scrub April events in the Gulf
The events usually haul in big tourism spending, driven by luxury travellers from all over…
Saudi’s “overbuilt” Red Sea port capacity is suddenly a lifeline for the Gulf
Fallout from the US-Israeli war on Iran is stress-testing Saudi’s logistics hub ambitions in real…
Transport
Week three: A “Great Rerouting” is reshaping Gulf logistics as the economic costs pile up
Plus: Investors appetite for UAE debt was strong yesterday