{"id":113929,"date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/?post_type=issue&#038;p=113929"},"modified":"2026-04-14T09:02:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T09:02:09","slug":"finally-a-good-nights-sleep","status":"publish","type":"issue","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/issues\/finally-a-good-nights-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Finally, a good night\u2019s sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section id=\"113931\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113931\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">1<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">OPENING NOTE<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/\">\r\n                            A big middle finger?                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); navigator.clipboard.writeText('https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/')\">\n                    Copy Link                <\/a>\n\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/\">\n                    Facebook                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/facebook-icon2.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/post?text=The UAE\u2019s bailout of Bahrain will irk the Saudi booster boys&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/\">\n                    X                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/twitter-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/&title=The UAE\u2019s bailout of Bahrain will irk the Saudi booster boys\">\n                    LinkedIn                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/linkedin-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=The+UAE%E2%80%99s+bailout+of+Bahrain+will+irk+the+Saudi+booster+boys+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F10%2Fthe-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys%2F\">\n                    WhatsApp                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/whatsapp-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\r\n                    \r\n                <\/div>\r\n\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"story__body\">\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113931\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113931 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-opening-note tag-bahrain tag-ebrd tag-enterpriseam tag-opening-note tag-uae-saudi-relations wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Good morning, friends, and happy Friday to you all. <\/strong>It\u2019s been a blessedly quiet 24 hours across the region, with zero reports of missiles or drones in the UAE, Saudi, and Qatar. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>We\u2019re sliding into a big weekend: <\/strong>The US and Iran seem on track to hold peace talks in Islamabad tomorrow, and Egypt is taking a breather \u2014 Sunday is Coptic Easter and Monday is a national holiday for Sham El Nessim, the traditional spring festival. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The only person unhappy with prospects of peace talks bearing fruit: <\/strong>The CEO of Texas-based <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gulfbusiness.com\/en\/2026\/middle-east\/live-updates-will-us-iran-ceasefire-hold-or-crack-what-you-need-to-know\/\" style=\"\">Atlas Survivor Shelters<\/a>, who says demand from the GCC elite for safe rooms and underground bunkers is \u201cup a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>WATCH THIS SPACE- The UAE has thrown a USD 5.4 bn lifeline to Bahrain <\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/113006.pdf\" style=\"\">(pdf)<\/a> \u2014 a move Saudi Twitter will doubtless interpret as a slap in the face. (The mudslinging between Saudi and Emirati booster boys and bots alike on X has been rather intense the past week\u2026) <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>On deck for the week ahead: <\/strong>It\u2019s IMF \/ World Bank spring meeting week in Washington (the bank just downgraded its GCC growth forecast by 3.1 percentage points to 1.3%) and EBRD said overnight that it will deploy EUR 5 bn this year to shore-up economies including Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey, among others. \u2013Patrick<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/bahrain\/\">Bahrain<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/ebrd\/\">EBRD<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/opening-note\/\">Opening Note<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/uae-saudi-relations\/\">UAE-Saudi relations<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113932\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113932\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">2<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">THE LEDE<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-gulfs-next-lifeline-to-europe-hinges-on-syrias-recovery-and-cutting-through-knots-of-red-tape\/\">\r\n                            Roadkill                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a 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href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-gulfs-next-lifeline-to-europe-hinges-on-syrias-recovery-and-cutting-through-knots-of-red-tape\/\">\n                    Facebook                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/facebook-icon2.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/post?text=The Gulf\u2019s next lifeline to Europe hinges on Syria\u2019s recovery \u2014 and cutting through knots of red tape&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-gulfs-next-lifeline-to-europe-hinges-on-syrias-recovery-and-cutting-through-knots-of-red-tape\/\">\n                    X                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/twitter-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            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href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=The+Gulf%E2%80%99s+next+lifeline+to+Europe+hinges+on+Syria%E2%80%99s+recovery+%E2%80%94+and+cutting+through+knots+of+red+tape+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F10%2Fthe-gulfs-next-lifeline-to-europe-hinges-on-syrias-recovery-and-cutting-through-knots-of-red-tape%2F\">\n                    WhatsApp                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/whatsapp-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\r\n                    \r\n                <\/div>\r\n\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"story__body\">\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-gulfs-next-lifeline-to-europe-hinges-on-syrias-recovery-and-cutting-through-knots-of-red-tape\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2024\/12\/1865.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"113933\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-gulfs-next-lifeline-to-europe-hinges-on-syrias-recovery-and-cutting-through-knots-of-red-tape\/1865-jpg-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2024\/12\/1865.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"1865.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2024\/12\/1865.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2024\/12\/1865.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113932\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113932 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-the-lede tag-enterpriseam tag-gcc tag-jordan tag-logistics tag-saudi-arabia tag-syria tag-the-lede tag-turkey wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"> <strong>For over a decade, the shortest, lowest-cost land corridor from Europe to the GCC has had all <\/strong><strong>the energy of a <\/strong><strong>ghost town. <\/strong>Syria\u2019s raging civil war had made it impassable \u2014 and forced a USD multi-bn rerouting economy: Cargo shifted to more expensive and slower land and intermodal detours, with Jordan and Iraq \u2014 and to a lesser extent Turkey and Israel \u2014 picking up the slack from the mix of sea and land detours, as well as so-called Ro-Ro combinations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>SOUND SMART- <\/strong>Ro-Ro, for those of you who don\u2019t speak fluent Logistics, is roll-on, roll-off traffic: Imagine cargo-laden transport trucks rolling onto a ship, and then off on the other side.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>But with a government in place and early signs of both reconstruction and economic <\/strong><strong>policy trickling out of Syria, the map could <\/strong><strong>reset.<\/strong> Geography is largely on Syria\u2019s side, and a functional Syria corridor could offer Europe-GCC flows a cheap and fast pure road freight play \u2013 and Turkey\u2019s Trade Ministry <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.turkiyetoday.com\/region\/turkiye-to-open-road-corridor-to-jordan-and-gulf-by-2026-minister-says-3209172?s=1\" style=\"\">is counting down<\/a> the days for when it will be \u201c fully operational,\u201d which it says is next year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Sounds good given what\u2019s happening in Hormuz right now, yeah? Sure \u2014 just don\u2019t hold <\/strong><strong>your breath. Not yet, at least. <\/strong>Syria is still wrestling with regulatory and security issues, and cross-border coordination kinks are real. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Pre-war numbers explain why the corridor mattered<\/strong>, whether you were shipping through Syria or selling into what was once a vibrant market: Some 341k trucks carrying 8 mn tons of cargo crossed at the Jaber border crossing between Jordan and Syria in 2011, a critical link between Turkey and Europe, on the one hand, and GCC markets on the other, according to a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/openjicareport.jica.go.jp\/pdf\/12320149.pdf\" style=\"\">survey by JICA<\/a>, Japan\u2019s international aid agency. And Turkish firms took advantage, selling some USD 1.7 bn in goods to sleepy pre-war Syria in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/wits.worldbank.org\/CountryProfile\/en\/Country\/SYR\/Year\/2010\/Summarytext\" style=\"\">2010<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">What happened during the war?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The war did two things to regional logistics: <\/strong>It broke the shortest north-south land path and created a portfolio of second-best routes \u2014 each with its own political constraints and rent extraction points. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Before the war, Jordan was Syria\u2019s shortest route to the GCC <\/strong>through the <strong>Jaber-Nasib <\/strong>crossing. <strong>Iraq <\/strong>also offered the Syria corridor a path to the GCC through the <strong>Jadidat Arar border<\/strong>, but it came with a longer distance \u2014 and that border is currently closed. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>When that corridor broke, freight rerouted \u2014 and got stuck: <\/strong>A JICA <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/507.pdf\" style=\"\">port master plan (pdf)<\/a> focused on Iraq shows that when Syrian routes were suspended, most of the cargo to Iraq shifted to Port of Mersin (in Turkey) while some wen to Aqaba (Jordan) and a trickle was being unloaded at Haifa in Israel. A <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/scispace.com\/pdf\/the-effects-of-the-syrian-civil-war-on-logistics-processes-3li50cy5om.pdf\" style=\"\">2019 paper<\/a> on Turkish logistics describes how truck flows to the Middle East shifted into Ro-Ro combinations, loading in Turkey\u2019s Mersin and Iskenderun then unloading in Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, before embarking on a final road leg to their destination markets. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Meanwhile, the Suez Canal emerged as a key fix to shorten Ro-Ro trips on their way to <\/strong><strong>Saudi Arabia<\/strong>, which ultimately gave Egypt leverage to increase the canal-transit fee to USD 236k per round-trip for a Ro-Pax ship with 95 truck capacity. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>And that rerouting came with some geopolitical speedbumps:<\/strong> Many Arab countries do not allow trucks transiting via Israel to enter (Jordan is an exception). Even so, Turkish exports flowing through Israel into Jordan emerged as a viable route, with the number of trucks crossing between Israel and Jordan jumping 300% since 2011 to 10.6k trucks per year. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">So many friction points<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>There are plenty of chokepoints that need to be resolved to re-open the Turkey-GCC land <\/strong><strong>corridor \u2014 and not all of <\/strong><strong>them are in Syria. <\/strong>Trucks incoming from Turkey need to be unloaded, then loaded up (also called back-to-back transfers) across different border points thanks to a patchwork of regulatory issues. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Syrian and Turkish truckers face difficulties getting Saudi visas<\/strong>, and even with a visa in hand, the kingdom maintains a strict ban on trucks older than 20 years. That takes most of Syria\u2019s postwar trucking fleet out of Saudi. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>That has made the domestic market become even more important for Syrian truckers<\/strong>, and Damascus has mandated back-to-back transfers at its borders in a bid to ensure its <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reels\/DWwvBkDjlLg\/\" style=\"\">truck drivers<\/a> are not out of work. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Insurance is patchy in some conflict-adjacent markets.<\/strong> Security affects how much private operators are willing to scale. And even when foreign trucks are allowed into Syria, they typically pay for armed escorts \u2014 driving costs up even further. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>And don\u2019t even get us started <\/strong>on long, often inchoate customs procedures\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">What now?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The competitive map is more multi-corridor than single-corridor: <\/strong>Turkey has three southbound options \u2014 Syria, Iraq, or sea. A Turkey-Iraq-Jordan corridor under the TIR system (customs transit under a UN-backed framework) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iru.org\/news-resources\/newsroom\/weeks-days-new-turkiye-jordan-trade-corridor-open-business\" style=\"\">moved<\/a> a first Istanbul-Amman shipment via Iraq in five days against the 4-5 weeks that same journey would take on a more traditional maritime route. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Iraq is no longer the fallback \u2014 it\u2019s the cleaner commercial rival: <\/strong>Syria still has the edge for Jordan-bound cargo because it is shorter and more direct. But for Saudi and broader GCC flows, Iraq is increasingly attractive: lower transit costs, fewer handoffs, cheaper fuel, and potentially smoother access if border arrangements keep easing. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Jordan could be the biggest loser. <\/strong>It gained importance when Syrian routes collapsed and freight concentrated through its Aqaba port and its subsequent inland transit. Both land corridors through Iraq and Syria would take away the sea leg required for the Aqaba port to sustain its gains. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>And Turkey has the clearest overall upside. <\/strong>A functioning southbound road route \u2014 whether through Syria or Iraq \u2014 means faster access to Jordan and Gulf consumers, more direct exports from Turkish industry, more transit-linked income captured inside, and more economic activity tied to logistics flow. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>But it depends on friction: <\/strong>That upside depends on whether Syria behaves like a transit corridor or a controlled transfer economy: Some logistics firms win from back-to-back (handling fees, warehousing, local trucking contracts). Others win from true through-transit (fewer handoffs, fewer intermediaries). <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The result is a more crowded field<\/strong>, competing on a different mix of distance, cost, border friction, security, and how many hands touch the cargo before it reaches its destination. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>That\u2019s why the shortest route is no longer automatically the winning one: <\/strong>Which corridor dominates will depend less on geography and more on border rules, trucking restrictions, and the cost of moving cargo across them. Syria may be faster on map, but Iraq is often cleaner on execution.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>And also why means the winners and losers won\u2019t line up neatly by country. <\/strong>They\u2019ll line up by which nodes captured the workaround rents during the war years \u2014 and by which ones can stay competitive once direct land transit starts clawing back volume.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>What to watch for: policy and regulation.<\/strong> If Syria relaxes foreign-truck limits or narrows the use of back-to-back, that\u2019s a real pro-transit signal. If Jadidat Arar opens more fully and Saudi access through Iraq improves, Iraq\u2019s hand gets stronger. Either way, the future of Levant trade looks less like a single restored road and more like a fight between parallel corridors. <\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/gcc\/\">GCC<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/jordan\/\">Jordan<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/logistics\/\">LOGISTICS<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/the-lede\/\">The Lede<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/turkey\/\">Turkey<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113934\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113934\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">3<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">TECH + INNOVATION<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/\">\r\n                            Not so fab?                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); navigator.clipboard.writeText('https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/')\">\n                    Copy Link                <\/a>\n\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/\">\n                    Facebook                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/facebook-icon2.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/post?text=PIF pivots Alat from chip manufacturing to data center buildout&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/\">\n                    X                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/twitter-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/&title=PIF pivots Alat from chip manufacturing to data center buildout\">\n                    LinkedIn                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/linkedin-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=PIF+pivots+Alat+from+chip+manufacturing+to+data+center+buildout+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F10%2Fpif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout%2F\">\n                    WhatsApp                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/whatsapp-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\r\n                    \r\n                <\/div>\r\n\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"story__body\">\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2025\/8\/345.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"113935\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/pif-pivots-alat-from-chip-manufacturing-to-data-center-buildout\/345-jpg-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2025\/8\/345.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"345.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2025\/8\/345.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2025\/8\/345.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113934\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113934 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-tech-innovation tag-ai tag-alat tag-enterpriseam tag-public-investment-fund-pif tag-saudi-arabia tag-tech-innovation wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"> <strong>It looks like we may not see a Saudi chip fab after all <\/strong>\u2014 the kingdom\u2019s plan to build a USD 100 bn electronics manufacturing hub champion is being recalibrated. Alat, the Public Investment Fund\u2019s advanced manufacturing investment platform <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2024\/02\/21\/pif-platform-alat-announces-first-four-intl-partners-under-sustainable-tech-manufacturing-drive\/\" style=\"\">introduced in 2024<\/a>, dumped CEO Amit Midha and scrapped semiconductor manufacturing plans, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/04\/09\/2026\/saudis-alat-removes-head-drops-chip-ambitions\" style=\"\">Semafor<\/a> reports. Muhammad Nasser Aldawood, PIF\u2019s head of industrials and mining, has been tapped to lead Alat as acting CEO. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Behind the shift:<\/strong> Alat reassigned its semiconductor-focused team and related resources to instead focus on building out a plan to turn Saudi Arabia into a data center hub, according to the report. That change in focus comes as the kingdom reviews some of its major spending plans, but is doubling down on its data center ambitions. In January, data centers dominated project awards in Saudi Arabia, with a single SAR 10.1 bn (USD 2.7 bn) contract for a new 480 MW data center <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2026\/02\/23\/data-centers-dominate-project-awards-in-january\/\" style=\"\">accounting for nearly 90%<\/a> of all awarded contract value. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>OUR TAKE-<\/strong> The changes at Alat are more of a reprioritization than a retreat from industrial policy. Rather than pouring USD tens of bns into high-stakes silicon fabrication plants that face stiff competition from the US, Europe, and Asia, Saudi Arabia is instead banking on what\u2019s working in its favor. Cheap energy, strategic geography, and rising global demand for cloud and AI infrastructure make a focus on data centers a faster, more bankable pathway to capturing value in the digital economy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>In context: <\/strong>Saudi continues to tone down some of its more grandiose ambitions, including the scrapping in recent months of contracts worth USD bns for gigaprojects like the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2026\/03\/29\/neom-terminates-multi-bn-usd-trojena-lake-contracts\/\" style=\"\">Trojena mountain resort-cum-ski destination<\/a> in Neom.<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/ai\/\">AI<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/alat\/\">Alat<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/public-investment-fund-pif\/\">Public Investment Fund (PIF)<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/tech-innovation\/\">Tech + Innovation<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113936\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113936\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">4<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">PLANET STARTUP<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/\">\r\n                            Drying up?                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); navigator.clipboard.writeText('https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/')\">\n                    Copy Link                <\/a>\n\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/\">\n                    Facebook                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/facebook-icon2.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/post?text=Egypt startup funding went dark in March \u2014 but one VC says capital is still moving&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/\">\n                    X                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/twitter-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/&title=Egypt startup funding went dark in March \u2014 but one VC says capital is still moving\">\n                    LinkedIn                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/linkedin-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=Egypt+startup+funding+went+dark+in+March+%E2%80%94+but+one+VC+says+capital+is+still+moving+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F10%2Fegypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving%2F\">\n                    WhatsApp                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/whatsapp-icon.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\r\n                    \r\n                <\/div>\r\n\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"story__body\">\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/115302.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"113937\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/egypt-startup-funding-went-dark-in-march-but-one-vc-says-capital-is-still-moving\/115302-jpg-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/115302.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"115302.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/115302.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/115302.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113936\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113936 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-planet-startup tag-egypt tag-enterpriseam tag-investment-watch tag-planet-startup tag-startups wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>\u201cThe March slowdown is primarily a function of LP capital allocation timing, not a <\/strong><strong>fundamental shift in Egypt\u2019s investability,\u201d<\/strong> Foundation Ventures Managing Partner Mazen Nadim tells EnterpriseAM. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Publicly available data may also be misleading<\/strong>, he argues, as \u201cfounders and investors are keeping terms private during a volatile macro environment.\u201d That being said, the traditional first-quarter slowdown in activity has been amplified this year by regional geopolitical uncertainty that created \u201cshort-term risk aversion among crossover investors\u201d and \u201cEgypt specific FX recalibration as the market digests post-reform valuations,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Startups with export potential or USD-denominated earnings are reportedly commanding <\/strong><strong>20-30% valuation premiums over purely domestic plays<\/strong>, serving as a natural hedge against EGP volatility, we were told. Despite headline risks, Egypt\u2019s structural case has also strengthened following FX reforms that removed the primary barrier to entry for foreign funds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>\u201cActivity rebounds now, but disclosed funding will lag by six to nine months<\/strong>,\u201d he predicts. \u201cVCs don't stop working in volatile periods \u2026 the capital is moving,\u201d even if the chatter is kept to a minimum.<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/egypt\/\">Egypt<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/investment-watch\/\">investment watch<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/planet-startup\/\">Planet Startup<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/startups\/\">Startups<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113938\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113938\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">5<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">TALENT<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/saudi-uae-double-down-on-talent-nationalization\/\">\r\n                            No Egyptians (or Indians or Lebanese) need apply\u2026                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/saudi-uae-double-down-on-talent-nationalization\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); 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Businesses subject to the decree are now required to immediately audit their front-line staff and have until 4 October to restructure (and localize) middle management and specialist roles. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Which jobs are being impacted? <\/strong>Let\u2019s just say you\u2019re going to see fewer Egyptian HR managers and institutional development managers, less Lebanese and Egyptian talent in public relations, and fewer Indian recruitment specialists. Looking for a general administrative assistant? Bank on hiring a Saudi. .<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>The cost mitigation strategy:<\/strong> Replacing expatriate back-office staff with Saudi nationals will likely trigger an immediate wage premium, making the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) a critical pressure valve for some companies. Hadaf \u2014 which poured SAR 8.3 bn into private-sector wage subsidies and training <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.argaam.com\/en\/article\/articledetail\/id\/1877812\" style=\"\">in 2025<\/a> \u2014 will subsidize a portion of new Saudi hires' salaries for up to two years. We expect the April mandate to trigger an inflow of new applications, with SMEs already making up 94% of the fund\u2019s beneficiaries last year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>MEANWHILE- The UAE <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NAFIS_UAE\/status\/2041114853021295078\" style=\"\">is extending<\/a><\/strong><strong> its <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nafis.gov.ae\/\" style=\"\">Nafis Emiratization program<\/a><\/strong><strong> through 2040 to <\/strong><strong>expand <\/strong><strong>support for Emirati talent<\/strong> and competitiveness in the private sector. Under the new program updates, women working in the private sector \u2014 whether Emiratis or women married to Emirati nationals \u2014 will be eligible for a new financial support program. The financial support will also be expanded to an unlimited number of these women\u2019s children (after initially being capped at four), with the allowance per child increased to AED 800, from AED 600 previously. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Background: <\/strong>Launched in 2021, the Nafis program is aimed at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2023\/12\/18\/improved-social-support-to-boost-emiratisation\/\" style=\"\">increasing the number of<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2023\/12\/18\/improved-social-support-to-boost-emiratisation\/\" style=\"\">Emiratis<\/a> employed in the private sector, with the goal of having 75k highly-trained Emiratis fill up 10% of positions in private firms across the country by 2026. Since its launch, the number of Emirati nationals working in the private sector <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/08\/07\/this-morning-president-mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-kicks-off-russia-visit-pakistan-mart-is-coming\/\" style=\"\">climbed by 325%<\/a> as of last August.<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/talent\/\">talent<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/uae\/\">UAE<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113940\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113940\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">6<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">WAR WATCH<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/talks-between-lebanon-and-israel-could-be-make-or-break-for-the-gulf-ceasefire\/\">\r\n                            Finally, a good night\u2019s sleep (if you\u2019re not in Beirut)                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/talks-between-lebanon-and-israel-could-be-make-or-break-for-the-gulf-ceasefire\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); 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REUTERS\/Amr Abdallah Dalsh&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/114247.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/114247.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113940\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113940 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-war-watch tag-enterpriseam tag-iran tag-lebanon tag-strait-of-hormuz tag-uae tag-war-watch wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"> <strong>Folks across the Gulf got an uninterrupted night of sleep last night as a shaky ceasefire <\/strong><strong>remains in effect <\/strong>heading into a critical round of US-Iran peace talks tomorrow in Pakistan. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>The UAE <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/modgovae\/status\/2042196918672191644?s=46&amp;t=eQkyOOTe-J3UW1b7k5d2xA\">confirmed Thursday<\/a><\/strong><strong> was the first day in nearly 40 days of war it was spared <\/strong><strong>missile and drone attacks from Iran.<\/strong> Most other countries in the region appear to have also breathed a sigh of relief yesterday, although <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/kuwait-condemns-drone-attacks-vital-facilities-iran-denies-involvement-2026-04-09\/\">Kuwait reported<\/a> drone strikes on \u201cvital facilities\u201d \u2014 an attack Iran insisted didn\u2019t come from it. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>Watch this space: <\/strong>Hours into the ceasefire announcement, the East-West pipeline \u2014 the Kingdom\u2019s only way to move oil around the once-again closed Strait of Hormuz \u2014 was hit in a drone attack, according to unconfirmed reports from the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/115eb832-9a62-424f-a893-57156ce8abf7?syn-25a6b1a6=1\">Financial Times<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-04-08\/saudi-arabia-s-crucial-east-west-pipeline-hit-by-drone-attack\">Bloomberg<\/a>. No further reports of attacks in Saudi Arabia emerged on Thursday. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>Airspaces clear after ceasefire announcement:<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ina.iq\/en\/local\/47581-iraq-reopens-airspace-and-airports-from-today.html\">Iraq<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sana.sy\/en\/syria\/2309107\/\">Syria<\/a> both moved to reopen their airspace and get planes back in the air on something resembling a normal schedule after weeks of war-driven closures and severe disruption across the Middle East. Bahrain also reopened its airspace and flights have been gradually leaving its airport <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gulfnews.com\/business\/aviation\/bahrain-airport-resumes-flights-after-airspace-reopening-1.500500974\">as of Thursday morning<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>Lebanon remains the key outlier \u2014 and the part of the puzzle that threatens to upend the <\/strong><strong>fragile truce.<\/strong> After one of the deadliest days of attacks from Israel earlier this week that <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/hezbollah-pauses-attacks-under-us-iran-ceasefire-sources-close-group-say-2026-04-08\/\">left 250 dead in Lebanon<\/a>, Beirut\u2019s government could begin talks with Tel Aviv on disarming Hezbollah. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>Talks between Beirut and Tel Aviv could be make-or-break for the Gulf ceasefire:<\/strong> Iran has said that it refuses to attend talks with the US in Islamabad unless Israel halts attacks on Lebanon and agrees to bring it under the umbrella of the ceasefire. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>Iran\u2019s main bargaining chip continues to be the Strait of Hormuz, which it closed off <\/strong><strong>again<\/strong> in response to the attacks on Lebanon. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;text-align:left\"><strong>The UAE is doubling down on the view that Iran is committing \u201ceconomic terrorism\u201d: <\/strong>The Strait is not open \u2014 and cannot remain under one state\u2019s control, UAE Industry and Advanced Technology Minister Sultan Al Jaber said yesterday in a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/dr-sultan-al-jaber_open-the-strait-unconditionally-no-strings-share-7447938452005998592-8OuL\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAADAUJZ8Br23Kv54kDyrvxGUyLkbiQlSEyyw\">Linkedin post<\/a>. \u201cThe Strait was not built, engineered, financed or constructed by any state. It is a natural passage governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees transit as a matter of right; not a privilege to be granted, withheld or weaponized,\u201d said Al Jaber, who double-hats as the head of Adnoc. <\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/iran\/\">Iran<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/lebanon\/\">Lebanon<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/uae\/\">UAE<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/war-watch\/\">WAR WATCH<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113941\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113941\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">7<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">Energy<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/big-oil-and-gas-discoveries-in-the-mediterranean-and-libya-are-very-welcome-news-for-egypt\/\">\r\n                            Drill, baby, drill                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/big-oil-and-gas-discoveries-in-the-mediterranean-and-libya-are-very-welcome-news-for-egypt\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); 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The finds will take time to bring online, but are a welcome development for a country already staring into the teeth of an energy crisis thanks to disruption of supplies from Qatar (natural gas), Kuwait (crude) and other traditional Gulf suppliers. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Eni<\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eni.com\/en-IT\/media\/press-release\/2026\/04\/eni-unveils-2-tcf-gas-discovery-offshore-egypt-unlocking-fast-track-development-potential.html\" style=\"\">discovered<\/a><\/strong><strong> a reservoir in the Eastern Mediterranean believed to hold some 2 tcf of <\/strong><strong>gas<\/strong> and c. 130 mn barrels of other light hydrocarbons. Critically, the fiend is in shallow water just 10km from existing infrastructure, meaning Eni and its partner (a local unit of BP) could bring the field into production quicker. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>In context: <\/strong>Egypt has been on a drive for the past year to restore its credibility with Big Oil \u2014 and that campaign appears to be paying off, if the on-stage <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/04\/09\/egypt-pays-credibility-tax-to-keep-its-energy-hub-dreams-viable\/\" style=\"\">love-in at an American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt event)<\/a> with the oil ministry was anything to go by. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>MEANWHILE- The Libyan National Oil Corporation announced three shallow discoveries<\/strong> \u2014 two gas fields being tapped by Algeria\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/noc.ly\/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%AA\/\" style=\"\">Sonatrach<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/noc.ly\/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A3%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A7\/\" style=\"\">Eni<\/a>, and an oil field by Spain\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/noc.ly\/%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B7%D9%8A-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%B9-%D9%84\/\" style=\"\">Repsol<\/a> \u2014 in a sign that relative stability is drawing IOCs back to low-cost Libyan exploration after years of conflict-driven suspension.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Why does Libya matter so much to Egypt? <\/strong>As we exclusively reported earlier this week, Cairo just signed up to buy 3% of Libya\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/04\/07\/egypt-secures-libyan-crude-to-compensate-for-hormuz-strait-closure-disruptions\/\" style=\"\">total<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/04\/07\/egypt-secures-libyan-crude-to-compensate-for-hormuz-strait-closure-disruptions\/\" style=\"\">crude output<\/a> to compensate for supplies Egypt isn\u2019t getting from the Gulf. <\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/egypt\/\">Egypt<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/energy\/\">ENERGY<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/eni\/\">Eni<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/libya\/\">Libya<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113943\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113943\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">8<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">MARKETS + DEALS<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/gulf-money-will-back-hollywoods-biggest-merger\/\">\r\n                            Lights, camera \u2026 capital?                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a 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src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/113008.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"113944\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/gulf-money-will-back-hollywoods-biggest-merger\/113008-jpg-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/113008.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"113008.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/113008.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/internal\/113008.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113943\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113943 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-markets-deals tag-capital-markets tag-dp-world tag-egx tag-egypt tag-enterpriseam tag-limad tag-ma tag-markets-deals tag-pif tag-qia tag-saib tag-saudi-arabia tag-uae wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"> <strong>Gulf sovereign wealth is officially bankrolling Hollywood\u2019s biggest-ever merger.<\/strong> The PIF, Abu Dhabi\u2019s L\u2019imad, and the Qatar Investment Authority have finalized commitments just shy of USD 24 bn to back Paramount\u2019s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery \u2014 and they\u2019re far from the only sovereign names making moves this week.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>PIF is providing the <\/strong><strong>lion\u2019s share at roughly USD 10 bn<\/strong>, with <strong>L\u2019imad<\/strong> and <strong>QIA<\/strong> splitting the remainder, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/deals\/three-gulf-funds-agree-to-back-paramounts-81-billion-takeover-of-warner-04eda364\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/deals\/three-gulf-funds-agree-to-back-paramounts-81-billion-takeover-of-warner-04eda364\" style=\"\">the Wall Street Journal<\/a> reports, citing people it says are familiar with the matter. Paramount also secured c.USD 54 bn in debt financing from Bank of America, Citigroup, and Apollo. US-based Redbird Capital Partners, which was involved in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/05\/26\/abu-dhabis-redbird-imi-to-sell-the-uks-telegraph-to-american-pe-redbird-capital\/\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/05\/26\/abu-dhabis-redbird-imi-to-sell-the-uks-telegraph-to-american-pe-redbird-capital\/\" style=\"\">an Abu Dhabi-backed bid for the UK\u2019s Telegraph newspaper<\/a>, is also backing the deal. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Foreign investment concerns<\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/03\/24\/this-morning-standard-chartered-backed-firm-plans-shariah-compliant-wealth-management-firm-paramounts-bid-for-warner-bros-is-in-the-spotlight\/\" style=\"\"><\/a><\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/03\/24\/this-morning-standard-chartered-backed-firm-plans-shariah-compliant-wealth-management-firm-paramounts-bid-for-warner-bros-is-in-the-spotlight\/\" style=\"\">previously raised<\/a><\/strong><strong> by some US politicians appear to have <\/strong><strong>been addressed:<\/strong> The Gulf funds will hold minority, non-voting positions, each below the 25% threshold, a limit designed to minimize scrutiny from the Committee on Foreign Investment. Investors liked what they saw \u2014 Paramount shares <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/04\/paramount-stock-jumps-middle-east-funds-warner-bros-discovery-1236783829\/\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/04\/paramount-stock-jumps-middle-east-funds-warner-bros-discovery-1236783829\/\" style=\"\">rose almost 11%<\/a> on Tuesday as the confirmed funding reduced uncertainty around the transaction.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<hr style=\"height:2px;border-width:0;color:gray;background-color:gray\">\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>ADIA takes a minority stake in USD 18.3 bn Hologic buyout.<\/strong> The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has finalized its investment in the acquisition of US women\u2019s health firm Hologic, partnering with Blackstone, TPG, and GIC, according to a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/investors.hologic.com\/press-releases\/press-release-details\/2026\/Blackstone-and-TPG-Complete-Acquisition-of-Hologic\/default.aspx\" style=\"\">company statement<\/a>. The transaction, priced at USD 79 per share, takes Hologic private in the largest US medical services sector buyout in nearly two decades \u2014 and another marker of sovereign capital\u2019s appetite for defensive, scaled healthcare assets.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>DP World is reportedly eyeing USD 13.2 bn stake in the UK\u2019s biggest port operator.<\/strong> A controlling 64% stake in Associated British Ports (ABP) is up for grabs, and DP World is interested, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-04-08\/top-uk-port-operator-s-10-billion-sale-draws-kkr-gip-dp-world\" style=\"\">Bloomberg<\/a> reports, citing people it says are familiar with the matter. Brookfield Asset Management, KKR & Co, and BlackRock\u2019s Global Infrastructure Partners are also reportedly in the running for the stake, currently held by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Toronto-based Omers Administration. DP World already operates two deepwater ports and freight rail terminals at Southampton and London Gateway, the latter of which it had previously committed <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2024\/10\/14\/dp-world-to-commit-gbp-1-bn-to-london-gateway-after-resolving-uk-spat\/\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2024\/10\/14\/dp-world-to-commit-gbp-1-bn-to-london-gateway-after-resolving-uk-spat\/\" style=\"\">to investing GBP 1 bn into<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Abu Dhabi\u2019s G42 is pushing forward with plans to spin off units and scale its flagship <\/strong><strong>data center platform<\/strong>, with its data center arm <strong>Khazna<\/strong> eyeing a public debut as early as 2028, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-04-09\/uae-s-g42-ai-champion-pushes-on-with-data-center-for-openai\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-04-09\/uae-s-g42-ai-champion-pushes-on-with-data-center-for-openai\" style=\"\">Bloomberg<\/a> reports. The firm is maintaining its pre-war timeline to bring the first 200 MW of its <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/05\/16\/uae-us-ink-usd-200-bn-investment-agreements-in-ai-critical-minerals-and-energy\/\" style=\"\">5 GW US-UAE AI data center campus<\/a> online this year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">ALSO WORTH KNOWING THIS MORNING<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Qatar National Bank (QNB)<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.qnb.com\/sites\/qnb\/qnbqatar\/document\/en\/FinancialResultsQ12026\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.qnb.com\/sites\/qnb\/qnbqatar\/document\/en\/FinancialResultsQ12026\" style=\"\">reported<\/a> a bottom line of QAR 4.3 bn (USD 1.2 bn) in 1Q 2026, up 2% y-o-y. Net interest income rose 8.1%, net fees and commissions were up 10.7%, customer deposits grew 5%, and loans grew 8%.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Mubadala\u2019s<\/strong> assets under management climbed 17% y-o-y to AED 1.4 tn (USD 385 bn) in 2025, according to a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/2025-financial-results-ugcPost-7447905834476621824-Rc2j\/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADAUJZ8Br23Kv54kDyrvxGUyLkbiQlSEyyw\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/2025-financial-results-ugcPost-7447905834476621824-Rc2j\/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADAUJZ8Br23Kv54kDyrvxGUyLkbiQlSEyyw\" style=\"\">company post<\/a>. The fund deployed AED 143 bn (USD 39 bn) globally while generating AED 138 bn (USD 38 bn) in proceeds, clocking a five-year annualized return of 10.7%.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Saudi Investment Bank (Saib)<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saudiexchange.sa\/wps\/portal\/saudiexchange\/newsandreports\/issuer-news\/issuer-announcements\/issuer-announcements-details\/?anId=94284&anCat=1&cs=1030&locale=en\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saudiexchange.sa\/wps\/portal\/saudiexchange\/newsandreports\/issuer-news\/issuer-announcements\/issuer-announcements-details\/?anId=94284&anCat=1&cs=1030&locale=en\" style=\"\">kicked off<\/a> a private placement of AT1 capital sukuk under its SAR 5 bn program, running until 7 May for eligible investors. Minimum subscription is SAR 1 mn. Al Rajhi Capital and Alistithmar for Financial Securities are handling the placement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Dubai Aerospace Enterprise<\/strong> (DAE) and <strong>Blackstone <\/strong>Credit and Insurance are partnering on the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blackstone.com\/news\/press\/dae-and-blackstone-credit-insurance-announce-multi-billion-dollar-global-aviation-leasing-investment-program\/\" style=\"\">launch<\/a> of Equator, an aircraft leasing investment platform targeting roughly USD 1.6 bn of deployment per year. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\"> Market Snapshot<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Tadawul<\/strong> flat \u2022 <strong>ADX<\/strong> -0.33% \u2022 <strong>DFM<\/strong> -1.45 \u2022 <strong>EGX30<\/strong> +1.00%<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">Brent USD 96.41 \/ bbl \u2022 Gold USD 4,770.7 \/ oz \u2022 USD \/ SAR 3.7526 \u2022 USD \/ EGP 53.1254<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/capital-markets\/\">Capital Markets<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/dp-world\/\">DP World<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/egx\/\">EGX<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/egypt\/\">Egypt<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/limad\/\">L\u2019imad<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/ma\/\">M&amp;A<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/markets-deals\/\">Markets + Deals<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/pif\/\">PIF<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/qia\/\">QIA<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/saib\/\">Saib<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/uae\/\">UAE<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113945\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113945\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">9<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">ECONOMY<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/jordan-cuts-reserve-requirements-frees-up-jod-700-mn-for-banks-hit-by-gulf-war-fallout\/\">\r\n                            Jordan\u2019s bank bailout                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a 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data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/510.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"510.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/510.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/510.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113945\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113945 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-economy tag-banking tag-banks tag-economy tag-enterpriseam tag-jordan tag-macroeconomics wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Jordanian banks and other players hit by fallout from the war in the Gulf are getting a <\/strong><strong>USD 1.1 bn emergency package. <\/strong>The JOD 760 mn initiative will also include direct financing for hard-hit tourism players and to shore-up food security. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.petra.gov.jo\/Include\/InnerPage.jsp?ID=40763&lang=ar&name=economic_news&cat=news\" style=\"\">How it\u2019s structured:<\/a><\/strong> Jordan\u2019s central bank will cut its reserves requirement for banks to 5% (from 7%) for commercial banks and 4% (also from 7%) for Islamic lenders. That will unlock some JOD 300 mn in lendable liquidity. A further JOD 400 mn comes from slashing the central bank\u2019s outstanding deposit certificates from JOD 550 mn to JOD 150 mn. Together, that puts some JOD 700 mn back into the financial system.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>AND- Food companies will get some JOD 60 mn <\/strong>in concessional finance for essential imports. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The package also includes financing for tourism players<\/strong> to help them pay for operating expenses and salaries. Bookings in the sector have fallen by as much as 90% since war broke out in the Gulf..<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jordan is following a playbook from Egypt and the Gulf: <\/strong>Qatar\u2019s central bank <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/80MpE\" style=\"\">slashed<\/a> reserve requirements to 3.5% instead of 4.5% earlier in March, and the UAE is <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/0cHRE#selection-1541.14-1541.177\" style=\"\">estimated<\/a> to have injected some USD 8 bn in liquidity in the banking sector as of last week, via a mega support package that was rolled out mid-March. <\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/banking\/\">Banking<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/banks\/\">banks<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/economy\/\">ECONOMY<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/jordan\/\">Jordan<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/macroeconomics\/\">macroeconomics<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113947\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"113947\">\r\n            \r\n                <div class=\"issue-story-header text-center\">\r\n                    <div class=\"index-number\">10<\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <p class=\"f-graphik\">WHAT WE\u2019RE TRACKING<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/turkish-banks-are-eyeing-syria-and-stellantis-is-doubling-down-on-algeria\/\">\r\n                            Turkish delight?                        <\/a>\r\n                    <\/h3>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"cta\">\n    <div class=\"cta__btn share-dropdown-cta dropdown-toggle-btn\" style=\"position:relative\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/internal\/408834.svg\" alt=\"\">\n        Share Story\n        <!-- Dropdown Menu -->\n        <ul class=\"share-menu\">\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/turkish-banks-are-eyeing-syria-and-stellantis-is-doubling-down-on-algeria\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"assets\/media\/placeholder\/svg\/new-tab.svg\" alt=\"\"> -->\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n            <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a href=\"#\" target=\"_blank\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); 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Jordan\u2019s state news agency quoted the kingdom\u2019s central bank governor last December as <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/petra.gov.jo\/Include\/InnerPage.jsp?ID=78708&lang=en&name=en_news\" style=\"\">saying<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/petra.gov.jo\/Include\/InnerPage.jsp?ID=78708&lang=en&name=en_news\" style=\"\">that \u201cseveral\u201d Jordanian banks<\/a> were also looking to expand into Syria. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<hr style=\"height:2px;border-width:0;color:gray;background-color:gray\">\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><a id=\"wwtt2\"><\/a> <strong>#2- <\/strong><strong>Global<\/strong><strong> automaker Stellantis is making a second move to grow in Algeria this year <\/strong><strong>with plans to <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/stellantis-middle-east-and-africa_stellantis-middleeastafrica-stellantismea-activity-7447548331813322752--bdI?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAP-sG8B4B9UF3ibIA_wrbCjeRkhcK75G1Y\" style=\"\">expand<\/a><\/strong> <strong> its Fiat plant<\/strong> in the northwest port city of Oran. Stellantis is looking to boost the plant\u2019s output to 135k vehicles per year by 2028, compared to 53k produced in 2025. It hopes to see 90k vehicles roll out of the plant this year. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Stellantis is expanding fast in Algeria:<\/strong> In January, the company <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/stellantis-middle-east-and-africa_stellantis-middleeastafrica-stellantismea-activity-7416796785295114241-TJT1\/\" style=\"\">announced<\/a> it will build Opel\u2019s largest plant outside Europe in Algeria, without providing further details on the ticket size or timeline for the project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<hr style=\"height:2px;border-width:0;color:gray;background-color:gray\">\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><a id=\"wwtt3\"><\/a> <strong>#3- Qatar and Kuwait both saw their non-oil private sector business activity nosedive in <\/strong><strong>March.<\/strong> Each saw its purchasing managers\u2019 index fall into contraction territory. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/286.pdf\" style=\"\">Qatar recorded<\/a> the most severe deterioration in its PMI reading since the height of the pandemic in May 2020, falling to 38.7 from 50.6 the month prior. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/289.pdf\" style=\"\">Kuwait\u2019s PMI<\/a> fell into contraction for the first time in 19 months to 46.3.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<hr style=\"height:2px;border-width:0;color:gray;background-color:gray\">\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>#4- <\/strong><strong>Morocco <\/strong><strong>is stepping into the capital-market big leagues with <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ammc.ma\/sites\/default\/files\/CdP_PortailICMAT_En.pdf\" style=\"\">the launch of futures<\/a><\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ammc.ma\/sites\/default\/files\/CdP_PortailICMAT_En.pdf\" style=\"\">trading<\/a><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong> The contract, MASI 20 Future, tracks the 20 largest and most liquid stocks listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange and allows investors to take short and long positions. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<hr style=\"height:2px;border-width:0;color:gray;background-color:gray\">\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>#5- <\/strong><strong>Iraq is pushing ahead with its <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zawya.com\/en\/projects\/oil-and-gas\/iraq-approves-bid-process-for-46bln-basrahaditha-oil-pipeline-project-q2vspmnz\" style=\"\">USD 4.6 bn<\/a><\/strong><strong>Basra-Haditha pipeline<\/strong> after cabinet gave the oil ministry <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ina.iq\/ar\/political\/260134-100.html\" style=\"\">go-ahead<\/a> to solicit bids. The pipeline would move crude from Southern Iraq to the north, creating an alternative export route and bypassing Iraq\u2019s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. The pipeline is <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/logistics\/2025\/04\/16\/turkey-iraq-reach-principal-agreement-for-oil-gas-pipeline-project\/\" style=\"\">designed to carry around 2.3 mn bbl \/ d<\/a> while helping feed Turkey\u2019s Silopi-Ceyhan link.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Why it matters:<\/strong> Once the disruption in Hormuz choked Iraqi exports, storage filled up and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/logistics\/2026\/04\/02\/today-where-to-rest-and-bunker\/\" style=\"\">southern output fell to around 800k bbl \/ d<\/a>, exposing how little room Baghdad has when its main Gulf outlet is blocked. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">SIGN OF THE TIMES<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Kuwait is kinda-sorta going cashless? <\/strong>Cash transactions exceeding KWD 10 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arabtimesonline.com\/news\/kuwait-bans-cash-payments-above-kd-10-in-salons-clinics-sports-clubs-etc\/\" style=\"\">are no longer<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arabtimesonline.com\/news\/kuwait-bans-cash-payments-above-kd-10-in-salons-clinics-sports-clubs-etc\/\" style=\"\">permitted<\/a> in a handful of sectors and types of transactions in Kuwait. The push to go cashless applies to private hospitals, medical centers, women\u2019s and men\u2019s salons, pharmacies, and sports clubs, among others. Businesses failing to comply could lose their commercial licenses.<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n    <div class=\"tags-section\">\n        <div class=\"f-graphik\">Tags:<\/div>\n        <div class=\"tags-list\">\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/banking\/\">Banking<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/banks\/\">banks<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/capital-markets\/\">Capital Markets<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/jordan\/\">Jordan<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/kuwait\/\">Kuwait<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/morocco\/\">Morocco<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/msx\/\">MSX<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/oman\/\">Oman<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/pmi\/\">PMI<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/qatar\/\">Qatar<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/syria\/\">Syria<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/turkey\/\">Turkey<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/what-were-tracking\/\">WHAT WE\u2019RE TRACKING<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"113949\" class=\"issue-section \">\n<div class=\"issue-section__content\">\n<div class=\"stories\">            <!-- Show divider before story section -->\r\n        <div \r\n            class=\"\r\n                story-section            \"\r\n            id=\"calendar\">\r\n            \r\n            <div class=\"story__body\">\r\n\r\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/113949\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-113949\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-113949 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-calendar wpautop entry\">\n\n\t\t\t<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-primary-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-primary-background-color has-background is-style-wide\">\n\n\t\t<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading mt-0 has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color has-normal-font-size\" style=\"padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px\">\n\t\t\t<strong> CALENDAR<\/strong>\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\n\t<div class=\"entry-content\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">April 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">13 Apr<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 IMF \/ World Bank spring meetings begin (through 18 Apr). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Washington (virtual)<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">14 Apr<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 QNB 1Q 2026 earnings guidance. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Qatar<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">15 Apr<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 2Q IPO listing window opens. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Region-wide<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">25 Apr<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Sinai Liberation Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">28-29 Apr<\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> \u2014 US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">28 Apr-1 May<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Syria HiTech International ICT Exhibition. <\/span><span style=\"\">Damascus<\/span><span style=\"\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Syria <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">May 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">12 May<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Qatar Economic Forum (through 14 May).<\/span><span style=\"\"> Qatar<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">21 May<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Central Bank of Egypt monetary policy decision. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">25 May<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Independence Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Jordan<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">27-30 May<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Eid Al Adha (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Region-wide<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">28 May<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Saudi Aramco ex-dividend date. <\/span><span style=\"\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">June 2026<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">7 June<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 OPEC+ ministerial meeting. <\/span><span style=\"\">Vienna\/Virtual<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">9 June<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 King Abdullah II Accession Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Jordan<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">10\u201314 June <\/span><span style=\"\">\u2014 Syria Buildex International Construction Exhibition. <\/span><span style=\"\">Syria<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">16-17 June<\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> \u2014 US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">July 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">5 July<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Independence Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Algeria<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">9 July<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Central Bank of Egypt monetary policy decision. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">14 July<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Republic Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Iraq<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">23 July<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Revolution Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">25 July<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Republic Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Tunisia<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">28-29 July<\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> \u2014 US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">30 July<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Throne Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Morocco<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">August 2026<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">13 Aug<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Women\u2019s National Day. <\/span><span style=\"\">Tunisia<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">20 Aug<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Revolution of the King and the People Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Morocco<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">20 Aug<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Central Bank of Egypt monetary policy decision. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">21 Aug<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Youth Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Morocco<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">25 Aug<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Prophet\u2019s Birthday (public holiday, markets closed) \u2014 TBD. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Region-wide<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">31 Aug-3 Sep<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 LEAP technology conference.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> Saudi Arabia <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">September 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">7-9 Sep<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 AIM Congress. <\/span><span style=\"\">UAE<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">15-16 Sep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> \u2014 US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">15 Sep<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 <\/span><span>IMF\u2019s eighth review of Egypt\u2019s USD 8 bn EFF arrangement. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">16-17 Sep<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Middle East Banking Innovation Summit. <\/span><span style=\"\">UAE<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">23 Sep<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 National Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">24 Sep<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Central Bank of Egypt monetary policy decision. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">30 Sep-3 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Cityscape Egypt 2026. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">October 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">3 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 National Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Iraq<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">6 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Armed Forces Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">15 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 GCC Made in the Gulf Forum + Exhibition. <\/span><span style=\"\">TBD<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">25 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Liberation Day (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\"> Libya<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">25-27 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 World Investment Forum 2026. <\/span><span style=\"\">Qatar<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">26-29 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Future Investment Initiative.<\/span><span style=\"\"> Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">27-28 Oct<\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> \u2014 US Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">29 Oct<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Central Bank of Egypt monetary policy decision. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700;\">November 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">1 Nov<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Revolution Anniversary (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Algeria<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">2 Nov<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition + Conference (ADIPEC) opens (through 5 Nov). <\/span><span style=\"\">UAE<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">6 Nov<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Green March Anniversary (public holiday, markets closed). <\/span><span style=\"\">Morocco <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">16 Nov<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Cityscape Global begins (through 19 Nov). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Saudi Arabia <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">December 2026<\/span> <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><span style=\"font-weight:700\">17 Dec<\/span><span style=\"\"> \u2014 Central Bank of Egypt monetary policy decision. <\/span><span style=\"\">Egypt<\/span> <\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-content -->\n\n\t\n<\/article><!-- #post-${ID} -->\n\n\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PIF\u2019s USD 100 bn pivot | Good energy news for Egypt | New restrictions on foreign staff in Saudi, UAE | Egypt startup funding went dark<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":113930,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-113929","issue","type-issue","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpautop","entry"],"acf":{"mongo_id":"5143ed4e-e344-48c7-8c01-2280bb3c19d5","teaser":"PIF\u2019s USD 100 bn pivot | Good energy news for Egypt | New restrictions on foreign staff in Saudi, UAE | Egypt startup funding went dark","photo_url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/2024\/1\/2577.jpg"},"yoast_head":"<!-- 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