{"id":114137,"date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/?post_type=issue&#038;p=114137"},"modified":"2026-04-15T12:18:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T12:18:46","slug":"a-maturing-talent-war","status":"publish","type":"issue","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/issues\/a-maturing-talent-war\/","title":{"rendered":"A maturing talent war"},"content":{"rendered":"<section id=\"114139\" 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=\"114139\">\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\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/\">\r\n                            It\u2019s the first live issue of EnterpriseAM MENA+                        <\/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\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/\" 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\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/')\">\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\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/\">\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=It\u2019s the first live issue of EnterpriseAM MENA+&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/\">\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\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/&title=It\u2019s the first live issue of EnterpriseAM MENA+\">\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=It%E2%80%99s+the+first+live+issue+of+EnterpriseAM+MENA%2B+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F15%2Fits-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena%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\/15\/its-the-first-live-issue-of-enterpriseam-mena\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-114139\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-114139 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-opening-note tag-enterpriseam tag-opening-note 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, wonderful people, and welcome to our first \u2018live\u2019 issue of EnterpriseAM <\/strong><strong>MENA+.<\/strong> We\u2019re leaving beta this morning \u2014 dispatching to thousands of C-suite decisionmakers across our region and in financial centers around the world. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">(<strong>Thank you <\/strong>to everyone who joined us the past couple of months for our zero issues. Your feedback has been fantastic.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>MENA+ covers AI and tech \u2014 and geopolitics, the war for talent<\/strong>, which BSD is on top (and who\u2019s gunning for them), the changing energy economy, new corridors to India, China, the Stans, and Africa (hence the \u201c+\u201d), and much, much more. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>We think one of the most powerful stories in the region is the export of ideas and <\/strong><strong>capital<\/strong> not just to neighboring regions, but to international financial centers. MENA countries are jockey for position in the new global economy, and we\u2019re here to help shape that conversation, as we have with our national editions for a decade now. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>EnterpriseAM MENA+ is available without charge thanks to the generous support of our <\/strong><strong>friends at Mashreq<\/strong>, the most ambitious financial institution we know in our region. We\u2019re publishing Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12 noon UAE \/ 11am KSA \/ 10am Egypt.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Forwarded this email? Want your own copy? <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sub.ent.news\/menaplus\/\" style=\"\">You can subscribe here<\/a><\/strong>. (Unsubscribing is easy, too \u2014 just scroll down and hit the link.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Want to send us a story idea or talk shop? <\/strong>Reach out to us on  <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:UAE@enterpriseAM.com\" style=\"\">menaplus@enterpriseAM.com<\/a> . We read every email. \u2013Patrick and Salma<\/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\/opening-note\/\">Opening Note<\/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=\"114140\" 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=\"114140\">\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\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/\">\r\n                            The expat premium pops                        <\/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\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/\" 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\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/')\">\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\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/\">\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=Saudi salary premium is shrinking as the Saudi-UAE talent war matures&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/\">\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\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/&title=Saudi salary premium is shrinking as the Saudi-UAE talent war matures\">\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=Saudi+salary+premium+is+shrinking+as+the+Saudi-UAE+talent+war+matures+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F15%2Fsaudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures%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\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/3\/962.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"114141\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/saudi-salary-premium-is-shrinking-as-the-saudi-uae-talent-war-matures\/962-jpg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/3\/962.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"962.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/3\/962.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/3\/962.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-114140\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-114140 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-the-lede tag-egypt tag-enterpriseam tag-saudi-arabia tag-talent tag-the-lede 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>The 25% Saudi salary premium that has defined the UAE-Saudi recruitment competition <\/strong><strong>for the last few years is now evaporating.<\/strong> The extra compensation once required to lure talent to the Kingdom has now narrowed to 5-10% as the market matures, Riyadh pivots toward fiscal prudence, and the UAE moves more towards contingency planning, Cooper Fitch CEO Trefor Murphy tells us.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The shift suggests that UAE-Saudi hiring competition could be approaching an <\/strong><strong>equilibrium as the Kingdom scales back gigaprojects<\/strong> like The Line in favor of fiscal efficiency. Saudi recorded the region\u2019s highest quarter-on-quarter growth in hiring in 4Q 2025 (+4.5%), the UAE was no slouch: Top-tier professionals drawn to the boom in finance, tourism, and trade helped hiring advance 2.5% q-o-q in the final quarter of last year, according to a Cooper Fitch report seen by EnterpriseAM.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The UAE isn\u2019t throwing its arms wide-open to welcome people who lost jobs in Saudi <\/strong>as the Kingdom scales back megaprojects. Murphy notes a growing hesitancy among UAE employers to hire talent coming off \u201cstalled\u201d Saudi projects. He characterized the practice as \u201cunfair,\u201d but says it\u2019s increasingly common in a tightening market. <\/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\">Nationals to the head of the line<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Both talent hubs are converging on a single, non-negotiable goal: the hiring of nationals.<\/strong> In Saudi, the Nitaqat Al-Mutawar Program has <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2630247\/saudi-arabia\" style=\"\">localized<\/a> 550,000 jobs in three years. Senior roles are now designed specifically for nationals, and when expats are hired, it\u2019s often with an explicit mandate to transition the role to a local within a fixed period, the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply\u2019s (CIPS) regional director Sam Achampong told us. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>No Egyptians (or Indians) need apply: <\/strong>Just last week, both countries expanded their nationalization programs. Saudi Arabia expanded its Saudization mandate to cover 69 job types \u2014 including HR and recruitment, PR, and administrative assistant jobs that have long attracted Indian and Egyptian talent \u2014 while the UAE extended its Nafis Emiratization program through 2040 and expanded financial support under the program for women and children.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>SOUND SMART- <\/strong>The UAE has seen employment of nationals surge, more than 176k people in the workforce as of December 2025. The UAE workforce grew 12.4% y-o-y last year \u2014 <strong>the number of Emiratis in the workforce is up almost 400% <\/strong>since 2021, according to our analysis of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/observatory.mohre.gov.ae\/en\/uae-labour-market-priorities\/a-holistic-view-on-the-uae-labour-market\" style=\"\">UAE Labor Market Observatory<\/a> data. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Expat talent could begin to feel the impact of nationalization more fully \u2014 but it\u2019s not <\/strong><strong>there yet.<\/strong> The expat population is growing in both the UAE and Saudi, but it\u2019s been a while since we\u2019ve heard of Riyadh\u2019s plan to become home to mns of foreigners. Saudi\u2019s diversification drive, for example, still requires \u201ctalent from international markets \u2026 but the people around those expats catch on quickly. In no time, you won\u2019t need that expat talent to the same extent until you move on to the next thing,\u201d Murphy says.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>What is already evident is that the barrier to entry in Saudi Arabia is now higher. <\/strong>\u201cWhere you might have gone with five or six years' experience before, now you probably need another five years,\u201d Murphy said. <\/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\">An angle for Cairo?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The tightening competition in the GCC is also fueling a new labor arbitrage in the region: <\/strong><strong>outsourcing to cheaper markets like Cairo.<\/strong> Egypt is emerging as the primary beneficiary of this shift, transitioning from a talent exporter into a back-office hub that provides GCC-based firms the regional experience the Gulf needs without the premiums of Riyadh or Dubai salaries. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Which jobs are moving to Cairo? <\/strong>Talent-intensive roles at multinationals \u2014 especially UAE-based ones \u2014 such as procurement and supply chain management are particularly in-demand, CIPS\u2019 Achampong says.<\/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\">Will the war bite?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>\u201cThe UAE has been significantly more impacted by the war than Saudi Arabia,\u201d<\/strong> Murphy told us, citing a different set of challenges \u2014 primarily on the fiscal side \u2014 for the Kingdom as it works towards a recalibrated Vision 2030. A recent Cooper Fitch survey of company execs showed that international companies in Dubai are focusing on contingency planning, while those operating in Saudi Arabia have mostly been operating as normal and still aim to hit their annual hiring and revenue targets. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Talent isn\u2019t fleeing the Gulf despite the war \u2014 not yet, at least<\/strong>, Murphy and Achampong agree. The UAE has traditionally been resilient to external shocks, according to the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/whiteshield.ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/global-labour-resilience-index-2025-.pdf\" style=\"\">Global Labor Resilience Index<\/a>, but a prolonged conflict or any escalation in the violence could see the regional expat talent pool reroute itself as quickly as the supply chains it manages.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>DATA POINT-<\/strong> There was a 0.9-1% <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.khaleejtimes.com\/business\/jobs-in-gcc-hiring-grows-1-in-q1-but-regional-conflict-hits-activity-in-march\" style=\"\">increase in jobs<\/a> in the GCC in 1Q 2026, mostly driven by a very strong January and February. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>\u201cResilience is built into the DNA here,\u201d<\/strong> says Achampong, though he notes a growing divide between long-term residents and recent arrivals who lack a deep emotional attachment to the region. \u201c<strong>If a permanent ceasefire materializes, Dubai and Abu Dhabi come out of it significantly stronger<\/strong>,\u201d Murphy told us.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Ultimately, the market is defined by its cyclical nature.<\/strong> \u201cFifteen years ago, it was Dubai; then it moved to Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and now Saudi Arabia,\u201d Achampong explains. The result is a more sophisticated, \u201csitting\u201d talent pool, he argues: A highly-skilled workforce with global-caliber skills and the regional experience needed to navigate whatever comes next. <\/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\/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\/the-lede\/\">The Lede<\/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=\"114142\" 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=\"114142\">\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\">Construction<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/newly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions\/\">\r\n                            Who doesn\u2019t like a bargain?                        <\/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\/15\/newly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    Open in new tab                    <!-- <img 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      <li class=\"list-inline-item\">\n                <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/post?text=Newly cost conscious, Saudi is turning to Egyptian builders to deliver on its housing ambitions&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/newly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions\/\">\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\/15\/newly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions\/&title=Newly cost conscious, Saudi is turning to Egyptian builders to deliver on its housing ambitions\">\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=Newly+cost+conscious%2C+Saudi+is+turning+to+Egyptian+builders+to+deliver+on+its+housing+ambitions+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F15%2Fnewly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions%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\/15\/newly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/585.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"114143\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/newly-cost-conscious-saudi-is-turning-to-egyptian-builders-to-deliver-on-its-housing-ambitions\/585-jpg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/585.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"585.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/585.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/585.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-114142\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-114142 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-construction tag-construction tag-enterpriseam tag-housing tag-real-estate 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>Newly cost-conscious Saudi Arabia is courting Egyptian contractors to build-out its <\/strong><strong>housing pipeline as it rationalizes its gigaproject ambitions <\/strong>and refocuses capital on projects that have to get built on a deadline \u2014 the 2034 World Cup, Expo 2030, and a mass-housing target that the Kingdom needs to nail. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The hook: <\/strong>The state-run <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhc.sa\/\" style=\"\">National Housing Company (NHC)<\/a> is working with the Egyptian Federation for Construction and Building Contractors (EFCBC) to brief builders on new qualification rules tailored for Egyptian firms that don\u2019t already operate in the Kingdom, federation board member Shams El-Din Youssef tells EnterpriseAM. Some 25 Egyptian companies have cleared the bar so far, with virtual meetings coming up to finalize terms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The demand is massive:<\/strong> The NHC is lining up Egyptian capacity against a SAR 200 bn pipeline of housing, utilities, and healthcare work \u2014 and building on <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/hardhats\/local-construction-firms-are-expanding-abroad-where-are-they-expanding-to-and-what-obstacles-are-they-facing\/\" style=\"\">earlier discussions<\/a> on sourcing expertise. Saudi domestic contractors are already stretched thin by Diriyah and other priority gigaprojects. <strong>Riyadh alone will need north of 305k new homes by 2034<\/strong>, with homeownership now above 66% and the 2030 target set at 70%. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Top-flight Egyptian contractors including Hassan Allam and Orascom Construction are <\/strong><strong>already fixtures of gigaprojects<\/strong> and dozens of other builders are by a wide margin the most experienced in the region at what Saudi needs: large, integrated, horizontal communities built at pace. Egypt\u2019s New Administrative Capital, East Cairo\u2019s mixed-use rollouts, and the North Coast masterplans have given firms like Hassan Allam, OC, Redcon, and Arab Contractors track records on master-planned urbanism that neither Saudi nor UAE peers have matched. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Why the UAE \u2260 Saudi: <\/strong>The UAE\u2019s strengths are vertical \u2014 towers, mega-malls, and single-asset icons. The Saudi housing brief is a lot more like Cairo\u2019s: Sprawling districts, utilities, schools, clinics and roads, all delivered together and at scale.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>BACKGROUND- Saudi is taking advantage of fallout from the war in the Gulf to put down <\/strong><strong>its white elephants<\/strong>, accelerating a push for fiscal discipline that predates the conflict. <strong>Neom<\/strong> has already <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/ksa\/2026\/03\/29\/neom-terminates-multi-bn-usd-trojena-lake-contracts\/\" style=\"\">canceled multi-bn USD Trojena lake contracts<\/a> and scrapped others across the portfolio and PIF has pivoted its USD 100 bn Alat vehicle from chip manufacturing to data centers. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The details: <\/strong>To qualify for Saudi contracts, Egyptian firms need to qualify as first-tier with the EFCBC, have at least 15 years of experience, post EGP 90 mn or more in annual revenues over the past five years, and have no prior Ministry of Investment registration in Saudi Arabia \u2014 a rule designed to widen the pool of participants rather than protect incumbents.<\/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\/construction\/\">construction<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/housing\/\">housing<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/real-estate\/\">real estate<\/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=\"114145\" 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=\"114145\">\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\">ECONOMY + PUBLIC POLICY<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/\">\r\n                            Late to the party?                        <\/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\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/\" 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\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/')\">\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\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/\">\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=Bahrain rolls out BHD 7 bn banking sector relief package&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/\">\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\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/&title=Bahrain rolls out BHD 7 bn banking sector relief package\">\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=Bahrain+rolls+out+BHD+7+bn+banking+sector+relief+package+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F15%2Fbahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package%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\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/692.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"114146\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/bahrain-rolls-out-bhd-7-bn-banking-sector-relief-package\/692-jpg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/692.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"692.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/692.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/692.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-114145\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-114145 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-economy-public-policy tag-bahrain tag-banking tag-banks tag-economy-public-policy tag-enterpriseam tag-macroeconomics tag-public-policy 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>Another banking relief package lands in the GCC: <\/strong>Late to the party compared to its regional counterparts, the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/03\/18\/bahrains-economy-is-teetering-on-the-edge\/\" style=\"\">announced<\/a> a BHD 7 bn stimulus package to boost lending liquidity and provide relief for borrowers and lenders. <\/p>\n<p><strong>The relief structure: <\/strong>Retail banks are set to have access to \u201cunlimited [BHD] liquidity\u201d from the CBB for six months against a collateral of BHD 7 bn. In turn, the banks will provide their business and household customers with the option to defer debt installments, including the principal and interest. Customers will be eligible for the relief for three months, and banks can defer payments on domestic loans worth up to BHD 11.3 bn. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The CBB is also slashing banks\u2019 reserve requirements<\/strong> to 3.5% from 5% \u2014 and both the minimum liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) and the net stable funding ratio (NSFR) will be reduced to 80% from 100%. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Lending liquidity has been at the center of central banks\u2019 responses to the war.<\/strong> The Central Bank of Kuwait <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/jordan-cuts-reserve-requirements-frees-up-jod-700-mn-for-banks-hit-by-gulf-war-fallout\/\" style=\"\">made<\/a> a similar move on LCR and the NSFR ratios two weeks ago, whereas other central banks in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/jordan-cuts-reserve-requirements-frees-up-jod-700-mn-for-banks-hit-by-gulf-war-fallout\/\" style=\"\">Jordan<\/a>, the UAE, and Qatar introduced a range of measures aimed at boosting lending liquidity in their markets. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>But why is Bahrain doing it now? It could be, as we\u2019ve previously expected, that it <\/strong><strong>needed an external backstop<\/strong> <strong>first <\/strong>to ease the pressure on its balance sheet. The UAE stepped in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/the-uaes-bailout-of-bahrain-will-irk-the-saudi-booster-boys\/\" style=\"\">last week<\/a> with a USD 5.4 bn lifeline in the form of a currency swap. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>REMEMBER-<\/strong> <strong>Bahrain has been structurally <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/03\/18\/bahrains-economy-is-teetering-on-the-edge\/\" style=\"\">far weaker<\/a><\/strong><strong> than its neighbors before the <\/strong><strong>war <\/strong><strong>even started. <\/strong>It entered the crisis with a public debt rate of nearly 150% of GDP and a downgraded sovereign credit rating nearing junk territory as debt servicing costs rose to be among the highest globally at 34% of government revenue.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>And now the country is bracing for a GDP slowdown <\/strong>as Hormuz closure and infrastructure attacks put a dent in its energy exports and industrial output. The World Bank now predicts the country\u2019s economy to grow at just 1.3%, down from a previous January forecast of 3.1%. Bahrain\u2019s GDP <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bna.bh\/en\/Bahraineconomyachievesrealgrowthof3.5during2025.aspx?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDrJaqHtA1HCn%2fTmmIVQq0BA%3d\" style=\"\">grew<\/a> at 3.5% last year. <\/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\/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-public-policy\/\">Economy + Public Policy<\/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                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/public-policy\/\">Public policy<\/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=\"114147\" 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=\"114147\">\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\">WAR WATCH<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/lebanon-israel-hold-peace-talks-as-iran-us-consider-next-steps\/\">\r\n                            Still holding\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\/15\/lebanon-israel-hold-peace-talks-as-iran-us-consider-next-steps\/\" 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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Hezbollah was not sitting at the table during the talks, after \u201crejecting\u201d the talks, which are primarily designed to weed out Hezbollah from Lebanon, particularly in the country\u2019s south.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Meanwhile, Iran and the US are reportedly set to return to their negotiations, but they <\/strong><strong>can\u2019t even seem to agree on when that\u2019s happening.<\/strong> While US President <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/c20dd5ynxz9t?post=asset%3Ad6988090-62c8-4997-ae39-3307d7eb20c1#post\" style=\"\">Donald Trump suggested<\/a> the second round of talks with Tehran could happen \u201cin the next two days,\u201d Iran maintains that there is no information available as yet. The first round of talks in Islamabad over the weekend came to a close without an agreement and ended with the US deciding to kick off a counter-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>What\u2019s the latest on Hormuz anyway?<\/strong> So far, movement has continued to trickle through the Strait of Hormuz, with some heading to the UAE, despite the US\u2019 blockade (which Saudi Arabia is <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/saudi-arabia-us-strait-of-hormuz-blockade-25fbd430?mod=hp_lead_pos7\" style=\"\">pushing Washington to end<\/a>). A US-sanctioned Chinese tanker has already passed through the strait since the US\u2019 blockade began, according to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/us-sanctioned-chinese-tanker-passes-strait-hormuz-despite-us-blockade-data-shows-2026-04-14\/\" style=\"\">shipping data<\/a>. The tanker was heading to the UAE\u2019s Hamriyah port. Still, the blockade of Iranian ports has been <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/c20dd5ynxz9t?post=asset%3Af11c4f78-1d9e-4f39-88c1-ab500ed66d35#post\" style=\"\">inconsistent at best<\/a>, with the US <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/us-destroyer-interdicts-two-oil-tankers-attempting-leave-iran-official-says-2026-04-14\/\" style=\"\">intercepting two Iranian oil tankers<\/a> as they attempted to leave ports yesterday, but at least four other vessels \u2014 including two coming from Iranian ports \u2014 managed to pass through the strait. <\/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\/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\/us-iran-war\/\">US-Iran war<\/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=\"114149\" 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=\"114149\">\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\">Business<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/\">\r\n                            Uneven performance                        <\/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\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/\" 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\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/')\">\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\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/\">\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=Saudi corporates have an uneven 1Q earnings outlook&url=https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/\">\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\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/&title=Saudi corporates have an uneven 1Q earnings outlook\">\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=Saudi+corporates+have+an+uneven+1Q+earnings+outlook+https%3A%2F%2Fenterpriseam.com%2Fmenaplus%2F2026%2F04%2F15%2Fsaudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook%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\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/520.jpg?fit=1568%2C9999&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" data-attachment-id=\"114150\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/saudi-corporates-have-an-uneven-1q-earnings-outlook\/520-jpg\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/520.jpg?fit=%2C&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"[]\" data-image-title=\"520.jpg\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/520.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/520.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" \/>                    <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-114149\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-114149 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-business tag-business tag-earnings-watch tag-enterpriseam tag-sico-bank 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>Tadawul-listed firms are expected to turn in a mixed basket of 1Q 2026 earnings that will <\/strong><strong>reflect the first signs of the regional conflict<\/strong> weighing on Saudi Arabia\u2019s corporate landscape, Bahrain\u2019s Sico Bank said in its <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/429.pdf\" style=\"\">quarterly results preview (pdf)<\/a>. The damage is expected to be sector-specific, rather than broad-based, group head of research Chiro Ghosh tells EnterpriseAM. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The hardest-hit sectors will be those exposed to the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> \u2014 think real estate, hospitality, aviation, and manufacturing, Sico Bank says. Banks, meanwhile, are expected to show stability with heavyweights including Riyad Bank, SAB, and SNB holding the line. Al Rajhi Bank and Alinma Bank, meanwhile, appear on course to turn in single-digit net income growth. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Banks will still feel some pressure as higher financing costs put pressure on margins<\/strong>, with higher loan loss provisions also looking likely. Ghosh tells us that while no banks have signaled dividend cuts yet, they are now a \u201cviable option\u201d if volatility returns.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The picture is also looking for industrial names:<\/strong> Cement is looking to be off to a rough start as an unfavorable base effect is expected to result in nearly all major players nursing double-digit declines, with only Arabian Cement bucking the trend. Basic materials and mining are more split, with significant gains in some names (like Maaden) offset by drops in others. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Healthcare is caught between structural and timing headwinds<\/strong> \u2014 geopolitical caution late in the quarter, Ramadan seasonality, and front-loaded costs from upcoming hospital openings are all weighing on revenue growth in the sector. Still, the sector is expected to maintain a handful of outperformers, including Suliman Al Habib. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>On the flipside, timing was a net positive for retail:<\/strong> The Ramadan effect is expected to have guided Americana to a 86% jump in net income, while BinDawood (+10%), Al Othaim (+5%), and Leejam (+5%) are all expected to post steady gains.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Transportation is a clear casualty: <\/strong>Aviation companies like SAL and SGS are likely to feel the impact of March airspace restrictions and flight cancellations. Airlines such as Air Arabia and Jazeera are expected to be hit the hardest.<\/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\/business\/\">business<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/earnings-watch\/\">EARNINGS WATCH<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/sico-bank\/\">Sico Bank<\/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=\"114151\" 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=\"114151\">\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\">Business<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/uae-saudi-business-sentiment-remains-resilient-as-investors-recalibrate-strategies-hsbc\/\">\r\n                            Looking past the noise                        <\/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\/15\/uae-saudi-business-sentiment-remains-resilient-as-investors-recalibrate-strategies-hsbc\/\" 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 headline finding: Rather than pulling back, most GCC decision-makers see the current disruption as a chance to reposition \u2014 reassessing market exposure and doubling down on growth. On the global front, 93% of the surveyed investors plan to increase cross-border trade or investment over the next five years.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Disruption opens the door for business repositioning:<\/strong> 95% of respondents In Saudi see the current economic environment as a catalyst to redefine priorities and reassess market exposure, a view shared by 93% in the UAE. These figures exceed the global average of 88%, with 87% of respondents saying they are now more willing than they were five years ago to take calculated risks to grow their businesses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Regionalization is the defining trend.<\/strong> The UAE and Saudi Arabia rank as the markets most expected to grow in strategic importance over the next five years, outpacing India, ASEAN, and the broader Middle East. Businesses are increasingly expecting cross-border activity to consolidate regionally, and GCC markets are well-placed to capture that shift. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>AI is also reshaping how firms plan for growth and how investors approach the year <\/strong><strong>ahead.<\/strong> Access to technology and infrastructure now rivals market growth and client demand as a factor in international strategy, and investors increasingly see AI exposure as central to portfolio decisions. Productivity gains, better forecasting, and lower operating costs are cited as the top expected benefits. Nearly a third expect AI to fundamentally reshape their core business models by 2030. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Looking ahead, the survey points to private capital displacing public markets as the <\/strong><strong>dominant force<\/strong> in global capital allocation by 2035, and digital finance gaining traction \u2014 though adoption obstacles remain significant, with nearly half of businesses still not understanding how digital financing will affect them. <\/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\/business\/\">business<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/investment\/\">Investment<\/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=\"114153\" 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=\"114153\">\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\/15\/abu-dhabi-inc-pushes-ahead-with-global-dealmaking-signaling-that-its-business-as-usual\/\">\r\n                            The message from Abu Dhabi Inc: It\u2019s B-A-U\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\/15\/abu-dhabi-inc-pushes-ahead-with-global-dealmaking-signaling-that-its-business-as-usual\/\" 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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Sitting on some USD 5 tn in assets and with global peers largely sitting on the sidelines right now, Gulf funds are hunting for distressed assets and pressing ahead with AI, defense, and infrastructure bets placed well before the shooting started. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>#1- Mubadala-Petrobras talks back on: <\/strong>Brazil\u2019s state-owned energy firm, Petrobras, is <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/petrobras-initial-talks-buy-back-brazil-refinery-mubadala-sources-say-2026-04-13\/\" style=\"\">back in<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/petrobras-initial-talks-buy-back-brazil-refinery-mubadala-sources-say-2026-04-13\/\" style=\"\">early-stage talks<\/a> to buy Brazil\u2019s Mataripe oil refinery back from Mubadala, with an agreement potentially on the table before year-end. Petrobras had sold the refinery for USD 1.65 bn in 2021 and was last on its way to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.news\/uae\/en\/news\/story\/71e8adcd-e41f-4aa6-b89f-c7f7e72149c3\/uae-athletes-kick-off-olympics-2024-campaign-%2B-first-ever-lottery-license-awarded\" style=\"\">buying it back in 2024<\/a>. Mataripe is Brazil\u2019s second-biggest refinery, and is operating under capacity despite <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ri.acelen.com.br\/en\/the-company\/corporate-profile\/\" style=\"\">c.14% of the country\u2019s total refinery output<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Why now? <\/strong>The renewed push comes as Brazil looks to ease refining bottlenecks. Mataripe is operating at around 60% capacity, while Petrobras\u2019 own plants are near full utilization, adding urgency as diesel prices climb.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>BACKGROUND- Mubadala has been restructuring its Brazil portfolio<\/strong>, having recently <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/04\/08\/mubadala-capital-closes-third-brazil-fund-nearing-usd-1-bn\/\" style=\"\">closed its third Brazil fund of nearly USD 1 bn<\/a>. Towards the end of last year, it acquired <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/10\/23\/mubadala-capital-acquires-60-3-of-invepars-lamsa\/\" style=\"\">60.3% of an infrastructure firm<\/a>, and was also reported to be eyeing <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/12\/10\/this-morning-mubadala-eyes-brazils-will-bank-adnoc-top-bidder-for-russian-stake-in-serbian-oil-industry\/\" style=\"\">taking over a Brazilian fintech<\/a>. <\/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>#2- ALSO IN ADVANCED TALKS- Abu Dhabi\u2019s Adnoc, which is looking to acquire Shell\u2019s <\/strong><strong>fuel <\/strong><strong>retail network in South Africa<\/strong> in a transaction that could be worth USD 1 bn and close as early as this quarter. The talks come as Shell is continuing to offload non-core assets globally. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>For Adnoc, this is about global reach: <\/strong>The acquisition would give it roughly 10% of the market in Africa\u2019s largest economy, extending its push into downstream and retail beyond the Gulf and reinforcing a broader overseas expansion drive. That strategy is backed by a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterprise.news\/uae\/en\/news\/story\/9c09bd8e-e356-413a-8fab-2f371bee73d0\/this-morning:-adnoc-eyes-usd-150-bn-in-capex-until-2030-%2B-lunate-to-invest-usd-1-bn-in-mgx%3F\" style=\"\">USD 150 bn capex budget<\/a> through 2030, alongside the rapid scaling of its investment arm XRG, which has nearly doubled to a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-11-24\/uae-oil-giant-keeps-150-billion-spending-plan-in-growth-push\" style=\"\">USD 151 bn enterprise value<\/a> and recently closed a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/11\/17\/adnoc-clinches-long-awaited-eu-approval-for-covestro-takeover\/\" style=\"\">EUR 14.7 bn takeover<\/a> of Germany\u2019s Covestro.<\/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>#3- Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI just got one step closer to exiting the UK\u2019s Telegraph <\/strong><strong>Media Group<\/strong> after the British government greenlit Berlin-based media giant <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/03\/09\/new-buyer-emerges-for-the-telegraph\/\" style=\"\">Axel Springer\u2019s GBP 575 mn acquisition<\/a> of the publication. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/questions-statements.parliament.uk\/written-statements\/detail\/2026-04-14\/hlws1512\" style=\"\">a statement<\/a> yesterday that she is \u201cnot minded to intervene,\u201d ending a three-year battle for the broadsheet. Axel Springer also owns Politico and Business Insider. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The mechanics:<\/strong> In practice, this will see RedBird IMI cashout by selling its conversion rights to Axel Springer, which would then swap that debt for 100% equity. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June pending minor regulatory nods in Ireland and Austria, according to the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/98296ba1-15e9-4e56-9e8b-d2c592b2fa0f?syn-25a6b1a6=1\" style=\"\">Financial Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">ALSO WORTH KNOWING TODAY- <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">Egypt\u2019s state run gas company <strong>Egas<\/strong> has signed a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/517.pdf\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ent.news\/2026\/4\/517.pdf\" style=\"\">preliminary agreement<\/a> with partners <strong>Chevron<\/strong>, <strong>Shell<\/strong>, and <strong>NewMed Energy<\/strong> to take the entirety of the natural gas produced from Cyprus\u2019s 3.7 tcf Aphrodite field. The deal will be served by a USD 2 bn pipeline linking the field to Port Said, securing up to 700 mmcf\/d to feed Egypt\u2019s LNG export infrastructure and reinforce the country\u2019s role as the East Med\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/04\/09\/egypt-pays-credibility-tax-to-keep-its-energy-hub-dreams-viable\/\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/04\/09\/egypt-pays-credibility-tax-to-keep-its-energy-hub-dreams-viable\/\" style=\"\">premier processing hub<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The World Bank<\/strong> is throwing <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/news\/press-release\/2026\/04\/10\/world-bank-approves-500-million-to-power-morocco-s-jobs-and-green-growth-agenda\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.worldbank.org\/en\/news\/press-release\/2026\/04\/10\/world-bank-approves-500-million-to-power-morocco-s-jobs-and-green-growth-agenda\" style=\"\">USD 500 mn<\/a> behind <strong>Morocco<\/strong>\u2019s labor market, export-oriented pharma, and green energy. The financing is the first tranche of a three-stage program targeting 300k+ jobs \u2014 focused on women and youth in SMEs and clean energy \u2014 and supporting Rabat's ambition to raise pharma exports sevenfold by 2029.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>CMA CGM adds a regional distribution arm:<\/strong> CMA CGM is set to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/fattal-group_cma-cgm-group-and-the-shareholders-of-fattal-activity-7449799365562523648-uRos?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAADH5dPEBRXvMivVG7sfTnmnNXL6pv3olj04\" style=\"\">acquire<\/a> 100% of Lebanon\u2019s Fattal Group \u2014 extending the French giant\u2019s operations further into distribution and beyond transport. The agreement, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in 3Q 2026. Fattal Group is a regional <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fattal.com.lb\/about-us.html\" style=\"\">distributor<\/a> with operations in Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, the UAE, Algeria, Egypt, as well as France and Cyprus. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Ayar Third Investment<\/strong> \u2014 a <strong>PIF<\/strong> subsidiary \u2014 is <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/media.lucidmotors.com\/article?id=7r1k5SIGvKlxtTltn4CLHE\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/media.lucidmotors.com\/article?id=7r1k5SIGvKlxtTltn4CLHE\" style=\"\">doubling down<\/a> on struggling US EV maker <strong>Lucid<\/strong> with a USD 550 mn cheque in a larger round that also pulled in USD 200 mn from <strong>Uber<\/strong>. The fresh capital comes as Lucid taps former Schindler chief Silvio Napoli as CEO to steady operations after a turbulent 2025 and an expected USD 1 bn operating loss in 1Q 2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">Egypt\u2019s <strong>Ezz Steel<\/strong> is reportedly weighing a USD 780 mn investment to build a 2.5 mn-ton direct reduced iron facility in Algeria \u2014 tapping low-cost Algerian gas to de-risk its export corridors and potentially skirt a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/01\/25\/egyptian-steel-faces-a-total-export-freeze-to-the-us-under-hiked-tariffs\/\" style=\"\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/01\/25\/egyptian-steel-faces-a-total-export-freeze-to-the-us-under-hiked-tariffs\/\" style=\"\">US tariff wall<\/a> that has effectively frozen Egyptian rebar out of North America.<\/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> +0.5% \u2022 <strong>ADX<\/strong> +0.6% \u2022 <strong>DFM<\/strong> +0.9% \u2022 <strong>EGX30<\/strong> +1.8%<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">Brent USD 94.61 \/ bbl \u2022 Gold USD 4,871 \/ oz \u2022 USD \/ SAR 3.75 \u2022 USD \/ EGP 52.44<\/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\/bluefive\/\">BlueFive<\/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\/mubadala\/\">Mubadala<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/pe\/\">PE<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/private-equity\/\">private equity<\/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=\"114155\" 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=\"114155\">\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\">ALSO ON OUR RADAR<\/p>\r\n                    <h3 class=\"story-title\">\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/15\/ebrd-extends-eur-5-bn-lifeline-for-war-affected-economies\/\">\r\n                            EBRD extends EUR 5 bn lifeline for war-affected economies                        <\/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\/15\/ebrd-extends-eur-5-bn-lifeline-for-war-affected-economies\/\" 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 package is directed primarily at Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine \u2014 all countries directly affected by the war \u2014 as well as economies that are facing knock-on effects, including Egypt, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>What\u2019s next: <\/strong>Expect short-term facilities for state-owned energy utilities to ensure service continuity despite the rising price of energy. Look for the lender\u2019s focus toward the rebuilding of trade routes when conflict recedes. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>BACKGROUND- <\/strong> We reported <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2026\/03\/17\/the-ebrd-could-lend-egypt-a-helping-hand-amid-ongoing-regional-war\/\" style=\"\">last month<\/a> that the bank was prepping a financial lifeline to Egypt and others in the region. EBRD has deployed some EUR 26.5\u202f bn in our corner of the world (which it calls the \u201csouthern and eastern Mediterranean region\u201d) since 2012.<\/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\">China\u2019s Henan Zhongfu to roll out USD 2 bn aluminum plant in SCZone<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Chinese aluminum manufacturer Henan Zhongfu will set up a USD 2 bn <\/strong><strong>aluminum megaproject in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone)<\/strong>, according to a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EgyptianCabinet\/posts\/pfbid035VfdSHy6dstadg2T27T8UWeL4rnnomJrGWWW6nK7Ash9BPJsD39qA2FFTiV3JFsUl?rdid=BaBsxpvfgZRyuyVN\" style=\"\">cabinet statement<\/a>. The 1 mn sqm facility in East Port Said will target high-value deep processing for the automotive and electronics sectors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Why it matters: <\/strong>Egypt is emerging as the primary \u201csafe harbor\u201d for heavy industry as regional conflict cripples the GCC\u2019s aluminum giants. With Iranian facilities offline and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2026\/03\/31\/aluminum-market-reels-after-strikes-on-ega-and-alba\/\" style=\"\">drone strikes<\/a> targeting Abu Dhabi\u2019s Emirates Global Aluminum and Aluminum Bahrain, prices went up nearly 5% last month \u2014 moving steadily toward a projected USD 4k per ton. By landing this project now, the SCZone is an increasingly important node in the global supply chain.<\/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\">Lafarge found guilty of terrorism financing in Syria <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>French cement company Lafarge was found guilty of funding ISIS and other armed <\/strong><strong>groups during Syria\u2019s civil war<\/strong> in a landmark ruling from the Paris Criminal Court. The ruling orders Lafarge \u2014 which is now part of Switzerland\u2019s Holcim \u2014 to pay the maximum fine of USD 1.2 mn for breaching EU sanctions in addition to funding terror, and sentences former CEO Bruno Lafont to six years in prison. Another seven associates were fined and sentenced to prison. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Background:<\/strong> The case, which was first investigated <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/opiniojuris.org\/2025\/10\/27\/lafarge-on-trial-cementing-accountability\/\" style=\"\">in 2016<\/a>, centers on Lafarge paying as much as EUR 13 mn to terrorist groups including ISIS and Al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front between 2013 and September 2014 to keep its cement factory in Syria operational. The decade-long legal dispute sets a significant precedent but falls short of ordering <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.business-humanrights.org\/en\/latest-news\/france-landmark-ruling-finds-lafarge-and-former-executives-guilty-of-financing-terrorism-in-syria\/\" style=\"\">compensation<\/a> for the Syrian employees of Lafarge as victims of terrorism financing. <\/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\/also-on-our-radar\/\">ALSO ON OUR RADAR<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/debt\/\">Debt<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/debt-watch\/\">DEBT WATCH<\/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\/energy\/\">ENERGY<\/a>\n                <!-- <span class=\"sep\">,&nbsp;<\/span> -->\n                            <a rel=\"tag\" href=\"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/tag\/oil-gas\/\">Oil &amp; Gas<\/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                    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div> <!-- \/.story -->\r\n    \n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"114157\" 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=\"114157\">\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\/15\/iea-cuts-outlook-for-oil-demand-as-supply-nosedives\/\">\r\n                            IEA cuts outlook for oil demand as supply nosedives                        <\/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\/15\/iea-cuts-outlook-for-oil-demand-as-supply-nosedives\/\" 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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Without the war, the IMF says global growth would have been revised upward due to strong technology investment and resilient productivity resulting from AI adoption. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The MENA region faces the most significant downgrade of 2.8 percentage points to a 1.1% <\/strong><strong>growth rate in 2026<\/strong>, from a previous forecast of 3.9%, highlighting a hardening regional divide amid war.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>** We\u2019ll have a detailed breakdown of projections for the region in Friday\u2019s issue<\/strong>, after the IMF releases its regional economic outlook.<\/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=\"wwtt1\"><\/a> <strong>IEA cuts oil demand outlook:<\/strong> The International Energy Agency (IEA) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/oil-market-report-april-2026\" style=\"\">sharply reduced its<\/a><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/reports\/oil-market-report-april-2026\" style=\"\">expectations<\/a> for oil demand in 2026, which it now sees contracting by 80k bbl \/ d this year as the war in the Gulf continues to pressure global supply. <strong>Roughly 13 mn bbl \/ d of daily supply have all but vanished from the market<\/strong> and oil-importing nations are \u201cscrambling\u201d to source barrels to cover their needs as the disconnect between physical barrels and futures grows wider. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Remember: <\/strong>Brent futures are hovering at around USD 100 \/ bbl, but those are futures contracts. If you actually want to buy a tanker full of oil? Physical crude oil prices are sitting at around USD 150 \/ bbl. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>The damage to global crude production has been extensive and expensive:<\/strong> Six weeks of the war knocked out about 10% of global crude production, taking more than 80 facilities offline across refineries, transport hubs, and production sites. The casualty list includes Qatar losing 17% of its LNG export capacity after strikes on Ras Laffan, while Kuwait\u2019s port facilities suffered significant damages, Bahrain\u2019s 400k bbl \/ d Sitra refinery faces a multi-month recovery, and Abu Dhabi\u2019s Ruwais refinery was also attacked. Iranian refineries, meanwhile, have been gutted by US and Israeli strikes. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Saudi Arabia is the lone outlier bright spot:<\/strong> Despite losing 600k bbl \/ d of capacity, the country has already restored half of that at the Manifa field, with Khurais expected to follow. The Kingdom also fully restored the 7 mn bbl \/ d pumping capacity of the East-West pipeline.<\/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\">Signs of the times<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"> <a id=\"wwtt2\"><\/a> <strong>#1-<\/strong><strong> Inflation accelerates in Cairo + Muscat:<\/strong> Annual urban inflation in Egypt accelerated for the second consecutive month to 15.2% in March as the economy absorbed the first full month of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which saw energy prices surge and the EGP slump as portfolio investors pulled out and the cost of fuel imports went up sharply. The acceleration was driven by food and beverage prices, which account for the majority of the goods in Egypt\u2019s CPI basket, as well as electricity, gas, and other fuel items. In Muscat, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/qna.org.qa\/ar-QA\/news\/news-details?id=%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%B6%D8%AE%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%80-36-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%B3%D9%86%D9%88%D9%8A&date=12\/04\/2026\" style=\"\">inflation accelerated<\/a> last month to 3.6%, compared to 2.0% in February. The rising inflation comes on the back of higher transport, food and beverage, and restaurants and hotel prices. <\/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>#2- <\/strong><strong>Sales at high-end brands in Dubai and Abu Dhabi dropped sharply in March<\/strong> as the Iran conflict hit what had been one of the industry\u2019s fastest-growing markets, with declines of 30-50% y-o-y at luxury brands housed at the Mall of the Emirates, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/luxury-brands-face-profits-squeeze-iran-conflict-shrinks-dubai-mall-sales-2026-04-13\/\" style=\"\">Reuters<\/a> reports, citing a source familiar with the data. Even Abu Dhabi, which is typically more insulated and less tourism-reliant, saw sales at its ADGM-adjacent Galleria Mall fall by around 10% across the board.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Footfall tells the same story: <\/strong>Traffic at Mall of the Emirates fell around 15% in March, while the more tourist-heavy Dubai Mall saw visits drop by roughly half, according to two industry sources cited by Reuters. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>In context: Around 60% of luxury spending in the UAE comes from tourists<\/strong>, according to Morgan Stanley. Knock-on effects from rising oil prices and disrupted supply chains could dampen retail appetite even further. Back in March, Bernstein analyst Luca Solca had told <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/03\/27\/iran-war-wipes-out-100-billion-from-luxury-stocks.html\" style=\"\">CNBC<\/a> that a 50% dip in sales for the month would constitute a worst-case scenario.<\/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\">Quick hits<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><a id=\"wwtt3\"><\/a> <strong>Chinese construction giant CSCEC is looking to <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/libyaobserver.ly\/economy\/ministry-housing-discusses-housing-projects-chinese-firm\" style=\"\">revive<\/a><\/strong><strong> its repeatedly stalled USD 800 mn <\/strong><strong>project<\/strong> to build 20k homes in Benghazi and kick off new housing developments in Libya. <\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Background:<\/strong> The project \u2014 the contract for which was <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/arbitration-mediation-case-benghazis-20000-housing-units-jaroshi-tzsmf\/\" style=\"\">initially signed in 2008<\/a> \u2014 is a relic from the pre-2011 era but has since faced several roadblocks and failed attempts at revival, including in <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalconstructionreview.com\/cscec-resumes-20000-home-project-bomb-wracked-beng\/\" style=\"\">2013<\/a> and again <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LibyatheVision\/posts\/-the-eastern-region-government-inaugurate-the-project-to-complete-20000-housing-\/1057844483023348\/\" style=\"\">in 2024<\/a>. CSCEC has <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/arbitration-mediation-case-benghazis-20000-housing-units-jaroshi-tzsmf\/\" style=\"\">previously requested compensation<\/a> for the costs it incurred from the project stalling.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>Also worth noting:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Russia<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/jordantimes.com\/news\/local\/russia-eyes-deeper-economic-political-engagement-with-jordan-ambassador\" style=\"\">wants<\/a> to export grain, meat, and oil to Jordan<\/li>\n<li><strong>Syria <\/strong>now has an <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sana.sy\/economy\/2449677\/\" style=\"\">exporters council<\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\">\n<p class=\"tag-border-left\">Data point<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1.15;orphans:2;widows:2;text-align:left\"><strong>E-payments now account for <\/strong><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/node\/2639739\/business-economy\" style=\"\">85%<\/a><\/strong><strong> of all transactions in the Saudi retail industry<\/strong>, up 6% from last year. The value of e-payment transactions through national payment systems (including point-of-sale and e-commerce transactions) climbed nearly 16% year-on-year to SAR 14.6 bn in 2025.<\/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\/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                            <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\/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\/trade\/\">Trade<\/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=\"114159\" 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\/15\/114159\/\">\r\n                    <div class=\"photo photo--above\">\r\n                                            <\/div>\r\n                <\/a>\r\n\r\n                \n<article id=\"post-114159\" class=\"content-area-description single-story post-114159 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\">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>Bye-bye, Saudi salary premium | Bahrain joins relief package party | It\u2019s B-A-U for Abu Dhabi, Inc | Egyptian builders to deliver Saudi\u2019s housing ambitions?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":114138,"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-114137","issue","type-issue","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpautop","entry"],"acf":{"mongo_id":"407a3ec2-bda2-4283-ba8f-d6617fdd5e2b","teaser":"Bye-bye, Saudi salary premium | Bahrain joins relief package party | It\u2019s B-A-U for Abu Dhabi, Inc | Egyptian builders to deliver Saudi\u2019s housing ambitions?","photo_url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/2025\/10\/260.jpg"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 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