Good morning, wonderful people, and happy hump day. It’s another busy morning of news here at home, with more M&A updates — this time from Abu Dhabi investor Lunate, which is eyeing an acquisition of Snam’s stake in Adnoc Gas Pipelines, and ADNH Catering, which snapped up a catering business.  

WEATHER- Expect a partly cloudy day today along with a slight and gradual drop in temperatures, according to the National Center of Meteorology (pdf). The mercury in Dubai will hit 25°C, with an overnight low of 17°C, while temperatures will hit 21°C in Abu Dhabi, with an overnight low of 19°C.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- DFM-listed logistics giant Aramex tapped HSBC as its financial advisor for a potential takeover by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ, according to a regulatory filing (pdf) to the exchange. The transaction, which was announced earlier this month, will be made through ADQ’s subsidiary Q Logistics Holding, and is set to exclude the 22.69% stake held by Abu Dhabi Ports — which is also owned by the sovereign wealth fund. Clifford Chance was hired to provide counsel on the potential acquisition. ADQ has yet to submit an official bid for the purchase, which is currently pending due diligence, SCA approvals, and other regulatory requirements.

What we know: The acquisition would value Aramex at AED 4.39 bn, according to our calculations. The cash-offer will be placed at AED 3 per share, a premium of around 30% to Aramex’s closing price of AED 2.31 the day before ADQ first expressed interest.

ADQ’s advisors: Rothschild is acting as financial adviser for Q Logistics, while Emirates NBD capital serves as lead manager.

#2- Arcapita mulls USD 1 bn REIT for Middle Eastern real estate: Bahrain’s Arcapita Group Holdings has tapped banks to explore the creation of a real estate investment trust (REIT) to house its Middle Eastern property assets — including those in Dubai — Bloomberg reports.

The trust would hold assets valued at more than USD 1 bn, though plans are still in the early stages, and no final decisions have been made. Arcapita is developing a 30k sqm warehouse in Dubai, in partnership with Danish logistics firm DSV A/S to expand its logistics footprint in the Gulf, it said in a statement yesterday. The firm also owns several portfolios of logistics and residential real estate assets across the UAE and the wider region.

#3- Al Habtoor to exit Lebanon: Emirati entrepreneur Khalaf Al Habtoor has backtracked from plans to invest in Lebanon, saying he intends to sell all his properties and investments in the country, Reuters reports. This decision was attributed to the ongoing unrest and instability in Lebanon and the failure to establish “the rule of law,” Al Habtoor said.

REMEMBER- Al Habtoor had stated only last week that his investment plans in the country are tied to the formation of a new independent government. He also scrapped plans to launch a TV channel and a studio city in Beirut earlier last year after he and his staff received what they said were physical threats that presented significant security challenges.

#4- The UAE is rolling out a unified national platform to streamline the licensing process for healthcare workers, Khaleej Times reports. The initiative is in its final stages, according to the Health and Prevention Ministry’s acting director of the Licensing and Accreditation Department, Alla Mansour Yahya, though the launch date is not yet confirmed.

#5- The UAE could boost its rainfall rate by up to 25% using technologies developed under the new cycle of its UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP), Khaleej Times reports, citing director of the program Alya Al Mazrouei, at the International Rain Enhancement Forum in Abu Dhabi. The UAEREP has also opened its sixth cycle for research proposals, offering grants up to USD 1.5 mn for projects focusing on areas like optimised seeding materials, autonomous systems, and advanced data analysis.

#6- UAE-Amazon collaboration ahead? Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Amazon President and CEO Andrew R. Jassy, according to an Abu Dhabi Media Office statement. They discussed potential cooperation in e-commerce, cloud computing, and AI solutions, among other sectors.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Ras Al Khaimah International Airport’s passenger traffic increased by 28% y-o-y, with some 662k travelers in 2024, state news agency Wam reports, citing Head of the Civil Aviation Department in Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Salem Al Qasimi. Meanwhile, outbound passenger traffic rose 39%. The increase was driven by expanded airline services at the airport and increased destinations. Cargo operations saw a 97% rise, with 6.7k tons processed in 2024. Aircraft movements also grew 21% to 7.4k flights. The year’s figures exceeded projections by 190%.

#2- High-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) in the UAE have grown their assets by 20% since 2022, hitting USD 700 bn, according to a new report (pdf) from DIFC Innovation Hub, Julius Baer, and Euroclear. With the Middle East bracing for a USD 1 tn (AED 3.7 tn) generational wealth transfer, the whitepaper explores how AI, blockchain, and tokenization can simplify and secure the process.

The challenge? Only 24% of HNWIs have a full estate plan, and 53% of families cite complexity and time constraints as key barriers. The report calls for better collaboration among wealth managers, family offices, regulators, and service providers to untangle the process and leverage tech for smoother transitions.

PSA-

Individuals running one-person businesses generating AED 1 mn or more per year must register for corporate tax by March 31, 2025, according to a UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) statement (pdf).

Mind the penalty: Qualified individuals must file their corporate tax return by September 30, 2025. Missing the registration deadline will result in a penalty of AED 10k.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- Arab Health is on its third day, and runs until tomorrow at the Dubai World Trade Center. The annual healthcare exhibit gathers over 3.8k companies, with the goal of showcasing the latest tech solutions to challenges in the healthcare sector.

#2- It’s interest rate day. The US Federal Reserve is set to decide today for the first time this year on interest rates, with the GCC’s central banks awaiting its move before mirroring it (Remember: most GCC currencies are pegged to the USD). The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates steady, despite calls from US President Donald Trump to drop interest rates “immediately.”

#3- The Arab Payment Week is on its last day today at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort. The event features discussions on payments and financial services, focusing on instant payments, cross-border transactions, compliance, financial crime prevention, and technologies like CBDCs, artificial intelligence, and tokenized securities. It includes over 50 speakers and 300 participants from global financial institutions.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

The Budapest assembly will mull the possible use of its preemptive right to purchase the land plot sold to Eagle Hills today to block the acquisition from happening, Bloomberg reports.

Background- Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills entered an agreement last week with Hungarian officials to develop Grand Budapest, a EUR 12 bn sustainable, smart district in Budapest, dubbed mini-Dubai for its resemblance to Dubai’s flashy neighborhoods. However, the city’s Mayor Gergely Karacsony intends to block the project, arguing that the land is worth much more than the HUF 51 bn (USD 128 mn) sale price and urging the government to prioritize affordable housing instead of luxury real estate projects.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Another day, another erratic move from US President Donald Trump is taking up the global press’ attention.

Trump attempted to freeze hundreds of bns of USDs in federal aid — spanning anti-poverty initiatives and Medicaid to thousands of institutions reliant on federal loans — in order to make sure federal agencies align with his Make America Great Again agenda, before the decision was blocked seconds before it was set to take effect by a judge. The decision will now be deferred to a hearing on 3 February. The 24-hour chaos before the decision was blocked is getting attention everywhere: Reuters | Bloomberg | Financial Times | New York Times | AP | WSJ.

In business news, Trump said Microsoft is in talks to buy TikTok ahead of its impending ban in the US, Reuters reports. The tech giant was previously in talks to acquire a US unit of TikTok that would be separate from its Chinese parent ByteDance in 2020 before talks collapsed.

ALSO- US tech shares recovered some of their losses after the DeepSeek selloff a day earlier, with AI chip giant Nvidia gaining 8.9%. (Reuters | FT)

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MARKET WATCH-

#1- Oil shipments to Asia from the North Sea and Kazakhstan are set to hit a 10-month high in February at an estimated 400k barrels a day as refiners turn away from Middle Eastern crude due to rising premiums, including from UAE suppliers which are constrained by Opec+ production limits, according to Bloomberg vessel tracking and trading data. This comes against a backdrop of US sanctions targeting Russian oil tankers, ins. firms, and producers, which further tightens up crude supply.

Key buyers include Indian refiners and teapot refineries, with volumes of the North Sea’s Johan Sverdrup and Forties and Kazakhstan’s CPC Blend crude reaching their highest levels since April 2024.

REMEMBER- Indian state refiners, including Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Petroleum, reportedly urged Adnoc last week to offer Delivered at Port (DAP) pricing, alongside traditional FOB terms. India typically obtains Russian crude on DAP terms, where sellers cover shipping and ins. costs, unlike the FOB model used by most Middle Eastern producers. This comes after new US sanctions against Russian and Iranian oil supplies have made it harder for India and China to secure alternative sources, pushing Middle East crude spot premiums to a two-year high.

#2- UAE + Saudi energy ministers discuss Trump’s oil price demands: UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman held an informal discussion on US President Donald Trump’s request for OPEC+ to increase production, reports Reuters citing unnamed sources. While Trump expects a greater oil supply will lead to lower prices, OPEC+ is expected to introduce no changes to its current policy at a review meeting scheduled for next week.

ICYMI: Last December, OPEC+ agreed to extend oil output cuts well into 2025 as the group aimed to counter weak market demand, high interest rates, and rising production in the US.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE-Kuwait Week will take place between 3-4 February in Dubai, featuring investment conferences, panel discussions on economic development, and B2B meetings. Attendees will explore opportunities for collaboration in emerging industries, Wam reports.

Abu Dhabi will host the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for the first time from 23-25 May at Etihad Arena, marking the first time the region hosts a Euroleague Basketball event, Wam reports.

Solana Economic Zone will take place between 14-26 April in Dubai. The two-week event will focus on blockchain innovation, providing a platform for founders, builders, and investors looking to set up crypto and blockchain businesses in Dubai.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

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