CRYPTO-

Emirates taps Crypto.com for crypto payments: Emirates Airlines signed an MoU with cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com to explore integrating Crypto.com Pay into its payments system, with implementation expected in 2026, according to a press release. The tie-up means customers will be able to make flight payments through Crypto.com’s platform.

Crypto.com has been expanding its footprint in the Emirates, signing a cooperation agreement earlier this week with the Dubai Land Department to explore blockchain infrastructure for real estate transactions. Dubai Finance signed an MoU with the exchange in May to enable stablecoin payments for government services. Crypto.com is also piloting crypto payments at Emarat fuel stations — a first in MENA. This story got ink from Reuters.

Not the first airline in the crypto game: Earlier this year Air Arabia partnered with Al Maryah Community Bank’s AEC Wallet app, allowing customers to pay for flights using AE Coin — the UAE’s first AED-pegged stablecoin.

#2- Crypto.com also signed an MoU with Dubai Dutyfree to study enabling crypto payments at both its stores and online, according to the Dubai Media Office. The agreement also opens potential for joint marketing initiatives and customer engagement programs between the travel retailer and crypto platform.

DEBT-

CDB lists dual-currency bonds on Nasdaq Dubai: China Development Bank (CDB) listed a USD 500 mn three-year floating-rate bond and a EUR 500 mn three-year fixed-rate bond on Nasdaq Dubai, as part of its strategy to diversify offshore funding and broaden its international investor base, according to a statement (pdf). The listing brings total Chinese fixed-income issuances on Nasdaq Dubai to USD 13.4 bn, out of USD 136.2 bn in total debt listings.

The details: The USD tranche was priced at a spread of 30 bps above the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and was 3x oversubscribed. The EUR tranche, with a 2.25% coupon, saw 15x oversubscription — the highest ever for a Chinese bank EUR issuance. Both tranches are rated A1 by Moody’s.

STARTUPS-

UAE-based icogz has secured USD 1.4 mn in pre-seed funding from Emirati and Indian angel investors to expand its AI platform — Aryabot — and grow its presence in MENA and Southeast Asia, according to a press release. The funding will support product development, hiring, and go-to-market execution ahead of a planned Series A funding round.

Icogz? Founded in 2018 by Amit Tripathi (LinkedIn) and Vrutika Dawda (LinkedIn), icogz is an AI-native business intelligence platform that helps enterprises unify previously isolated operational data, and uses it to produce actionable business insights and solutions. Its flagship product, Aryabot, acts as an AI assistant and is capable of analyzing and responding to business queries in natural language.

FINANCE-

Oryx Capital secured ADGM 3C license: Abu Dhabi-based energy-focused private equity firm Oryx Global Partners has secured a category 3C fund manager license from the ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FRSA), enabling it to manage funds and portfolios focused on critical minerals, according to a press release. Oryx also signed the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration.

Why it matters: The license gives the investment firm a regulated base in Abu Dhabi to manage investment funds and portfolios in the minerals value chain, targeting critical and strategic mineral assets. Abu Dhabi’s strategic position to both eastern and western markets was cited as a reason for the move, the statement read.

CAPITAL MARKETS-

HSBC joins Lunate’s ETS platform as first int’l AP: Abu Dhabi-based alternative asset manager Lunate appointed HSBC Bank UK as its first international authorized participant (AP) for its ETF ranges, according to a statement. HSBC will support both Lunate’s UCITS and Securities and Commodities Authority-regulated ETFs, acting as a link between primary and secondary markets.

IN CONTEXT- The bank will become the seventh AP on Lunate’s platform and its first international AP — it most recently partnered with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) last year, with the lender becoming its sixth AP. Lunate currently manages 18 equity and fixed-income ETFs listed on the ADX and DFM, offering exposure to developed and emerging markets.

AVIATION-

#1- Air Arabia adds new Pakistan route: Budget carrier Air Arabia will introduce flights to the industrial city of Sialkot in Pakistan, starting from Thursday, 17 July, according to a press release. The new route will operate three weekly flights from Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport. The carrier already serves Faisalabad and Multan in Pakistan.

Air Arabia is on an expansion streak: The carrier introduced a daily direct service between Sharjah and Prague this month, as well as daily flights between Sharjah International Airport and Munich International Airport. It also launched a new route connecting Abu Dhabi to Almaty in Kazakhstan last month.

#2- Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will discontinue several Eastern European routes in the coming months: The airline’s final flight to Belgrade will operate on 19 July, with Sarajevo services ending on 31 August, Sarajevo Times reports. Other permanent route cancellations from the Emirati capital include Varna (14 July), Tirana (20 July), and Kutaisi (29 July). Flights to Sofia and Cluj have already been suspended.

The carrier will temporarily halt services to additional destinations, including Budapest until 1 September, Vienna until 21 September, and Krakow from 29 July to 19 September. Katowice flights are suspended until 26 October, while Astana and Samarkand routes are paused until 1 November.

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