Good morning, wonderful people. After a couple of rather busy days, it appears the news cycle is deciding to take a bit of a breather with just a handful of big stories to take note of this morning. Leading our newswell is Omniyat Holdings tapping debt capital markets with another sukuk issuance, marking its second issuance in less than six months. We also have the latest real estate market figures for Abu Dhabi, courtesy of ValuStrat, as well as reports that Mubadala could be investing in New York-based private investment group Aquarian.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Lazard to add staff to new Abu Dhabi office: Financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard plans to add around six bankers to its newly opened Abu Dhabi office as part of CEO Peter Orszag’s push to double revenue, Orszag told Bloomberg. The hires will join a dozen dealmakers already in Riyadh, with the firm eyeing mandates from sovereign wealth funds and state energy companies in the region.

ICYMI- Lazard opened a new Abu Dhabi office to be its main UAE advisory hub in April, naming former HSBC banker Hussain Altajir as CEO for UAE operations. The firm first entered the Gulf through Dubai before the 2008 global financial crisis.

Global banks are also ramping up in the Gulf: JPMorgan is planning to add over 100 staff across its Middle East operations, while Cantor Fitzgerald recently tapped our friend Ali Khalpey to lead its regional business from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with plans to build a 25-50 person team.

#2- Northern Ireland trade mission eyes Gulf mega-projects: Nine Northern Ireland (NI) companies will join a trade mission to the UAE and Saudi Arabia from 15-19 September, according to an Invest NI statement. The delegation will stop in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Riyadh for site tours and meetings linked to giga-projects, as they eye collaboration across construction and sustainability initiatives.

NI ❤️ the Gulf: Exports from Northern Ireland to the two countries totaled GBP 162.4 mn (c. USD 219.8 mn) in the 12 months to March 2025, led by machinery, transport equipment, and manufactured goods. The UAE’s construction sector — forecast to expand to USD 53 bn by 2030, up from USD 43 bn in 2025 — is expected to fuel further demand, the statement read.

#3- China firms are also doubling down on GCC: Nearly 90% of Chinese companies plan to expand in the Middle East, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia ranking as the top destinations, PwC’s latest survey shows. Some 44% of the 136 firms surveyed have already formalized business plans — with 79% of respondents targeting the UAE and 84% eyeing Saudi Arabia. Egypt came in third for top investment destinations.

The rationale: Profitability is on the rise, with 40% of firms reporting positive returns from regional operations, while the share of loss-makers has fallen to 15%. Companies are also moving from representative offices to full-scale entities — 77% now operate through local entities — with growing interest in digital tech, renewables, AI, and biopharma.

What they want: Nearly three-quarters of surveyed firms called for clearer and more efficient regulations, while 72% are seeking tax incentives outside freezones, PwC said.

#4- Goldman Sachs’ Russian unit buyer expands into Middle East: Former hedge-fund manager and buyer of Goldman Sachs’ Russian subsidiary, David Amaryan, is expanding his firm’s presence in the Middle East, targeting a USD 500 mn real estate and infrastructure portfolio, Bloomberg reports. The firm — which was among those hit by a USD 18 mn fine from the US Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016, following insider trading allegations — will focus on private markets.

The presence so far: Amaryan’s firm, Balchug Capital, opened an office in Dubai last year and signed an agreement to develop warehouses at Abu Dhabi airport — expected to close in 1Q 2026. He is also pursuing projects in Saudi Arabia across commercial real estate, logistics facilities, and data centers.

#5- CBUAE to offer AED 14 bn in next M-bills auction: The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) will offer up to AED 14 bn in monetary bills at its upcoming auction on Tuesday, 16 September, according to a statement (pdf). The offering includes a 28-day tap issuance worth up to AED 4.1 bn, a 56-day tap issuance of up to AED 2.1 bn, a 84-day AED 3.2 bn tap issuance, and a final 252-day tap issuance worth as much as AED 7.1 bn. All bills will settle on 17 September.

Decoding central bank speak: M-bills are short-term, zero-coupon securities issued in AED with typical maturities of one to 12 months. They are sold via competitive tenders to licensed dealers and are not listed for public trading. A tap issuance allows the CBUAE to reopen an existing line to manage liquidity without launching a new series.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Emirati companies raised nearly USD 4.75 bn from follow-on offerings so far this year, almost tripling 2024 volumes and far outpacing IPO proceeds of just USD 905 mn over the same period, Bloomberg reports. The rally, led by state-linked players, reflects a bid to broaden investor bases, secure global index inclusion, and lock in international capital, bankers told the business news service.

September puts an end to the summer lull: Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund Mubadala’s debt issuing arm Mamoura was the latest to act through the follow-on run with a USD 920 mn secondary stake sale in DFM-listed telco Du. This comes days after state-backed energy giant Adnoc trimmed its holding in both its logistics and gas units via follow-on sales earlier this year. This is in addition to state AI firm G42 which is offloading about 2% of its stake in data analytics firm Presight AI via an accelerated offering to qualified institutional investors.

#2- Hotel establishments in the Emirates generated AED 26 bn in revenue during 1H 2025, up 6.3% y-o-y, Wam reports, quoting Economy and Tourism Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri at the Emirates Tourism Council’s latest meeting. Occupancy stood at 80.5% over the same period.

REMEMBER- Supply incoming: Dubai is set to see 19 new hotels open in 2H 2025, adding 5k rooms and around 7.5k jobs.

HAPPENING TODAY-

Orascom Construction will start trading on the ADX today under the ticker ORAS, moving its primary listing from Nasdaq Dubai to the Abu Dhabi bourse, it said in a statement (pdf). At the opening bell, the contractor’s shares will be dually traded on the ADX and the EGX. Orascom’s ADX debut price was pegged to yesterday’s EGX close of EGP 394.5 per share, converted into AEDs at the UAE Central Bank’s official rate.

REMEMBER- Orascom is the first Egyptian contractor to pursue a dual-list in Abu Dhabi and Cairo, a move that underscores the ADX’s growing pull as a regional liquidity center. For the contractor, the shift away from Nasdaq Dubai opens access to deeper institutional flows, while for other Egyptian corporates it could set a precedent on where to anchor secondary listings.

The UAE’s Universal Postal Congress is running until Friday at the Dubai World Trade Center. The union’s 192 member countries will meet to set policies and strategy for the coming year, with this year’s congress looking to adopt advanced tech under the theme “Leading the Change, Creating the Future.”

The International Government Communication Forum is wrapping up today at Expo Centre Sharjah. Hosted by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, the two-day event will feature panel discussions, workshops, and keynote speeches focused on using strategic communication to develop five global priorities: food security, public health, education, environmental sustainability, and green economy.

The MENA Public-Private Partnership Forum is also on its final day at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. Stakeholders from the finance, government, industry, and development sectors will meet to discuss public-private partnerships with a focus on industries like renewables, digital infrastructure, and healthcare.

TheInternational Renewable Energy Agency Council convenes in Abu Dhabi today, gathering over 400 officials from 169 countries and the EU to set strategic direction for the global energy transition. Discussions will focus on energy security, resilient supply chains — particularly in solar PV — and advancing sustainable aviation fuel investments.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

TheInternational Real Estate and Investment Show Abu Dhabi is taking place from Friday until Sunday in Abu Dhabi. The conference brings together global developers and investors for insights into investment and market trends in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

There’s only one story leading the conversation in the international press this morning: Prominent pro-Trump conservative influencer and co-founder of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk was assassinated last night — shot dead while speaking at a Utah university. The 31-year-old, credited with mobilizing youth and minority voters for President Donald Trump’s second-term victory, was struck in the neck moments after taking a question on gun violence.

The killing — the latest in a string of violent attacks on US political figures — sent shockwaves through Washington. (Reuters | BBC | Associated Press | Financial Times | New York Times | The Guardian | Axios | Bloomberg)

ON THE MARKETS FRONT- Oracle’s blowout quarter briefly made chairman Larry Ellison the world’s richest person yesterday, overtaking Elon Musk after the software giant’s shares jumped 36%. Ellison’s net worth hit a peak of USD 386 bn before easing back by market close, while Oracle’s market value surged to USD 922 bn on the back of huge cloud contracts tied to OpenAI and other AI leaders. (Financial Times | Bloomberg | The Guardian | BBC | Axios | Washington Post | Reuters)

CLOSER TO HOME- Israel launched airstrikes on Yemen — killing 35 and injuring over 100 — after the Houthis launched a drone attack that hit an Israeli airport. The attack comes one day after Israel launched an attack on Qatar. (AP | New York Times | Reuters | Bloomberg)

ALSO WORTH NOTING THIS MORNING-

#1- Poland has become the first NATO member to fire on suspected Russian drones during the war in Ukraine, after 19 objects crossed into its airspace overnight during a Russian air attack on Ukraine. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incident a “large-scale provocation” and activated Article 4 of the NATO treaty, requesting emergency consultation with allies. (Reuters | Associated Press | The Guardian | BBC | New York Times)

#2- Life on Mars? NASA scientists say new rock samples collected from an ancient riverbed on Mars could hold the strongest evidence so far of ancient microbial life — though they stress much more analysis is needed. (Associated Press | CNN)

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MARKET WATCH-

Global crude oil inventories are set to expand by more than 2 mn bbl / d through the first quarter of 2026, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its latest short-term energy outlook (pdf). The agency had previously expected the surplus in 4Q 2025, but revised its view as supply growth outpaces demand. The updated forecast doesn’t yet factor in the additional production that Opec recently agreed to roll out.

The accumulation of inventories is expected to weigh on prices, with Brent seen averaging USD 51 / bbl next year — well below its current USD 66.50 / bbl, according to the EIA outlook. The agency added that the market imbalance could force Opec+ and other producers to dial back output later in 2026 to stabilize prices.

Some forecasts see prices in the 50s: Goldman Sachs also expects an oil surplus in 2026, revising its estimate to 1.9 mn bbl / d, and sees Brent averaging USD 56 / bbl in 2026. S&P Global is also projecting weaker crude prices by year-end, with dated Brent seen falling toward USD 55 / bbl as Opec continues to release additional supply.

Can China help? China’s stockpiling of crude oil, which absorbed surplus supply throughout this year, is expected to persist at a comparable pace into 2026, Reuters reported citing Gunvor head of research Frederic Lasserre.

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