Good morning, friends. We have a busy issue for you this morning, led by news that Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank wrapped its bumper rights issue, a new fund launch in ADGM, and the latest data from NielsenIQ on consumer trends in the UAE.

PLUS- We look at the rise of Gulf issuance in China, as Asian investors pivot away from US debt and look towards diversifying their bonds amid policy uncertainty and headwinds.

AND- We sit down with Coursera’s CEO Greg Hart, who tells us about the demand for the platform in the UAE, why microcredentials like online certificates are rising in importance amid a competitive job market, and how AI is shifting learner trends in the UAE and the wider region.

BUT FIRST- The Central Bank of the UAE cut interest rates for the third time this year, lowering them by 25 bps in line with the US Federal Reserve’s move in its meeting yesterday, state news agency Wam reports. The base rate applicable to the overnight deposit facility was cut to 3.65%, while the rate applicable to borrowing short-term liquidity remains the same at 50 bps above the base rate for all standing credit facilities.

We have more on what drove the Fed’s decision and what’s coming next in this morning’s Planet Finance, below.

⛅WEATHER- We’re in for a mostly cloudy day in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with the mercury peaking at 30°C in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, before cooling to a low of 20°C in the former and 18°C in the capital.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Paramount lobbies Warner Bros shareholders to back its Gulf-backed hostile takeover: Paramount CEO David Ellison made a compelling regulatory and valuation case for his company’s USD 180 bn hostile bid during meetings with Warner Bros shareholders in New York this week, where he also assuaged concerns over reliance on Gulf funds for the bid, sources present during meetings told the Financial Times. Investor Mario Gabelli, whose fund holds USD 160 mn in Warner Bros stock, told the FT his clients would be better off tendering to Paramount unless Netflix “bumps the price.”

REMEMBER- Paramount launched a counter bid for all of WBD days after Netflix agreed to acquire its Hollywood studios, as well as HBO and streaming business, but not its traditional TV channels. Abu Dhabi’s L’imad, QIA, and PIF are providing USD 24 bn to support Paramount’s bid, structured without governance rights to avoid review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US. The bidding war has driven WBD’s stock from USD 12 in September to USD 28 this week, with both suitors now under pressure to sweeten terms.

What’s next? Warner Bros’ shareholders have until 8 January to decide what it will do.

#2- Mubadala Capital, Kaio to explore tokenizing private market investment products: Mubadala Capital and Kaio, an onchain infrastructure provider for real-world assets, will explore opening up tokenized access to the asset manager’s private-market investment products to institutional and accredited investors, according to a press release.

The move points to a growing wave of “traditional institutional capital […] scaling onchain,” Kaio CEO Shrey Rastogi said. The tie-up will look into providing access to alternative investment options using digital infrastructure from Kaio — which has already worked with the likes of BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane on tokenized feeder structures.

#3- e& to start accepting stablecoin: You can soon use AE Coin, the UAE’s first AED-pegged stablecoin, to pay for phone bills, recharges, and other digital and self-service transactions, after e& UAE inked an MoU with Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank) to enable the payments, according to a press release.

ICYMI– A host of Emirati players are adopting AE Coin payments, with 7X inking a similar MoU last week, as well as Air Arabia, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, and Abu Dhabi’s Tawasul Taxis.

In other stablecoin news, Blockchain Center Abu Dhabi partnered with stablecoin FX exchange infrastructure provider Open Stable Network (OSN) to set up an Abu Dhabi-based stablecoin and digital assets platform, which will be known as OSN Abu Dhabi, according to a press release.

Another AED-pegged stablecoin that was recently approved, Zand AED, will reduce regular transfer fees to 0.5% from 6%, the bank’s CEO Michael Chan told CNBC Arabia (watch, runtime: 1:34). The Central Bank of the UAE gave Zand Bank approval to issue the stablecoin last month

This comes as the UAE is now being dubbed “the world’s second crypto capital” after the US by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong told CNBC (watch, runtime: 8:34), thanks to regulatory clarity that has attracted a pool of investors, The Nasdaq-listed crypto exchange, which recently acquired Dubai-based crypto options exchange Deribit for USD 2.9 bn, plans to make the UAE their international HQ for derivatives, Armstrong added.

#4- Wider adoption of long-haul aircraft models is expected to boost Dubai airports’ reach to over 600 destinations, up from 240 today, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told Khaleej Times. With local and foreign carriers set to receive new long-range aircraft in the coming years, Griffiths believes Dubai could boost its aviation hub status by tapping new routes to “secondary cities” in Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Widebodies are no longer the only jets capable of long-haul trips, as new narrow-body models can now fly for up to nine hours and carry as many as 200 passengers, Griffiths explained.

Airport expansions are another piece of the puzzle: Al Maktoum Airport’s USD 10-12 bn expansion project is set to lift Dubai airports’ capacity to 260 mn passengers. DXB is expected to be integrated into DWC — which is planned to be five times DXB’s size.

#5- Our region needs some USD 200 bn in gas investment over the next four years to keep pace with demand, Crescent Petroleum CEO and Dana Gas Board Managing Director Majid Jafar was quoted as saying at the Middle East Gas Conference, according to a press release. Regional output has grown by over 15% since 2020 and is on track to rise another 30% by 2030, putting the Middle East on course to become the world’s second-largest natural gas producer after North America, Jafar said.

Producers must bring on an additional 14 bcf/d of supply by 2030 to reach 86 bcf/d — an increase comparable to the entire gas demand of Europe’s power sector, the press release noted. The region’s push to build out AI infrastructure in the UAE and Saudi Arabia will amplify demand, with power-intensive server clusters drawn by comparatively lower energy costs, modern networks, and the need for steady baseload electricity that gas currently provides.

The IEA agrees: Middle East natural gas output is forecast to expand by more than 20% (around 165 bcm) between 2024 and 2030, with Saudi Arabia contributing nearly 40 bcm and the UAE adding around 20 bcm. Global gas demand is seen climbing by 1.5% annually through 2030 in the IEA’s base case — or 380 bcm in absolute terms. About half of that demand (roughly 190 bcm) would come from Asia-Pacific, with the Middle East accounting for close to 30% of the non-Asia share — more than 50 bcm over the period.

#6- Abu Dhabi family owned-developer expands London portfolio with major West End office project: London’s Westminster City Council approved plans by Berkeley Estate Asset Management, a real estate asset manager owned by Abu Dhabi’s ruling Al Nahyan family, for one of the largest office developments in London’s West End, Bloomberg reports. The developer is owned by the Private Department of the President of the UAE, according to official government data.

The details: The project involves redeveloping the former flagship BHS store and the adjoining London College of Fashion building on Oxford Street, creating around 80k sq ft. of office space and over 100k sq ft of stores. Led by architect KPF, the design reconditions an area typically dominated by smaller historic buildings, which are subject to strict regulatory protections and restrictions.

PSA-

School days will get shorter on Fridays to account for new Friday prayer times: The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, and Zakat will standardize Friday sermons and prayers, moving it up to 12:45pm nationwide, effective from 2 January 2026, Gulf News reports. Schools are likely to see shorter days and will coordinate with educational authorities to implement schedule adjustments to accommodate the change.

DATA POINT-

GCC top market for Dubai exports in 9M: GCC markets were the main destination for Dubai Chamber of Commerce members’ exports and re-exports in 9M 2025, according to the Dubai Media Office. The region accounted for 48.2% of the AED 125.3 bn total.

Non-GCC Middle East markets came second, accounting for 29.1% at AED 75.7 bn, followed by Africa at AED 26.1 bn. Asia-Pacific was next with AED 21.9 bn, while Europe saw AED 7.8 bn, North America logged AED 1.8 bn, and Latin American markets saw just over AED 1 bn.

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HAPPENING TODAY-

Abu Dhabi Finance Week runs until Thursday, 11 December at the ADGM in Al Maryah Island. The largest finance event in the UAE promises a star-studded lineup, with the likes of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon among the speakers on the schedule. Day one will host the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum, which will feature government officials, heads of sovereign wealth funds, and economists to discuss the future of sustainable economic development.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

The UAE is among eight countries attending the Pax Silica summit hosted by the US on Friday, 12 December at the White House. The meeting will gather close US allies including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, and Australia as the US looks to reduce dependence on China and counter its dominance in AI technology. Washington aims to secure agreements with the attending countries — all of whom either possess critical mineral resources or host major semiconductor firms.

DATA POINT- China accounts for over 90% of the world’s rare earths and permanent magnet refining capacity — essential for the development of computer chips and other AI technology — followed by Malaysia with just 4%.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

One story is on every front page this morning: The US Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by 25 bps to 3.50-3.75%, marking its third cut this year. The decision was the result of a rare 9-3 split vote that exposed divisions over how to steer the economy through tariffs, a labor squeeze, and limited data from the government shutdown. Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed faces “significant downside risks” in the jobs market and inflationary pressures from Trump’s trade policies, urging caution as new data comes in. (Guardian | BBC | CNBC | CNN | Reuters | Bloomberg)

** DIVE DEEPER- We have more on the Fed’s decision in this morning’s Planet Finance, below.

AND- US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, escalating Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The vessel was accused of transporting illicit oil from Venezuela and Iran. (Guardian | BBC | Bloomberg | CNN | Reuters)

Escalation in Yemen is also getting attention: The Southern Transitional Council in Yemen, which has in the past been backed by the UAE, seized power across southern Yemen earlier this week in a major move that could potentially split the country into two states for the first time in decades. Saudi Arabia also withdrew its troops from the presidential palace in the southern capital, effectively handing control to the STC. (Reuters | Guardian | France24 | Associated Press)

Background: The country has faced a civil war for over a decade as Iran-aligned Houthis control the most populous areas of the country, while Saudi Arabia and UAE-backed coalitions have backed the government in the south, though things had reached somewhat of a stalemate for a few years. The latest move from the STC upends the quiet agreement that had been in place among the anti-houthi partners.

A UAE official told Reuters that the UAE’s position on Yemen “is in line with Saudi Arabia in supporting a political process” that is based on UN resolutions, without commenting directly on the STC’s moves in Yemen.

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