An Egypt-UAE portfolio tieup, Aramex refinances, more UAE-China flows, Mashreq + Cashew team up on lending

An Egypt-UAE tie-up with a USD 500 mn portfolio

Egyptian developer Delta Capital for Urban Development has partnered with Emirates Global Real Estate Investment to launch a USD 500 mn portfolio of mixed-use projects across Egypt, Zawya reports. Construction will begin in 2027. The 500-acre portfolio will span residential, commercial, and service projects in Cairo, Kafr El Sheikh, and El Mahalla El Kubra.

Aramex refinances debt

Aramex is pulling its financing home: Logistics firm Aramex refinanced AED 815 mn of debt, rolling its USD and GBP loans into one UAE-domiciled facility backed by local and international banks. The facility is structured as sustainability-linked, integrating accountability directly into the company’s financing approach.

A UAE-domiciled facility means the debt now sits under UAE law — with a local borrowing entity and a single regulatory and repayment structure — replacing a mix of offshore USD and GBP loans, and reducing both complexity and multi-jurisdictional exposure. By pulling offshore obligations into one domestic facility, the logistics provider aligns its capital structure more closely with its operational core — a move that acting CFO Lubna Shebli framed as both a cost optimization and a balance sheet upgrade.

BACKGROUND- Aramex is refinancing from a position of stability after it ended last year with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 3.2x — a level where financing matters.

Grow taps ADGM as UAE-China capital flows build

China’s Grow looks to ADGM: China-based international asset manager Grow Investment Group has secured in-principle approval for a financial services permission in ADGM, marking its push into the region as it looks to tap institutional capital and position itself as a bridge between GCC investors and Chinese markets, according to a press release. The USD 1.5 bn asset manager plans to roll out multi-asset strategies and access to Chinese capital markets once fully licensed, with final approval expected in the coming weeks.

Why now: The move lands as Abu Dhabi doubles down on financial cooperation with China. ADGM recently signed an MoU with Shenzhen’s Futian District covering financial services, AI, and cross-border investment frameworks, following a broader push that saw 24 UAE-China agreements inked earlier this month spanning trade and investment.

Mashreq + Cashew team up on lending

Our friends at Mashreq and UAE-based fintech Cashew are teaming up on a lending framework, according to a press release. Clients will be able to access up to AED 150k through a buy-now-pay-later mechanism that spreads repayments over up to two years. Mashreq also stepped into the healthcare financing field last week through a partnership with Toothpick, allowing customers to secure financing for treatments and procedures.