AD Ports locks in at Aqaba

AD Ports signed a 30-year concession agreement to operate and develop Jordan’s Aqaba Multipurpose Terminal through a new JV with the Aqaba Development Corporation, according to a statement. The port operator is set to hold a 70% stake and has earmarked AED 141 mn (USD 38 mn) for the project.

The move is a key step in reinforcing its Red Sea logistics infrastructure. Aqaba is located at a crossroads of three continents — potentially serving as a bridge between the firm’s operations in the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt. AD Ports is also set to roll out its digital port system at Aqaba.

DATA POINT- Aqaba handles some 80% of Jordan’s exports and 65% of its imports. The port retains an annual handling capacity of 11 mn tons — supported by nine berths — and handled over 3.5 mn tons of cargo and nearly 85k CEUs of RoRo imports last year.

Shorooq Partners secures backing from Qatari tech founder

Shorooq gets new Qatari investment partner: Founder of Qatari e-commerce service platform Snoonu Hamad Al Hajri (LinkedIn) will invest in two of Shorooq Partners’ flagship vehicles — a newly launched late-stage growth fund and a global AI fund, according to a press release and separate post on LinkedIn. The move expands Shorooq’s network of operator-investors.

REFRESHER- This is Shorooq’s second Qatari backing in as many weeks. It landed support from the Qatar Investment Authority for its USD 200 mn growth fund, which is designed to support pre-IPO scale-ups that show promising results but require financing for expansion. The other vehicle Al Hajri is now backing is the USD 100 mn AI fund — launched in September and backed by data analytics firm Presight — to finance AI ventures worldwide, targeting AI, machine learning, and data analytics startups.

Maerki Baumann targets tech and crypto surge in Abu Dhabi

Swiss bank Maerki Baumann expands to ADGM: Zurich-based private bank Maerki Baumann rolled out its first office abroad in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, after it received regulatory approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, according to a press release. Operating under the flagship name Archip, the new Middle East hub primarily targets Web3 and blockchain firms, providing them with corporate accounts, liquidity management, custody, and staking accounts. The office will be led by the bank’s former general counsel and head of legal & compliance Andreas Froehlicher (LinkedIn). The Swiss bank currently has no plans for further expansion in the UAE or the broader Middle East, Froehlicher told EnterpriseAM in an email.

IN CONTEXT- The launch has been in the works for a while. The Swiss bank has been working to secure regulatory approval since 2024 to capitalize on the market niche formed by local tech clients, according to a separate press release (pdf).

SmartCrowd greenlit by Vara for tokenized real estate platform

SmartCrowd secures approval for tokenized real estate platform: SmartCrowd, a Dubai-based subsidiary of Egyptian proptech Nawy, secured in-principal approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara) to launch its tokenized real estate platform via Nawy Shares, according to a press release. SmartCrowd is aiming to facilitate AED 500 mn worth of transactions this year, with AED 220 mn already under its belt. Its Nawy Shares platform opens up fractional real estate investment to international investors.

ICYMI- Nawy, which is Cairo-based and backed by e&, acquired a majority stake in SmartCrowd last year, after the Egyptian firm raised USD 52 mn earlier in the year for expansion efforts. At the end of 2025, SmartCrowd launched the first crowdfunded property in Abu Dhabi — an AED 1.2 mn studio on Yas Island.

Daleel lands funds to scale AI real estate platform for brokers + investors

Dubai-based proptech startup Daleel closed a USD 3 mn pre-seed funding round led by an angel investor in the real estate sector, according to a press release. The capital will be deployed to accelerate product development, launch mobile applications, and expand the platform’s coverage beyond Dubai to Abu Dhabi and other regional markets, with a focus on Saudi Arabia.

About Daleel: Founded by Ilan Cohen (LinkedIn) and Ely Weichsel (LinkedIn) in 2025, the firm is developing a platform that links verified government transaction data with current property listings. Its platform is open to investors and brokers, and offers insights on sale prices, construction updates, and mortgage transactions.

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