Google doubles down on AI investments in MENA

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

THIS MORNING: Fuel prices are up in November + Visa overstay amnesty period extended

Good morning, lovely people, and happy FRIDAY and first day of November. We have a busy issue for you this morning, with data on the UAE’s job market in 3Q 2024, Julphar divesting one of its units, and Google investing a lot in the UAE — and the region’s — AI sector.

?FIRST- Abu Dhabi’s Michelin guide is out: Four Abu Dhabi restaurants maintained their one michelin star rating — 99 Sushi Bar, Erth, Hakkasan, and Talea by Antonio Guida — while a couple of new ones were handed Bib Gourmand status and 37 were classified as Michelin selected restaurants. You can find the full list here.

WEATHER- The mercury peaks at 35°C in Dubai today, before cooling to an overnight low of 29°C. Over in Abu Dhabi, expect a high of 30°C and a low of 28°C.

PSAs-

#1- You’ll be paying more at the pump this month: The Fuel Price Committee hiked fuel prices for November by around 3% after an 8% price cut last month, according to a Facebook post by the Emirates General Petroleum Company.

The breakdown per liter:

Super 98 is now AED 2.74;
Special 95 is now AED 2.63;
E-Plus 91 now costs AED 2.55;
Diesel is now AED 2.67, up from AED 2.60 last month.

Taxi fare prices in Ajman are rising in tandem to reach AED 1.77 per km, according to an X post. This is a 0.2 fils increase from October’s AED 1.75 per km fare.

#2- Residents breaching residency regulations have another two months of amnesty to rectify their status without paying any fines, with the amnesty program extended from 31 October to 31 December, according to a decision by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security. The grace period allows violators to either obtain an employment contract or exit the UAE without incurring legal penalties.

ICYMI- The visa overstay amnesty program, initiated in early September is designed to assist individuals in resolving their visa issues without incurring a fee for receiving a stamp banning them from re-entering the UAE.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1-Future of mBridge uncertain after BIS quits: The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) will stop working on mBridge, the cross-border digital payments platform under development by the UAE, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia, as it looks to distance itself from the project linking Global South countries and Russia, Reuters reports.

The rationale: The bank said it would step aside due to the project’s involvement with Russia, which is a sanctioned country

#2- Asset manager BlackRock is launching five funds with Aditum Investment Management for UAE investors, Citywire reports. The BlackRock Aditum dynamic high-income fund, global allocation fund, global multi-asset income fund, sustainable energy fund, and world health science fund were incorporated on 25 October in the Dubai International Financial Center.

REMEMBER- Auditum debuted four public funds in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) earlier in June. The firm has integrated 10 funds into its incorporated cell company structure so far. with the newly-launched four funds receiving initial subscriptions in May. Additionally, an eleventh fund is currently in the incorporation process. Aditum had also been planning to introduce an Islamic multi-asset fund and a global fixed-income strategy.

#3- Emirates Airlines, Amazon, Careem, and Gems Education will participate in the Gig Economy Sandbox initiative, according to the Dubai Future Foundation, the Dubai Media Office reports. Part of the startup program Sandbox Dubai, the Gig Economy Sandbox focuses on creating regulations for sectors that require seasonal workers, including retail, hospitality, tourism, aviation, education, transport, and logistics.

SPEAKING OF EMIRATES- The airline is grappling with major setbacks to its growth plans due to Boeing and Airbus’ aircraft delays, Bloomberg reports. These setbacks have hindered Emirates from being able to pursue expansion plans, and have cost it an estimated USD 4 bn in extra costs to refurbish the existing fleet, COO Adnan Kazim told Bloomberg. Although Emirates is receiving compensation for the delays, the costs to overhaul the fleet far exceed what the airline is being reimbursed. “With how the growth is coming in, we are definitely in need of these aircraft now or yesterday even,” he said.

REFRESHER- Boeing has delayed the 777X delivery multiple times, most recently in July. Following the July schedule, Emirates’ Tim Clark said that he “would not take kindly” to further delays caused by a growing backlog of orders, and that he doesn’t expect Boeing’s 777X aircraft to enter commercial services before 2026.

#4- India’s Income Tax (I-T) department’s Foreign Asset Investigation Unit (FAIU) is cracking down on Indian nationals with undeclared Dubai properties, issuing some 100 notices last week alone, the Economic Times reports, citing sources it says are in the know. The move follows data from UAE authorities revealing properties owned by Indian passport holders who spend less than 90 days a year in the UAE — below the 90-day threshold for residency and the 181-day period granting tax treaty protections with India.

What’s next? The FAIU notices request evidence that funds used to buy Dubai properties come from legitimate sources declared in I-T returns. If individuals can verify these funds as taxed income, they can avoid “a heavy tax and fine” under the Black Money Act, even if the property wasn’t initially declared. Meanwhile, untraceable funds could incur penalties potentially above the property’s value.

#5- Mubadala to tap into Brazil’s SAF industry? Mubadala-backed Brazilian sugarcane processor Atvos is mulling setting up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plants in Brazil to capitalize on the country’s potential “to be the world’s SAF hub,” Atvos COO Bruno Serapião told Bloomberg. Atvos is looking to invest in a SAF unit that will utilize alcohol-to-jet technology to convert ethanol into aviation fuel.

Brazil’s SAF market is poised for rapid growth, bolstered by its status as the world’s second-largest producer of ethanol — crucial for SAF production — and a strong agriculture sector.

ICYMI- Mubadala is already investing in Brazil’s biofuels sector, with plans for a USD 13.5 bn biofuels project over the next 10 years to produce renewable diesel and SAF.

REFRESHER- Last year, Mubadala Capital acquired Grupo Novonor’s 6.85% stake in Brazilian sugarcane processor Atvos, raising its total stake to 38.35%.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- Dubai is hosting the World Cities Cultural Summit through to Friday. The summit probes how cities can create a fostering environment for artists and entrepreneurs, while addressing global challenges, such as the climate crisis and AI.

#2- The Global Conference on Economic Diversification wraps today at The Mohammed bin Rashid School Of Government. The event features panel discussions, roundtables, and workshops focused on the results of the Global Economic Diversification Index and policies related to economic diversification.

OIL WATCH-

Another delay? Opec’s planned oil output hikes in December could be pushed back for another month or more amid persistent concerns of soft oil demand and a glut in supply, four sources close to the matter told Reuters.

REMEMBER-Opec+ initially planned to start phasing out production cuts in October, but later pushed the plans back to December as oil prices fell.

MORNING MUST READ-

Why are energy players behind on AI? Though investors are betting heavily on AI, with USD 250 bn injected into the field, only 5% of the money poured into the technology is focused on the energy sector — despite its potential to drive the transformation to carbon-free technology, according to a joint report (pdf) published by Adnoc, Masdar, and Microsoft. The report includes insights from over 400 business leaders in the tech, energy, and finance sectors, including Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, Larry Fink, BlackRock's CEO, and Patrick Pouyanne, head of French energy giant TotalEnergies.

AI can offer a lot to the sector: Advanced tools are now capable of detecting methane leaks with greater precision, a technology that is expected to help slash methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

The report also addresses one of AI’s major shortcomings and limitations towards a sustainable future: its contribution to global emissions due to its heavy energy demands. Given AI’s rapid growth, data centers’ electricity demand is expected to increase by 2-20% between 2023-2030, and is projected to represent 0.26% of global energy demand by 2026.

In order to offset its contribution to global carbon emissions, the report suggests six potential solutions, including optimizing storage systems and developing more of the energy-efficient small language models to carry out simpler tasks instead of large language models, which consume more energy.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s all AI and earnings in the foreign press this morning. More tech firms are piling on investors’ disappointment with ramped up spending on AI amid smaller returns, while others are defending their increased spending.

#1- Apple’s earnings came in lower than expected, with the tech giant also forecasting slower-than-expected holiday sales. Shares fell 2% in after hours trading. (Reuters | Financial Times | Bloomberg)

#2- Amazon CEO Andy Jassy defended the increase in spending on AI, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” with a “multi-USD bn revenue rate,” as the company reported better-than-expected earnings for 3Q 2024. (CNBC)

#3- Intel — falling on the opposite side of the spectrum as a company that has fallen behind on AI investments — reported USD 16.6 bn in losses, but remained optimistic about future revenues amid anticipated growth in its PC and server businesses. (Reuters | WSJ)

Market reax: This set of earnings sent tech shares falling, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both falling around 2%.

IN NON-EARNINGS AI NEWS- OpenAI just released new search features for ChatGPT, allowing users to search directly on the software, which will then pull up relevant links with their sources. (Reuters | Bloomberg)

And your regularly scheduled update on the situation in the Middle East: Hamas has reportedly rejected an Egypt-, Qatar-, and US-brokered proposal that would have seen a number of Israeli hostages received, without a pledge to withdraw forces from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli officials met with US envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk to discuss a separate potential ceasefire in Lebanon, as Israel continued to strike southern and eastern Lebanon. (France24 | Semafor)

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Jobs grew 8% q-o-q in 3Q 2024 -Cooper Fitch

The UAE led the GCC in terms of growth of new jobs in 3Q 2024, with an 8% q-o-q increase in vacancies, followed by Saudi Arabia with 7% and Qatar with 3%, according to Cooper Fitch’s Q3 Gulf Employment Index (pdf). Overall, the GCC area experienced a 6.5% q-o-q growth in new jobs in 3Q 2024, with this rising momentum expected to last until early 2025.

GCC hiring patterns are driven by sizable investments in technology, media, telecommunications, and space commercialization, attracting swathes of international talent, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Cooper Fitch CEO Trefor Murphy told Dubai One (watch, runtime: 7:27). Several sovereign funds in the region are also heavily investing in fintech, hospitality, and real estate, creating a mass of jobs in these sectors.

The biggest sectors: The real estate sector saw jobs increase 9% q-o-q during the quarter, while consulting saw jobs increase 14% q-o-q in the region. Other flourishing sectors include legal roles, which increased by 9% across the GCC in 3Q 2024, and banking jobs rose by 13% compared to the previous quarter.

Final quarter expectations range between 2% to 3% growth in GCC jobs, with indicators signaling that UAE-based job creation will reach an all-time high, and Saudi Arabia will experience a decline in new jobs provided, Murphy said.

Julphar sells Saudi retail pharmacies unit for AED 434 mn

Emirati pharma manufacturer Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) is selling its wholly-owned subsidiary, Zahrat Al Rawdah Pharmacies for SAR 444.1 mn (c. AED 434.3 mn) in cash, according to a disclosure (pdf). The sale involves retail pharmacy operations under its Planet Pharmacies division in Saudi Arabia, and is set to close in 1Q 2025, subject to approvals. Julphar expects the transaction to reflect on its earnings in 2025.

Why the sale? The pharma firm is divesting non-core assets and shifting focus towards its core “specialty pharma and innovative products in the Mena region.” Julphar is also considering new strategic windows for product development and manufacturing in Saudi Arabia.

About Zahrat Al Rawdah: With over 125 branches across Saudi Arabia, the company logged SAR 367.9 mn in revenue in 2023 and posted a net income of SAR 16.7 mn and accounted for 9.1% of Julphar’s total assets by the end of 1H 2024.

Google unveils raft of initiatives to boost AI in the Middle East

Google unveiled new AI initiatives and offerings catered to the MENA region during its AI Connect Mena event held yesterday at the Etihad Museum in Dubai, attended by EnterpriseAM UAE.

Good news for Arabic-speaking AI enthusiasts: Google is rolling out new features for Gemini in Arabic over the next few days. Arabic speaking users subscribed to Gemini Advanced will be able to converse with Gemini Live in 16 Arabic dialects on Android devices, and utilize specialized AI assistants, dubbed Gems, for tasks including text editing and coding. Google’s image generation assistant Imagen3, and its “age-appropriate” Gemini for Teens, will also be gradually released to Arabic-speaking users.

Google also plans to contribute USD 15 mn by the end of 2027 to ensure equitable access to AI, under its new AI Opportunity Initiative for MENA, the company said in a statement (pdf). The initiative aims to boost AI skills for 500k individuals within two years, by supporting AI skills training, research and infrastructure.

AI education is getting a boost: New educational programs for AI and digital safety under the initiative include:

A new AI skills curriculum in Arabic under Maharat min Google and Coursera;
A grant to nonprofit Village Capital to boost AI skills of underserved workers in rural areas across UAE, KSA, and Egypt, among others;
Experience AI by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in partnership with Amideast, training teachers on AI safety education for preteen students.

Google will also expand its partnership with nonprofit Apolitical — which recently received a USD 5 mn grant from Google.org to train 1 mn civil servants worldwide in AI — to train 50k civil servants in the UAE, program manager at Google.org Emea, Gianna Francescutti, said to EnterpriseAM UAE.

On the R&D front: The initiative establishes a new AI Research Fund for researchers on AI applications in the region, and a grant to Abu-Dhabi based startup accelerator startAD, to help develop AI-powered healthcare solutions to vulnerable populations in UAE and KSA.

Google is doubling down on Mena’s AI sector: The announcements come on the heels of the US tech giant’s partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to create a global AI hub near the Kingdom’s western city of Dammam, aimed at upskilling the local workforce through AI programs. Using Google Cloud’s technology, the hub is set to focus on improving AI applications and data services, particularly Arabic language models, potentially adding USD 71 bn to Saudi’s GDP over eight years. Google declined to comment on the investment ticket of the project.

Abu Dhabi-based Realize rolls out tokenized US Treasuries fund

Abu Dhabi-based tech firm Realize and Neovision Wealth Management launched a T-Bills Fund that tokenizes US Treasury bill ETFs, Reuters quotes Realize co-founder Dominik Schiener as saying. The fund will acquire units from BlackRock's iShares and State Street's SPDR ETFs, converting them into digital tokens that can be traded on a blockchain. The company aims to grow the T-Bills Fund’s assets under management to USD 200 mn, with a target of reaching USD 100 mn by October 2025, Schiener told AGBI.

Roles: Realize will handle tokenizing the T-Bills Fund units, with Neovision overseeing fund management.

More about the fund: Licensed in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the T-Bills Fund will issue RBill tokens to represent shares of the fund’s ETF holdings digitally. Open to qualified global investors, the fund requires a minimum investment of USD 50k, with tokens available on Iota and Ethereum blockchains, according to a company statement. It expects 20-30% to come from Gulf investors, with the rest coming from Europe and Southeast Asia, which it says will be its biggest demographic.

The company also plans to expand further in the Middle East “because it has a high penetration of crypto users and wealthy individuals,” Schiener said.

Masdar consortium reaches financial close on USD 1.5 bn Saudi tourism project

Masdar-led consortium secures funding for Saudi’s Amaala: A consortium led by UAE renewables giant Masdar and France's EDF achieved financial close on the infrastructure facility for Saudi Arabia's USD 1.5 bn tourism megaproject, Amaala, according to a press release. The funding comes from a mix of Emirati and Saudi lenders, including First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Emirates NBD, Riyad Bank, Saudi National Bank (SNB), and Alinma Bank.

Background: The consortium entered a 25-year concession agreement with Saudi’s Red Sea Global last year to develop the infrastructure facility. The Amaala facility will feature an optimized off-grid renewable energy system that includes solar power generation and a 700 MWh battery energy storage facility to fully power its desalination and wastewater plants. This initiative will ensure that Amaala runs entirely on solar energy, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 500k tons annually.

Taaleem to develop new campus following land acquisition agreement

Education provider Taaleem Holdings reached an agreement to acquire land and property assets in Emirates Hills in Dubai from Amity Education Services, pending legal and regulatory approvals, according to a press release (pdf). The assets currently house the Amity Early Learning Centre and are located 300 meters from Taaleem’s Dubai British School - Emirates Hills (DBSEH).

The details: Taaleem will develop a new campus for DBSEH, which will serve students from FS1 to Year 2, with an anticipated opening in 2025. To maintain continuity for Amity Early Learning Center’s current students, Taaleem will lease the acquired assets back to Amity Education Services for a period of 10 months, after which students can apply for admission to DBSEH.

ALSO- The education firm plans to invest in upgrades to its existing DBSEH campus, the disclosure said, without disclosing further details.

Many, many earnings…

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) Distribution reported a 20.1% y-o-y decrease in net income attributable to shareholders to AED 667.4 mn in 3Q 2024, according to its financials (pdf). The company’s revenues rose 1.7% y-o-y to AED 9.1 bn, driven by growth in fuel volumes and international operations, as well as higher contribution of non-fuel retail, Adnoc Distribution said in its earnings release (pdf).

On a nine-month basis, Adnoc Distribution saw its net income attributable to shareholders fall 4.4% y-o-y to AED 1.8 bn. The fuel retailer booked AED 26.6 bn in revenues, increasing 6.2% y-o-y in 9M 2024, attributable to “highest-ever nine-month fuel volumes, robust non-fuel retail contributions, and cost efficiency improvements.”

Dividends: Adnoc Distribution will distribute dividends for 2H 2024 in April 2025, although the exact payout amount remains undisclosed, the company said in its earnings release. The company approved earlier this year a new five-year dividend policy that will see it shell out USD 700 mn or a minimum of 75% of net income, whichever is higher, from 2024 to 2028. For 1H 2024, the company distributed USD 350 mn in October.

Looking ahead, the fuel retailer plans to invest between USD 250-300 mn in Capex during 2024, with 70% of the sum to be allocated towards “growth-focused initiatives.”

PURE HEALTH-

Healthcare group Pure Health Holding’s turned to the black, reporting a AED 432 mn bottom line in 3Q 2024, after incurring losses worth AED 80 mn during the same period last year, according to its financials (pdf). The company’s revenue increased by 62.7% y-o-y to AED 6.5 bn in this quarter. On a 9M basis, net income climbed by 12.9% y-o-y to AED 1.4 bn, while revenues increased by 56.4% y-o-y to AED 19 bn.

This nine-month performance was driven by the hospital segment’s positive performance, organic growth, and local and international acquisitions, according to a company earnings release (pdf). The ins. segment's improved value propositions, key account retention at higher premiums, and a 4% increase in active members of the Daman health ins. platform to 3.1 mn.

ALEF EDUCATION-

Alef Education’s net income after tax remained relatively flat y-o-y at AED 119.1 mn in 3Q 2024, according to its consolidated financial statements (pdf). Without the impact of corporate tax and excluding income from financial assets carried at fair value, net income was up 10% y-o-y to AED 130.9 mn, on the back of “stable revenue performance” and cost efficiencies, Alef said in a separate earnings release (pdf). The recently listed edtech firm’s revenues from contracts increased 5.8% y-o-y to AED 197.3 mn.

On a nine-month basis, Alef’s net income fell 30.2% y-o-y to AED 345.3 mn in 9M 2024. Without the impact of the corporate tax, net income reached AED 379.4 mn, with margin expansion to 69%. The company’s revenues rose 2.4% y-o-y to AED 551.5 mn during the first nine months of the year.

Looking ahead: Alef expects “a significant boost” to revenues from a new government contract in the UAE, valued at over AED 30 mn, it said in the release. The company’s agreement with the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge — which provisions a minimum of 80k students with a fixed fee per student — also provides “significant revenue visibility,” with Alef planning to extend the contract to ten years, following a potential three-year extension.

REMEMBER- Alef debuted on the ADX in June, raising AED 1.89 bn but seeing a lackluster debut, with shares falling 18% on its first day of trading. The company’s flagship learning platform spans several international markets, including the UAE, where it has already captured a 20% market share, as well as the US, Morocco and Indonesia.

AMERICANA-

Americana Restaurants saw net income attributed to shareholders fall 54.3% y-o-y to USD 37.4 mn in 3Q 2024, on the back of fewer sales amid geopolitical tensions and slowed consumer demand in some markets, despite opening new stores, according to its financials (pdf) and earnings release (pdf). Revenues also decreased 15.3% to USD 555 mn.

REMEMBER- Bloomberg reported earlier this year that the company has slashed nearly 100 jobs — most of them in Dubai — as it both restructures and faces the impact of a consumer boycott of its brands that came after the start of Israel’s war on Gaza.

On a 9M basis, Americana’s net income attributable to shareholders also halved y-o-y to USD 114.3 mn in 9M 2024, with revenues also down 15.2% to USD 1.61 bn, despite the opening of 113 new stores during the period. Aside from geopolitical effects, higher depreciation charges and the introduction of the corporate tax in the UAE also contributed to the decline in performance.

Looking ahead: The restaurant operator aims to ramp up revenue recovery efforts, emphasizing everyday value offers and targeted promotional activities to improve its margins, it said. “A strategic blend of […] store expansion program, cost-saving practices, and technology integration” will also be implemented to drive operational performance.

DUBAI FINANCIAL MARKET-

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) posted AED 94.1 mn in net income after tax, up 26.9% y-o-y in 3Q 2024, according to its financials (pdf). Its operating income increased 6.2% y-o-y to AED 91.5 mn in 3Q, compared to AED 86.2 mn during the same period last year.

On a nine-month basis, the exchange’s net income after tax jumped 47.9% y-o-y, reaching AED 275.5 mn in 9M 2024. Operating income increased 13.5% y-o-y, coming in at AED 245.5 mn during the nine-month period.

The bourse saw robust trading activity, with the number of trades climbing 20% y-o-y to 1.7 mn in 9M 2024, according to the DFM’s earnings release (pdf). However, total trading value decreased 6% y-o-y to AED 72.7 bn during 9M 2024.

DFM drew in 91.2k new investors in 9M 2024, with foreign investors accounting for 85% of the newcomers. Foreigners invested around AED 1.5 bn, representing nearly half of all trades during the period, while institutional investors held a 65% share.

Sawaeed Holdings has a new COO

Investment company Sawaeed Holding appointed Tony Abdallah El Khour as its chief operating officer, starting today, according to an ADX disclosure (pdf).

Pearl Petroleum issues USD 350 mn bonds

DEBT-

Pearl Petroleum launches USD 350 mn bonds: Pearl Petroleum — a consortium comprising five companies, including Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum — issued 3.5-year USD 350 mn senior secured bonds, priced at par with a 13% coupon, according to a press release. The hydrocarbon producer, which operates in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, plans to use the proceeds for development and debt servicing, with any surplus directed toward general corporate purposes following the commissioning of the Khor Mor 250 expansion project.

ICYMI- Pearl appointed Norway’s DNB Markets and Pareto Securities AS as joint lead managers and bookrunners for the issuance earlier this week. The company had planned to issue USD 350 mn bonds in 2019, but later reportedly scrapped the issuance on slow demand.

INFRASTRUCTURE-

Adnoc to work on urban planning, infrastructure digitization: Adnoc and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) partnered to explore developing a shared service model to for sectors like urban planning, infrastructure, system standardization, and business support services, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

AI-

Arabic language technology company Tarjama launched an advanced Arabic large language model (LLM) tailored for enterprise use, dubbed Pronoia, according to a press release. The LLM aims to enhance Arabic AI capabilities by providing improved accuracy and contextual understanding in various sectors, including legal, medical, and business applications.

TELECOMS-

Telco du inaugurated the du Innovation Center at its Dubai Hills headquarters, focusing on exploring and developing 5G technology to ramp up network performance, Wam reports. The new center offers both consumers and enterprises 5G Advanced and AI-powered services, including high-speed fixed wireless access, advanced gaming, smart network services, private 5G for mobile, and integrated commercial applications.

REAL ESTATE-

#1- Real estate firm Pantheon Development is acquiring land from Marjan subsidiary RAK Central to develop a project at its mixed-use destination, according to a press release. The project will include residential apartments, offices, and hotel apartments, with completion expected by 1Q 2029.

#2- Dubai-based developer Sweid & Sweid has completed its US AED 275 mn industrial real estate project, RP10, according to a press release. The industrial development is located in Southeast Atlanta and covers 825k sq-ft of land and was finished on time.

SUSTAINABILITY-

The UAE launched a sustainability-focused program as part of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative, dubbed Chapter Zero UAE,, Wam reports. The initiative aims to help UAE businesses manage climate risks by embedding climate governance directly into corporate decision-making processes.

IMF lowers MENA growth forecast amid regional conflicts and oil cuts

The Middle East region’s economic growth is expected to slow to 2.1% in 2024, down from an earlier estimate of 2.7%, according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest regional economic outlook (pdf). Next year’s growth forecast was also trimmed to 4%, driven by insufficient foreign direct investment amid regional wars and high debt levels in mid-income economies.

The IMF attributed the slowdown to regional conflicts, particularly the escalated tensions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Sudan, impacting stability and potentially creating “lasting economic losses,” according to the report — a projection echoed by IMF Mena and Central Asia director, Jihad Azour, in an interview with Bloomberg.

Some policy recs advise caution: States around the conflict zone, including Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq, “need to be protective to preserve their macroeconomic stability,” Azour said. However, “crucial structural reforms could face rising social discontent and political resistance, hindering policy execution and constraining growth.”

Oil cuts are also to blame: Oil production cuts imposed by Opec+ are also squeezing revenues for oil-reliant Mena economies, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq. The oil management alliance recently delayed a planned supply increase to December, citing weak demand from China and increased production elsewhere.

But the non-oil sector remains a bright spot: “Growth of the non-oil sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council has been resilient and has been driving the growth for the last couple of years,” Azour said.

The UAE is set to lead GCC growth in 2025, driven by an expected 4-5% growth in its non-oil economy thanks to the “effectiveness of the country’s economic policies,” Azour said separately, according to Wam. He highlighted investments in tech, renewables, and green initiatives as key growth drivers for the Emirates.

Less gloomy on the global front: The IMF revised downwards its forecast for global growth next year to 3.2%, a 0.1 percentage point downward revision from its July estimate, on the back of escalating geopolitical tensions and trade protectionism.

MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Asian markets are a sea of red amid an influx of earnings in the West and economic data from the region, which pushed Japan’s Nikkei down more than 2%. Over on Wall Street, futures indicate a better open after the Nasdaq and S&P 500 notched their worst days in nearly two months.

ADX	9,328	+0.0% (YTD: -2.6%)
DFM	4,591	-0.3% (YTD: +13.1%)
Nasdaq Dubai UAE20	3807	-0.7% (YTD: -0.9%)
USD : AED CBUAE	Buy 3.67	Sell 3.67
EIBOR	4.8% o/n	4.4% 1 yr
TASI	12,022	+0.0% (YTD: +0.5%)
EGX30	30,658	+0.9% (YTD: +23.2%)
S&P 500	5,706	-1.9% (YTD: +19.6%)
FTSE 100	8,110	-0.6% (YTD: +4.9%)
Euro Stoxx 50	4,828	-1.2% (YTD: +6.8%)
Brent crude	USD 73.16	+0.8%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 2.72	+0.4%
Gold	USD 2,755.2	+0.2%
BTC	USD 70,159	-2.9% (YTD: 66%)

THE CLOSING BELL-

The DFM fell 0.3% yesterday on turnover of AED 528.1 mn. The index is up 13.1% YTD.

In the green: Takaful Emarat (+14.4%), National Industries Group Holding (+10.1%) and Al Ramz Corporation Investment and Development (+4.2%).

In the red: Emirates Investment Bank (-10%), Salik Company (-4.6%) and Ithmaar Holding (-2.4%).

Over on the ADX, the index remained flat on turnover of AED 1.5 bn. Meanwhile, Nasdaq Dubai closed down 0.7%.

My Morning Routine: Thomas Kuruvilla, managing partner at Arthur D. Little Middle East and India

Thomas Kuruvilla, managing partner at Arthur D. Little Middle East and India: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Thomas Kuruvilla (LinkedIn), managing partner at Arthur D. Little Middle East and India. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

(** Tap or click the headline above to read this story with all of the links to our background and outside sources.)

I have been with Arthur D. Little for 26 years. I worked in many geographies — started in Singapore, then moved to Malaysia, Australia, the US, Germany, France, Croatia, India and now the Middle East. I was very briefly with the Indian Air Force. I then worked with Larsen & Toubro, a very large engineering company in India, and then finally moved into consulting. And I must say that I continue being very passionate about consulting, even after 26 years.

I teach at three MBA schools in India and I'm very passionate about teaching. It is in my genes — my parents were both teachers for 30 years in Lagos, Nigeria, where I was born before I moved to India to study engineering and then to Australia for my MBA. I love interacting with students, but I am also keen to give back to society, which I feel is necessary. I'm also very keen to learn from people and to share what I have learned.

Arthur D. Little is the first consulting firm in the world, founded in 1886 by MIT chemist Arthur Dehon Little. Many people may not be aware that ADL was responsible for many groundbreaking projects, like setting up the R&D lab for General Motors in 1911, helping NASA land on the moon in 1969. ADL set up OPEC in the Middle East in 1966.

We helped develop regulations that are implemented in many Middle East countries related to telecoms, transport, energy, media, and healthcare over the last 10 to 15 years. We were also privileged to support governments in the region, particularly in the GCC, develop national cross-sectoral agendas packaged under what is commonly known as Vision programs.

Initially, consultants had the advantage of having a lot of knowledge from which they formulated insights. But now knowledge is available to everybody; and the consultant’s role has shifted more and more towards critical thinking and analysis to make sense of those insights.

Consultants have to become very creative now. They need to be able to process exponentially increasing volumes of information and insights and consolidate them into strategic recommendations that are defendable without any doubt and that are based on supporting data.

Adding their human touch in addressing internal misaligned agendas or politics is another balancing act asked of consultants. They need to be able to come in, not only to help address such an issue, but also to align people within the organization that have these different views towards a common outcome for the benefit of the organization, be it a government entity or a private enterprise.

The process of collecting and analyzing information, creating PowerPoint slides, may be around 25-30% of what consultants used to do in the past. That will now get almost fully replaced by AI. The positive way to look at it is that consultants are now going to work on value-added activities. If they were spending 70% of the time coming up with creative outcomes before, now, they’re going to do that for 100% of my time, adding more value to the client.

There are two main components to my job: Working with clients and working with our team who are delivering projects. For clients, we either bring in expertise from within the firm or from outside ADL through ADL’s network of international domain experts. This is very unique to ADL, because we have what we call an open consulting concept which is operationalized through our network or platform of six mn domain experts that we have access to. The concept is to bring to the client the best people in the world, not just the best people in ADL.

It is impossible for any one consulting firm to know everything, so you have to augment your own expertise from outside. Because of that, we are known to provide pragmatic recommendations, rather than just telling the client what technically works well or what they wish to know.

The second equally important component is hiring and developing the team to deliver this quality. I like to be hands-on all the time, spending time with and coaching the team whether they are working with clients or developing proposals. You need to really understand what is happening to be able to effectively help others, and it also helps you learn continuously.

When I took up this leadership role, I was a little worried that I would get detached from day-to-day activity, so I try to spend as much time as I can working with the team. When you hire very young people, fresh out of university, and you spend time with them, they think that you are teaching them, but I learn a lot from them.

Every morning I like to take a walk in nature — I’ve recently realized the self-healing power of nature and how it can help us shape and guide our lives. Then I find a nice spot and do 30 minutes of yoga. When you do yoga in a spot that you like in nature, it really helps you to listen to your inner self. It helps you become more aware of your soul, refreshes your thinking, and you become really positive.

I also try to spend time with the fishermen’s community in my village in Kerala. Kerala has a large community of fishermen and I try my best to help them with whatever knowledge or skills I have.

One thing that is constant in my every single day is my wife. Being a consultant, I travel a lot, but I alway find time to spend with my wife. Every morning I spend at least half an hour to one hour on the phone, or more during the weekend, and it keeps me very healthy and grounded. If I don’t do that, I feel very incomplete.

Everybody will — correctly — assume I have a large office supporting me, but I personally plan and arrange my day. It helps me remain agile, because things may change, depending on the type of meetings and gatherings, but it also helps me keep the personal touch when I schedule meetings directly with my clients and colleagues.

I am a very outcome-oriented person. I'm not task oriented, So whatever I do, I constantly evaluate whether it is going to produce an outcome. The benefit of this is that I never regret anything that I have done because when I do something, I have clarity that this is expected to yield a specific outcome.

I really want to move on to something where I can contribute to the community by using the expertise I have gained in technology, AI, human behavior, and the contacts and the trust I have built. The idea that I have may sound normal, but I realize that it is non-existent in the entire world. There is no charity organization in which all the activities are transparent and known to all. I want to set up a charity organization that is based on transparency and trust, because I know many people that are very keen to donate but they don't trust the system.

The secret to having a work-life balance is passion. If you are in a job that you are very passionate about, you still need to have outside entertainment and relaxation, but you will not feel miserable while you are working because your work is your passion. Work-life balance gives an impression that you don't like your work, and hence you need to balance it, which should not be the case if you have passion about what you do.

To switch off, I can sometimes just do nothing for an hour. But I also listen to music and read. I am currently reading Yuval Noah Harari’s new book, 21 Lessons from the 21st Century. It’s quite controversial; he talks about how we believe that we will achieve mastery over the environment. I believe in nature and I don’t think we can have mastery over it, which Harari also says, but his book says that people believe that they can.

My father told me: Don’t be ambitious, be passionate. This was when I was studying for the entrance exam for engineering courses, which are extremely competitive in India, and he could tell I was very worried. The point is: If you’re passionate, you’re allowed to make mistakes because you can learn from them. But if you're ambitious, when you make a mistake, you're worried that you’re not making progress. It took a lot of time for me to really appreciate this difference.

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER

29 October-2 November (Tuesday-Saturday): Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week, Abu Dhabi.

30 October-1 November (Wednesday-Friday): World Cities Cultural Summit, Dubai.

3-10 November (Sunday-Sunday): Dubai Premier Padel P1, Dubai Dutyfree Tennis Stadium, Dubai.

4-6 November (Monday-Wednesday): Legislative week, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library, Dubai.

4-7 November (Monday-Thursday): Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC), Abu Dhabi.

4-7 November (Monday-Thursday): ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi.

4-7 November (Monday-Thursday): ADIPEC Decarbonisation Accelerator, Abu Dhabi.

5-7 November (Tuesday-Thursday): 2024 EMEA Stakeholder Conference, Dubai.

5-7 November (Tuesday-Thursday): 10th edition of Gulfood Manufacturing, Dubai World Trade Center.

5-7 November (Tuesday-Thursday): GulfHost, Dubai World Trade Center.

6 November (Friday): World Finance Forum, Dubai.

6-8 November (Friday-Sunday): UAE BioTech Symposium, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

6-17 November (Friday- Sunday) Sharjah International Book Fair, Expo Center Sharjah, Sharjah.

11 November (Monday): Dubai Diamond Conference, Jafza One Convention Centre, Dubai.

11-12 November (Monday-Tuesday): META Cinema Forum, Dubai.

11-13 November (Monday-Wednesday): IAOM MEA Conference & Expo, Dubai World Trade Center.

12-14 November (Tuesday-Thursday): The Global Educational Supplies and Solutions, Dubai World Trade Center.

13 November (Wednesday): Registration deadline for Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy’s App Olympics.

13-14 November (Wednesday-Thursday): Lease Conference Dubai 2024, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai.

15 November (Friday): Tax amendments that exempt crypto and investments through fund managers from VAT to take effect.

16-17 November (Saturday-Sunday): Gladiator Summit, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai.

18-19 November (Monday-Tuesday): Dubai Precious Metals Conference, JAFZA One Convention Center, Dubai

18-20 November (Monday-Wednesday): Fastmarkets Middle East Iron & Steel 2024, Dubai.

18-20 November (Monday-Wednesday): Middle East Organic and Natural Products Expo, Dubai World Trade Center.

18-20 November (Monday-Wednesday): The International Conference of ShenZhen Association, Dubai World Trade Center.

19-20 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Dubai Future Forum, Museum of the Future, Dubai.

20-22 November (Wednesday-Friday): Xpanse Abu Dhabi, Adnec Centre, Abu Dhabi

22-23 November (Friday-Saturday): Global Meet on Electronics & Electrical Engineering (GMEEE), Dubai.

22-24 November (Friday-Sunday): Michelin Guide Food Festival, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi.

23 November (Saturday): Wireless Festival Middle East, Etihad Park, Abu Dhabi.

23-24 November (Saturday-Sunday): Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix, SailGP Race Stadium.

26-27 November (Tuesday-Wednesday) Global Food Security Summit, Adnec Centre Abu Dhabi.

26-27 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Global Women’s Forum Dubai, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

26-27 November (Tuesday-Wednesday): Open Source AI Summit, The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Liveable Cities X, Dubai World Trade Center.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Future FM, Dubai World Trade Center.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Geo World, Dubai World Trade Center.

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday) Global Media Congress 2024, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

26-29 November (Tuesday-Friday): Big 5 Global, Dubai World Trade Centre.

27 November: Acceptance period for Adnoc’s Covestro takeover bid ends.

27-28 November (Wednesday-Thursday): RAK Energy Summit, Al Hamra International Exhibition and Conference Centre, Ras Al Khaimah.

28 November-1 December (Thursday-Sunday): Spartan World Championship, Al Wathba Desert, Abu Dhabi.

30 November (Saturday): Football Legends Cup, Al Maktoum Stadium Al Nasr Sports Club, Dubai.

Signposted to happen ahead of ADIPEC:

Changemakers Majlis, Abu Dhabi.

DECEMBER

2-3 December (Monday-Tuesday): National Day, public holiday.

4-5 December (Wednesday-Thursday): Sport Impact Summit, The Palm, Dubai.

4-6 December (Wednesday-Friday): Abu Dhabi Business Week, Adnec Center, Abu Dhabi.

5-8 December (Thursday-Sunday): Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit.

8-12 December (Sunday-Thursday): International Desalination and Reuse Association World Congress, Adnec Centre Abu Dhabi.

13 December - 4 January (Friday-Saturday): Liwa International Festival, Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi.

9-10 December (Monday-Tuesday): The Bitcoin Mena Conference, Adnec Centre Abu Dhabi.

9-12 December (Monday-ThursdayTuesday): Abu Dhabi Finance Week, Abu Dhabi.

9-12 December (Monday-Thursday): World Conference on Desalination and Water Re-use 2024, Adnec Centre, Abu Dhabi.

9-12 December (Monday-Thursday): IEEE International Conference on Data Mining 2024, Adnec Centre, Abu Dhabi.

10-11 December (Tuesday-Wednesday): Global Trade and Infrastructure at Logimotion, Dubai World Trade Center.

10-12 December (Tuesday-Thursday): Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA Conference), Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers Hotel, Abu Dhabi.

10-12 December (Tuesday-Thursday): The Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association Show, Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai.

11-13 December (Wednesday-Friday): European-Arab Medical Congress, Abu Dhabi.

14-21 December (Saturday-Saturday): World Schools Festival, Abu Dhabi

16-20 December (Monday-Friday): AIMS Conference 2024, Adnec Centre, Abu Dhabi.

6 December-12 January: Dubai Shopping Festival.

Signposted to happen sometime in December:

UAE-China Summit, Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, Abu Dhabi.

JANUARY 2025

1 January (Wednesday): ADGM to slash licensing fees for retail and non-financial firms, and hike fees for finance firms.

9-13 January (Thursday-Monday): International Renewable Energy Agency Youth Forum, Abu Dhabi.

11-13 January (Saturday-Monday): International Renewable Energy Agency Assembly, Abu Dhabi.

14-16 January (Tuesday-Thursday): World Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi.

14-16 January (Tuesday- Thursday): The Light + Intelligent Building Middle East exhibition, Dubai.

19-24 January (Sunday-Friday): Coling 2025, Abu Dhabi.

20-22 January (Saturday-Monday): FESPA Middle East, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.

FEBRUARY 2025

1-8 February (Saturday-Saturday): The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, Zayed Sports City's International Tennis Centre.

2-3 February (Sunday-Monday): L’Etape Dubai cycling race, Dubai.

3-6 February (Monday-Thursday): Medlab Middle East, Dubai World Trade Center.

16 February-1 March: Dubai Dutyfree Tennis Championships, Dubai Dutyfree Tennis Stadium in Al Garhoud.

24-25 February (Monday-Tuesday): World Passenger Experience Forum, Dubai.

24-26 February (Monday-Wednesday): Connecting Hydrogen MENA, Dubai.

Signposted to happen sometime in 1Q 2025:

The first eight fronds of the Palm Jebel Ali will be site-ready, allowing for the commencement of villa infrastructure and civil works.

APRIL 2025

6-11 April (Sunday-Friday): Geo-Spatial Week 2025, Dubai.

7-10 April 2025 (Monday-Thursday) : EFG Hermes One on One conference, Dubai.

7-9 April (Monday-Wednesday): AIM Investment Summit, Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center

14-16 April (Monday-Wednesday): Dubai Woodshow’s 21st Edition, Dubai World Trade Center

14-16 April (Monday-Wednesday): IPS congress, Dubai World Trade Center.

16-18 April (Wednesday-Friday): World Future Energy Summit,Abu Dhabi National Exhibition, Abu Dhabi.

28 April-1 May (Monday-Thursday): The Arabian Travel Market 2025, Dubai World Trade Center

Signposted to happen sometime in April:

Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi

MAY 2025

6-7 May (Tuesday-Wednesday): Global Ports Forum, Dubai.

19-22 May (Monday-Thursday) Make it in the Emirates Forum 2025, Adnec, Abu Dhabi.

26-28 May (Monday-Wednesday): Arab Media Summit, World Trade Center, Dubai.

SEPTEMBER 2025

8-10 September (Monday-Wednesday): DigiHealth exhibition, World Trade Center, Dubai.

24-25 September (Wednesday-Thursday): Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Forum, Mohammed Bin Rashid Center for Leadership Development, Dubai.

OCTOBER 2025

27-29 October (Monday-Wednesday): Asia Pacific Cities Summit, Dubai Exhibition Center.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2025:

The Middle East Electric Vehicle Show, Expo Center Sharjah.
e& will complete Adnoc’s private 5G network.
Executive Committee Meeting (EXCOM 2025) conference of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organisation (WeGO)
The International Civil Aviation Organization’s Global Implementation Support Symposium, Abu Dhabi.

Signposted to happen sometime in the fall of 2025:

2025 Games of the Future, Dubai.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2026:

The UAE to host the Arab Competition Forum
Dubai to host the Arab Actuarial Conference
United Nations Water Conference 2026, UAE

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