Author: Dr Issac PJ

GFH Partners Manrre REIT and Palmon Group have opened an $11 million specialised chemical storage facility at Jebel Ali Free Zone, strengthening Dubai’s role as a regional hub for regulated logistics.The facility, located within Jebel Ali Free Zone, spans 112,000 sq ft on a 180,000 sq ft plot and adds a mission-critical, Grade A asset to the portfolio of Manrre REIT, which is managed by GFH Partners.   The warehouse was inaugurated by Abdulla bin Damithan, CEO and managing director of DP World GCC, alongside senior officials from Jafza, GFH Partners and Palmon Group.Designed to meet stringent international safety and compliance…

With global equity valuations stretched by the artificial intelligence boom, Gulf sovereign and institutional investors are increasingly acting as the market’s shock absorbers, sustaining AI-driven valuations and private deal activity through long-term, patient capital, according to Standard Chartered’s Global Market Outlook 2026.The bank’s Wealth Solutions Chief Investment Office argues that while investor unease over a potential AI-led equity bubble is understandable, today’s market conditions differ sharply from the leverage-fuelled excesses that preceded the 2008 global financial crisis. Instead, the closer historical parallel is the late-1990s dot-com cycle, albeit with two decisive differences: the sheer scale of capital being deployed into…

After a year of subdued listings, the UAE is shaping up as the focal point of a GCC IPO revival in 2026, with a strong pipeline of large, diversified offerings expected to restore depth and confidence to regional equity markets, according to a new report by Kamco Invest.Market attention is already shifting firmly towards the UAE after a disappointing 2025, when IPO activity across the GCC slipped to a four-year low. The region saw just 42 listings during the year, while total proceeds fell to $5.8 billion, the weakest showing in five years and almost 55 per cent lower than…

The UAE’s transition to a digital-first payments economy is gathering pace, with mobile and card-based transactions now firmly dominating everyday spending, while cash continues to retreat into a shrinking set of niche uses, according to new research by Visa.Visa’s third Where Cash Hides report shows that 68 per cent of consumers in the UAE are now largely non-cash users, making most of their payments through cards or mobile devices. That marks a seven-percentage-point increase from last year and underscores the speed at which digital payment habits are becoming embedded across the country.Overall, eight in ten payments, or 80 per cent,…

The Middle East and North Africa’s sustainable finance market has moved from a niche sovereign-driven space into a bank-anchored, multi-sector capital engine led overwhelmingly by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as issuance climbed to $35.1 billion in 2025 despite a challenging global funding environment.According to Bloomberg Intelligence, the region’s sustainable finance volumes have expanded sevenfold since 2020, underlining how climate-linked capital has become structurally embedded in Gulf financial systems even as worldwide green bond issuance cooled amid higher interest rates and risk-off investor sentiment.The report shows that while total issuance in 2025 was 18 per cent below the record set…

Dubai’s real estate market is entering a new phase where wellness, sustainability and quality of life are shaping buying decisions just as much as prestige or returns.As global investors and end-users become more discerning, low-density neighbourhoods with green spaces, walkable layouts and community-focused planning are emerging as the true drivers of long-term value.Data from the Dubai Land Department underlines the strength of the market. In the first half of 2025, Dubai attracted around 94,700 investors, representing a 26 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. These investors completed more than 91,000 residential transactions valued at Dh262.1 billion,…

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has entered into a strategic partnership with global asset management firm T. Rowe Price, a move set to significantly enhance the range and sophistication of investment solutions available to clients across the GCC.Announced in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the partnership brings together two institutions with deep investment expertise and a shared ambition to raise standards in the region’s rapidly evolving asset management landscape. Under the agreement, T. Rowe Price will act as FAB’s investment partner, providing access to a broad spectrum of investment strategies spanning equities, fixed income, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. The collaboration is designed…

Abu Dhabi’s property market closed 2025 with another year of strong growth, led increasingly by demand for ready homes as buyers prioritised immediate occupancy, rental yields and price visibility over longer construction timelines.Total real estate transactions in the emirate surpassed Dh164 billion for the year, underlining sustained investor confidence amid rising population inflows, expanding employment opportunities and continued government support for housing and infrastructure.Data from market platforms and brokerage firms show transaction volumes climbing at a faster pace than new supply deliveries, particularly in completed apartments and villas across the capital’s prime island developments and maturing suburban communities.Analysts say the…

HSBC has launched a new asset management business in the UAE, becoming the first global asset manager to establish and register a suite of onshore investment funds under the country’s evolving regulatory framework.The move is widely seen as a significant step in the development of the UAE’s domestic funds industry and its ambition to become a leading international wealth and asset management hub.The newly established business has registered 10 onshore funds with the UAE’s Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA), offering both retail and institutional investors access to globally diversified investment strategies that are domiciled and regulated in the UAE. The…

Abu Dhabi’s decision to anchor a $2 billion global financing platform for water projects marks a strategic shift in how water security is funded, governed and valued — and positions the UAE at the centre of a fast-emerging global water economy.The Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform, launched by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), is designed to mobilise capital from local and international financial institutions at a time when water stress is rapidly becoming one of the defining economic and geopolitical risks of the century. With ADFD committing an initial $1 billion between 2026 and 2030 and seeking to…