Author: Dr Issac PJ

The move towards provisional liquidation of Dubai-based food conglomerate IFFCO is emerging as one of the Gulf’s most significant corporate distress stories in recent years, exposing how debt, geopolitical shocks and supply-chain disruptions can destabilise even long-established regional business groups.Founded in 1975, IFFCO grew into one of the Middle East’s largest privately held FMCG and agri-business companies, with operations spanning edible oils, packaged foods, logistics, manufacturing and distribution across more than 50 countries. The group owns several well-known regional brands, including London Dairy, Tiffany and Noor.What exactly happened at IFFCO?Over decades of expansion and acquisitions, the company reportedly accumulated debt…

Oil prices retreated on Wednesday as tentative signs of easing tensions between the US and Iran reduced immediate fears of a major supply shock in the Gulf, although analysts warned that constrained shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and falling crude inventories continue to keep markets on edge.Brent crude, the benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil, traded near $106 a barrel in Asian trading after a volatile week driven by geopolitical tensions, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) slipped below $103 a barrel after briefly climbing above $110 earlier this week.The pullback followed comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting…

Mergers and acquisitions deal values across the Gulf surged in 2025, defying a sluggish global market as the UAE cemented its status as the region’s dominant dealmaking hub, buoyed by sovereign wealth firepower, record foreign investment inflows and a wave of billion-dollar strategic transactions.A new report by Marsh McLennan showed that M&A activity across the Middle East and Africa expanded strongly last year, driven primarily by GCC economies, with the UAE emerging as one of the region’s clear frontrunners in high-value transactions spanning technology, infrastructure, energy transition, real estate and financial services.The report highlighted that the Middle East continued to…

The UAE has unveiled plans to establish a dedicated defence industrial free zone in Abu Dhabi as the country accelerates efforts to build a self-reliant military manufacturing ecosystem and strengthen long-term national security capabilities amid heightened regional tensions.The new Al Selmiyyah Defence Industrial Free Zone, announced on Wednesday through a strategic partnership between Tawazun Council and AD Ports Group, is expected to emerge as one of the region’s most ambitious defence manufacturing hubs, aimed at attracting leading global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), accelerating technology transfer and deepening local supply chains. The initiative comes at a time when Gulf countries are ramping…

[Editor’s Note: Follow the media live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.]The move towards provisional liquidation of Dubai-based food conglomerate IFFCO Group marks one of the most significant corporate distress cases in the Gulf consumer sector in recent years, highlighting how mounting debt, shareholder complexities and geopolitical disruptions can rapidly destabilise even long-established regional business groups.The 50-year-old food and agri-business giant, known for household brands such as London Dairy, Tiffany and Noor, is facing a deepening financial crisis after months of debt restructuring negotiations failed to produce a breakthrough with creditors.According to reports by the…

Crude oil prices eased on Tuesday after a sharp rally a day earlier, but analysts warned that markets remain on edge, with any fresh escalation in the Strait of Hormuz capable of pushing prices back towards — or even beyond — the critical $120 a barrel threshold.Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading about 2.1 per cent lower at $112.04 a barrel by late afternoon UAE time, after slipping nearly 3 per cent earlier in the session to around $111.4. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) fell more sharply, down 3.2 per cent to $102.44 a barrel. The pullback followed a near…

The escalating Gulf conflict is rapidly reshaping the global economic outlook, with mounting evidence that the shock is no longer a short-term disruption but a structural threat to growth, inflation and trade flows — both regionally and worldwide.International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has delivered one of the starkest warnings yet, cautioning that the global economy faces a “much worse outcome” if the war drags into 2027, particularly if oil prices climb to around $125 a barrel. She noted that the IMF’s earlier “reference scenario” of limited economic impact is now “in the rear-view mirror”, with the world already shifting…

The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the resilience, stability and future readiness of the country’s financial system, as banking leaders aligned closely with new initiatives from the Central Bank of the UAE to safeguard growth momentum amid heightened global uncertainty.At its first quarterly meeting of 2026, the UBF CEOs Advisory Council — chaired by Abdulaziz Al Ghurair — reviewed sector performance and endorsed the Central Bank’s Comprehensive Financial Institution Resilience Package, describing it as a critical framework to strengthen liquidity buffers, digital infrastructure and risk-management capabilities across the banking ecosystem.Al Ghurair said the UAE banking…

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) is set to deepen its position as a regional hub for innovative investment products with the listing of two new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from KraneShares, offering investors exposure to artificial intelligence and Shari’ah-compliant income strategies.The two funds — the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AGIX) and the KraneShares Wahed Alternative Income Index ETF (KWIN) — are being cross-listed from the New York Stock Exchange, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s ambitions to become a leading gateway for global thematic investments in the Middle East.AGIX, scheduled to begin trading on April 16, provides investors exposure to both…

The economic fallout from the Middle East conflict is already weighing on global growth and could intensify sharply even if a ceasefire holds, according to senior officials at the World Bank, who warned that emerging markets, Gulf economies and trade-dependent regions face the greatest risks from prolonged instability.World Bank President Ajay Banga said the war is likely to shave between 0.3 and 0.4 percentage points off global growth under a baseline scenario that assumes hostilities ease following the ceasefire initiative announced by US President Donald Trump.However, if the conflict persists or escalates, global growth could fall by as much as…