أعد اتحاد الغرف الخليجية تقريرا يوصي بإيجاد آلية بين القطاعين العام والخاص للرصد والمتابعة على مستوى كل دولة من دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي. ويوضح أهم مصادر التأثير الاقتصادي العالمي على القطاع الخاص الخليجي في ظل أزمة كورونا.
اتحاد الغرف الخليجية -17مايو 2020: خلص تقرير أعدته الأمانة العامة لاتحاد غرف دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي حول "تداعيات تفشي وباء كورونا على انشطة القطاع الخاص الخليجي" أن الحكومات الخليجية بادرت إلى اتخاذ حزمة من إجراءات الدعم المالي والاقتصادي الفاعلة والتي واكبت في أهدافها ونطاقها كافة الحزم الاحتوائية والانقادية التي أعلنت عنها دول العالم، وخاصة الدول المتقدمة، مما أسهم بشكل فاعل في حماية الاقتصاد، والعمالة وانشطة القطاع الخاص، ولاسيما أصحاب المهن والمؤسسات الصغيرة والمتوسطة من تداعيات تفشي الوباء إلى حد كبير خلال الفترة الراهنة.
ولفت التقرير إلى أن تفشي وباء كورونا له انعكاسات تختلف عن التداعيات التي تنجم عادة عن الأزمات المالية والاقتصادية التي شهدها العالم خلال العقود الماضية، وكان آخرها الأزمة العالمية عام 2008م، من حيث اتساع رقعت تأثيرها وطبيعة هذا التأثير وطول أمده مما يتوجب معه عدم اكتفاء الحكومات في العالم، بما في ذلك الحكومات الخليجية، بما تم اتخاذه حتى الآن. لذلك، قد يستدعي الأمر التدخل بمزيد من التدابير التي تفرضها طبيعة التداعيات الخاصة من جراء الوباء. كما أن الإجراءات المتخذة في الوقت الحاضر قد تتطلب المراجعة والتحديث والتطوير في كل مرحلة من مراحل الوباء.
لذلك، فقد أوصى التقرير بإيجاد آلية منسقة بين القطاعين العام والخاص للرصد والمتابعة على كل من مستوى كل دولة خليجية وعلى مستوى مجلس التعاون الخليجي ككل تنصب أهدافها على العمل و مراجعة كافة الإجراءات والخطوات المتخذة لدعم منشآت القطاع الخاص بصورة مستمرة والتقدم بالتوصيات اللازمة للعمل على تحديثها وتطويرها وفقا لمراحل انتشار الفايروس وتداعياته. كذلك وضع المقترحات لمرحلة الخروج من مرحلة مكافحة الفايروس إلى مرحلة الانعاش لمنشآت القطاع الخاص وما هي الإجراءات المطلوبة وفقا لنوع النشاط وحجم المنشأة.
وقد تناولت مقدمة التقرير تداعيات فايروس كورونا على الاقتصاد العالمي، حيث من المتوقع أن يشهد الاقتصاد العالمي انكماشا حادا بواقع -3% في عام 2020م، وهو أسوأ بكثير مما ترتب على الأزمة المالية العالمية في 2008م – 2009م. وفي أحد السيناريوهات الأساسية، الذي يفترض انحسار الجائحة في النصف الثاني من عام 2020م وإمكانية تخفيف جهود الاحتواء بالتدريج، من المتوقع أن ينمو الاقتصاد العالمي بمعدل 5,8% في 2021م مع عودة النشاط الاقتصادي إلى طبيعته، بمساعدة الدعم المقدم من متخذي السياسات الاقتصادية.
كما كرس التقرير فصل خاص لدراسة تداعيات تفشي وباء كورونا على الاقتصاديات الخليجية، حيث تبين آخر التقديرات الدولية إلى تعرض دول مجلس التعاون، كغيرها من بلدان العالم، إلى اضطراب اقتصادي كبير من خلال صدمات العرض والطلب المتزامنة. ومما فاقم من الآثار السلبية هو هبوط أسعار النفط بأكثر من 60% خاصة بعد عدم اتفاق اوبك بلس على تخفيض الإنتاج في بداية الأزمة. ويتوقع صندوق النقد الدولي أن يكون الأثر الاقتصادي لتفشي وباء كورونا بالغا على اقتصاديات دول التعاون، حيث ستشهد انكماشا بنسبة 2.7% في العام 2020م. كما سوف تتعرض دول التعاون لصدمة مزدوجة تتمثل في انخفاض الطلب العالمي على النفط وانخفاض أسعاره، حيث يتوقع الصندوق تراجع الصادرات النفطية بأكثر من 250 مليار دولار في أنحاء المنطقة. ونتيجة لذلك، من المتوقع أن تتحول أرصدة المالية العامة إلى السالب، متجاوزة 10% من إجمالي الناتج المحلي في معظم البلدان.
في المرحلة القادمة، وبعد الانحسار التدريجي للوباء، ينبغي أن يتمثل الهدف المنشود في وضع الاقتصاد الخليجي على مسار تحقيق النمو المستدام: وسيتطلب هذا استعادة الثقة، عن طريق توفير دعم واسع النطاق على مستوى المالية العامة والسياسة النقدية حيثما توافر الحيز اللازم. كما لا ينبغي إلغاء هذا الدعم إلا إذا كان الاقتصاد ماضيا بالفعل على مسار التعافي. ويدعم قدرة دول التعاون في تطبيق خطط انعاشية شاملة بعد انحسار وباء كورونا امتلاكها احتياطيات مالية تقدر بنحو تريليوني دولار.
ثم انتقل التقرير لتحليل تداعيات تفشي مرض كورونا على القطاع الخاص الخليجي، حيث تناول في البداية أهم مؤشرات دور القطاع الخاص في التنمية على صعيد الناتج المحلي الاجمالي والانفاق القومي والصادرات السلعية والتوظيف، حيث يتضح أن الاقتصاد الخليجي وخاصة خلال السنوات الماضية بعد تراجع أسعار النفط بات يعتمد بصورة متزايدة على القطاعات غير النفطية كمحرك للنمو، حيث يبلغ متوسط مساهمتها في الناتج الإجمالي نحو 73.6% عام 2018م، وهي تعكس نجاح خطط الحكومات الخليجية في برامج التنويع الاقتصادي والمشاركة المتزايدة للقطاع الخاص في التنمية. وما قبل أزمة كورونا، كان القطاع الخاص الخليجي يسعى للعب دور أكبر في المرحلة المقبلة في ظل التوجهات الحالية للحكومات الخليجية الرامية إلى تفعيل الشراكة الحقيقية بين القطاعين العام والخاص لتنفيذ البرامج التنموية والاقتصادية استنادا إلى رؤى التنمية الطويلة الأجل التي تنفذها.
ثم تناول التقرير بالتحليل مصادر التأثير الاقتصادي العالمية على القطاع الخاص الخليجي في ظل أزمة كورونا، واهمها أسعار النفط وتراجع النشاط الاقتصادي العالمي والتجارة العالمية وحجم العلاقة مع الصين و بيئة الاستثمار وفرص الأعمال والبورصات العالمية وسلسلة إمدادات السلع والخدمات وأسعار الفائدة والدولار الأمريكي، حيث اتضح من عرض هذه العوامل أن مصادر التأثير العالمية على انشطة القطاع الخاص الخليجي ترتبط ارتباطا وثيقا بالاقتصاد الخليجي ككل، الذي يعتمد اعتمادا كبيرا على الإيرادات النفطية، وتجارته مع العالم، وخاصة الصين، وكذلك ارتباط عملاته بالدولار الأمريكي وبسعر الفائدة الأمريكية، مما يولد عليه نفس الضغوط التي يتعرض لها الاقتصاد الخليجي ككل.
كما عرض التقرير بصورة مفصلة المبادرات التي اتخذتها الحكومات الخليجية لدعم الاقتصاديات الخليجية والعمالة، وانشطة القطاع الخاص، ولا سيما الأنشطة الأكثر تضررا، مشيدة بشمولية هذه المبادرات ومساهماتها الفاعلة في حماية القطاع الخاص بصورة كبيرة من تداعيات تفشي وباء كورونا، وتوفير حماية كبيرة للعمالة، ومكنت القطاع الخاص من مواصلة تقديم خدماته الأساسية، وهو بدوره ساهم في استدامة حماية المجتمع من تداعيات تفشي الوباء.
وقد كرس التقرير جانب كبير منه لتحليل تداعيات تفشي وباء كورونا على أنشطة القطاع الخاص، حيث تناول كل على حدة 15 قطاع ونشاط هي الصناعة والاستيراد والتصدير والبنوك والمؤسسات المالية والبورصات الخليجية والسفر والسياحة والمؤتمرات والفنادق والغذاء والخدمات اللوجستية والعقار والتطوير العقاري والتوظيف والعمالة الوافدة والتجارة الالكترونية وتجارة التجزئة وقطاع الخدمات والرعاية الصحية وقطاع التعليم الخاص وصناعة الترفيه المنزلي، حيث خرج التقرير بنتائج أولية أن معظم أنشطة القطاع الخاص تأثرت سلبا بتفشي هذا الوباء، وهذه مسألة طبيعية، وذلك بسبب توقف عجلة الإنتاج والخدمات على مختلف أنواعها بسبب إجراءات الحظر الاجتماعي والاقتصادي، حيث اعطيت الأولوية للحفاظ على أرواح البشر. لكن من اللافت أيضا أن تفشي الوباء خلق أنماط مختلفة من السلوك الاستهلاكي لدى الفرد، كما حفز الطلب على خدمات معينة واكبت نمط الاستهلاك ونمط حياة التباعد الاجتماعي، مما جعل بعض الأنشطة تستفيد من الأزمة مثل التجارة الالكترونية والتسوق عبر البوابات الالكترونية وتجارة الأغذية والتعليم عن بعد وتقديم الخدمات الصحية عن بعد وكذلك صناعات المعقمات والرعاية الصحية والأدوية وصناعة الترفيه العائلي.
ونوه التقرير إلى أن القطاع الخاص الخليجي بات يواجه في الوقت الراهن تحديات غير مسبوقة في تاريخه ويجب التصدي لها ومعالجتها بدرجة عالية من المسئولية والشمولية وبما يحافظ على محورية دوره في الاستدامة الاقتصادية، وأن أي ضرر يلحق بهذا الدور سيولد أضرار كثيرة للاقتصاد الخليجي ككل. لذلك لا بد من متابعة دراسة تداعيات تفشي وباء كورونا على القطاع الخاص الخليجي خلال المرحلة المقبلة، خاصة أن الأزمة لا تزال مستمرة، وابعاد التداعيات لا تزال قيد التبلور وبحاجة إلى تكاتف كافة جهود الجهات الرسمية مع القطاع الخاص من أجل العمل سوية لوضع الحلول المناسبة لمواجهتها، وإعادة الاقتصاد إلى مساره السليم.
UAE, Saudi central banks roll out $40 billion stimulus for virus-hit economies
01 Apr 2020 Written by Admin AdminThe central banks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, the two largest Arab economies, on Saturday announced stimulus plans worth a combined $40 billion to ease the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in their respective countries.
The UAE regulator plans to support banks and businesses in the country, where the outbreak is affecting major economic sectors such as tourism and transport, with a 100 billion dirham ($27 billion) economic plan, it said on Saturday.
In a separate statement, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority said it had prepared a 50 billion riyal ($13.32 billion) package to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) cope with the economic impacts of coronavirus.
The disease has so far infected 85 people in the UAE and 105 in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi funding aims to grant SMEs six-month deferrals on bank payments, concessional financing and exemptions from the costs of a loan guarantee program, SAMA said.
Concerts, sporting events and industry conferences have been canceled or postponed in the past few weeks in the UAE to contain the spreading of the new coronavirus.
In Dubai, the Middle East’s trade, finance, tourism and transportation hub, some businesses have started to feel the pain from the global travel slowdown caused by the outbreak.
Saudi Arabia, which has already suspended the Umrah pilgrimage and locked down its eastern Qatif region where many infections are located, plans to halt all international flights for two weeks from Sunday.
The UAE central bank said it will provide 50 billion dirhams through collateralized loans at zero cost to all banks operating in the UAE while an additional 50 billion dirhams will be freed up from lenders’ capital buffers.
“The CBUAE is allowing banks to free-up their regulatory capital buffers to boost lending capacity and support the UAE economy,” it said in a statement.
It said the scheme offers banks relief for up to six months from the payments of principal and interest on outstanding loans for affected private sector companies and retail customers.
Committed to peg
Adding to a likely economic slowdown caused by the virus, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also expected to face wider fiscal deficits this year because of lower oil prices, due to an oil price war between Riyadh and Moscow.
The Gulf states’ currencies, which are pegged to the U.S. dollar, weakened in the forwards market last week.
The UAE regulator said on Saturday it maintained its commitment to the peg for the dirham, and said foreign currency reserves amounting to 405 billion dirhams as of March 10 were “adequate” to safeguard the stability of the currency.
Other measures introduced by the UAE central bank on Saturday include reducing by 15-25% the amount of capital banks have to hold for loans to SMEs, and better terms for first-time home buyers.
Importantly for the local real estate sector - which has been struggling in Dubai for the past decade - banks will be allowed to increase their exposure to real estate loans.
“When the exposure reaches 20% of the banks’ loan portfolio (measured by risk-weighted assets), banks will be allowed to increase it to 30%, but will be required to hold more capital,” it said.
The central bank also introduced regulations which reduce banking fees for small companies.
The Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock exchange indices dropped last week amid coronavirus concerns and because of tumbling oil prices.
To contain volatility in the markets, the central bank said it plans to issue guidelines on margin calls, asking banks to request additional collateral before liquidating stocks in the event of a market downfall.
source: cnbc
If there is one pastime that people in the Middle East are unlikely to give up, it is watching television. In 2018, the daily time spent watching TV per capita in the region was 6 hours and 20 minutes according to Statista, more than double the global time of 2 hours and 48 minutes.
But this is set to decline to 6 hours this year as users in the region switch from watching their shows on traditional television sets to streaming them online.
Between 2013 and 2019, the number of people watching television offline dropped from 98 per cent to 86 per cent in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) according to the Media Use in the Middle East report.
This drop has been driven by cheaper and faster internet connectivity and the rise of video on demand (VOD) and streaming services, also known as over-the-top (OTT) players.
As a result, the space has become more competitive, but the penetration of these services in the region pales in comparison to other parts of the world.
Starzplay, a UAE-based subscription VOD service partly owned by Lionsgate, launched in 2014 in response to rising demand for good quality content. Now, the company has the biggest market share in the subscriptions market with 29 per cent compared to US-based Netflix which has the second largest share in Mena with Wit24 per cent, according to the IHS Markit in its Pay TV & Online Video Report Mena 2019.
Netflix arrived in the Middle East in 2016, giving the industry a boost and bringing with it a sense of credibility and awareness of subscription-based streaming services.
Telecommunication and pay TV operators like OSN have launched their own OTT services as a way to maintain market share, while the parallel launch of Apple TV+ and Disney+ into the streaming television space last November in the US poses the threat of even more competition once they are launched in Mena.
“It is not a ‘one player wins it all’ business, different providers complement each other. OTT subscription prices allow customers to have more than one service.
It is a great time to watch content,” says Danny Bates, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Starzplay.
The online subscription video market is pursuing the same growth pattern that the pay TV market had followed in the region.
By 2023, online video subscriptions will reach almost five million, while revenues will reach $416 million according to the IHS Markit report.
Much of the demand for streaming services is coming from the UAE and Saudi Arabia which together account for 49 per cent of the total subscriptions in Mena. The demand for online streaming subscriptions is likely to overtake pay TV subscriptions like OSN and beIN by 2025.
However, streaming services need to have premium content from the biggest studios in the world in order to stand a chance to compete and bring customers on board, and content remains an expensive product.
Additionally, the significance of telling relevant stories catering to Mena audiences is becoming key, hence the surge in investment in original content production.
Earlier this year, Shahid, MBC Group’s streaming platform relaunched, announcing a partnership with Disney and Fox to bring more than 3,000 hours of content to the biggest streaming library of Arabic content.
“Over the next two years, we aim to substantially increase the size of our investment into drama productions, thus increasing them fourfold, of which the majority will be original and exclusive content,” says Marc Antoine d’Halluin, group chief executive at MBC Group.
Netflix has also increased its original content offerings for Arab audiences while Starzplay recently announced a partnership with Academy Award-winning media and entertainment company, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, to create its first original content series.
Jawwy TV, an OTT platform launched in 2018 for the Mena region through Intigral, a digital provider of sports and entertainment, is seeking to make an impact in the way content is consumed in the region.
“Our roadmap is very intense, and we are trying to develop a product in order to match all the major OTT players in the world, but it will be dedicated for Mena content,” said Tony Saab, vice-president of products and content at Intigral.
The service continues to explore agreements with numerous players, in addition to creating original content and acquiring Arabic content.
As more users begin to consume content online, competition will no doubt intensify. One casualty of this growing competition was Malaysia-based iFlix, which pulled out of the Mena region two years after its launch in 2017, unable to replicate the success of its core market in South East Asia.
“Streaming services have just scratched the surface of the market in Mena, despite all the [high] numbers,” says Bates who believes that the market is still establishing itself, and businesses will have to continue to evolve and strengthen their product to meet the rising demand.
According to Bates, “iFlix never really came into the region, they had success in Asia, but they came to Mena with the exact model, while it is a different territory, people, culture and ways of doing business”.
For him, it was not about lack of market demand that caused iFlix to exit, it was unfit execution, something that every OTT player should bear in mind.
source: wamda
GCC MAJOR SOURCE MARKET FOR OUTBOUND MICE TRAVEL SAYS REGIONAL EXPERT MICEMINDS
WINS ‘BEST INCENTIVE PROGRAM IN AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION’ ACCOLADE AT
THE MALT EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2020
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The global MICE industry is anticipated to reach over $1.4 billion in the next five years and the Middle East remains at the forefront as one of the fastest-growing tourism generators globally and an important source market for any destination.
According to the team at MiceMinds, the UAE is the second biggest source market for outbound travel from the Middle East, surpassed only by Saudi Arabia. This growth has been buoyed by the growth of the regional airlines as well as the game-changing mindset of companies like MiceMinds who create bespoke incentive travel experiences that are personalized and designed to lead positive business results.
An ITL World Company, MiceMinds was lauded for their ‘out of the box’ thinking where they won the ‘Best Incentive program in an International Destination’ award at the MALT Excellence Awards last night. The official award show of the renowned Mice Arabia and Luxury Travel Congress (MALT), the MALT Excellence Awards highlight, honor and celebrate path-breaking achievements of top organizations and individuals, who have demonstrated exemplary initiatives in the field of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events (Mice), Business and Luxury Travel from the GCC.
This particular award recognized this unique organization within the ITL World portfolio that uses incentive trips as a tool to stimulate and motivate employees and partners and reward those who have achieved certain goals in the company.
“When we won the TMC of the Year award last year we didn’t rest on our laurels so to be rewarded for a 2nd year in a row is a real honor especially for a part of our business that usually goes unrecognized. The core objective of MiceMinds is to help organizations strengthen their team and overall performance through one-of-a-kind travel and event experiences, and this unique accolade underscores our steadfast commitment to excellence in making the MICE industry bigger, better with more customization and innovation across the board,” said Rafeeq Mohammed, CEO of ITL World.
“Awards such as this are a wonderful endorsement of our unique approach to delivering exceptional experiences to our MICE clients and the resolute commitment and expertise of our team,” he added.
Since its official launch in 1998, ITL World has been assisting companies across the globe to make the most of what they spend on business and incentive travel.
source: uaenews247
Badir-incubated technology startups raise SR508 million in 10 years
30 Jan 2020 Written by Admin AdminTechnology startups incubated by the Badir Program for Technology Incubators and Accelerators, one of the leading initiatives of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), closed 2019 on a high note, raising a record SR236 million ($62.93 million) led by venture capital firms, individual investors, private companies, and governmental institutions.
The total funding for startups increased to SR508 million ($135.47 million) from 2010 until the end of December 2019 across 184 deals, according to a statistical report compiled by the Business Incubators and Accelerators Company (BIAC), which manages and operates the Badir Program.
The report revealed that venture capital firms were the most active in terms of funding size, investing SR 203 million into startups, equivalent to 40% of the total amount of funding and investment, while private sector companies provided SR 168 million, 33% of the total funding.
BIAC report further disclosed that the total financing by individual investors amounted to SR 104 million, 20% of the total amount of funding, followed by government institutions who invested SR 35 million, 7% of the total investment volume.
The increase in investments reflects the maturing startup environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the continued and growing interest of local and international investors.
Furthermore, the number of startups incubated in the Badir Program rose to 655 companies since inception until the end of the third quarter of 2019.
The Badir Program offers one of the most important national and innovative environments in the field of entrepreneurship.
The Program was established in 2007 by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, to support and provide opportunities for technology- and innovation-based business enterprises.
Nawaf Al Sahhaf, the Chief Executive Officer of BIAC, said: “As the startup environment is thriving in Saudi Arabia, we have seen more of the startups succeed in receiving significant investments from several investors.
The success of startups provides an incentive for encouraging and enhancing the entrepreneurship environment in the market."
When the Badir Program incubates a technological startup company, it facilitates funding by providing a platform by connecting investors and entrepreneurs through its annually-held "Projects Presentation Day" program.
A state-owned subsidiary of the Saudi Technology Development and Investment Company (TAQNIA) – owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – BIAC operates and manages entrepreneurship support platforms, innovation and technology transfer programs.
It also offers project management and business support with specialized consultancy and training services.
Offering an array of services in over nine different cities in the Kingdom, BIAC operates and manages 10 incubators and 8 accelerators in various fields, most notably the Badir Program's 8 incubators in 7 regions.
In addition, BIAC manages and operates the Saudi Innovation Center for Water Technology Program; the Fast Track to Innovation Program; the Innovation Center for Industry 4.0; the KAMIN Program for raising industrial capabilities and enhancing the capabilities of small- and medium-sized industrial enterprises; the Industrial Establishments Accelerator; Haramein Technology Accelerator; Badir Accelerator, and the Inventions Transfer Accelerator.
source: saudigazette
At a time when economic tensions are never far from the world’s headlines, the role of trade as a tool for promoting mutual growth can seem a distant memory.
And yet amidst this increasingly competitive and inward-looking landscape, some respite can be found in the Middle East, an innovative and fresh region of nations racing to diversify their economies away from hydrocarbons.
The diversification of the region helps boost the Middle East market and make it an emerging champion for trade.
Stronger together
Boosting non-oil exports and foreign investments are essential steps for diversification. Over the last two decades, Gulf nations have sought to forge closer ties with one another, removing non-tariff barriers and entering into international trade agreements as an integrated group. As well as a GCC-wide Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the broader Greater Arab Free Trade Area to promote intraregional trade, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) currently holds FTAs with Singapore and the EFTA states of Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. The cooperation council is collectively negotiating several more, including with:
- China
- Australia
- Japan
- Korea
- New Zealand
- The European Union
First of its kind FTA
As well as entering into international Free Trade Agreements collectively, GCC members have also forged new partnerships independently. Of particular note is Bahrain’s FTA with the US – the first US FTA with any GCC country. Last year saw USD 1.2 billion total in imports and USD 683 million in exports from this trade agreement alone. Furthermore, it has been a boon to Bahrain’s rapidly growing manufacturing sector, attracting international companies seeking to benefit from the Kingdom’s low-cost business environment, advanced infrastructure, supportive regulation, highly skilled workforce and access to both the US and growing USD 1.5 trillion Gulf markets.
Tariff-free competitive edge
Take Confectionary giant Mondelez, which chose the Bahrain International Investment Park for its sixth global mega-plant – a ‘Factory of the Future’ the size of 300 football fields. According to Plant Director Omar Nassef, “The US FTA grants the Bahraini business a competitive edge of having tariff-free access to the giant economy of the US.” Every year Mondelez produces some 60 million Oreo cookies – around 72 metric tonnes – and is generating some USD 70 million of revenue coming from the Middle East market and its tariff-free edge.
Skilled workforce
Or take 205-year-old US home textiles producer WestPoint Home. According to COO Steven Burns, most of the company’s competitors are in countries like Pakistan, China and India. Having set up in Bahrain to take advantage of the ease of doing business, access to decision-makers and skilled workforce (they employ more than 160 Bahrainis) they now export 90 percent of their production, duty-free, to the US.
Supportive infrastructure
Take the example of Bell Racing Helmets, which according to Executive Director & Chairman Stephane Cohen set up in Bahrain to take advantage of the supportive infrastructure for entrepreneurs and businesses and the high quality of life. They have been benefiting from the US FTA ever since.
Bucking the global trend
The results of attracting these international businesses are starting to show. The latest World Investment Report (WIR 2019) from the UN Conference on Trade and Development found that global flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) had sunk to their lowest level since the global financial crisis. Despite this, the West Asian subregion, which includes the Middle East, bucked the global trend, seeing a three percent rise in FDI to a total of USD 29 billion. The report singled out Bahrain, which saw a 6 percent increase in FDI inflows, attributed in large part to growing interest in its manufacturing sector.
Strengthening relations at home and abroad
The Middle East has long been seen as one of the world’s most fractious regions. Yet the need to evolve and adapt to a rapidly changing world has brought many Middle Eastern countries closer together, boosting the Middle East market. It is an irony of the digital era that while we are more connected than ever before, there is a growing trend towards nationalism and protectionism. In such a climate, there may be lessons to learn from the Middle East, which is strengthening relations at home while forging new alliances and visits across the world. And growing stronger because of it.
source: bahrainedb
عقد اجتماع مجلس ادارة اتحاد غرف دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي (52 ) في العاصمة العمانية مسقط مؤخراً ، بحضور ومشاركة أصحاب السعاده رؤساء الاتحادات وغرف دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي .
وتم خلال الإجتماع مناقشة المواضيع المُدرجة على جدول أعمال الإجتماع وهي التصديق على محضر الإجتماع (51) لمجلس الإتحاد الذي عقد بدولة الكويت بتاريخ 19 يونيه 2019 ومتابعة تنفيذ القرارات الصادرة عنه، وإنتقال رئاسة الإتحاد للدورة (21) إلى غرفة تجارة وصناعة البحرين بدءاً من 10 فبراير 2020 ولغاية 10 فبراير 2022، ومناقشة التوصيات الصادرة عن الإجتماعين (45)، (46) للجنة القيادات التنفيذية، ومناقشة التعديلات المقترحة على النظامين الأساسي والداخلي للإتحاد، وإعتماد التقرير السنوي للأمانة العامة للإتحاد لعام 2018، ومناقشة مشروع البرنامج السنوي للأمانة العامة للإتحاد لعام 2020، ومناقشة مشروع الموازنة التقديرية للأمانة العامة للإتحاد لعام 2020، ومتابعة تطورات تشييد المقر الجديد للأمانة العامة للإتحاد.
كما تم على هامش الإجتماع التوقيع على مذكرة تفاهم للتعاون والتنسيق في التعليم الخاص بين غرفة تجارة وصناعة البحرين ومجلس الغرف السعودية، حيث وقعها من جانب غرفة تجارة وصناعة البحرين رئيسها السيد سمير عبدالله ناس بينما وقعها من جانب مجلس الغرف السعودية الدكتور سامي بن عبدالله العبيدي رئيس المجلس، ويأتي التوقيع على مذكرة التفاهم في اطار التعاون والتنسيق في التعليم الخاص بين اللجنة الوطنية للتعليم الخاص والتدريب بمجلس الغرف السعودية، ولجنة التعليم بغرفة تجارة وصناعة البحرين للتأكيد على الدور المهم لقطاع التعليم الخاص بكافة مراحله في منظومة التعليم بدول مجلس التعاون الخليجي وتعزيز اسهاماته في رفع نسبة الإستثمار في الإقتصاد المعرفي الخليجي وتطويره للوصول الى المنافسة المعرفية العالمية، انطلاقاً من مبدأ التكامل الإقتصادي بين الغرف التجارية الأعضاء في اتحاد غرف دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي .
Arab Bank Switzerland Launches BTC and ETH Trading and Storage Services
29 Sep 2019 Written by Admin AdminThe Swiss subsidiary of Arab Bank, a banking giant in the Middle East, is starting to provide trade and storage services for BTC and ETH.
Thanks to this initiative, large-capital clients serviced by Arab Bank Switzerland, including business leaders and family entrepreneurs, can now access digital assets.
“We strongly believe that the blockchain will dramatically change the financial industry, and we intend to be one of the first banks to offer digital asset services for customers in a safe and regulated environment,” said Arab Robin CEO Serge Robin .
Regarding custodial services, the bank has partnered with Taurus Group, which has integrated its cold storage solution called TAURUS-PROTECT with the bank’s infrastructure.
Taurus notes that the solution uses the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2, Certified Equipment Security Modules (HSM) Level 3, and “some of the safest hardware in the world”
“We now have a fully regulated and scalable infrastructure that we will use to provide our clients with institutional-grade digital asset services in addition to our traditional asset and credit management solutions,” said Rani Jabban, a member Board of Arab Bank Switzerland.
In February this year, the Swiss bank Julius Baer and SEBA, with the participation of the cryptocurrency company SEBA Crypto AG, began offering digital asset services.
source: omnia
Dialing the future: Road ahead for telecom firms in UAE and Saudi Arabia
29 Aug 2019 Written by Admin AdminThe sector is the second largest in terms of market capitalisation on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets and is the third largest on the Saudi market
A mature telecom sector in the UAE and Saudi Arabia faces different challenges and growth opportunities in both countries.
A slowdown in the UAE markets has weighed on telecoms, but analysts told Zawya that they are optimistic about the second half of 2019, as the government increases spending ahead of Expo 2020.
In the Kingdom, market saturation could dent growth, but government initiatives and a decline in the number of expats leaving the country are positives for the sector.
The sector is the second largest in terms of market capitalisation on the Dubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets and is the third largest on the Saudi market.
Earlier in August, the UAE has been ranked first in the Arab region in Government Electronic and Mobile Services (GEMS) Maturity Index, according to a report issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). (Read more here).
Here we take a look at how the leading telecoms in the UAE and Saudi Arabia performed in the last two quarters and the pointers that could prompt growth for the rest of the year.
UAE
Du and Etisalat are the two listed telecom companies in the UAE. A slowdown in the economy has affected the performance of both the companies.
“The local market has been very challenging due to a slowdown in the economy and a telecom sector that is already matured, seeing population growth and high demand drivers in the last couple of years,” Omar Maher, vice president of equity research at EFG Hermes told Zawya during a phone interview.
“However, in the past 6 months demand has been slowing,” he added.
Dubai’s Du posted a 5.4 percent drop in net profit after Royalty payments for the first half (H1) of 2019.
The company’s revenue fell 5.3 percent during the period.
Abu Dhabi-based Etisalat, the UAE’s biggest telecom operator, posted a 3.1 percent increase in consolidated net profit for H1 2019 and a 1.27 percent drop in revenue.
“Du has been more affected than Etisalat. Etisalat managed to protect its subscriber base better and has been more proactive on the commercial side in the last couple of years,” Maher said.
Etisalat Group’s subscriber base reached 143 million at the end of June 2019, a year-on-year (y-o-y) increase of 2 percent compared to H1 2018.
Du’s mobile subscriber base dropped 8.9 percent to 7.22 million at the end of June 2019, compared to 7.92 million at the end of H1 2018.
The company’s fixed line subscribers reached 773 thousands at the end of H1 2019, a 2.38 percent increase from H1 2018’s subscribers number.
“Etisalat has core operations in the UAE, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and KSA.
Performance in Egypt has been better and Maroc Telecom (owned by Etisalat) as a group has done much better in the past six months.
Also Saudi Mobily (owned by Etisalat) is doing much better due to a recovery in demand in Saudi Arabia as well as support from the regulator and the government,” Maher noted.
“We might see an uptick for both UAE telecom players in the second half of 2019 because of the additional spending by the government ahead of the expo 2020,” he ended.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily), Mobile Telecommunications Company Saudi Arabia (Zain) and Etihad Atheeb Telecom constitute the telecom sector on Tadawul, with a total market capitalisation of 12.34 percent in the index.
Al Rajhi Capital that tracks telecoms in the kingdom said market saturation and pricing regulations could dent growth going forward.
“Sector growth may be unlikely to revise upwards because of already high penetration and firm regulatory control over prices,” Pritish Devassy, head of equity research at Al Rajhi Capital told Zawya in an email statement
“Impact of reversal of royalty fee, IFRS 16 impact and high top-line y-o-y growth were the key notables in H1 2019 results,” he added.
At the end of 2018, Zain, STC and Mobily reached an agreement with the Kingdom’s ministries of finance, communications and communication and information technology to reduce the annual royalty fee that each company pays to 10 percent, from 15 percent, retrospectively from January 2018.
The trio also reached a deal with the government to settle all old disputes in connection to royalties up to the end of 2017.
“All the companies reported healthy top-line growth rates coming from a low base with STC up 8.4 percent y-o-y as compared to Mobily’s 13.0 percent and Zain’s 24.2 percent,” Devassy said.
“While the new calculation for royalty fees was expected to deliver a negative set of results for Mobily and a positive set for Zain, it was the other way round with better than expected results for Mobily and a lower gross margin for Zain KSA,” he added.
Zain reported a net profit after zakat and tax of 260 million Saudi Riyals for H1 2019, while Mobily recorded a net profit of 105.02 million riyals for the period and STC saw a net profit of 5,598 million riyals for H1 2019.
According to Al Rajhi’s Devassy, the key drivers for the sector continue to be data pricing and promotional offers.
“Pricing is tightly controlled by the regulator and hence a material increase is not easy in our view,” he said.
“On the positive side of things, rate of decline in expats could decline as already a large chunk of expats have left. Lifting of ban on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), being in existence for more than one and half year could also lower the cannibalization on an annual basis especially now as data contributes to a large part of earnings for companies,” Devassy added.
source:zawya
تعتبر القدرة على الوصول الى خدمة الانترنت من اهم محددات التحول الرقمي، اذ لا يمكن الحديث عن نمو الاقتصاد الرقمي دون التوسع في انتشار خدمة الانترنت، اي انه يوجد ارتباط رئيسي بين مدى انتشار خدمة الانترنت وامكانية التحول الرقمي. ولقد شهد العالم العربي في السنوات الاخيرة نموا كبيرا في معدلات انتشار الانترنت وتدفق البيانات. كما وصلت كل من قطر والامارات العربية المتحدة إلى قائمة أفضل عشرة دول من حيث سرعة الانترنت.
يوضح الجدول التالي اعداد مستخدمي الانترنت في العالم عام 2019 ونسبة المستخدمين الى عدد السكان، ومستخدمي موقع "الفيسبوك" الذي يتصدر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي من حيث الانتشار في العالم العربي.
تعد نسبة انتشار خدمة الانترنت في العالم العربي الى اجمالي عدد السكان مرتفعة لاسيما اذا ما قورنت باقاليم اخرى، كدول افريقيا جنوب الصحراء، فيما تعتبر نسبة انتشار الانترنت في دول الخليج العربي من اعلى النسب في العالم، فهي توزاي تلك النسبة الموجودة في اكثر الدول تقدما، كالولايات المتحدة الامريكية (96%) وفرنسا (92 ٪) وألمانيا (96 ٪) وغيرها من الدول المتقدمة. إلا أن انتشار الخدمة الانترنت لا يعني بالضرورة ازدهار الاقتصاد الرقمي، فالامر مرتبط بمجموعة من المحددات المتصلة بهذه الخدمة، كمدى جودة خدمة الانترنت نفسها، ومدى تفعيل الخدمات الحكومية الرقمية في الصحة والتعليم والخدمات العامة، والى اي حد تنتشر ثقافة التعامل الرقمي بين المنتجين والمستهلكين، كل تلك المحددات وغيرها تلعب دورا في ادخال عملية انتشار خدمة الانترنت في اطار التحول الرقمي، اي تجعل منها عملية اقتصادية.
يمكن العودة إلى سلسلة " العالم العربي خطوات نحو التحول الرقمي" لمعرفة المزيد من الاحصاءات والمعلومات حول واقع الاقتصاد الرقمي في العالم العربي وخطوات التحول.
