Good morning, wonderful people, and welcome to a brisk issue as we wrap up a busy week.

The big stories here at home include fresh trade and macro figures from Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, as well as news that Bayanat and Yahsat’s merger has received shareholder approval, and a host of strong bank earnings.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS-

#1- We’re in for another foggy weekend, with skies expected to be clouded by rain and light fog until Sunday, the National Center of Meteorology said on X. Temperatures will hover around highs of 33°C in Dubai today and 36°C tomorrow, with overnight lows of 24°C. In Abu Dhabi, expect a higher chance of rain and highs of 36°C, with an overnight low of 20°C.

#2- Reports of water contamination have surfaced in a small number of cases in thecountry after heavy rainfall, with the exact number undisclosed, the Health Ministry said. The ministry did not reveal a cause for the contamination but did mention that the affected individuals received hospital treatment for their symptoms.

#3- There’s a new health office in town: The Dubai Health Authority has established adisaster and crisis management office to ramp up the emirate’s health security system, focusing on readiness and capabilities for emergencies, according to a statement. The office will develop and manage the emergency, crisis, and disaster system with support from the recently launched Dubai Disaster and Crisis Medicine Programme, which aims to train some 10k government and private healthcare professionals over five years on emergency response skills. It will also be tasked with rolling out preventive strategies and training specialists to address disasters.

#4- Schools in Sharjah are returning to in-person classes as of Monday, Wam reports. Schools in the emirate had temporarily moved online due to last week’s storms and flooding.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- KKR and Co. won’t sell Upfield to ADQ: Private equity firm KKR and Co. has shelved the sales process for Flora and Country Crock spreads maker Upfield, after negotiations with Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ fell through over price disagreements, Bloomberg reports, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The buyout firm, which had planned to raise USD 10 bn from the sale, is now considering retaining Upfield for longer, in addition to an IPO or minority stake sale, as Upfield drew “muted interest” from private equity bidders, the sources added.

#2- Borouge-Borealis merger facing more delays? Talks between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Austria-based integrated oil and gas company OMV on a planned merger of ADX-listed Borouge and Borealis could continue to face delays until after Austria’s national elections in the fall, Bloomberg reports, citing several people with knowledge of the matter. The agreement, initially announced in July, is expected to be worth some USD 30 bn as the two companies create a combined petrochemical holding entity.

The sticking points: OMV is reportedly “resisting” injecting some EUR 1.7 bn into the merger to ensure an equal stake to Adnoc in the new entity, while Adnoc is reportedly resisting a push from the Austrian side to see the merged company listed on a second exchange, Bloomberg’s sources say. Meanwhile, Borealis CEO Thomas Gangl — “an advocate of the [transaction]” — has resigned from his position, which has impacted the progression of the negotiations, Bloomberg says.

#3- Barcelona FC is reportedly in talks with unnamed Emirati investors to secure a funding agreement, as the football club looks to secure additional income, Asharq Business reports, citing Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo. The club is looking for a funding alternative after the failure of its agreement with German company Libro Football Finance, which bought a 10% stake in Barca Vision for EUR 60 mn but failed to fulfill payment commitments.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Lord Mayor Michael Manielli will be in the UAE this week to discuss carbon markets and debt finance for vulnerable countries with officials, in a bid to follow up on the progress made during Cop28, where he led a delegation to the summit, he told The National. The exact agenda for his visit was not disclosed.

The Abu Dhabi Mobility Week kicked off on Wednesday. The event, which is being organized by the Department of Municipalities and Transport, is geared towards developing the transportation landscape in Abu Dhabi. Hosting representatives from Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, Abu Dhabi Airports, Etihad Rail, Etihad Airways, and other sector players, the event closes on 1 May.

OUR NEXT CONFERENCE IN CAIRO-

Foreign investors are falling in love with Egypt again… Foreign investors we speak with (debt, equity, and strategic alike) have growing appetite for Egypt. They’re buying into local debt, eyeing promising shares, and committing bns of USD to both new ventures here and the growth of their existing businesses. They like the Egypt story that’s taking shape after the float of the EGP, and its competitive advantages are clear to many of them: It’s a massive consumer opportunity and a regional export hub of tomorrow.

The Enterprise Optimism Forum 2024 will do exactly what it says on the tin: Spark conversations about a future that sees Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the the UAE at the heart of a more vital Middle East economy — and provide an early, actionable roadmap for those who are “long Egypt.”

We’ll be talking with you about the agenda over the coming couple of weeks.It features speakers from Egypt and abroad who are future-proofing their businesses and angling to capture tomorrow’s opportunities — and who aren’t afraid to answer some tough questions.

*** Interested in attending? Tap or click here to let us know. Seating is limited.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Earnings season still dominates front pages in the Western business press, with yesterday seeing Big Tech report 1Q 2024 results. The highlights:

#1- Google parent Alphabet announced its first ever dividend payout and a plan to buy back USD 70 bn in shares, after beating forecasts with revenues coming in at USD 80.54 bn (pdf). The dividend payout, which comes after Meta announced its first dividend earlier this year, sent shares soaring 16% after the bell — setting it up for a more than USD 2 tn valuation. (Reuters)

#2- Microsoft also beat estimates as AI investments bear fruit, with revenues rising 17% y-o-y to USD 61.9 bn and net income rising to USD 21.9 bn, according to its earnings release.

#3- Snap saw its shares jump 25% in after hours trading after beating analyst expectations with a 21% y-o-y increase in revenues to USD 1.2 bn, according to its earnings release.

#4- The one outlier was Intel, which missed analyst expectations as it suffers weakened demand for its PC chips and traditional data centers, as more companies eye more advanced AI server chips. Shares in Intel fell 8% following the results, which showed revenues of USD 12.72 bn during the quarter.

IN OTHER BUSINESS NEWS- TikTok parent ByteDance said it would rather shut down its business in the US than sell it if push comes to shove and it is unable to legally fight US President Joe Biden’s legislation to ban the app from US app stores. Sources said the parent company would not want to give up its algorithm, which are core to its operations. (Reuters)

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development is scheduled for next Sunday and Monday, 28-29 April in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The two-day meeting addresses global challenges in economic development, including energy transitions and geopolitical tensions.

It will feature over 700 participants, including Economy Minister Abdulla Bin Touq, who will sit on a panel covering the rise of the tourism sector, and Majid Al Futtaim Holding CEO Ahmed Galal Ismail, who is participating in a panel on MENA economic perspectives.

The International Congress of Arabic Publishing and Creative Industries, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, will convene next Sunday, 28 April at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The event will feature speakers from 50 countries to discuss Arabic literature and creative works.

Binghatti Development Company is set to unveil the details of Binghatti Hills, the largest development project in Dubai’s skyline, next Monday, 29 April at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, followed by a four-day sales event, Albayan reports. The project will comprise 1.6k residential units and 21 commercial outlets.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is set to take place from 29 April to 5 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), with Egypt as the guest of honor and Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz as the focus personality.

The Arabian Travel Market is taking place from 6-9 May at DWTC Dubai under the theme Transforming Travel Through Entrepreneurship. The event will focus on issues relating to entrepreneurial strategies.

The Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2024) is set to take place from 29 April to 5 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre under the Department of Culture and Tourism. The fair will host 1,350 publishers from 90 countries and 375 local exhibitors presenting over 2k activities.

The Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress is scheduled to be held on 7-9 May at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Gathering senior government officials and industry experts, the summit will focus on exploring means of strengthening the economy under the theme Resilient, Sustainable Economic Growth – Creating a Healthy and Prospective Investment through FDI and FPI.

The Middle East Petroleum and Gas Conference is set to take place from 20-22 May in Dubai, hosted by the Emirates National Oil Company and under the organization of S&P Global Commodity Insights. The theme of the conference is “Evolving Core Energy Markets within a Sustainable Landscape.”

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

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