QIA Commits $20 Billion to J.P. Morgan Asset Management
Big MoneyQatar Investment Authority and J.P. Morgan Asset Management signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 21, 2026, for a $20 billion strategic partnership: $15 billion in customized global public-equity portfolios and $5 billion in private credit to U.S. middle-market industrials, services, healthcare and technology firms, QIA and JPMAM confirmed.QIA and J.P. Morgan Asset Management Sign $20bn Mandate
Big MoneyQatar Investment Authority and J.P. Morgan Asset Management signed a memorandum of understanding on September 21, 2026, for a $20 billion partnership: JPMAM will run a $15 billion custom global-equities mandate for QIA and provide $5 billion in private credit to U.S. middle-market industrials, services, healthcare and technology firms. This is not investment advice.Fed's First Hike Since 2023 Forces Same-Day Rate Rises
The Open / The CloseThe Federal Reserve raised its target rate 25 basis points to 3.75%-4.00% on September 16, 2026 - its first hike since July 2023, approved 12-0 under Chair Kevin Warsh - and the UAE and Saudi central banks matched it within a day under their dollar pegs. Traders had priced better-than-92% odds beforehand, per CNBC.Gold Steadies Near $4,343 as Fed's First Hike Since 2023
Sector Deep DiveGold held near $4,342.98 an ounce Wednesday, up $3.40 (0.08%), per Economy Middle East's live snapshot, as markets weighed the Federal Reserve's September 16 hike to 3.75%-4.00% under Chair Kevin Warsh. Silver jumped to $66.63. SAMA and CBUAE matched the move to defend their dollar pegs; the Tadawul closed that week down 0.02%.US EXIM Floats a Non-Binding $6 Billion Term Sheet
Big MoneyThe U.S. Export-Import Bank has issued a non-binding, up-to-$6-billion term sheet for the $51 billion Argentina LNG project. Abu Dhabi's XRG holds an equity stake in the project alongside YPF and Eni, but no source ties XRG to the EXIM facility itself, which is a U.S. procurement-linked export-credit line. FID is still targeted for end-2026.Dubai's Soren Investment Buys Istithmar World's 22%
Big MoneyIstithmar World PJSC has exited its 22% stake in Gulf African Bank, selling to Dubai-based Soren Investment Company and Kenya's Auron Holdings, Clifford Chance confirmed on 12 May 2026. The deal's price and the buyers' combined resulting ownership are undisclosed. It lands as Kenya's banks reported an 18% profit rise to $2.4bn despite falling income, per bne IntelliNews.Kaplan Says the Fed-Hike Bet Is Overdone
Sovereign Flows & MacroRobert Kaplan, Goldman Sachs vice chairman and former Dallas Fed president, said bond markets are overpricing further Federal Reserve hikes, a day after the Fed raised rates to 3.75%-4.00% on September 16, 2026. Because the dirham is dollar-pegged, the UAE's central bank matched the move within a day, showing Gulf funding costs track the Fed's path, not a Gulf-specific one.Gulf Rates Face an October Test as Treasury Yields Hit
The Open / The CloseGulf central banks are poised to move again if the October 2 jobs report pushes the Federal Reserve toward an October 28 hike: SAMA and the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) matched the Federal Reserve's September 16 hike within a day under their dollar pegs, and the 10-year Treasury note yield has climbed to 5.17%, per Treasury Department data.Fed's First Hike in Three-Plus Years Forces Riyadh
Sector Deep DiveThe Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point hike to a 3.75%-4.00% target range on September 16, 2026 — driven by consumer inflation still running 3.4% year-on-year — forced the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to match the move same-day under their dollar pegs, tightening the discount rate embedded in every Tadawul, DFM and ADX IPO book-build.Saudi regulator drafts twice-yearly earnings calls
Big MoneySaudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority has proposed that every Main Market company hold earnings calls twice a year, within five business days of announcing results, with recordings published promptly. The draft is open for consultation until 29 October 2026 and would apply from fiscal 2026 annual results, so it is a proposal, not yet a rule.Dar Global's Half-Year Accounts
Big MoneyDar Global owes related parties more than it owes banks, but the filing line does not show that the Saudi parent lent all of it. Amounts due to related parties were $451.1 million at 30 June 2026 against $166.2 million of bank borrowings. AGBI reports the parent lent this year and distressed-asset buying is intended.Saudi Capital Markets Authority Readies IPO and Trading
IPO WatchSaudi Arabia's Capital Markets Authority plans to introduce IPO and trading reforms within 90 days, its chairman Mazen Al-Sudairi has said. According to Zawya, he wants the retail share of offerings raised to 30 percent, and AGBI reports the package responds to a striking drop in traded stocks and weak new-listing performance.Aramco Cuts November Asia Prices to the Widest Discount
Sovereign Flows & MacroAramco's November pricing reportedly signals a push for Asian market share over margin. AGBI reports an average $5.24-a-barrel discount to Oman and Dubai benchmarks, the deepest since Covid, while Reuters puts Arab Light at $5 below, the widest since June 2020. It matters for Aramco's earnings and for Gulf equity read-through.Gulf Producers Want Importers to Co-Fund Hormuz Bypasses
Big MoneyGulf producers want importers to share the cost of bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, and it matters to Gulf equities because it bears on capex at Tadawul-listed Saudi Aramco. Aramco's filing shows a $21.9 billion second-quarter base dividend and 6.2% gearing; no importer financing has been reported.Presight Targets Half Its Revenue Overseas by 2030
IPO WatchPresight wants half its revenue from international markets by the end of the decade, CEO Thomas Pramotedham told AGBI. Its first-half 2026 results, released 11 August 2026, show a 26.7% overseas share, up from 24.6% a year earlier. Hitting 50% would mean nearly doubling that share in about four years.ADX Takes 13 Blue Chips to 70 U.S. Investors in New York
The Open / The CloseThe Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange used its New York roadshow with Morgan Stanley to put 13 listed issuers in front of about 70 U.S. institutions managing over $35 trillion, according to Economy Middle East. The event signals a push for American capital, but no commitments or flows from the meetings were reported.Investopia Bridge 2026 sets a capital-flows agenda
Big MoneyInvestopia Bridge 2026, held at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi on 7 October, set an agenda for capital flows rather than announcing deals. Investopia's organisers, as reported by Economy Middle East and the Emirates News Agency, planned sessions on financial markets, innovative financing and AI infrastructure; none of the sources reviewed disclosed transaction values.UAE IPO Drought Meets Morgan Stanley's Rebound Call
The Open / The CloseUAE IPOs are stalled rather than cancelled: no listings have been recorded in 2026, and Morgan Stanley co-president Dan Simkowitz expects a rebound once the Iran war ends. Debt markets stayed active, with more than $100 billion raised regionally this year, according to the interview reported by The National.Mubadala Named as Possible Backer in INWIT Take-Private
Institutional FlowsMubadala has emerged as a potential investor in a take-private of INWIT, Italy's largest mobile tower company, AGBI reported on 12 October 2026, citing two people close to the matter. INWIT's leading shareholders are reportedly arranging the financing. Nothing is confirmed, and the talks coincide with a contract dispute with INWIT's two main customers.Saudi Non-Oil Share Hits 55% of GDP, but Oil Slump Helps
Sector Deep DiveSaudi Arabia's non-oil activities reached 55% of GDP for the first time, according to Deputy Finance Minister Abdulmohsen Al-Khalaf, but the milestone likely reflects a sharp oil contraction too. GASTAT's Q2 flash estimate showed oil output down 24.7% year on year while non-oil activity grew just 0.6%, so the share rose on subtraction as well as diversification.