Abu Dhabi and Japan boost investment ties with co-operation in advanced sectors

09-05-2025

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office is expanding its international reach with key initiatives in Japan and the US, focusing on growing economic contributions and relations. Adio, which helps businesses establish their foothold in the emirate, hosted its flagship Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in Tokyo on Friday, as the emirate aims to strengthen its bilateral ties and economic co-operation with the world's fourth-largest economy. 'Our strategy is clear – we are building an investment landscape that is as resilient as it is forward-looking, as globally integrated as it is locally rooted,' Shihab Alfaheem, the UAE's ambassador to Japan, said at the forum. 'By aligning our strengths, we will unlock new opportunities for growth and establish a framework for sustainable prosperity that benefits our nations and the wider global community.' Abu Dhabi and Japan are set to benefit from co-operation in "leading edge" sectors, including advanced services, hydrogen and artificial intelligence, Jasem Al Awadhi, director general of economic affairs at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, told The National. "These are all areas that we are more than happy to work together with our Japanese counterparts on ... we've been championing free and equitable trade between countries, but we also appreciate letting things grow organically," he said. Abu Dhabi and Japan have had strategic long-term relations – the UAE supplies about 40 per cent of the Asian nation's energy requirements – and the ties present opportunities to boost co-operation in other key areas, said Arvind Ramamurthy, chief market development officer of Abu Dhabi's ADGM. "We believe that there's an opportunity here to look at other sectors ... whether it's semiconductors, AI, health care, technology and financial services – and then build deeper, stronger relationships between the two nations," he told The National. Meanwhile, Adio also announced that it is expanding the operations of its unit in San Francisco to support the global growth of Abu Dhabi's economic clusters, particularly for health technology, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Thursday. At the centre of the plan is Abu Dhabi's Health, Endurance, Longevity and Medicine cluster (Helm), a collaboration between Adio, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and the Department of Health. Helm, announced at last month's Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, is projected to contribute about $25.6 billion to Abu Dhabi's economy, attract $11.5 billion in investments and unlock 30,000 new jobs by 2045. Adio's expansion in San Francisco – the home of Silicon Valley and a hotbed of the latest technologies and venture capital – will help it tap into the global multi-trillion dollar healthcare market and further position Abu Dhabi on the global innovation and regulatory stage, especially for health care and other key sectors, the Media Office said. 'By expanding our operations in San Francisco, we're not only opening new doors to Abu Dhabi's business ecosystem, we're building two-way bridges for capital, innovation and impact across multiple innovation-driven sectors,' said Ahmed Al Zaabi, chairman of Added. The event comes after the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Japan External Trade Organisation on Thursday signed an initial agreement to deepen business relations and create new opportunities for collaboration, during another the Abu Dhabi-Japan Business Connect Forum in the Japanese capital. The engagements between Abu Dhabi and Japan are also positioned to boost negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Japan, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Abu Dhabi has been focusing on diversifying its economy away from hydrocarbons, with non-oil trade growth a key part of the plan. The UAE and Japan have continued to boost collaboration, with bilateral trade growing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.9 per cent during the past five years. The Emirates' investments in Japan have more than doubled over the past five years, while it has attracted more than 80 per cent of Japanese investments in the Middle East, Mr Al Zaabi said. Meanwhile, bilateral trade between the UAE and US totalled $34.4 billion in 2024, data from the UAE embassy in Washington shows. The US exported more than $26.9 billion of goods and services to the UAE last year, which is an 8.5 per cent annually increase from 2023.

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Dubai Metro Blue Line project to disrupt Mirdif traffic, RTA warns

The National

an hour ago

The National

Dubai Metro Blue Line project to disrupt Mirdif traffic, RTA warns

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority on Tuesday warned motorists of traffic diversions in the Mirdif area as construction work is set to begin on the Dubai Metro Blue Line. The authority also advised drivers to use alternative routes where possible and to plan their trips in advance. The roundabout intersection between 5th and 8th street near City Centre Mirdif will be closed, with a diversion in place. This will also be the case in the opposite direction, from 8th to 5th street towards Algeria Street. An alternative access road will be provided for City Centre Mirdif mall visitors, the authority added, with an available U-turn in place for residents near Ghoroob Square. What is Dubai Metro Blue Line? Work began on the Metro project in June after an announcement from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The Blue Line is set to transform the north-east of the city, easing traffic congestion and establishing a direct link with Dubai International Airport. The Dh18 billion ($4,9 billion) project will include 14 new stations and add 30km to the Metro network, with 15.5km of it underground. The expansion is part of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which has easier commuting among its top priorities to cater for a fast-growing population. Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority said the Blue Line would connect five principal urban regions of Dubai – Bur Dubai/Deira, Downtown/Business Bay, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Marina/JBR and Expo City Dubai. When completed, the Metro network will be 131km long and encompass 78 stations served by 168 trains. The number of Dubai Metro passengers is expected to exceed 300 million in 2026 and reach 320 million by 2031, Dubai Media Office reports.

UAE bourses outperform GCC peers in H1 net foreign inflows

Khaleej Times

an hour ago

Khaleej Times

UAE bourses outperform GCC peers in H1 net foreign inflows

Foreign investors ramped up their participation in Gulf stock markets in the second quarter of 2025, with the UAE emerging as one of the most attractive destinations. According to Kamco Invest, net foreign inflows into UAE bourses reached $1.33 billion in Abu Dhabi and $462 million in Dubai, reinforcing investor confidence in the country's resilient macroeconomic fundamentals and regulatory environment. Across the GCC, foreign investors were net buyers for the sixth consecutive quarter, recording net purchases worth $4.2 billion in Q2-2025, up from $2.8 billion in Q1-2025. Cumulatively, in the first half of 2025, net foreign buying in GCC markets stood at $7.0 billion — an impressive 39.8 per cent increase year-on-year from $5.0 billion in H1-2024. The UAE outperformed the region in terms of foreign inflows during the first six months, attracting a total of $4.5 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia ($1.6 billion) and Kuwait ($1.4 billion). The consistent inflow of foreign capital into UAE markets reflects the country's deepening capital market sophistication, IPO momentum, and economic diversification strategies — particularly in the non-oil sectors. Abu Dhabi, in particular, remained a magnet for cross-border capital, driven by strategic listings, economic stability, and expanding regional influence through sovereign funds. The emirate also recorded the highest net buying by GCC investors at $48.4 million in Q2, followed by Dubai at $23 million, underlining intra-regional investor interest. In contrast, Oman and Bahrain saw persistent outflows. Oman recorded net foreign sales of $29.6 million in Q2-2025 after a sharper outflow of $459.2 million in the previous quarter. Bahrain also posted net foreign selling of $27.9 million. Collectively, foreign investors remained net sellers in Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain in the first half of 2025, to the tune of $580.7 million — partially offsetting broader regional buying. The buoyancy in UAE equity markets comes despite mixed global signals, including uncertainty around US trade policy. Investors are closely watching the impact of new tariffs announced by the U.S. government, including a 30 per cent duty on imports from Mexico and the European Union and a 35 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, all taking effect on August 1, 2025. Yet, despite such external pressures, five of the seven GCC exchanges posted gains in Q2-2025, underscoring selective investor optimism. The UAE's performance was further bolstered by robust trading volumes. Dubai's volume surged by 21 per cent to 16.3 billion shares in Q2 from 13.4 billion in Q1. Abu Dhabi also saw value traded rise to $22.5 billion in Q2, up from $20.3 billion in Q1, increasing its share of total GCC market activity to 14.9 per cent. Overall trading volume across GCC exchanges climbed 9.1 per cent year-on-year to 94.73 billion shares in Q2-2025, with Qatar leading the way with a 39.4 per cent quarterly increase. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, however, saw declines of 5 per cent and 61.5 per cent, respectively. Despite this, Saudi Arabia remained dominant in terms of individual stock activity. Six Saudi-listed companies were among the top 10 most traded stocks in the GCC, led by Al-Rajhi Bank ($5.8 billion), Saudi Aramco ($5.1 billion), and International Holdings Co. ($4.0 billion). Other notable names included Adnoc Gas, Emaar Properties, and Kuwait Finance House. Foreign investor interest in the Saudi market remains high, though Q2 saw a moderation in inflows. Foreign purchases totalled 7.3 billion Saudi riyals in H1-2025, down 37 per cent from 11.5 billion riyals in the same period last year. Local institutional investors in Saudi Arabia were net sellers in Q2, offloading 13.3 billion riyals worth of shares, offset somewhat by retail investors who were net buyers of 8.2 billion riyals. GCC investors (excluding Bahrain) recorded net sell trades worth $50.5 million in Q2-2025, a significant drop from $482.3 million in Q1. Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman reported net sales, while the UAE and Saudi Arabia saw marginal net buys by GCC investors. Total value traded across GCC markets declined slightly to $151.8 billion in Q2-2025 from $157.5 billion in Q1. Despite the overall dip, market depth and foreign participation — particularly in the UAE — remained strong, bolstered by continued IPO activity, investor-friendly reforms, and sectoral diversification.

Abu Dhabi bans 12 private schools from enrolling grades 11, 12 students amid inflation probe

Khaleej Times

2 hours ago

Khaleej Times

Abu Dhabi bans 12 private schools from enrolling grades 11, 12 students amid inflation probe

In a move to uphold academic integrity, the UAE capital's education regulator has temporarily barred 12 private schools in the emirate from enrolling students in Grades 11 and 12. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge's (ADEK) decision, follows the launch of a wide-ranging review targeting grade inflation and inconsistencies in academic records. The crackdown — part of Phase One of ADEK's new compliance initiative — aims to ensure that high school grades are a genuine reflection of student performance and learning quality. According to ADEK, the review was triggered by red flags raised through internal quality assurance mechanisms, which detected discrepancies between students' internal school grades and their performance on external benchmark exams. 'These measures are essential to protect the integrity of student qualifications,' ADEK said. 'Grade inflation not only misrepresents student learning, it also undermines trust in the education system and limits fair academic competition.' As part of the initial phase, the 12 affected schools must now submit detailed academic records for all Grade 12 students. This includes transcripts, grading frameworks, assessment samples, and documentation of graduation requirements. The goal is to identify patterns of grade inflation, inconsistencies in awarding credits, and any mismatch between reported grades and actual student performance. ADEK emphasised that each student should earn their graduation credential through genuine academic achievement — not through inflated scores or unreliable internal assessments. What's next? The ongoing review will soon expand to cover Grades 9 through 11. Future phases will also compare internal grades with external test results and look at longer-term trends to detect potential systemic issues across schools. Schools found non-compliant may face further administrative action, including mandatory corrective measures, under ADEK's regulatory policy.