
Deyaar's Abu Dhabi project on track, says CEO
18 May 2025 17:10
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)Deyaar, the Dubai-based realty company, said its Abu Dhabi project, RIVAGE, was on track for completion in the last quarter of 2027.Deyaar Chief Executive Officer Saeed Mohammed Al Qatami disclosed this in response to a specific query from Aletihad during an online 2025 first-quarter earnings call.The work on Deyaar's first project in Abu Dhabi will commence either at the end of this month or the beginning of the next, Qatami said. 'Enabling contract tenders and the detailed designs from the consultant' for the project had been finalised, he added.Deyaar Development, a Dubai Financial Market (DFM)-listed company, has reported a strong start to the year. Its net profit before corporate tax for the first quarter surged to Dh119.8 million, reflecting a remarkable 54% year-on-year (YoY) increase from Dh77.6 million in the same period of 2024. The company also saw strong growth in revenue, which reached Dh433 million in Q1 2025, representing a 32% rise compared to Dh327.8 million in Q1 2024.Qatami said: 'Our positive financial results for Q1 2025 reflect Deyaar's long-term strategic vision that has positioned us as a trusted and preferred developer in the UAE's dynamic real estate landscape. The consistent growth that we are experiencing stems directly from our well-planned project launches and our ability to identify emerging opportunities across the emirates.'Listed on the DFM and majority-owned by Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), Deyaar's net capitalisation stands at Dh4 billion.
The shares of the company are trading at Dh0.915, whereas the book value stands at Dh1.22, implying the stock is undervalued. Most analysts have issued a 'Buy" rating on the share.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Broadcast Pro
34 minutes ago
- Broadcast Pro
Multiply Group launches MMG
Multiply Media Group (MMG) combines BackLite Media, Viola Media and Media 247 to operate one of the UAE's largest premium outdoor portfolios with 3,000 units. Abu Dhabi-based investment holding company Multiply Group has launched Multiply Media Group (MMG), bringing together three of its leading out-of-home (OOH) media companies—BackLite Media, Viola Media, and Media 247—into a single, unified entity. Headquartered in the UAE, MMG is positioned to become a dominant force in tech-driven media, with ambitions to reshape the media landscape both regionally and globally. The announcement was made at the World Out of Home Organisation (WOO) Annual Congress in Mexico City, accompanied by a global digital out-of-home (DOOH) campaign that illuminated major cities across the world. The launch highlights Multiply Group's expanding international footprint, reinforcing its role as a $7.2bn subsidiary of International Holding Company (IHC), the most valuable holding firm in the Middle East with a market cap exceeding $240bn. Samia Bouazza, GCEO and Managing Director of Multiply Group, said: 'The launch of Multiply Media Group represents the most significant media consolidations in the UAE. By bringing together market-leading media assets under a single AI & tech-driven group, we are reinforcing our commitment to long-term value creation and shareholder returns. MMG lays a strong foundation for our global ambitions and forward-looking investment strategy.' MMG will focus on performance, scale, and strategic partnerships to advance innovation in the OOH media space. The group will target high-potential media investments and foster synergy across its holdings to capitalize on emerging trends, especially the transformative role of AI in advertising. Jawad Hassan, Head of Media and Communications Vertical at Multiply Group, added: 'For several years, Multiply Group's ambitious growth strategy for the media sector has taken us from an integrated portfolio of three industry leaders to a media powerhouse with vast potential to redefine the entire regional media landscape in ways that will bring immediate impact and long-term value for clients. Through MMG, we stand ready to embrace the emerging trends in our industry, particularly the transformative role of AI, and we will continually look to invest in technologies that enable us to create dynamic and innovative campaigns.' The scale of MMG includes 3,000 advertising units across the UAE, including 75+ premium assets on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road, which are backed by long-term partnership agreements with the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) (Mada Media) in Dubai and The Department of Municipalities & Transport (DMT) in Abu Dhabi. James Bicknell, CEO of Multiply Media Group, stated: 'Multiply Media Group launches as a transformative force in out of home media — a powerhouse that unites some of the region's most strategic media assets under one bold vision. With MMG, we are not simply scaling up — we are scaling intelligently. Our mandate is clear: deliver context at scale, and reach audiences where it truly matters, when it matters most. MMG is engineered to be agile, data-led, and deeply integrated, enabling our clients to engage audiences with greater relevance, responsiveness, and resonance than ever before. This is more than media — it's momentum.'


Arabian Post
2 hours ago
- Arabian Post
From petrostate to deal state: Gulf IPO markets mature
Maein Khalid Since the pandemic, IPO activity across GCC capital markets has surged – offering a sharp contrast to the stop-start pace on New York's Nasdaq and the near standstill on London's LSE. Nearly 300 IPOs have raised around $50 billion across the Gulf since 2021. ADVERTISEMENT Below I outline six key macro themes shaping this post-Covid IPO boom in the GCC. First, contrary to expectations, the number, size and aftermarket performance of IPOs in the GCC have shown little correlation with oil prices. Since 2021 Brent crude has swung wildly, yet IPO momentum has remained resilient, even in hydrocarbons-heavy markets like Saudi Arabia. Second, the sheer variety of sectors that contributed to regional IPO deals demonstrates that non-oil growth, industry deregulation, private sector entrepreneurship and e-commerce are powerful macro themes in the Gulf. The two largest IPOs in the GCC last year were the $2 billion food delivery app Talabat's IPO, listed in Dubai's DFM, and the $1.8 billion Lulu hypermarket, a 50-year-old family-owned grocery chain listed on Abu Dhabi's ADX. ADVERTISEMENT Last year saw 48 IPOs from sectors as varied as grocery chains, software and IT services, e-commerce, education, healthcare, financial services, remittance solutions, leisure, transportation and real estate. Third, Saudi Arabian deal flow both dominated the IPO pipeline and dramatically outperformed its GCC peers in aftermarket trading. For instance, 38 out of the 48 deals in the GCC that raised $12.06 billion in 2024 originated from the kingdom, and the average aftermarket performance in the week following the IPO was a spectacular 45 percent. The kingdom's first three IPOs on the main market this year all went 'limit up', surging on their first day of trading by the maximum 30 percent allowed. It is no mistake that the first aviation IPO in the region in almost two decades – Flynas is seeking to raise $1.1 billion – is taking place in the kingdom. This is a testament to both the vast liquidity available in the Saudi new issue market and the magnetic power of the kingdom's junior exchange, Nomu, which saw 27 companies listed in 2024 alone. New listings on Nomu are typically domestic Saudi firms operating in high-growth sectors tied to the kingdom's digital transformation – highlighting a clear link between rising tech literacy among its youthful population and a growing appetite for high-risk, high-reward IPOs. Fourth, the GCC IPO constellation is dominated by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Oman a distant third. Saudi Arabia's 38 IPOs in 2024 dwarfed seven from the UAE, two from Oman and a solitary flotation in Kuwait. This spectacular asymmetry in the national origin of IPOs reflects the vast differences in the capital markets milieu, investor ecosystems and liquidity preferences among the six GCC states. Fifth, the recent IPO boom has attracted global investor interest in the Gulf's emerging capital markets, as sovereign wealth funds from the region have become a significant force in Wall Street and Silicon Valley deal-making. This trend will both broaden and deepen the GCC capital markets, evidencing that they are no longer an illiquid sideshow in the emerging markets universe. Historically the GCC IPO landscape was dominated by state-led privatisations and secondary offerings, with governments selling minority stakes in national champions. The most iconic example remains the 2019 Saudi Aramco listing – still the largest IPO in history – which raised $25.6 billion by selling just 1.5 percent of the company on Riyadh's Tadawul exchange. But the market has since evolved, moving beyond oil giants and into broader, more diversified territory. Saudi Aramco subsequently raised $12 billion in a secondary offering last year. These mega deals played a crucial role in the development of the kingdom's capital markets infrastructure and set the stage for the current bullish IPO environment. The UAE's role as the most diversified, cosmopolitan and networked economy in the Arab world can be gauged by the fact that it contributed to the two largest IPOs of 2024 – both private sector businesses with no connection to oil and gas or the government. The 2025 IPO of Bahrain-based Investcorp Capital marked a milestone for the region – positioning Abu Dhabi where it listed not just as an oil-rich emirate, but as a rising power in global finance. By listing a world-class alternative investment manager on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the UAE has shown it is no longer just deploying capital abroad – it's building the infrastructure to manage it at home. As a growing nexus for hedge funds and private capital, Abu Dhabi is fast becoming a noodle point in the global alternatives ecosystem. Mixed IPO outlook I predict the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF will midwife the next generation of privatisation IPOs in the kingdom, as it did with Saudi Aramco in 2019. But while the IPO market outperformance and the sheer scale of domestic liquidity flows make mega privatisation listings viable, the same cannot be said for smaller GCC states like Oman and Bahrain. Facing tighter fiscal constraints, their private investor base tends to favour quasi-debt, high-yield instruments issued by state-owned blue-chips over equity exposure. The sale of a 25 percent stake in OQ Gas Networks by Oman's state energy company suggests that it is problematic to engineer an IPO or even a state-owned energy colossus when oil prices are mired in a bearish downtrend. While the IPO marked a milestone for the Muscat bourse, it also revealed the limitations of investor appetite when crude prices are under pressure. Unlike Saudi Arabia's liquidity-fuelled listings, Oman's experience shows that timing – and broader market sentiment – can still make or break even the most strategic flotations. Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.


Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Meet Dubai student who launched AI website to help unprivileged with college applications
A Year 13 student from a Dubai school has created an AI-powered platform designed to support underprivileged students through the complex and often daunting college application process. This new student-led innovation is aiming to bridge educational inequality using cutting-edge technology. Garv Lamba, who was recently accepted into the University of California, San Diego to study artificial intelligence, came up with the idea after his own challenges during the university application process. Although he had access to school counsellors and professional consultants, Garv realised that many students worldwide lack this support. Reflecting on his own experience, Garv shared, 'I felt a bit lost last year while going through the college applications. You need to research each college you are applying for, you need to gather data and improve your portfolio." Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. As a student at Gems Wellington Academy Al Khail, he had the advantage of guidance from school counsellors and an educational consultancy called UniHawk. However, Garv quickly realised that not every student has this privilege. From this realisation, Garv and his team developed a website that acts as a 'digital counsellor,' powered by AI and natural language models. The platform mimics the role of a real-life college advisor, asking students about their academic interests, personal background, and career goals. Based on this input, it generates a personalised portfolio and identifies areas where students can improve, whether through additional information or extracurricular activities. 'It gives you advise on what to do next and builds your portfolio in the background. So, it will put a spreadsheet of your interest and from that portfolio give the individual personalised guidance,' Garv explained. 'They look at you as an individual and identifies your strengths and weaknesses…that is something that AI can do pretty well which is why [we] utilise that idea.' One key feature of this platform is its ability to suggest extracurricular activities that align with a student's strengths and longterm goals, helping them stand out to competitive universities. Additionally, it offers feedback on college essays — especially helpful for applicants targeting Ivy League or other top-tier institutions. Garv also emphasised that the website offers constructive comments to guide improvements. 'It's definitely an aid to educational counsellors but the main focus is on students who don't have access to such resources. It's not a complete replacement but it's a good alternative for those who need it," said the 18-year-old. The platform was developed over the course of a year in collaboration with fellow students Ian Pannetier and Mahmoud Moursy. Among the app's innovative features is an 'Interviewer' tool that simulates college interview scenarios, and sections focused on identifying and addressing gaps in a student's academic or extracurricular profile. Currently, the upcoming app operates as a website that offers tailored advice on essays and goal-setting. However, the team envisions a much broader platform in the future. 'We want to create an entire database with college information,' Garv said, adding that this will be in addition to tools for portfolio development. Despite being in its early stages, the initiative has already received positive feedback. 'We've got good reviews from users in India, the United States, and other regions -- a testament to the global demand for accessible college guidance,' he added.