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In the Daily Circuit today, weâre looking at Aramcoâs Japanese drone deal, power cuts in Kuwait, tourists to Saudi Arabia spending a record $41 billion, and the UAEâs free-trade pacts in Africa and Central America. But first, the impact of Trumpâs trade tariffs was relatively light in the Gulf.
The threat of a global trade war set off by U.S. President Donald Trumpâs sweeping imposition of import tariffs is leaving Gulf countries on the sidelines.
At the lowest end of the levies that Trump announced on Wednesday are Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other GCC states, which will pay 10% tariffs on goods shipped to the U.S. â similar to what is imposed on American goods in the region.
“That means they do it to us and we do it to them,â Trump said at a White House ceremony announcing the tariffs. âVery simple.”
Other countries in the MENA region that were hit with reciprocal tariffs were Egypt and Morocco at 10%, Israel at 17%, Jordan at 20% and Tunisia at 28%.
Global financial markets were hit by a broad selloff after Trumpâs announcement, with U.S. equity futures slumping as much as 4%, Bloomberg reports.
Oil prices fell by as much as 3% on worries that trade tensions could curtail economic growth and limit fuel demand.
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đ° Developing Stories
TOURISM TURNOVER
As Saudi Arabia prepares to host more than 2 million Muslims making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in June, the government says non-religious tourism now accounts for the majority of international visitors. Six years after introducing an e-visa and jazzing up its marketing efforts to attract foreign tourists, the kingdomâs efforts and billions of dollars in investment are paying off, Arab News reports. Inbound tourism spending surged to a record $41 billion in 2024 â 14% more than the previous year. The number of international visitors to Saudi Arabia jumped 9.5% last year, reaching a record 30 million.
UNLOCKING TRADE
The UAE expects to make deeper inroads into Africa and Central America as new free-trade pacts with Mauritius and Costa Rica take effect. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements signed last year became effective on Wednesday, cutting tariffs and simplifying regulations between the UAE and the two countries. The deals are aimed at âunlocking a range of opportunities for our private sector and driving forward our shared goals, from enhancing food security to accelerating clean energy adoption,â Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said in a statement. The two agreements mark the seventh and eighth in the UAEâs free-trade program to come into force, following deals with India, Israel, Turkey, Indonesia, Cambodia and Georgia. Another 19 CEPAs have been signed and are waiting to take effect.
đ˛ Sovereign Circuit
Saudi Aramco: Terra Drone, a Japanese autonomous aircraft startup, signed a draft agreement with Saudi Arabiaâs state-owned oil company to test its drone fleetâs ability to inspect some of Aramcoâs oil and gas facilities, Reuters reports.
Qatar Investment Authority: The Qatari sovereign wealth fund is developing new metrics to measure the return on its investments in artificial intelligence, CFO Niall Byrne is quoted as saying in a World Economic Forum report.
Danantara: The new Indonesian government fund, which is starting out with assets of $900 billion, is cited by the Financial Times as the latest in a series of recently opened sovereign wealth funds with âno discernible macroeconomic purposeâ that have been âcreated largely for the sake of having them.â
âŞâŠ Closing Circuit
đŚ Insurance Capital: Manama-based Solidarity Group reached a $153 million agreement with Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait to help finance its acquisition of Bahrain National Insurance.
đ Serbian Calling: Emirates Telecommunications Group, known as e&, completed its $891 million takeover of Belgrade-based Serbia Broadband, which was agreed upon in February.
đş Moving Forward: Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia received final approval for their alliance, allowing Virginâs 28 weekly AustraliaâDoha flights to proceed.
đ¤ Burger Bot: Hi Auto, an Israeli startup that uses artificial intelligence tools to automate drive-thru restaurant orders, raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Delek Motors.
đŁ Circuit Chatter
đ Power Cuts: Kuwait has been making temporary power cuts in some agricultural and industrial areas as it tries to increase generating capacity to prepare for rising electricity demand before the summer scorching heat sets in, Bloomberg reports.
⨠Safe Haven: Gold prices in Egypt have climbed almost 16% this year as buyers see the metal as a safe asset amid the regionâs economic and geopolitical turmoil, AhramOnline reports.
đŤ Return to Russia: Israel’s El Al Airlines said today it plans to resume flights to Moscow on May 1 after a five-month halt, becoming one of the only Western carriers allowed to fly to the Russian capital.
đ Power Circuit
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed received a phone call on Wednesday from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to mark the holiday of Eid Al-Fitr.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, UAE Minister of Defense and Crown Prince of Dubai, visited the Reserve Forces Command in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to review their military readiness.
âż On the Circuit
Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of Dubai-based Damac Properties, doubled his fortune to more than $10 billion in 2024, according to the annual Forbes list of the worldâs wealthiest people.
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said a set of new real estate policy directives are aimed at pushing the proportion of Saudi families who own homes to reach the governmentâs goal of 70 percent by 2030 â up from the current level of about 64%, speaking in an interview with Alekhbariyah.
Yasmin Masithela, CEO of Johannesburg-based Absa Group, told Bloomberg that the firmâs Absa CIB bank, South Africaâs third-largest lender, is awaiting regulatory approval to open a representative office in Dubai next year.
đś Culture Circuit
đ¨ Corporate Culture: More UAE companies are building art collections, paralleling the governmentâs growing investment in cultural institutions, Arabian Gulf Business Insight reports. Among the large collectors is Mubadala Investment Co., which acquired South Korean-American artist Timothy Hyunsoo-Leeâs watercolor triptych titled, âInto the Minds of the Invisibleâ â part of the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fundâs growing investment in both regional and global artworks.
đˇ Photo of the Day
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, the UAE Defense Minister and Crown Prince of Dubai, reviewed troops on Wednesday during a visit to the Reserve Forces Command base in Abu Dhabi.
đ Circuit Calendar
April 7-9, Abu Dhabi. AIMCongress 2025. An annual investment platform in the UAE capital that brings together corporate executives, political leaders and entrepreneurs. ADNEC.
April 7-9, Dubai. Middle East Energy. Annual conference of international energy suppliers to discuss products and solutions. Dubai World Trade Centre.
April 10-11, Dubai. BoF Crossroads 2025. Business of Fashion conference addresses shifting customer preferences, industry slowdown and emerging growth in Global South markets. One Zaâabeel Hotel.
April 11-13, Sakhir, Bahrain. F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. Formula 1 racing returns to the Gulf island state. Bahrain International Circuit.
April 13-15, Riyadh. Saudi Food Manufacturing. Back for a second year, the focus turns to logistics solutions, including advancements in AI-driven supply chains, robotics, and sustainable automation technologies. Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Centre.
April 14-16, Dubai. IPS Congress. The Middle Eastâs largest international property sales event. Dubai World Trade Centre.
April 15-17, Dubai. Abu Dhabi Global Health Week. A critical worldwide forum dedicated to shaping the future of health. ADNEC.
April 16-17, Dubai. FastBull Finance Summit Dubai. Focused on the depth and breadth of global finance, emphasizing areas such as forex and blockchain financial technology. Coca-Cola Arena.
April 17-19, Dubai. World Art Dubai. Annual retail art fair featuring more than 10,000 works for sale. Dubai World Trade Centre.
April 18-20, Dubai. Art Dubai. Three-day city festival spotlights more than 100 contemporary, modern and digital galleries from the UAE and over 40 other countries. Madinat Jumeirah.
April 18-20, Jeddah. STC Saudi Arabian GP. The Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by STC returns, promising an electrifying high-speed spectacle on the Red Sea. Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
April 18-20, Abu Dhabi. Middle East Film and Comic Con 2025. The regionâs largest pop culture festival returns for its 13th year. ADNEC.
April 21-23, Abu Dhabi. Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit 2025. The Middle Eastâs largest annual event dedicated to shaping the future of electric mobility. ADNEC.
April 21-25, Dubai. Dubai AI Festival. Bringing together the brightest minds to explore and expand the commercial and economic possibilities of AI technology.â Madinat Jumeirah.
April 29-30, Abu Dhabi. Digital Transformation Summit UAE 2025. In its 37th edition, the summit is expected to be attended by over 300 C-suite executives, directors, and technology leaders. Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resorts.
April 30. May 1, Dubai. Token2049 Dubai. A global conference dedicated to the crypto and blockchain ecosystem. Madinat Jumeirah.
