GFH Acquires Dubai-based Logistics Fund

GFH Partners Ltd. has announced a strategic investment in Manrre REIT. Asharq Al-Awsat
GFH Partners Ltd. has announced a strategic investment in Manrre REIT. Asharq Al-Awsat
TT

GFH Acquires Dubai-based Logistics Fund

GFH Partners Ltd. has announced a strategic investment in Manrre REIT. Asharq Al-Awsat
GFH Partners Ltd. has announced a strategic investment in Manrre REIT. Asharq Al-Awsat

GFH Partners Ltd., the DIFC-based global asset management subsidiary of GFH Financial Group BSC, has announced a strategic investment in Manrre REIT, a premier Dubai-based fund specializing in institutional-grade logistics and industrial assets across the UAE and the GCC region.

Founded in 2018 by Palmon Group FZCO, a leading local logistics developer and owner, Manrre’s portfolio is valued at approximately AED 500 million ($136.1 million). This includes 26 high-quality, diversified industrial and logistics properties primarily in the UAE, establishing Manrre as a leading player in the region’s logistics and industrial real estate landscape.

This investment marks a pivotal milestone for Manrre and its future growth. Following the recent approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, GFH Partners has assumed the role of Fund Manager.

This transaction marks a significant milestone with the Fund converted into a Shariah-compliant investment vehicle and aspiring for growth by broadening its investor base and accelerating new acquisitions and projects across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, regions experiencing strong demand in the logistics and industrial sectors.

“Our investment in Manrre is an extension of GFH Partners’ strategy, cantered on collaboration with leading specialist asset managers operating in attractive segments of the global real estate market,” said CEO of GFH Partners Nael Mustafa.

“Already a major investor in logistics and industrial assets in the US, UK, and GCC region, we are well-positioned to leverage our deep experience to help accelerate Manrre’s growth and further build upon its unique market position,” he said.

“With a new structure and strengthened foundations, we look forward to capturing opportunities from strong macroeconomic drivers contributing to the growth of the logistics and industrial sectors across key markets in the GCC,” Mustafa added.

Kunal Lahori, Director of Manrre REIT Logistics Fund, also commented on the collaboration.

“This investment marks a pivotal moment for Manrre. We have consistently aimed to redefine the logistics and industrial real estate market in the UAE and beyond. With GFH Partners on board, we are well-positioned to expand our specialist asset class and further elevate Manrre’s market presence,” Lahori said.



Crypto Platform Binance Confirms $6.3 Bn Hack

Representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in front of displayed Binance logo in this illustration taken November 10, 2022. (Reuters)
Representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in front of displayed Binance logo in this illustration taken November 10, 2022. (Reuters)
TT

Crypto Platform Binance Confirms $6.3 Bn Hack

Representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in front of displayed Binance logo in this illustration taken November 10, 2022. (Reuters)
Representations of cryptocurrencies are seen in front of displayed Binance logo in this illustration taken November 10, 2022. (Reuters)

Cryptocurrency platform Binance said Thursday it had fallen victim to a major hack that hit around $6.3 billion in funds, with about half that amount frozen to prevent a massive theft.

The company -- the world's largest crypto exchange by daily trading volumes -- posted a series of sometimes contradictory messages on X, insisting that "user funds are completely safe" but also saying it would "cover all losses."

The company later said on its X account for Latin America that "the total estimated impact is around $6.3 billion."

"We have worked with blockchain partners to freeze the affected assets, with ~$3 billion frozen on-chain so far," it added.

That would be four times the amount impacted in what had been the biggest-ever cyberattack of its kind to date: $1.5 billion taken in February last year from the Bybit platform -- which was attributed to hackers affiliated with North Korea.

At about 0030 GMT Friday, Binance said all deposits and withdrawals had been "temporarily suspended while our team conducts security checks, freezes funds and works with law enforcement."

"This figure may continue to increase as our teams work closely with law enforcement, issuers, blockchain intelligence firms and industry partners to trace and freeze additional assets," the company said.

The company's statement on X said an initial investigation suggested the hack involved a compromised laptop belonging to a "DevOps engineer," allowing the unauthorized party to access a "service container" and execute unauthorized withdrawal transactions.

"We have found no evidence of any private key leaks from wallets," Binance said.

"We will share a detailed technical post-mortem analysis once the investigation is complete and the facts are fully verified."

"It does look like a hack on Binance," said former Binance chief Changpeng Zhao, who no longer runs the group but remains a majority shareholder.

Paolo Ardoino, the boss of Tether -- a company that issues a cryptocurrency known as USDT -- said his firm froze about $1.6 billion "related to a potential Binance exchange hack."

Jeremy Allaire, who runs cryptocurrency platform Circle, said his company had frozen more than $800 million in USDC.

USDT and USDC are both "stablecoins," or digital currencies whose value is linked to a traditional currency, the US dollar.

The US Department of Justice and the FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

- Crypto prices tumble -

For several hours before Binance confirmed the attack, industry observers said hackers had managed to reach the platform.

The prices of most major cryptocurrencies fell on news of the cyberattack, except for the stablecoins, which by definition can only fluctuate within tight margins.

At about 0400 GMT, bitcoin and Ethereum were down 0.8 percent, recovering after plunges of nearly five-percent and nearly six-percent respectively. BNB, native to Binance, was up 2.7 percent after it tumbled nearly 10 percent.

The attack on Binance comes as many observers express worries that the ever-expanding capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) models could compromise cryptography and IT security protocols.


TotalEnergies to Cut Diesel Prices to €2.15 per Liter at 705 French Stations

A sign of TotalEnergies on a fuel station in Paris, France on October 9, 2022. (AFP)
A sign of TotalEnergies on a fuel station in Paris, France on October 9, 2022. (AFP)
TT

TotalEnergies to Cut Diesel Prices to €2.15 per Liter at 705 French Stations

A sign of TotalEnergies on a fuel station in Paris, France on October 9, 2022. (AFP)
A sign of TotalEnergies on a fuel station in Paris, France on October 9, 2022. (AFP)

TotalEnergies said on Friday it will cut diesel prices to €2.15 ($2.40) a liter at 705 French stations from ‌Saturday, October ‌31.

The price ‌reduction ⁠comes after France ⁠announced it would release 10 million barrels of diesel from its strategic reserves on November ⁠1.

TotalEnergies said it ‌is ‌passing on the savings ‌from these older, cheaper ‌fuel stocks immediately, without waiting for physical deliveries to arrive.

The company ‌said in a statement the Access ⁠stations ⁠account for 60% of its fuel sales in the country, adding it will maintain a nationwide diesel price cap of €2.25 per liter.


Turkish Tourism Revenues Rise 5% in Q3

People walk on a small street that leads to the historical Galata Tower, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)
People walk on a small street that leads to the historical Galata Tower, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)
TT

Turkish Tourism Revenues Rise 5% in Q3

People walk on a small street that leads to the historical Galata Tower, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)
People walk on a small street that leads to the historical Galata Tower, Istanbul, Türkiye, April 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Türkiye's tourism revenues rose 5% year-on-year to $25.526 billion in the ‌third ‌quarter of 2026, ‌Turkish ⁠Statistical Institute data ⁠showed on Friday, maintaining growth in ⁠the ‌country's tourism ‌sector.

In the ‌first ‌nine months of the year, ‌tourism revenues increased to $51.29 billion, ⁠up ⁠2.4% compared with the same period of 2025.