Dubai’s TECOM Draws Orders Worth $9.6Bln for IPO

A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)
A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)
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Dubai’s TECOM Draws Orders Worth $9.6Bln for IPO

A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)
A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)

Dubai business park operator TECOM Group said on Monday it drew orders worth $9.63 billion for its initial public offering, the latest Middle East listing to attract strong investor demand amid a boom in regional share sales.

It had previously announced setting the final offer price for its IPO at AED2.67 ($0.72) per share.

The Global Offering drew substantial demand from both the Qualified Institutional Offer and UAE Retail with total gross demand reaching AED35.4 billion, implying an oversubscription level of over 21 times in aggregate at the final price.

The UAE Retail Offer achieved an oversubscription level of almost 40 times in aggregate, making it the highest oversubscription multiple ever for IPOs on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM).

As a result of the extremely strong demand, the final offer price was set at the top of the price range and the company has raised AED1.7 billion ($462 million) through the IPO.

Malek al-Malek, Chairman of TECOM Group, said: “The tremendous demand we drew both locally and internationally for the TECOM Group IPO, especially amid challenging market conditions, is testament to the company’s appealing value proposition and growth prospects.”

He stressed that the investors’ high turnout is underpinned by their optimism toward Dubai’s economy and confidence in the Emirate’s capital markets.

As previously announced, the Global Offering comprised an offering of 625 million ordinary shares, representing 12.5% of TECOM Group’s issued share capital, all of which is expected to be listed on the DFM on or around July 5.

Upon listing the company, it will have an implied market capitalization of AED13.4 billion ($3.6 billion), and DHAM LLC will continue to own a majority 86.5% stake in the company (or 87.5% together with DHAM FZ-LLC).

TECOM houses more than 7,500 companies and 10 large business complexes including Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City.

Dubai's deputy ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, in November announced plans to take 10 government-linked companies public to boost stock market activity to three trillion dirhams (about $817 million).

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority’s (DEWA) $6.1 billion share sale in April was the first, and a float of the city’s road-toll system, Salik, is set to follow after the summer.



ECB President Lagarde Reportedly Plans to Quit Before Macron's Term Ends

FILE PHOTO: European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses the press following the ECB's Governing Council meeting, at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, February 5, 2026. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses the press following the ECB's Governing Council meeting, at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, February 5, 2026. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo
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ECB President Lagarde Reportedly Plans to Quit Before Macron's Term Ends

FILE PHOTO: European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses the press following the ECB's Governing Council meeting, at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, February 5, 2026. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses the press following the ECB's Governing Council meeting, at the ECB headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, February 5, 2026. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde plans to leave her job before next year's French presidential election to allow Emmanuel Macron to have an input into picking her successor, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Lagarde's term is due to end in October 2027 but some fear that the far right may win the French presidential race ‌in the spring of ‌2027, complicating the selection for the ‌new ⁠leader of Europe's most ⁠important financial institution.

Citing a person familiar with the matter, the FT said Lagarde has not yet decided on the exact timing of her departure but was keen on Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to be the key deciders in who succeeds her. Macron cannot run again for a third term.

"President Lagarde is ⁠totally focused on her mission and has not ‌taken any decision regarding the end ‌of her term," Reuters quoted an ECB spokesperson as saying.

The FT report comes only ‌a week after Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau ‌said he would step down in June this year, more than a year before the end of his term, allowing Macron to name his replacement before the presidential election that the far-right could win.

While it ‌will be up to all leaders from the 21-nation euro zone to pick Lagarde's successor, ⁠past practice ⁠suggests that any successful candidate must have both German and French support to clinch the role.

There are no formal candidates for the job yet but several names have been floating among ECB circles as potential ECB presidents. The most prominent among these are former Dutch central bank chief Klaas Knot and Bank for International Settlements General Manager Pablo Hernandez de Cos.

Lagarde's non-renewable term at the ECB runs until October 31, 2027. Prior to heading the ECB, she was managing director of the International Monetary Fund from 2011 to 2019 and before that, the French finance minister.


UK Inflation Falls to 3.0% in January

Pedestrians cross Westminster Bridge in front of Parliament during the early morning hours in London, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Pedestrians cross Westminster Bridge in front of Parliament during the early morning hours in London, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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UK Inflation Falls to 3.0% in January

Pedestrians cross Westminster Bridge in front of Parliament during the early morning hours in London, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Pedestrians cross Westminster Bridge in front of Parliament during the early morning hours in London, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Britain's annual ‌rate of consumer price inflation fell to 3.0% in January from 3.4% in December, official figures showed on Wednesday.

A Reuters poll of economists had shown a median forecast of 3.0% in January and the Bank of England projected earlier this month that the headline measure of inflation would slow to ‌2.9%.

British inflation ‌has run higher than in ‌the ⁠United States and in ⁠the euro zone where it stood at 2.4% and 1.7% respectively in January.

But the BoE expects the pace of price rises to slow sharply to almost its 2% target in ⁠April as last year's rises ‌in utility costs and ‌other government-controlled tariffs fall out of ‌the annual comparison.

Investors expect the central bank ‌to cut its benchmark interest rate to 3.5% at its next meeting in March after a tight vote to keep borrowing costs ‌on hold in February although some policymakers remain worried about underlying ⁠inflation ⁠pressure.

Financial markets on Tuesday also priced a second quarter-point interest rate cut by the BoE by the end of in 2026.

ONS data last week painted a downbeat picture of Britain's economy at the end of 2025 with output barely growing. Figures released on Tuesday showed the labor market was still losing jobs although there were some signs of a stabilization.


Riyadh to Host Middle East’s Largest General Aviation Airshow in November 

The AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 will be held in Riyadh from November 24 to 28. (SPA)
The AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 will be held in Riyadh from November 24 to 28. (SPA)
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Riyadh to Host Middle East’s Largest General Aviation Airshow in November 

The AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 will be held in Riyadh from November 24 to 28. (SPA)
The AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 will be held in Riyadh from November 24 to 28. (SPA)

The Saudi Aviation Club announced that it will organize the AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 in Riyadh from November 24 to 28, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

The event is set to be the largest of its kind for general aviation in the Middle East, combining international business, investment, and innovation with live flying displays and interactive public experiences. It is being held in partnership with Messe Frankfurt Saudi Arabia.

Held at Thumamah Airport, the exhibition will bring together leading global companies operating in the general aviation industry, including aircraft and components manufacturers, avionics and navigation systems providers, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) companies, offering an integrated platform that covers the full value chain of the sector.

The event will also spotlight startups in advanced air mobility (AAM) and innovators of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, showcasing technologies and business models shaping the future of aviation.

General Supervisor of the Saudi Aviation Club Dr. Ahmed Alfahaid stated that AERO Middle East x Sand & Fun 2026 represents a qualitative leap for the Kingdom’s aviation sector and reinforces its positioning as a global hub for general aviation and advanced air mobility.

The partnership with Messe Frankfurt Saudi Arabia goes beyond presenting global innovations to providing a vital platform for international investment and strategic collaboration, he stressed.

Moreover, the event contributes to achieving Saudi Vision 2030 objectives, including the Kingdom’s ambition to rank among the world’s top 10 general aviation markets, he added.