ABU DHABI: The profitability of airlines based in the UAE, the Middle East’s main aviation hub, is likely to fall this year amid limited growth in demand, the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Tuesday.
“The UAE carriers will have a year that is probably below 2016,” Alexandre de Juniac, director-general and chief executive of the IATA, told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
Low-cost carriers that offer long-haul services, as seen in Europe, could also soon start to take hold in the region, he said.
IATA said in December that Middle East airlines are likely to see profits fall to $300 million in 2017 from $900 million last year in part due to high capacity and limited demand growth, but did not give specifics on UAE carriers at that time.
Half-year profit fell 75 percent at Emirates and Tim Clark, the airline’s president, said last week that while yield declines had halted it was still a tough year.
Air Arabia and flydubai reported lower full-year profit for 2016, while Etihad has not yet reported its results but has said it is reviewing its business.
Airlines in the Gulf benefited for years from high oil prices that spurred government spending and regional growth. But demand has softened and travel budgets have tightened after more than two years of depressed oil prices, exposure to weaker markets and currency fluctuations.
Emirates and Etihad are both reviewing their workforces, while Emirates has agreed with Airbus to delay the delivery of 12 A380 jets over the next two years.
Both airlines have hundreds of aircraft on order from Airbus and Boeing and neither has signaled further delays to deliveries.
De Juniac told Reuters that airlines across the world need to “manage their assets cleverly.”
“There is a lot of capacity so it explains why the yield is declining and many companies are suffering,” he said, but added that he “would not advise” airlines on how to define their capacity.
The growth of low cost airlines that fly long haul, like Norwegian Air Shuttle, is expected to continue to pressure established transatlantic carriers as these newcomers expand using longer-range single-aisle aircraft to fly between smaller, cheaper local airports.
Growth of low cost, long haul is “starting to accelerate” in Europe and Asia and is likely to eventually develop in other markets such as the Middle East, de Juniac said.
UAE airlines’ profits may decline this year: IATA
UAE airlines’ profits may decline this year: IATA
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes higher at 10,596
RIYADH: Saudi equities closed higher on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index rising 43.59 points, or 0.41 percent, to finish at 10,595.85, supported by broad-based buying and strength in select mid-cap stocks.
Market breadth was firmly positive, with 170 stocks advancing against 90 decliners, while trading activity saw 161.96 million shares change hands, generating a total value of SR3.39 billion.
Meanwhile, the MT30 Index closed higher, gaining 6.52 points, or 0.47 percent, to 1,399.11, while the Nomu Parallel Market Index edged marginally lower, slipping 3.33 points, or 0.01 percent, to 23,267.77.
Among the session’s top gainers, Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. surged 9.99 percent to close at SR26.20, while Saudi Cable Co. jumped 9.98 percent to SR147.70.
Cherry Trading Co. rose 4.18 percent to SR25.44, and United Carton Industries Co. advanced 4.09 percent to SR26.46.
Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co. also posted solid gains, climbing 4.07 percent to end at SR32.70.
On the downside, Emaar The Economic City led losses, slipping 3.55 percent to SR10.32, followed by Derayah REIT Fund, which fell 2.92 percent to SR5.31.
Derayah Financial Co. declined 2.13 percent to SR26.62, while United International Holding Co. retreated 1.96 percent to SR155.20, and Gulf Union Alahlia Cooperative Insurance Co. eased 1.92 percent to SR10.70.
On the announcements front, Red Sea International Co. said it signed a SR202.8 million contract with Webuild S.P.A. to provide integrated facilities management services for the Trojena project at Neom.
The agreement covers operations and maintenance for the project’s Main Camp and Spike Camp, including accommodation and housekeeping, catering, security, IT and communications, utilities, waste management, fire safety and emergency response, as well as other supporting services.
The contract runs for two years, with the financial impact expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. Shares of Red Sea International closed up 0.99 percent at SR34.74.
Al Moammar Information Systems Co. disclosed that it received an award notification from Humain to design and build a data center dedicated to artificial intelligence technologies, with a total value exceeding 155 percent of the company’s 2024 revenue, inclusive of VAT.
The contract is expected to be formally signed in February 2026, underscoring the scale of the project and its potential impact on the company’s future revenues.
MIS shares ended the session 2.82 percent higher at SR156.70, reflecting positive investor sentiment following the announcement.
