HONG KONG: Huawei Technologies is expected to record a 21 percent jump in revenue for 2018 to $109 billion, its rotating chairman said, marking the Chinese tech giant’s fastest pace of business growth in two years despite heightened global scrutiny of its activities.
In his new year’s address to employees, Guo Ping also said Huawei has secured 26 5G contracts and expects its smartphone shipments for 2018 to surpass 200 million units.
The company flagged earlier this month that annual revenue is expected to exceed $100 billion for the first time and that it had secured more than 25 commercial 5G contracts, making it the largest 5G vendor in the world. In August, Huawei forecast smartphone shipments exceeding 200 million for the year.
Huawei is the world’s largest telecom equipment maker and the second largest smartphone seller. It has come under international pressure this year after the United States and its allies including Australia and New Zealand started barring its equipment on concerns they could enable spying by China. Huawei has repeatedly insisted Beijing has no influence over it.
The company’s chief financial officer Sabrina Meng, who is also the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested and released on bail in Canada earlier this month as the US alleged she defrauded banks with Iran-related transactions.
Reuters reported on Thursday citing sources that the White House is mulling an executive order as early as January that would bar US companies from using telecommunications equipment made by Huawei and ZTE , in the latest hit to China’s two largest telecom equipment makers. Huawei and ZTE declined to comment.
While Meng was freed on C$10 million ($7.35 million) bail on Dec. 11, China has since detained two Canadians in what is perceived to be a tit-for-tat reaction to Meng’s detention.
Huawei expects 2018 revenue to rise 21 percent despite international scrutiny
Huawei expects 2018 revenue to rise 21 percent despite international scrutiny
- Smartphone shipments in 2018 are expected to surpass 200 million units
- Huawei is the world’s largest telecom equipment maker and the second largest smartphone seller
Saudi exchange leads GCC in foreign net buying in 2025, hits $5.5bn: Kamco Invest
RIYADH: Foreign investors poured $5.5 billion into the Saudi exchange in 2025, the highest net buying in the Gulf Cooperation Council, an analysis showed.
In its latest report, Kamco Invest said the Kingdom was followed by the Abu Dhabi and Kuwait exchanges, which saw net foreign inflows of $3.4 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively, over the 12 months.
Dubai and Qatar also registered net buying in 2025, amounting to $1.3 billion and $171 million, respectively.
The steady performance in the majority of exchanges in the region comes as GCC equity markets continue to attract global capital, buoyed by strong corporate earnings and ongoing economic reforms.
“The yearly trend indicated continued positive activity by foreign investors on GCC exchanges in 2025, although total buying declined over the course of the year,” said Kamco Invest in the report.
According to the analysis, the Oman Exchange recorded the largest net sales by foreign investors in 2025 at $440 million, followed by Bahrain, which posted net sales of $10.3 million.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, net buying by foreign investors in the Kingdom stood at $1 billion, followed by Oman at $86.6 million.
All other exchanges, excluding the Kingdom and Oman, witnessed a net selling trend in the fourth quarter.
“Quarterly trading data showed that foreign investors were net sellers in Q4-2025 on all exchanges barring Saudi Arabia and Oman. Saudi Arabia recorded net foreign buying of $1 billion, while Oman saw net inflows of $86.6 million during the (fourth) quarter, partially offsetting the overall net sales across the region,” added Kamco Invest.
Foreign investors were the biggest sellers of Abu Dhabi stocks with net sales of $1 billion during the quarter, followed by Kuwait at $187.9 million, Bahrain at $45.6 million, and Qatar at $8.8 million.
Saudi Arabia and Oman also recorded consecutive net buying by foreign investors across all three months of the fourth quarter, signaling rising investor interest in these countries.
Dubai exhibited a net selling trend during the first two months of the fourth quarter, which subsequently reversed to net buying in the final month of the year.
Qatar registered net buying in the first month of the quarter before shifting to net selling in the second month, and returned to net buying in the final month.
The UAE and Kuwait exchanges experienced consistent net selling by foreign investors across all three months of the fourth quarter.
Kamco Invest said that the key factors which affected the flow of foreign money in the region included regional market trends, economic health of individual countries and crude oil prices.
