LONDON: Delivery delays to Boeing’s 777X jetliner are holding back Emirates’ growth and could partially affect the Gulf carrier’s broader fleet requirements, airline President Tim Clark said on Thursday.
Dubai-based Emirates has 150 of the 350-400-seat model on order, of which eight were originally slated for delivery next year, and has yet to firm up orders for 40 of Boeing’s mid-size 787 jets.
The world’s largest operator of long-haul aircraft is also in talks to complete an order for 70 Airbus jets, with both sets of negotiations in focus ahead of the Dubai Airshow in November.
Boeing suspended load testing on its new 777X in September, when media reports said a cargo door failed a ground test. There have also been issues with its General Electric GE9X engine, the largest ever produced for an airliner.
The plane was originally due to enter service with Emirates in June 2020. In an interview, Clark said Emirates no longer expects to receive the first 777X before “April or the second quarter” of 2021.
“That has conditioned everything else,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of the Airlines 2050 conference in London.
“First of all, I want to know when the thing’s going to come,” he said. “Our fleet plans are very much driven by when these aircraft are going to be delivered to us.”
The airline’s capacity growth is being held back by the delivery delays and will resume only “when I get some visibility on all this,” Clark said.
A Boeing spokesman said the US manufacturer was working through its “disciplined development process” to prepare the 777-9 for its first flight and delivery to launch customers.
In September, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said it was “working toward entry into service (of the 777X) by the end of 2020,” subject to the availability of engines.
There has been speculation that Emirates could defer or reduce 777X orders, or else downgrade some to the smaller 787.
Clark told the Seattle Times in June that Emirates was discussing a combination of 777Xs and 787s that may preserve overall numbers but substitute some jets and defer others.
Planemakers already face pressure over late deliveries of smaller aircraft, with Boeing’s 737 MAX grounded following two accidents and Airbus’s A320neo hit by industrial delays. But the November air show is expected to test airlines’ leverage in negotiations for some of the industry’s biggest jets.
While Boeing tries to finalize its 787 deal, Airbus will be hoping to complete an order for 40 similar-sized A330neo and 30 A350 jets which Emirates tentatively ordered in February when Airbus decided to halt production of its flagship A380.
Asked about the status of new Airbus orders, Clark stressed the importance of keeping costly assets working reliably.
“You’ve probably heard me say in the industry, I want aircraft that will give me 99.9 percent dispatch reliability from day one. Until they can contract for that, we’re not going to take them.”
An Airbus spokeswoman said the A330 family has a dispatch reliability — or the proportion of departures without technical problems — of 99.4 percent, with the A350 already at 99.9 percent.
Clark said the aerospace industry had “over-promised” in recent years, placing jets in the market before they had the technical maturity to deal reliably with hot Gulf conditions.
“The engines in particular have got to be able to do that, and I’m not quite sure they are there yet.”
He also said Emirates would begin flying to Mexico City as planned on Dec. 9, despite a successful challenge by Delta Air Lines’ partner Aeromexico against a bilateral government pact underpinning the new route.
“This is Aeromexico and Delta making life difficult for us,” Clark said. “There will be a legal wrangling going on, but as far as I’m concerned, we’re going to fly.”
Delta referred queries to Aeromexico which had no immediate comment.
Boeing 777X delays may affect Dubai-based Emirates’ fleet plans: president
Boeing 777X delays may affect Dubai-based Emirates’ fleet plans: president
- Emirates has 150 of the 350-400-seat model on order, of which eight were originally slated for delivery next year
- Boeing suspended load testing on its new 777X in September, when media reports said a cargo door failed a ground test
Capital concentrates as MENA startups close deals
- Fresh funding flows in even as broader market data points to a slowdown
RIYADH: Startup funding activity across the Middle East and North Africa delivered a mixed picture over the past week, with fresh capital flowing into gaming, fintech, deep tech, and travel, even as broader market data pointed to a slowdown in overall investment momentum.
Saudi Arabia’s Impact46 led a $1 million investment round in Hypemasters, an international game development studio focused on competitive strategy experiences for mobile. The round included participation from GEM Capital.
Hypemasters develops strategy titles designed for competitive depth and precise game mechanics and has attracted more than 7 million players globally.
The studio is currently advancing several new projects, including a title in soft launch, as it looks to expand its reach in markets with sustained demand for strategy games.
“Strategy is one of the most demanding categories in game development, and Hypemasters approaches it with uncommon discipline. Their work shows a clear understanding of what committed players expect from this genre, and we believe their upcoming titles can serve a global audience with genuine depth,” said Basmah Al-Sinaidi, managing partner at Impact46.
“We are pleased to support a team that builds with intention and long-term ambition,” she added.
Boris Kalmykov, CEO and co-founder of Hypemasters, said: “We’re focused on deepening our presence across the region and pushing forward with the next generation of strategy games, including a major new title already in soft launch. Partnering with Impact46 marks an important step for Hypemasters.”
The CEO added that Impact46 shares his company’s long-term vision for building “world-class strategy games” from the MENA region, and the support reinforces his firm’s commitment to expanding its portfolio with high-quality releases.
The investment reflects Impact46’s continued interest in game development and interactive entertainment and aligns with its broader strategy of backing studios building globally oriented titles.
Premialab raises $220m
UAE-headquartered Premialab, a provider of data, analytics, and risk management solutions for quantitative investing, has raised $220 million in a growth investment led by KKR, with participation from existing investor Balderton.
Founded in Hong Kong in 2016 by Adrien Geliot and Pierre Trecourt, Premialab operates a global platform serving the $800 billion quantitative investment strategies market.
Counterfeits don’t just impact economies; they erase identity, creativity and truth. Along with our investors, we’re building a movement to make the world’s stories verifiable again.
Walid Tarabih, founder and CEO of Relik
The company provides benchmarking, performance analysis, and risk analytics tools for institutional investors.
The funding will be used to support global expansion, strengthen core operational systems, and scale Premialab’s execution product, which was developed in partnership with Eurex, to broaden access to quantitative investment strategies.
“Quantitative investment strategies have grown rapidly in scale and importance, yet the market has lacked a truly independent standard for data, analytics and risk. Premialab was built to fill that gap,” said Adrien Geliot, CEO of Premialab.
Relik closes seed round
UAE-based Relik has closed a seed funding round with participation from KBW Ventures, Naatt Holding, Fort Holding, and Ayman Sejiny.
Founded in 2023 by Walid Tarabih and later joined by John Tsioris, Relik is an artificial intelligence-powered authentication platform designed to help collectors, brands, and marketplaces.
The company plans to use the funding to roll out additional products and expand across sectors including sports, luxury, and heritage markets.
“We are ensuring authenticity in a fakeable world,” said Walid Tarabih, founder and CEO of Relik, adding: “Counterfeits don’t just impact economies; they erase identity, creativity and truth. Along with our investors, we’re building a movement to make the world’s stories verifiable again.”
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures, said: “Relik is creating a new global standard for truth and trust. At a time when counterfeiting and AI-generated content are rising, Relik’s mission to protect authenticity carries both cultural and commercial value.”
Nawah raises $23m
Egypt-based deep tech startup Nawah Scientific has raised $23 million in a series A round comprising a mix of equity and debt, marking a decade since the company’s founding.
The round was led by Life Ventures Holding, with participation from Den Ventures, Empire M, AfricInvest, Elsewedy, as well as banks and angel investors.
Founded in 2015 by Omar Saqr, Nawah operates a cloud laboratory model that enables remote access to advanced testing services. Its operations span four business units covering life sciences, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and certified reference materials.
The company plans to use the funding to build a global research and development center in Rwanda, double laboratory capacity in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and expand into North Africa and Europe.
Algeria’s VOLZ raises $5m
Algeria-based travel tech startup VOLZ has raised $5 million in a series A funding round led by a consortium of private investors under Tell Group, with participation from Groupe GIBA.
Founded in 2023 by Mohamed Abdelhadi and Hacene Seghier, VOLZ enables travelers to book flights in Algerian dinars using online payments or cash on delivery, while comparing multiple airlines through a single platform.
Announced at the African Startup Conference in December, the transaction is Algeria’s largest startup funding round in local currency and marks the first exit of the Algerian Startup Fund.
The capital will be used to launch new consumer and corporate travel products, strengthen VOLZ’s position in Algeria, and support expansion across North and West Africa.
MENA startup funding slows in November
Investment activity across the MENA startup ecosystem slowed sharply in November 2025, with 35 startups raising a combined $227.8 million, according to Wamda’s monthly report.
This marked a steep decline from the $784.9 million recorded in the previous month and a 12 percent drop compared to November 2024, pointing to a period of consolidation as investors moderated deployment toward the end of the year.
More than half of the capital raised during the month was driven by a single debt-backed transaction by erad, which propelled Saudi Arabia to the top of the regional rankings. Across 14 deals, the Kingdom attracted $176.3 million, accounting for more than three-quarters of all capital deployed in November.
Despite funding activity spanning 35 startups, capital was concentrated in just 5 markets. After Saudi Arabia’s dominant lead, the UAE followed with $49 million across 14 transactions.
Egypt recorded $1.12 million across 4 deals, while Morocco raised $1.1 million through 2 transactions. Oman saw 1 deal with an undisclosed value, with limited activity reported outside these markets.
Fintech emerged as the most funded sector in November, raising $142.9 million across 9 deals, largely influenced by the same debt-driven transaction.
E-commerce followed with $24.5 million across 6 rounds, while property tech, which topped the charts in October, slipped to 3rd with $18.9 million raised by 3 startups.
Debt financing dominated the month, accounting for more than $125 million through a single transaction.
The remaining capital was largely channelled into early-stage startups, with no later-stage funding rounds recorded in November, underscoring continued investor caution.
From a business model perspective, B2B startups captured the majority of capital, with 20 companies raising $197.1 million.
B2C startups lagged, with 9 companies raising a combined $22.2 million, while the remainder was split across hybrid models.
The gender funding gap showed no signs of narrowing, with male-led startups absorbing 97 percent of the capital raised during the month. Female-led and mixed-gender founding teams accounted for the remaining share.
