UAE In-Focus – Taaleem Holdings eyes IPO; China’s grid giant expands to GCC

Dubai Financial Market has seen several high-profile IPOs this year. (Shutterstock)
Short Url
Updated 30 August 2022
Follow

UAE In-Focus – Taaleem Holdings eyes IPO; China’s grid giant expands to GCC

DUBAI: Taaleem, a Dubai-based school operator, will proceed with its initial public offering plans following approval from shareholders on Aug. 29, according to a statement.

Al-Arabiya reported that the company will be converted into a public entity from a private joint stock company.

After the Dubai government announced plans to list 10 state entities last year, the Dubai Financial Market has seen several high-profile IPOs this year.

Amid a global share sales slump, the Gulf region has seen an unprecedented IPO boom as high oil prices and equity inflows boosted local markets, Al-Arabiya added.

Crude and regional indexes have been weighed down by concerns that the economy is slowing as a result of aggressive monetary policy tightening.

China’s grid giant advances GCC energy transition with DIFC expansion

China’s State Grid Corp. has expanded to the Gulf region and established an office in the Dubai International Financial Center.

The is the Chinese state-owned electric utility corporation’s first office in the UAE, according to a statement.

Virtuzone to accept crypto payments 

Virtuzone, a Dubai-based provider of business formation services, will now accept cryptocurrency payments through Binance Pay, according to CoinDesk.

“Virtuzone’s decision to accept cryptocurrency payments and integrate Binance Pay into its systems raises the bar for innovation and demonstrates the way forward when it comes to setting up businesses in the UAE,” said Nadeem Ladki, executive director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at Binance, in a statement.

In addition to bitcoin, Ethereum, and USD coin, Binance Pay, a contactless cryptocurrency payment service developed by Binance, supports more than 40 cryptocurrencies. By eliminating third-party transaction fees, the platform will enable instantaneous international money transfers and user-to-user transfers, CoinDesk added.

As part of its efforts to become a crypto hub, Dubai recently established a Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and adopted some crypto-friendly laws.

The emirate’s push to license cryptocurrency exchanges has led to companies adopting crypto payments across the emirates as a result of the development.

JA Resorts and Hotels, Majid Al Futtaim, and luxury property developer Damac are among the other UAE-based businesses that have adopted Binance Pay, CoinDesk said.

Deliveroo to reduce use of plastic bottles

Deliveroo joins the Dubai Can initiative to reduce single-use plastic water bottles. Deliveroo distributes reusable water bottles to agency riders across Dubai as part of its environmental, social, and governance strategy.

This sustainability initiative was launched by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum in February 2022 to empower communities to reduce the usage of single-use plastic water bottles.

Over 40 stations are currently available to residents, with an additional 10 to be installed by the end of 2022.

Deliveroo aims to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles by at least 1 million by using reusable bottles.


Stc Group issues US dollar-denominated sukuk with a total value of $2bn

Updated 09 January 2026
Follow

Stc Group issues US dollar-denominated sukuk with a total value of $2bn

RIYADH: Stc Group has issued US dollar-denominated sukuk with a total value of $2 billion across two tranches.

The group clarified that the issuance included the offering of $750 million in sukuk with a 5-year maturity at a yield of US Treasury plus 75 basis points, and an issuance of $1.250 billion with a 10-year maturity at a yield of UST plus 90 basis points, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

It noted that the total order book exceeded $8 billion across both tranches, with a coverage rate exceeding 4 times, and participation from over 300 investors in the subscription.

The issuance garnered strong demand from a broad and diverse base of international investors, reflecting solid confidence in the robustness and efficiency of stc Group’s business model and strategy. 

This strategy is aimed at strengthening its digital leadership, seizing infrastructure opportunities, enabling massive projects, and contributing to the realization of Vision 2030 objectives, with a focus on achieving sustainable growth based on operational efficiency and maximizing shareholder value.

This issuance enhances stc Group’s access to international capital markets and solidifies investor confidence in the strength of its credit position. 

It also supports its strategic role in accelerating the pace of digital transformation in the Kingdom and building a thriving digital economy.