Moody's changed its outlook of plane lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to stable from 'rating under review'. Courtesy of DAE
Moody's changed its outlook of plane lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to stable from 'rating under review'. Courtesy of DAE

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise sells 16 Boeing, Airbus jets worth $900 million



Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the Middle East’s largest aircraft lessor, signed agreements to sell 16 Boeing and Airbus aircraft worth $900 million that will be used to repay debt and fund growth plans.

The three deals for the sale of 737, A320, A330 and A350 jets are expected to close in the second half of the year, DAE said in a statement on Wednesday. T

"This divestment activity will help us optimise our portfolio composition and monetise some of our recent larger-scale investments," Firoz Tarapore, chief executive of DAE, said.

The state-owned company is in talks with Airbus and Boeing for an order of another 400 narrow-body aircraft worth more than $40 billion at list prices. DAE is growing its fleet further after it acquired Dublin-based lessor Awas last year in a deal that propelled it to the top ranks of global aircraft lessors, raising its portfolio to nearly 400 planes worth $14bn.

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The deals for the sale of 16 aircraft will not impact DAE’s total number of customers, Mr Tarapore said, without revealing the buyers in the agreement.

The planes have an average age of two years and are currently on lease to 11 airlines in 11 countries.
DAE Capital, the leasing arm which signed the three agreements, has formed an asset management unit that will seek to build a $5bn portfolio of assets in the coming years, the company said in January.

Last week, the lessor signed a deal for an unsecured revolving credit facility of an initial $480mn, that can be extended up to $800mn, as it seeks to diversify its sources of funding.

It is also considering the issuance of a $500m sukuk and could tap the market either later this year or in 2019, depending on market appetite, Mr Tarapore said in April.

In 2017, DAE raised $2.3bn in senior bonds split across three tranches in the United States to fund its acquisition of Awas.

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Scoreline

Liverpool 4

Oxlade-Chamberlain 9', Firmino 59', Mane 61', Salah 68'

Manchester City 3

Sane 40', Bernardo Silva 84', Gundogan 90' 1

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

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Price: Dh136,814

Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

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6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

Winner Bella Fever, Dane O’Neill (jockey), Mike de Kock (trainer).

7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Woven, Harry Bentley, David Simcock.

7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

Winner Fore Left, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.

8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m

Winner Rusumaat, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.

8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m

Winner Benbatl, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m

Winner Art Du Val, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m

Winner Beyond Reason, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

The team

Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory 
Videographer: Jear Valasquez 
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory 
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat 
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova 
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi 

 
MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2

Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')

Barcelona 0

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

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Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

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Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.