Trading on ADX, which is owned by state holding company ADQ, has increased notably this year. Reuters
Trading on ADX, which is owned by state holding company ADQ, has increased notably this year. Reuters
Trading on ADX, which is owned by state holding company ADQ, has increased notably this year. Reuters
Trading on ADX, which is owned by state holding company ADQ, has increased notably this year. Reuters

Alpha Dhabi shares jump 13% as Abu Dhabi bourse's market value surges to $313bn​​​​​​​


Michael Fahy
  • English
  • Arabic

Shares in Alpha Dhabi, the investment group listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange on Sunday, closed up by about 13 per cent on Monday, making it the fourth-biggest company on the exchange.

The company, in which Integrated Holding Company and Infinity Wave Holding each own a 44 per cent stake, was valued at Dh169 billion ($46bn) at Monday's closing price of Dh16.90 a share.

That means only IHC itself (Dh208.7bn), Etisalat (Dh193.1bn) and First Abu Dhabi Bank (Dh178bn) have a higher market capitalisation.

IHC's shares also gained another 3.4 per cent to Dh114.60, pushing the ADX's main market index up 0.63 per cent and its market capitalisation to Dh1.15 trillion ($313.1bn).

In the year to date, the Abu Dhabi market is the best performer in the Gulf and "among the best globally", gaining 33.8 per cent, said Devesh Mamtani, chief market strategist at Dubai-based broker Century Financial.

The presence of bigger companies has helped to attract interest from foreign investors, with a number of privately held entities owned by state holding company ADQ merging with publicly listed businesses to grow the market.

That includes Abu Dhabi National Energy Company'smerger with Abu Dhabi Power Corporation, National Marine Dredging Company's combination with National Petroluem Construction Company and Agthia's acquisition of dates company Al Foah.

Other deals have also been announced to combine ADQ's Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company with Abu Dhabi National Hotels and Emirates Steel with Arkan Building Materials.

"Abu Dhabi has decided to create prominent national champions in various sectors like banking, utilities, dredging, shipbuilding, etc, which can compete globally," said Mr Mamtani.

ADQ-owned ADX is also improving governance standards by insisting companies' management teams provide discussion and analysis of performance alongside quarterly results, he said.

Over a 12-month period, the ADX's main market index is up 56 per cent, outperforming regional peers such as Saudi Arabia's Tadawul, which has gained 51 per cent, Qatar's All Share index that is up 19 per cent and Egypt's EGX 30 that is down 5 per cent, said Ullas Rao, assistant professor of finance at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.

IHC's growth has been one of the main contributors, with its shares "generating close to an eye-popping 300 per cent return" over the past year, Mr Rao said.

ADX is also expected to benefit from several other listings, with Al Yah Satellite Communications' initial public offering already scheduled for July 14.

"The IPO momentum is expected to gain traction in the second half of the year, thanks in part to the resurgence in the UAE economy, buoyed by a recovery on the back of diminishing pandemic-related disruptions," Mr Rao said.

"[A] strong economy led by booming stock markets provides much-needed impetus for businesses to raise capital for long-term investments."

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

RIVER%20SPIRIT
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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing

Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include: 

  • Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
  • Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
  • Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
  • Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
  • Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
From exhibitions to the battlefield

In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.

It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.

It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.

It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.

Company profile

Name:​ One Good Thing ​

Founders:​ Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke​

Based in:​ Dubai​​ 

Sector:​ e-commerce​

Size: 5​ employees

Stage: ​Looking for seed funding

Investors:​ ​Self-funded and seeking external investors

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who are the Sacklers?

The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.

Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. 

It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.

Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".

The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.

Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.

'C'mon C'mon'

Director:Mike Mills

Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman

Rating: 4/5

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Tips for entertaining with ease

·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

·         As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.

·         Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.

·         Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.

·         The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.

·         You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.

 

Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh

UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith

RESULT

RS Leipzig 3 

Marcel Sabitzer 10', 21'

Emil Forsberg 87'

Tottenham 0

 

War and the virus
While you're here
SPAIN SQUAD

Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)

Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)

Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Brief scores:

Manchester United 4

Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'

Fulham 1

Kamara 67' (pen),

Red card: Anguissa (68')

Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Power: 592bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Price: Dh980,000

On sale: now