A Tesla Model X at the  Last Exit, Sheikh Zayed Road, Jebel Ali. Dubai is to be a launchpad for the US car maker which has narrowed losses recently.

Victor Besa / The National
A Tesla Model X at the Last Exit, Sheikh Zayed Road, Jebel Ali. Dubai is to be a launchpad for the US car maker which has narrowed losses recently. Victor Besa / The National

Tesla trims losses as it prepares for UAE expansion



Tesla posted a smaller quarterly loss and said its mass-market Model 3 saloon was on track for volume production by September.

The electric car maker said it expected to deliver 47,000 to 50,000 Model S and Model X vehicles combined in the first half of 2017.

On Tuesday, Investment development agency Dubai FDI said it will help Tesla expand throughout the UAE and wider Middle East as the emirate bids to be the regional centre for the American car maker.

Dubai FDI, part of the Department of Economic Development, said it will collaborate with the electric vehicle (EV) company to catapult adoption throughout the region. Dubai will be a launchpad for Tesla across new markets while making the UAE its regional hub, said Fahad Al Gergawi, the chief executive of Dubai FDI.

“Dubai FDI will continue to assist Tesla to expand and grow in the region and its neighbourhood,” he said.

The company said it planned to invest between US$2 billion and $2.5bn in capital expenditures ahead of the start of Model 3 production.

Tesla’s shares rose 1.6 per cent to $277.89 after the bell in New York.

The company has been investing heavily on production of its latest models and in its $5bn “gigafactory”, which makes lithium-ion battery cells in Nevada.

Given Tesla’s elevated stock price, many analysts believe Tesla will seek a capital raise in coming months.

The company, led by the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, is betting big on Model 3 to help meet its goal of producing 500,000 cars annually in 2018.

Total operating costs rose 46.6 per cent to $702 million in the latest quarter.

The company’s results include those of Solar City, which was acquired last year. Uncertainty by analysts on how Tesla would model SolarCity into its results resulted in a wide range of estimates.

Tesla’s net loss attributable to common shareholders narrowed to $121.3m, or 78 cents per share, for the fourth quarter ended December 31 from $320.4m, or $2.44 per share, a year earlier. http://bit.ly/2l9C0tI

Revenue rose 88 per cent to $2.28bn.

Up to Wednesday’s close, Tesla’s stock had risen 53.9 per cent in the past 12 months.

* Reuters

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Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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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.

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Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)

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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

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Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
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Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million