Rather like catching a high tide, it has been said that the key to success is being in the right place at the right time. But location and timing alone do not guarantee success, rather they create the conditions necessary for victory.
That is one of the key lessons I learnt from both my military and investment careers. In today’s volatile global trading landscape, it is a lesson that applies to the Gulf’s economic trajectory. This is because it is not just the region’s geographic location that makes it an emerging trading hub – it’s everything else the GCC has spent decades building that positions it to capture the opportunities that will inevitably arise from today’s global trade rearrangement. Naturally, that includes infrastructure.
The GCC has one of the world’s most robust networks of seaports. The Red Sea handles about 12 per cent of global trade, and around 30 per cent of global container traffic, while 30 per cent of the world’s seaborne traded oil and 20 per cent of all LNG is exported through the Strait of Hormuz. These ports are multipurpose hubs, handling containers and cargo from every corner of the world. Importantly, however, they are also gateways to a group of economies set to reach a GDP of $3 trillion by 2030.
One of the bridges to this opportunity is the Port of Duqm on Oman’s south-east coast, facing outwards towards Asia and Africa with direct access to the Indian Ocean. Duqm is a key focus in Oman’s National Logistics Strategy 2040, which aims to position the country as a global logistics hub and make the sector the second-largest contributor to gross domestic product. It is a strategy that has attracted significant regional and international investment to Oman’s logistics sector – about $6.5 billion since 2023.
One of the fundamentals underpinning these investments is renewable energy. In fact, there are huge opportunities for the region’s ports from industrial decarbonisation and the global energy transition. The Port of Duqm is currently being expanded to include a new quay wall servicing a low-carbon industrial plant that will supply the green steel sector. Up to 200,000 tonnes of green hydrogen are already generated annually at Duqm from 5 GW of wind and solar energy. Duqm aims to increase production to reach a million tonnes by 2030, becoming a regional centre for renewables.
There are huge opportunities for the region’s ports from industrial decarbonisation and the global energy transition
The fact that Duqm sits at the intersection of the GCC’s economies of today and tomorrow makes it a natural destination for capital. It is a beneficiary of – and contributor to – Oman’s Vision 2040. It’s a long-term investment that will shape the economy and endure for generations. Ultimately, it transcends financial returns, creating sustainable effects for Omani people and businesses.
The investment opportunity accommodated at Duqm represents something we will likely see more of over the next five years, not just in Oman, but regionally. We will witness the roll-out of a new template for grand infrastructure plays across the GCC as the region locks in its growth trajectory. Fuelled by national transformations, the delivery of these megaprojects will cement the region as a trade hub and West Asia as a new fulcrum for global commerce.
The opportunities are clear and will follow a playbook that Investcorp is well-versed in following: decades of involvement in major infrastructure and real estate projects.
Today, Investcorp’s real assets portfolio has $16.7 billion of assets under management out of $57 billion of total AUM. A large component of these assets is based in mature industrial markets in the US and include some of the country’s highest-profile projects of our time, like the $4.2 billion Terminal 6 Project at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York. One of these infrastructure assets, Resa Power, was recently our most successful exit of the last decade, growing revenues by more than four times under Investcorp ownership.
Crucially, models honed in the US – a country with strong fundamentals throughout market cycles – are now becoming relevant to the GCC, where macroeconomic tailwinds and a global energy transition are making infrastructure investments more viable than ever. Now is the right time to apply these models to markets like Oman and the wider GCC, that stand on the cusp of a new economic era.
In the near future, GCC logistics hubs will become prime destinations for smart global capital. These are assets that sit at the perfect place in time. On one hand they straddle the region’s deep maritime past and its future of technological leadership; and on another, they are coming to the fore during a period of supply chain reconfiguration and a shifting balance of power between East and West. And of course, located between fast-growing markets on multiple continents, they sit at just the right place.
The tide is rising – now is the time to catch it.
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The%20specs
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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.
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
Results:
5pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600 metres
Winner: Dasan Da, Saeed Al Mazrooei (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Saabah, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Mukaram, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: MH Tawag, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) | Dh70,000 | 1,400m
Winner: RB Inferno, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Juthoor, Jim Crowley, Erwan Charpy
The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
if you go
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
