UAE equities fell amid a global stock market rout sparked by China’s devaluation of the yuan for the second day in a row.
Markets fell from Germany to Singapore amid fears the devaluation and ensuing currency volatility will hit global growth.
The FTSE 100 fell 1.7 per cent, while Germany’s DAX lost 3.2 per cent in late trading.
MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan declined 1.1 per cent, as stocks from China to Singapore fell on news of China’s surprise devaluation. The reverberations of the fall in global markets was felt in the Arabian Gulf region, with all markets except Bahrain slipping. Saudi Arabia’s main index closed down 0.5 per cent.
“What we are seeing today is definitely a contagion effect from what is happening on the global scene, and basically global emerging markets are under severe pressure after the devaluation announced by China,” said Rami Sidani, the head of Middle East and North Africa Equities at Schroder Investment Management in Dubai.
“This could trigger a currency war or at least a deflationary move by the largest consumer of commodities and minerals within the emerging markets world. As a result it has put substantial pressure on emerging markets and global markets.”
The Dubai Financial Market General Index fell 1.2 per cent to 4,022.12, led by construction and real estate stocks.
Drake & Scull lost 3.7 per cent to Dh0.724 after the Dubai-based contractor posted a 76 per cent year-on-year drop in net profit for the second quarter owing to project delays and cost overruns. Dubai Parks and Resorts dropped 2.3 per cent to Dh1.24 after the company reported a second-quarter loss of Dh29 million.
Disappointing results from construction and real estate companies such as Drake and Union Properties are also creating negative sentiment in the market, according to Fathi Ben Grira, the chief executive of Menacorp, an Abu Dhabi-based investment bank.
“You can be influenced by international factors such as the markets in Asia, but at the end of the day what investors are looking at are the companies listed in these [local] markets,” said Mr Grira.
dalsaadi@thenational.ae
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'Ashkal'
Director: Youssef Chebbi
Stars: Fatma Oussaifi and Mohamed Houcine Grayaa
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
J Street Polling Results
97% of Jewish-Americans are concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism
76% of US Jewish voters believe Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party are responsible for a rise in anti-Semitism
74% of American Jews agreed that “Trump and the Maga movement are a threat to Jews in America"
Results
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m; Winner: Dhafra, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Al Ajayib, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
4pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Ashtr, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Falcon Claws, Szczepan Mazur, Doug Watson
5pm: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Al Mufham SB, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Badar Al Hajri
5.30pm: Sharjah Marathon – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,700m; Winner: Asraa Min Al Talqa, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
Dengue fever symptoms
- High fever
- Intense pain behind your eyes
- Severe headache
- Muscle and joint pains
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Swollen glands
- Rash
If symptoms occur, they usually last for two-seven days
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE (+4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Racing Festival – Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Suny Du Loup, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Hamad Al Marar (trainer)
5.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Racing Festival Cup – Conditions (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Nadia Du Loup, Antonio Fresu, Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi
6pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup – Conditions (PA) Dh150,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Dareen, Dane O’Neill, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup – Group 3 (PA) Dh500,000
Winner: AF Alwajel, Pat Dobbs, Ernst Oertel
7.15pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown – Group 1 (PA) Dh5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: First Classs, Ronan Thomas, Jean De Mieulle
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: San Donato, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Rasam, Fernando Jara, Ernst Oertel
Honeymoonish
Director: Elie El Samaan
Starring: Nour Al Ghandour, Mahmoud Boushahri
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Bedu
Started: 2021
Founders: Khaled Al Huraimel, Matti Zinder, Amin Al Zarouni
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI, metaverse, Web3 and blockchain
Funding: Currently in pre-seed round to raise $5 million to $7 million
Investors: Privately funded
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
RESULT
Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')