Author: Emirates Insight

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, has registered its 100th hedge fund, reflecting its dominance in the sector and successful journey to becoming a top five global hub for the industry. The number of hedge fund managers doubled from 50 at the start of 2024 and 81 are billion-dollar AUM managers. During 2025, new arrivals include Baron Capital Management, BlueCrest Capital, Naya Capital Management, Nine Masts Capital, North Rock Capital, Pearl Diver Capital, Select Equity Group, Strategic Investment Group, Silver Point Capital, Squarepoint Capital and Welwing…

Bitcoin trades near $89.8K as Peter Brandt warns of a possible 80% drop. Analysts highlight bearish signals and macro uncertainty ahead. Bitcoin is trading near $89,800 following a week of mild losses. The asset is down slightly in the past 24 hours and 2% over the last 7 days. While the price action remains above the $89,000 mark, technical analysts are raising caution as long-term indicators begin to shift. Among them, veteran trader Peter Brandt has warned that Bitcoin may be at risk of an extended decline if historical patterns repeat. Parabolic Breakdown Signals Deeper Correction Peter Brandt has…

Australians and the world have been left horrified and reeling after at least 16 people were killed, with another 40 injured following a mass shooting involving two gunmen at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. NSW police declared the incident a terrorist attack, which began at about 6.40pm on December 14. Alongside a typically busy beach on a warm Sunday evening, hundreds of families gathered at Bondi Beach Park for the free annual Chanukah by the Sea, organised by the Chabad of Bondi, to celebrate the start of the eight-day Jewish “Festival of Lights”. Police say 14 people died at…

Nasdaq Dubai has welcomed the listing of a USD 500 million Sukuk issued by (MAF Sukuk Ltd.), as the company expands its engagement with Dubai’s international debt capital markets. Guaranteed by Majid Al Futtaim Holding LLC, the Sukuk reinforces the Group’s commitment to accessing diverse pools of global investors through Dubai’s internationally aligned market infrastructure. The Sukuk, maturing on 22 October 2035 with a profit rate of 4.875%, attracted robust investor demand, with an order book exceeding USD 2 billion. Rated ‘BBB’ by both S&P and Fitch, the issuance will support Majid Al Futtaim’s general corporate purposes and refinancing plans.…

In a landmark move for the UAE’s financial and precious-metal market, Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, has unveiled the ‘Emirates NBD Gold’, in presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates NBD Group and senior officials from the Group. ‘Emirates NBD Gold’ represents the first bank-branded gold bar in the UAE designed for savers and investors as it marks a significant milestone for Dubai’s growth in the Gold sector.   The launch strengthens Dubai’s reputation as a global hub for gold trading and investment…

MO Group has announced an aggressive expansion strategy for 2026 that includes doubling exports, entering new production sectors, significantly increasing manufacturing capacity and advancing preparations for an initial public offering. The plan positions the company for accelerated regional and global growth as it seeks to strengthen its presence in both international and domestic confectionery markets. The strategy also includes more than $10m in new production investments. MO Group revealed that its 2026 expansion plan includes doubling exports to $12m, expanding its geographic footprint from 45 to 80 countries, entering the biscuits and chocolate production sectors for the first time, and…

A16z has predicted a major 2026 pivot as stablecoins surge, AI agents multiply, and on-chain finance challenges outdated banking infrastructure. A16z crypto, a venture capital fund of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), said it expects several crypto-related themes to gain prominence in 2026, while citing developments across stablecoins, real-world-asset tokenization, banking infrastructure, AI agent authentication, privacy technologies, and prediction markets. In its latest post, the firm said stablecoins processed an estimated $46 trillion in transaction volume last year, and even surpassing major payment networks. But connecting digital dollars to existing financial rails remains an unresolved issue. Major Crypto Themes For 2026…

Fintech startup Mesa has shut down its Homeowners Card, which awarded points to cardholders for paying their mortgages. A message on the Mesa website states that as of December 12, “all Mesa Homeowners Card accounts are closed,” adding, “All credit cards have been deactivated and you are no longer able to make any new purchases or earn Mesa Points.” A Mesa FAQ about the shutdown described this as “a business decision to close the Mesa Homeowners Card Program entirely.” TechCrunch has reached out to Mesa for additional comment on its future plans. The startup launched just over a year ago,…

Yes, yes… we know. There are a million Christmas brunch lists out there, each with 100+ places and every offer under the sun. So we’re making life a lot easier for you. Here’s a zero-nonsense Christmas Brunch list with only the fun, actually-useful bits listed down as pointers. You get to decorate your gingerbreads, attend fun quiz nights, take an abra ride for a brunch specially made for you, takeaway some great turkey, craft stations ft sock snowmen, petting zoos…you get the drift, yeah? This is the only list you’ll need for finding that perfect Christmas Brunch experience for you…

The UAE has, in recent weeks, issued a range of new Federal Decree-Laws introducing significant reforms across taxation, business regulation, justice, public health, child welfare, trade and social protection. The legislative updates reflect the country’s ongoing efforts to modernise its legal framework, strengthen governance, enhance public safety and align regulatory systems with international standards. From updated narcotics and sexual offences laws to changes to VAT and organ donation rules, find out more about the new laws in the UAE. UAE issues law updating narcotics regulations, expanding treatment capacity and introducing stricter penalties for violations UAE updates narcotics law with tougher…