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☆ Want to get into the AI industry? Head to Abu Dhabi.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The UAE's AI minister believes we'll have "centers and nodes of excellence across the world." Last year, the country's wealthiest emirate, Abu Dhabi, launched Falcon — its first open-source large language model. Abu Dhabi's ruling family also controls several of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, including the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Mubadala Investment Company, a founding partner of MGX. In 2010, New York University launched a branch in Abu Dhabi that has since developed a focus on AI. Its "true strengths lie in the leadership's strategic vision, substantial investments in AI research and compute capacity, and government-led initiatives in industry.

Persons: we'll, —, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Al Olama, Abu Dhabi's, PwC, It's, Mohamed bin, Abu Dhabi, Nancy Gleason, Mohamed Organizations: United, United Arab Emirates, Service, Stanford's Center, Atlantic Council, International Trade Administration, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Mubadala Investment Company, Atlantic, New York University, University of Artificial Intelligence, Intelligence, NYU Abu Locations: United Arab, Silicon Valley, Malta, Paris, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Silicon, Abu Dhabi, United States, China, Dubai, University, Abu, NYU Abu Dhabi

☆ There are 3 signs that generative AI might be reaching peak market froth — and it's not just OpenAI
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-05 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

There are signs across AI models, chips, and new form factors that the market is getting frothy. Investors spent the summer wondering if top AI stocks could continue to justify soaring valuations in the face of absent returns from their massive AI spending. Now, signs have emerged that they're not yet done with generative AI mania. OpenAI reaches dizzying new heightsSam Altman's OpenAI secured a $157 billion valuation after raising $6.6 billion in its latest funding round. In short, a lossmaking startup must justify its $157 billion valuation.

Persons: Cerebras, —, Andrew Feldman, Ramsey Cardy Cerebras, here's, Abu, Cerebras —, Altman's OpenAI, OpenAI, Elon Musk's xAI, OpenAI's, Ilya Sutskever, Gary Marcus, OpenAI's Sam Altman, David Sacks, Darius Rafieyan, Mira Murati, Mark Zuckerberg, Andrej Sokolow, frothiness, Jensen Huang, Alex Heath, Rahul Prasad, Snapchat Organizations: Nvidia, Service, Investors, Microsoft, Saudi Aramco, Bloomberg, OpenAI, LLMs, Financial Times, Anthropic, Craft Ventures, Tiger Global, The New York Times, Getty, company's Connect, Meta, Orion Locations: Sunnyvale, Abu Dhabi, Silver, Saudi, Silicon Valley, —

☆ Abu Dhabi's ADNOC to acquire German chemicals firm Covestro for $16.4 billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi's state-owned oil firm ADNOC on Tuesday said it has agreed to buy German chemicals firm Covestro for 14.7 billion euros ($16.4 billion). The deal represents an enterprise value of 14.7 billion euros, ADNOC said in a separate statement. "As a global leader and industrial pioneer in chemicals, Covestro brings unmatched expertise in high-tech specialty chemicals and materials, using advanced technologies including AI," said Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, group CEO and managing director of ADNOC. As part of the deal, ADNOC also signed an investment agreement in which it pledged to provide additional funding by buying 1.17 billion euros worth of new shares of Covestro from a capital increase. Earlier this year the UAE oil giant closed a deal acquiring a 24.9% stake in Austrian chemicals firm OMV.

Persons: Abu Dhabi's, Covestro, ADNOC, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, Fertiglobe, Jefferies Organizations: Abu, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Bayer Locations: Leverkusen, Germany, ADNOC, Abu Dhabi, London, UAE, Fertiglobe

☆ Masayoshi Son is the $100 billion gambler who went from dirt track to tech titan — and he isn't done betting yet
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has spent his life putting bold bets on the future of technology. SoftBank, the media-technology conglomerate Son founded two decades prior, was riding high on the glory it attained in the dot-com boom. He was told he was special," Barber told BI. "He wants to be seen as the great modernizer transforming this petrostate into a truly modern economy where technology is at the forefront," Barber told BI. But as previous cycles in Son's life dictate, the flurry of enthusiasm is typically followed by failure.

Persons: Masayoshi Son, Lionel Barber, —, Son, Bill Gates, Masa —, Uber, Barber, Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, — he's, Jack Ma's Alibaba, Wang, he's, Napoleon Bonaparte, Genghis Khan, Qin Shi Huang, Emperor of, Microsoft's Gates, Jordan Strauss, Mitsunori, SoftBank, Rupert Murdoch, Larry Ellison, Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Masayoshi, Justin Sullivan, Rajeev Misra, Nikesh Arora, Phil McCarten, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi, Michael Moritz, Kim Jong, Adam Neumann, Donald Trump, Wirecard, Jesus, NurPhoto, He's, Allen Lane Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Kremlin, Yahoo, Popular Electronics, Vision, Deutsche Bank, Google, Reuters, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Vision Fund, Valley's, Sequoia Capital, Greensill, Nvidia, Signal Publishers Locations: Tokyo's Roppongi, Japan, Masayoshi, Washington, Wayne, Emperor of China, Kyushu, United States, Riyadh, Berkeley, Las Vegas

Sovereign wealth funds out of the Middle East are emerging as key backers of Silicon Valley's artificial intelligence darlings. In the past year, funding for AI companies by Middle-Eastern sovereigns has increased fivefold, according to data from Pitchbook. Few venture funds have deep enough pockets to compete with the multibillion-dollar checks coming from the likes of Microsoft and Amazon . MGX was launched as a dedicated AI fund in March, with Abu Dhabi's Mubadala and AI firm G42 as founding partners. For the U.S., having sovereign wealth funds invest in American companies, and not in global adversaries like China, has been a geopolitical priority.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Uber, LIV, UAE's Mubadala, MGX, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Anthropic, Andreessen Horowitz, Jamal Khashoggi, It's, Bpifrance, WeWork spiraled, Jared Cohen, there's Organizations: United, CNBC, Microsoft, Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Qatar Investment Authority, BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, Saudi, U.S, Saudi Company, Artificial Intelligence, Washington Post, SoftBank, Goldman Sachs Global Institute Locations: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Pitchbook, Abu Dhabi, Temasek, Singapore, China, UAE

☆ Microsoft, BlackRock form group to raise $100 billion to invest in AI data centers and power
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during the company's Build developer conference in Seattle on May 21, 2024. Microsoft and BlackRock are part of a group of companies collaborating to pull together up to $100 billion to develop data centers for artificial intelligence and the energy infrastructure to power them. The group aims to assemble $30 billion of initial capital, with a future goal of bringing in up to $100 billion, including from debt financing. Microsoft said in July that fiscal fourth-quarter capital spending, including assets acquired under finance leases, totaled $19 billion. In January, BlackRock announced its intent to acquire GIP for $3 billion in cash and around 12 million shares of BlackRock common stock.

Persons: Satya Nadella, chatbot, MGX, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Organizations: Microsoft, BlackRock, Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Investment Partnership, Global Infrastructure Partners, United, Tech, Nvidia Locations: Seattle, United Arab Emirates, BlackRock

☆ UK investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown agrees to $6.9 billion takeover by CVC consortium
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Katrina Bishop | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A logo on the headquarters of Hargreaves Lansdown Plc in Bristol, UK, on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. LONDON — British investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown said on Friday it had agreed to a takeover offer equivalent to £5.4 billion ($6.9 billion) by a group of investors including CVC Group. Shareholders in Hargreaves Lansdown — the U.K.'s biggest stockbroker — will get 1,110 British pence per share and a dividend of 30 pence per share under the deal, the company said. The news comes after the company in May rejected an offer from the consortium of £4.7 billion, or 985 pence per share. At the time, Hargreaves Lansdown said the bid "substantially" undervalued the company and its prospects.

Persons: Hargreaves Lansdown, Abu, — Organizations: LONDON, CVC Group, Nordic Capital Locations: Bristol

☆ Middle East wealth funds are scrambling to rescue their big bets on the future
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Go to newsletter preferencesSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. A particular focus for these funds built on the back of petrodollars has been to build ownership and influence in the tech sector. FETHI BELAIDOver the past week, PIF and Mubadala have been busy figuring out what to do when their unbridled ambitions for tech companies face reality. Reports from the Financial Times and Bloomberg have shone a light on efforts being made by the sovereign wealth fund to boost returns in European startups in which it has invested billions of dollars. AdvertisementSeveral of these nascent tech companies, such as the insurance firm WeFox, have been bruised by shifting sentiment in the markets in recent years.

Persons: —, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, SoftBank's, ByteDance, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Peter Rawlinson, Lucid, John Keeble, Rawlinson, PIF, it's, Mubadala Organizations: Service, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Business, PIF, Financial Times, Bloomberg Locations: Middle, petrodollars, Saudi, California

☆ I took my kids to Dubai for our first international trip. It would've been better if we'd avoided these 4 mistakes.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Rebecca Vijay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewMy husband and I recently traveled to Dubai with our two kids and his mother on our first international trip together as a family. AdvertisementOur trip to Dubai could've been way better if we hadn't made these common mistakes. AdvertisementWe thought the kids would love Dubai Dolphinarium, a massive family entertainment space filled with aquatic animals. When we checked online for tickets during our trip, the only ones available were for dates three months away. AdvertisementWe should've packed comfier walking shoesWe walked a lot throughout our trip to Dubai, probably 8,000 to 10,000 steps each day.

Persons: —, NurPhoto, Louvre Abu, we'd, Tullio Puglia Organizations: Service, Euromonitor International, Business, Legoland, of, FIFA Locations: Dubai, Legoland Dubai, Louvre, Tullio

Qatar Airways is 2024's "Airline of the Year," according to AirlineRatings.com. This year's list is again dominated by Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific carriers, though Europe's Air France/KLM entered the ranking at No. The complete top 25 list of premium airlines for 2024, according to AirlineRatings.com, is as follows:1. American AirlinesIn an article announcing the ranking, AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said "Qatar Airways came out number one in many key areas although it was a very close scoring for the top ten." Qatar Airways also won the "Best Business Class" category for the fifth time in a row, while Singapore Airlines was named "Best First Class" and Air New Zealand for "Best Economy Class."

Persons: Geoffrey Thomas Organizations: Qatar Airways, Air New, Europe's Air France, KLM, Korean, Cathay Pacific Airways, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Air France, All Nippon Airways, Etihad Airways, Qantas, Virgin, Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP, JAL, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, IGA Group, British Airways, Air Canada, Delta Air, United Airlines, American Airlines, Flight Entertainment, Doha's Qatar Airways, Dubai's, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways Locations: Doha, Air New Zealand, Eastern, Asia, Pacific, Virgin Australia, TAP Portugal, Swiss, Iberia, Dubai's Emirates

☆ A US ally is forging ties with China's air force but probably won't get its J-20 stealth fighter
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The UAE is boosting ties with China's air force. Major General Saleh Mohammed bin Mejren Al Ameri, commander of the UAE's Joint Operations, met with the commander of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force on April 23 to promote closer air force cooperation. Another even speculated Abu Dhabi may eventually seek China's premier stealth fighter: the fifth-generation J-20 Mighty Dragon. I don't see this relationship developing into something similar to what the UAE Air Force has with France or even Russia anytime soon." Furthermore, the Emirati air force fighter fleet is already large for such a small country, making it unlikely the L-15s will serve any combat role.

Persons: —, General Saleh Mohammed bin Mejren Al Ameri, China's, Abu Dhabi, Abu, Abu Dhabi's, Ahmed Aboudouh, Aboudouh, Washington's hesitance, Fred Tanneau, Sebastien Roblin, Roblin, haven't, Russia's Su, Robin Organizations: Service, United, Liberation Army Air Force, Dassault Rafales, Chatham House, China Studies Unit, Emirates Policy Center, Rafale, Dassault Aviation, UAE Air Force, UAE, China hasn't, FC, Korea's KF, UAE . The Emirates, KF Locations: UAE, Washington, Beijing, United Arab Emirates, China, United States, Abu Dhabi, UAE's, France, Abu, Russia, Saudi, Pakistan, Ukraine

☆ 21-year-old joined the circus over going to college—and gets shot out of a cannon for work
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Skyler Miser credits her love for the circus to her parents Brian and Tina, who performed in earlier versions of the Ringling Circus in the early and mid-2000s. Skyler Miser's average work shift lasts about three seconds — a time during which she's shot out of a cannon in front of thousands of people. Miser was just 2 years old when she first performed in the circus, joining her parents on stage to introduce their act. Her father, Brian Miser, and her mother Tina Miser performed in earlier versions of the Ringling Circus in the early and mid-2000s, also as human cannonballs. During her act, Miser is propelled about 70 feet in the air at speeds of up to 65 miles an hour.

Persons: Skyler Miser, Brian, Tina, Skyler Miser's, she's, Abu, Formula, Miser, Brian Miser, Tina Miser, Benjamin Wallace, Ringling, Miser's, Bailey, hasn't Organizations: Ringling, Ringling Brothers, Barnum, CNBC, Circus, Peru Amateur, Air Force, Ringling Bros Locations: Peru , Indiana, Peru, Las Vegas, United States

☆ I've visited 93 countries, 57 of them with kids. These 5 underrated spots are great places to enjoy with your family.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Since 2000, I've visited 93 countries and 57 of them have been with my four children who are all under the age of 10. We went on a safari tour in TanzaniaOur family visited Tanzania in 2019 in collaboration with a tourism brand. We love Sri Lanka so much, we're building a villa thereIn 2022, my family and I moved to Sri Lanka from Abu Dhabi. Edwards' daughter and son on a beach in Sri Lanka. Courtesy of Karen EdwardsI visited the country in 2008, and then again in 2012 with my then-boyfriend and now-husband.

Persons: Karen Edwards, Edwards, —, I've, Abu, Abu Dhabi, you'll, Al, we're, It's, We'd Organizations: Service, Disney, Mto, United Arab, Oasis, Catalonian Locations: Tanzania, Abu Dhabi, America, California, Florida, Zanzibar, Tanzanian, Lake, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Al Ain, Hafeet, Sri Lanka, Galle, Andorra, Pyrenees, Spain, Barcelona, Toulouse, France, Karen Edwards Andorra, Macedonia Macedonia, Balkan, Greece, Europe, Albania, Macedonia

☆ Etihad's mammoth Airbus A380 has returned to the US after nearly retiring. Take a look at its exclusive $24,000 'The Residence' first-class suite.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Etihad Airways has returned its beloved Airbus A380 to New York amid booming demand. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementEithad Airways' popular Airbus A380 has returned to the US after the pandemic nearly forced it into retirement. On Monday, the mammoth plane took off from Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport at about 3:20 a.m. local time and landed at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport more than 14 hours later, just after 10 a.m. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: —, Abu Dhabi's, John F Organizations: Etihad Airways, Airbus, Service, Eithad Airways, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, New, Kennedy International Airport, Business Locations: New York, Abu, Abu Dhabi's Zayed, Abu Dhabi, London

☆ Etihad Airways signals possible IPO after 2023 revenue rebound
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Dan Murphy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways is gearing up for a potential initial public offering after increasing revenue in 2023 on the back of a 40% boost in passenger numbers. Asked about a possible listing, Etihad Airways Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves told CNBC on Tuesday, "I'm working to be ready, whenever it's the time." Talk of an IPO has been swirling after it was reported that ADQ, the Abu Dhabi-based investment company that owns Etihad Airways, was in discussions with banks about going public as soon as this year. "It's not for me to confirm the shareholder decisions," Neves said, while also signaling efforts to prepare the airline. If it materializes, an IPO would enable Etihad to tap capital markets to fund future growth and expansion plans.

Persons: Abu, Antonoaldo Neves, Neves, ADQ, Raffael Quintas Organizations: Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Group, CNBC, Etihad Airways, Etihad, Emirates, Portuguese, TAP, Azul Airlines Locations: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, New York, Azul

☆ Goldman Sachs and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala ink $1 billion partnership to invest in Asia Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Goldman Sachs and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala on Monday signed a $1 billion private credit partnership to co-invest in the Asia-Pacific region, with a particular focus on India, the institutions said in a joint statement. The separately managed account, termed the "Partnership," will be managed by Private Credit at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with a staff based on the ground in various markets across the region. It will invest the long-term capital in "high quality companies ... across the private credit spectrum" across a number of Asia-Pacific markets. The UAE in October 2023 announced a target to invest $75 billion in India over a period of time, while Saudi Arabia set an investment target in the country of $100 billion. "India, in particular, stands out as a key market with significant opportunities in private credit, and where Goldman Sachs has strong exposure and capabilities," said Fabrizio Bocciardi, Mubadala's head of credit investments, in a press release.

Persons: United Arab Emirates — Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs, Fabrizio Bocciardi Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Monday, Private Credit, Goldman Sachs, Abu Dhabi Global Market, United Arab Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Abu Dhabi, Asia, Pacific, India, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi Arabia

☆ Dubai is the economic jewel of the Middle East — now its Gulf neighbors are coming for a piece of the pie
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Pete Syme | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

According to Forbes' 2023 Travel Guide, Dubai has nine 5-star hotels , compared to Abu Dhabi's three and two in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it wants in on international travel, stating it aims to attract 100-150 million visitors by 2030. Saudi Arabia is catching up with a new airlineThe competition is perhaps the most heated in the aviation industry. On its double-decker Airbus A380, Dubai's airline, Emirates, has top amenities like a shower for business-class passengers, plus an on-board bar. AdvertisementAnd even if it succeeds in attracting tourists to Saudi Arabia, it is unlikely to knock Emirates off its perch.

Persons: —, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Abu, Abu Dhabi, Forbes, Abu Dhabi's, Faisal Alibrahim, Alibrahim, Mohammed Bin Salman, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ulrichsen, Skytrax, Pete Syme, Tony Douglas, Douglas, That's, OAG Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Business, Saudi Crown, Etihad, Bloomberg, CNN, Saudi, Economic, Rice, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Qatari, Etihad Airways, Riyadh Air, Air, Riyadh Air's Boeing, Boeing, Dubai International Airport Locations: Dubai, Gulf, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Abu, UAE, Qatar, Davos, Neom, Emirates, Still, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia

☆ A new AI detection tool may have solved the problem of false positives for student writing, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The researchers tested Binoculars on large sets of data compiled of news writing, creative writing, and student essays. As generative AI tools like ChatGPT explode in popularity, concerns have grown about students using AI to complete academic work while passing it off as their own. At the same time, many students have been wrongly accused of using AI, based on results of AI detection tools. Last year, schools and universities began disabling such AI detection tools. The researchers claimed Binoculars' method corrects for the role a person prompting an AI tool plays in the output, which has been pointed to as a cause for false positives in AI detection tools.

Persons: they've, Abhimanyu Hans, Dustin Moskovitz, Abu Dhabi's Falcon, Hans, Perplexity Organizations: Business, University of Maryland, Vanderbilt University, Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Tübingen AI, Capital, Amazon Research

☆ Graphene: The world’s strongest material could be used to make clean drinking water
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Often referred to as a “miracle material,” graphene is one million times thinner than a single human hair and stronger than steel. The two-dimensional carbon material, made from single layers of graphite, a material mined from the ground, is extremely lightweight, conductive, and flexible, and has the potential to deliver transformational technologies across industries, from electronics to transportation. Now, researchers at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are exploring another use for graphene: producing drinking water. That’s where graphene comes in: Arafat is working on a graphene-enhanced membrane that could make the process more efficient and cheaper. “Even in small quantities, these graphene materials significantly improve the performance of the membranes in terms of their water production,” he adds.

Persons: ”, Hassan Arafat, Arafat, “, Arafat isn’t, Molymem, Christophe Viseux, RIC2D, James Baker, Baker, You’re, ” Baker Organizations: CNN, Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates, United Arab, Research, Innovation, UK’s University of Manchester, University of Manchester, Bloomberg, Getty, Graphene@Manchester, European Union Locations: UAE, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Abu, Turkish, Emirates

☆ ADNOC German oil deal has bad timing, good logic
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Karen Kwok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the state-owned Abu Dhabi oil giant he runs, is considering a bid for BASF-owned (BASFn.DE) Wintershall Dea, at a potential $11 billion valuation. The UAE firm is already in talks to buy chemical company Covestro (1COV.DE), Wintershall’s German compatriot, for $12 billion. Abu Dhabi's oil riches mean the UAE firm has the wherewithal to pay 5.5 billion euros for BASF’s Wintershall stake. Any deal could value Wintershall Dea at more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion), Bloomberg reported. BASF holds a 72.7% stake in Wintershall Dea.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Wintershall, Jaber, It’s, Austria’s, Abu, LetterOne, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, BASF, The, Shell, Russian, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Abu, National Oil Company, Bloomberg, Wintershall Dea . Investment, Thomson Locations: Gastech, Chiba, Japan, Abu Dhabi, The UAE, Germany, Norway, UAE, Europe, United Kingdom, Abu, Russia, Wintershall Dea

An Abu Dhabi-backed investment fund said Monday it has paved the way to take ownership of Britain's Telegraph newspaper and The Spectator magazine after striking a deal with the publications' previous owners to repay debts owed by them. The Barclay family owned the right-leaning newspaper and magazine nefore they were put into receivership. Various media firms have been reported to be interested in taking over the publications, including German publisher Axel Springer and the Daily Mail's publisher. The fund said the deal includes an option to turn the loans into equity which would give it ownership control of the newspaper and magazine. Lenders for the Barclay family would need to agree to the deal, which is expected to attract a high level of political scrutiny.

Persons: Abu, Jeff Zucker, Media Investments —, Britain's Barclay, Barclay, Axel Springer Organizations: Britain's Telegraph, The Spectator, IMI, RedBird, CNN, Abu Dhabi's, Media Investments, Lloyds Bank, Ritz Hotel, Daily, International Media Investments Locations: Abu Dhabi, German

☆ Exclusive: UAE plans to maintain ties with Israel despite Gaza outcry, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Abu Dhabi became the most prominent Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in 30 years under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. "The indiscriminate damage visited upon the people of Gaza in pursuit of Israel's security risks extinguishing that hope," she said. Israel and the UAE have developed close economic and security ties in the three years since normalisation, including defence cooperation. None of four sources ruled out that the UAE could downgrade or sever its ties if the crisis escalated. While criticising Israel's conduct of the war, Abu Dhabi has also condemned Hamas for its attack.

Persons: Ronen, Abu Dhabi, Israel ABU, Abraham, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sheikh Mohamed, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Israel, Washington, Anwar Gargash, Lana Nusseibeh, Abu, Jordan, James Dorsey, Netanyahu, Israel's, Abdel Fattah al, Mohammed Mursi, Omar Hassan al, Bashir, Alexander Cornwell, Dan Williams, Steven Scheers, Maha El Dahan, Michael Georgy, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Israel, U.S, Abraham Accords, Israeli, Qatari, UN Security Council, Reuters, West Bank, Gaza, National University of Singapore, European Union, Egypt's, Thomson Locations: Petah Tikva, Israel, UAE, Gaza, Israel ABU DHABI, Abu, Palestinian, Arab, United States, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, reining, East Jerusalem, Israeli, Iran, Yemen, OPEC, Al Aqsa, Islam, Egypt, Jerusalem

☆ Abu Dhabi's ADNOC makes new bid for stake in Brazil's Braskem; shares soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan, April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai Acquire Licensing RightsSAO PAULO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem (BRKM5.SA) on Thursday said Abu Dhabi oil company ADNOC (ADNOC.UL) has presented a new non-binding offer to buy conglomerate Novonor's stake in the firm. The petrochemical company cited a letter exchange with Novonor in its filing. The conglomerate would be granted a minority stake of up to 3% in Braskem following the deal, Braskem added. ADNOC had previously presented a joint cash-and-debenture offer alongside U.S. asset manager Apollo (APO.N) for Braskem, with other bidders for the firm including Brazil's Unipar Carbocloro (UNIP6.SA) and J&F.

Persons: Toru Hanai, Braskem, ADNOC, Folha de S.Paulo, BTG, Pedro Soares, we're, Brazil's Unipar, Gabriel Araujo, Steven Grattan, Tomasz Janowski, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, SAO PAULO, Petrobras, PETR4, Novonor's, Sao Paulo, Novonor, Folha de, ADNOC, U.S, Apollo, Thomson Locations: Gastech, Chiba, Japan, Abu Dhabi, Sao, Braskem

☆ It's never been this easy to build a $1 billion AI company
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

You don't have to be Sam Altman to build a $1 billion AI company. Kai-Fu Lee's new startup and Mistral AI have shown that AI companies can scale by going open source. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe opportunity to build a $1 billion AI business has never seemed this straightforward for entrepreneurs aspiring to be the next Sam Altman. In response, Lee credited Hugging Face as the reason his company was able to take its AI mode public "rapidly, credibly, and impactfully." Developers wanting to build AI businesses at scale will want open source to thrive.

Persons: Sam Altman, Kai, Fu, OpenAI's, —, he's, Fu Lee, It's, Lee, Abu, Yann LeCun Organizations: Mistral, Service, Microsoft, Bloomberg Locations: Paris, OpenAI

☆ The Israel-Hamas war threatens to derail Middle Eastern investment in US media and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Still, the US presence highlighted the deepening ties between Hollywood and the region , as Western media, entertainment, and sports entities have seen major investment in recent years from Saudi, Qatar, and the UAE. Even before October 7, US entities that were receiving investment from the Middle East were reluctant to speak publicly about those relationships. Insider spoke with investors, producers, and other media and entertainment stakeholders about what's next for Hollywood's relationships with Mideast backers. Qatar hasn't seen any recent major deals but earlier this year, Peter Chernin and Providence Equity's production roll-up The North Road received $150 million from the Qatar Investment Authority. "The political nature gets more complicated," an industry insider observer said, noting how countries like Qatar are grabbing headlines for their role in the situation.

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