Latest news with #Gulf-based
Gulf Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- Gulf Today
How outsourcing to the gulf region can benefit European and North American companies
The IT outsourcing world is growing fast and is expected to generate an impressive $591.24 billion in revenue by 2025. Most of the industry's revenue came from the Americas. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are close behind as big players in this booming market. While India and Eastern Europe still lead the pack in outsourcing with their solid setup and skilled workers, the Gulf is becoming a tech powerhouse. More and more European and North American IT firms are looking to this region. The Gulf Region as an Emerging Tech Hub Countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, are rapidly accelerating their technological advancement initiatives. Governments in the region are putting big money into wide-ranging digital overhaul programs in both public and private areas. These key efforts aim to build up local innovation skills, create appealing settings for global tech firms, and set up lasting digital systems that can hold their own on the world stage. Main Benefits of Outsourcing to the Gulf for European and North American Companies Outsourcing IT operations to the Gulf region influences companies looking to improve their performance. This region reduces expenses through lower overhead and offers access to skilled tech professionals. Because of this, businesses can increase their productivity and edge out competitors. Cost Efficiency The Gulf region may not offer the lowest labor costs compared to India or the Philippines, but it delivers competitively high-quality services. Many Gulf nations give tax exemptions, lower business taxes, and set up free zones where businesses can work without paying VAT or income tax. Businesses that outsource to the Gulf can cut down on spending for buildings, staff training, and hiring. Skilled Workforce The Gulf region boasts a large and diverse talent pool with expertise in software development, AI, and more. Many professionals in the area have international certifications and experience working with Western companies. Time Zone Benefit One of the biggest advantages of outsourcing to the Gulf is that it sits on the clock. Overlapping business hours with countries like the U.K., Germany, and France makes it easier to manage outsourced teams without delays. Companies can have live meetings, and reviews, and get updates from Gulf-based teams during their normal work hours. Business-Friendly Environment The Gulf region stands out as a prime outsourcing spot for European and North American firms due to its political stability, business-friendly policies, and solid legal systems. Advanced Digital Infrastructure The Gulf region boasts good digital infrastructure, providing fast internet, cutting-edge data centers, and reliable cloud computing options—essential for companies to outsource IT services. Big tech firms like Microsoft, AWS, and Google Cloud operate data centers in the Gulf, offering secure and effective cloud solutions. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have put tough cybersecurity rules in place that line up with worldwide standards. 'Ideally, IT processes are running unnoticed in the background of your business because everything functions flawlessly and supports your work routine, not complicates it. As your IT outsourcing partner, we will strive for the ideal.' Andy Lipnitski - IT Director at ScienceSoft Challenges of Gulf Outsourcing and How to Overcome Them Cultural and Business Differences The Gulf region has a business culture all its own shaped by local customs, religious beliefs, and top-down company structures. Some nations operate from Sunday to Thursday, which might lead to scheduling challenges for firms in Europe and North America. Solutions: Train your teams to understand the Gulf's cultural norms and business etiquette. Set up structured communication channels to cut down on misunderstandings. Legal and CompliancenConsiderations Each Gulf country has its own rules for how businesses should operate, handle workers, pay taxes, and protect data. The Gulf region has multiple countries with their own regulatory systems. Solutions: Team up with firms that specialize in Gulf business regulations. Outsourcing contracts should line up with local labor laws. Data Security The region is currently developing into a technology and digital services hub, this growth will also present increasing threats to cybersecurity that could affect businesses. Solutions: Pick secure cloud solutions. Businesses should put worldwide cybersecurity plans into action to ensure their outsourced work meets industry standards. Case Studies: Companies Successfully Outsourcing BPC offers SaaS and on-site banking, payment, and e-commerce solutions. BPC partnered with ScienceSoft, an IT services provider with more than 13 years of experience. ScienceSoft took charge of providing L2–L3 infrastructure support, which covered network management, Microsoft and Atlassian systems support, and SharePoint optimization. Through this collaboration, BPC successfully optimized its in-house workload, improved issue resolution speed, and enhanced system performance through strategic infrastructure upgrades. Conclusion The Gulf area is a viable place for the European and North American companies to outsource IT services. Outsourcing to the Gulf indicates productivity and innovation improvement.
Ya Biladi
6 days ago
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Royal Air Maroc's CEO on competing beyond low-cost carriers and expanding globally
In a recent interview with CNN, the CEO of Morocco's national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) highlighted the airline's strategic shift to differentiate itself from low-cost carriers and Gulf-based competitors. «We have over 40 competitors in our country, so we had to create a new model and a new market», Abdelhamid Addou said, noting that RAM's strength lies in its south-north connections between Africa and Europe. Asked about competing with giants like Ryanair and EasyJet, he said: «First, we are developing a different market, which is the African market, rather than just the point-to-point». «When you put a first step in an airline like ours, you feel the atmosphere of the country, the culture… so you have a different experience», he explained, insisting that RAM offers a «completely different» product compared to low-cost airline companies. Insightful interview of the CEO of @RAM_Maroc on @CNN, outlining the airline's bold ambitions. With growing demand for air connectivity, RAM is expanding across the South–North and South–West axes, especially in the #US and the #Americas offering passengers a unique flying… — Youssef Amrani (@youamrani) June 14, 2025 On the long-haul front, the CEO pointed to growth toward the Americas: «North America, southern America. That's where we can have a real added value, bringing diasporas together… This is our added value. We are in the centre geographically, and we can capitalise on these diasporas to transport them». He also confirmed plans to retrofit the airline's Boeing 737s with flat beds: «That will help us keep the same experience between the long haul and the short haul». Addressing global supply chain delays, he admitted: «When you have 15 to 18 months late deliveries, then you get frustrated, but we are all facing the same issue». He remained optimistic: «We just received three MAXs (Boeing 737 MAX) this week. We should receive seven other MAXs by the end of December… We want to trust our partners». For the record, RAM is reportedly preparing to place its largest aircraft order ever, purchasing around two dozen Boeing 787 Dreamliners for long-haul routes and as many as 50 Boeing 737s for short-haul operations. It is also in talks to acquire about 20 Airbus A220s for regional travel.
Arabian Post
10-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Harrison Street Begins Middle East Push From Abu Dhabi
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Harrison Street, a US-headquartered real assets investment firm with over $56 billion in assets under management, has formally expanded into the Middle East by establishing an office within the Abu Dhabi Global Market, after receiving regulatory approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority. The move is being viewed as a strategic step to tap into the region's institutional capital base and aligns with Abu Dhabi's ambitions to attract global investment managers. The firm's new office, located at ADGM's Al Sila Tower, is expected to anchor its regional operations and serve as a platform for growth across the Gulf and wider MENA region. Harrison Street becomes the latest in a line of global asset managers to choose Abu Dhabi as a regional headquarters, following similar moves by BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Apollo Global Management. The announcement underscores the appeal of ADGM as a regulated environment that offers tax benefits, legal certainty, and direct access to sovereign wealth and pension funds. ADVERTISEMENT Christopher Merrill, co-founder and CEO of Harrison Street, described the expansion as a natural extension of the firm's long-term growth strategy. He emphasised that the company is aiming to offer institutional investors across the Middle East access to thematic investment opportunities in alternative real assets, including student housing, senior living, healthcare infrastructure, and digital assets. Merrill said the firm sees 'substantial appetite among Gulf-based investors for exposure to long-duration, inflation-protected assets with stable yield profiles.' While Harrison Street has traditionally focused on North America and Europe, its new ADGM base signals an intention to deepen partnerships with investors in the Gulf region. The decision is also part of a broader effort to diversify funding sources and tailor strategies that align with regional priorities such as healthcare expansion, demographic shifts, and digital infrastructure. The ADGM licence will enable Harrison Street to carry out regulated investment activities and offer tailored asset management services to qualified investors in the UAE and beyond. According to the firm's regional head, who is set to be announced in the coming weeks, the Abu Dhabi office will focus on both capital raising and direct investment origination, particularly in sectors aligned with government-backed development goals across the Gulf. Industry observers say Abu Dhabi's financial centre has matured into a viable launchpad for international firms targeting sovereign and institutional capital. With assets under management in ADGM growing to over $1 trillion this year, the financial centre is increasingly positioning itself as a global hub for private equity, venture capital, and asset management. Harrison Street's entry follows a regulatory trend where ADGM has been accelerating approvals for asset managers, family offices, and hedge funds in a bid to rival more established global centres. Global interest in Middle East capital pools has surged, with firms across Europe and the US actively seeking to establish an on-the-ground presence. Harrison Street's thematic investment strategy, focused on secular trends such as ageing populations and technological adoption, is seen to resonate well with Gulf investors pursuing diversification beyond traditional energy-linked assets. Merrill indicated that the firm will look to build co-investment partnerships and joint ventures with local institutions, leveraging its experience in structuring real estate and infrastructure funds across developed markets. He also hinted at the possibility of localised strategies that may include greenfield development and operating partnerships in sectors like education and senior care, particularly in markets undergoing demographic transition such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. ADGM authorities welcomed the firm's entry as further validation of Abu Dhabi's rising influence in the global investment ecosystem. The financial centre has actively courted global asset managers through a mixture of regulatory reforms, dual licensing frameworks, and strategic partnerships with Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Mubadala.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wood Group races to finalise Sidara deal by end of June
Wood Group, the troubled London-listed oil services company, is racing to finalise a cut-price takeover by a Gulf-based rival by the end of the month. Sky News has learnt that Wood and Sidara, its UAE-based suitor, are to request an extension to a 'put up or shut up' deadline on Thursday for the latter to make a firm offer. The joint request to the Takeover Panel, which is expected to be granted, is likely to involve a shorter extension than the maximum 28 days allowed under City rules, reflecting the companies' confidence that a deal will be agreed. Money latest: Wood and Sidara are aiming to get a binding transaction agreed by 30 June, when a waiver of Wood's lending covenants is due to expire, according to industry insiders. A public statement is likely to be made on Thursday. Sidara tabled a 35p-a-share offer for Wood in April which valued the Aberdeen-based target at just over £242m. It came less than a year after it proposed a deal worth about £1.5bn, after which Wood's shares collapsed in the wake of revelations about its past financial results and corporate governance. Read more from Sky News:Unemployment rate highest in four years The company's shares have been suspended since the beginning of last month. Wood was also the subject of an earlier takeover approach from Apollo Global Management, the private equity firm. A spokesman for Wood declined to comment.
Arabian Post
05-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Renewed Race For Gulf-India Aviation Sector Trophy As Stakes Increase Further
By K Raveendran Strong signs of undercurrents are emerging in the aviation space between India and the Gulf. There is renewed tussle over landing rights — the coveted permissions that determine which airlines get to fly where, how often, and with how many seats. For years, this battleground has been tilted in favour of Gulf-based giants, particularly Emirates and later Etihad, both of which have entrenched themselves so deeply in the India-Gulf sector that they dominate passenger volumes, especially among the vast Indian expatriate population in the Gulf. But recent movements suggest that the terrain may be shifting again, albeit not necessarily in India's favour, raising concerns about whether past missteps are being repeated or even institutionalized. The first wave of this dominance came during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) years, a period that aviation experts and political observers often recall with unease. During this time, India's aviation rights — especially in the high-demand Gulf sector — were offered up with a generosity that baffled many. The most glaring beneficiary was Emirates, which capitalised on India's fragmented aviation policy and the aggressive diplomacy of Dubai government. The role of Praful Patel, then Union Civil Aviation Minister, and N. Chandrababu Naidu, then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, has often come under scrutiny for facilitating deals that disproportionately benefited Gulf carriers. The underlying implication, often whispered but never proven in courts, was that kickbacks were exchanged for each seat Emirates filled on its India routes — a suggestion that continues to fester in the collective memory of Indian aviation policy circles. At that time, Emirates enjoyed a distinct monopoly, owing largely to the fact that it was the sole UAE-based carrier of international standing. With Dubai's rise as a global aviation hub and Emirates' unmatched marketing muscle, the airline quickly scaled up its footprint in India, locking in prime time slots and lucrative routes with little resistance. In effect, Emirates became the default choice for millions of Indians flying to the Gulf and beyond, eclipsing the capacity and visibility of Indian carriers like Air India. This asymmetry didn't just result in a business setback for Indian aviation — it triggered a slow bleeding of India's aviation sovereignty. The profits, the passenger data, the traffic, and the global prestige of being a gateway carrier all accrued to Emirates, while Indian airlines floundered under the weight of policy paralysis and state apathy. Things became even more complicated when Etihad entered the fray. As Abu Dhabi's flagship carrier, Etihad's arrival introduced a new axis of influence in the India-Gulf aviation theatre. Where earlier it was just Emirates leveraging its ties with Indian authorities to expand its rights, now both Emirates and Etihad were competing not just with each other but also for the same slice of the Indian aviation pie. The diplomatic equation thus had to be recalibrated. No longer could Dubai's interests automatically translate into Emirates' gain. Abu Dhabi, backed by the UAE federal structure, began asserting its claim, demanding equitable treatment for Etihad. India, in turn, found itself in a quagmire. Granting more rights to one Gulf emirate risked offending the other. But instead of revisiting its entire bilateral framework or strengthening Indian carriers to hold their ground, Indian policymakers chose the path of least resistance: acquiescing to more requests from both sides. The result was that foreign carriers ended up with the lion's share of rights, while Indian carriers, with limited international ambitions and fleet capacity at the time, were left watching from the sidelines. Fast forward to today, and the script seems eerily familiar. Both Emirates and Etihad are once again lobbying for increased landing rights and additional seat allocations. This comes at a time when the dynamics of the aviation industry have evolved significantly. There is renewed focus on strategic aviation corridors, a post-pandemic surge in travel, and a stronger realisation globally that aviation is not just commerce — it is a soft power instrument. Yet despite all this, India appears to be on the verge of conceding even more ground. That this is happening without a thorough review of how previous concessions impacted national interests is particularly disheartening. A disturbing undertone to this situation is the re-emergence — or rather, the persistence — of the very individuals who were instrumental in the original giveaways. These actors, once thought to have exited the stage after presiding over what some call the 'Great Indian Aviation Surrender,' are now reappearing in various roles, emboldened by their earlier success and perhaps by the lack of accountability. The risk here is not just the erosion of market share but the institutionalization of a defeatist approach to aviation diplomacy, where India negotiates from a position of weakness rather than asserting its growing economic and geopolitical clout. However, the new player that adds an unexpected twist to this ongoing narrative is IndiGo. As India's largest airline by a considerable margin, IndiGo is no longer content with its domestic dominance. It wants in on the Gulf bonanza, and it is using its size, efficiency, and growing international aspirations to demand a bigger seat at the table. This changes the calculus considerably. For the first time in years, there's an Indian private player with both the appetite and the capacity to challenge Gulf airlines on their turf. IndiGo's entry into the fray has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape — provided, of course, the government aligns national policy with corporate ambition. To avoid repeating past mistakes, India must initiate a root-and-branch review of its bilateral air service agreements. The country needs a clear aviation doctrine — one that articulates when, how, and under what conditions foreign airlines may operate in India. This doctrine must prioritize Indian interests, encourage domestic capacity building, and align with broader national objectives. It must also be shielded from short-term political compulsions and the influence of lobbying networks that have historically undermined strategic policymaking. (IPA Service)
