LONDON: As famous for his thrill-seeking lifestyle and publicity stunts as for his vast business empire, Richard Branson has set his sights on the stars as he prepares for liftoff on his first space flight.
Before this weekend’s mission on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Unity, the avowed Star Trek fan attributed his drive and taste for adventure to his mother Eve, who died from Covid in January.
“I’ve always been a dreamer. My mum taught me to never give up and to reach for the stars,” said the London-born 70-year-old.
The Virgin group boss, whose net worth amounts to $5.7 billion according to Forbes magazine, made his initial fortune in the record industry in the 1970s.
He has since launched a string of successful companies in sectors as diverse as railways and mobile phones, as well as Virgin Atlantic airlines.
But there have been plenty of missteps.
His failures include a short-lived attempt at Formula One racing, a stab at the soft drinks market with Virgin Cola, and a wedding company called Virgin Bride, which some said existed only because of the name.
Branson was said to have been a below-average student who suffered from dyslexia, his headmaster at private school in southern England apparently telling him he would either go to prison or become a millionaire.
He set up Virgin Records when he was just 20 and earned his first million pounds three years later, buying his own Caribbean island a few years afterwards.
The record label’s breakthrough came with “Tubular Bells,” a 1973 instrumental album by the British musician Mike Oldfield, which sold millions of copies.
His mother was an air stewardess, so perhaps he was following in the family footsteps when he set up his airline in 1984.
But his business practices and publicity stunts since then have irked many.
In 2006, it emerged Virgin Atlantic and British Airways had engaged in price fixing, though his firm avoided any punishment because they tipped off the authorities.
And last year, he asked the British government for £500 million to help Virgin Atlantic weather the economic fallout of the Covid lockdown, despite having paid no income tax in Britain for more than a decade.
Politicians accused him of “milking the system.”
In 2012, a columnist for The Guardian newspaper compared him to the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange “in that both believe the world revolves around them.”
Ironic as Branson has tried and failed several times to become the first person to go around the world non-stop in a balloon.
At the age of 28, Branson bought Necker Island, where he has hosted lavish parties and getaways for celebrities and political leaders including former US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.
Much of Branson’s publicity over the years has been based around his adventuring, in which he has tackled a number of records in speedboats, balloons and even an amphibious car.
These exploits brought him close to tragedy in 1998 when he and his co-pilot were forced to ditch their balloon in the Pacific Ocean after low pressure forced the craft down.
His efforts in recent years have focused on his space tourism company, founded in 2004 and based in the Mojave desert in California.
Branson, who was knighted in 2000 for his services to entrepreneurship, had hoped to join a commercial flight with Virgin Galactic as early as 2009.
But its timeline has been hit by a series of delays including a tragic crash in 2014 that claimed the life of a test pilot.
“Space is hard — but worth it. We will persevere and move forward together,” he said following the crash.
Space, the final frontier for billionaire Richard Branson
https://arab.news/863r2
Space, the final frontier for billionaire Richard Branson
- Richard Branson dedicates drive to his mother who died of COVID-19
- Branson, who was knighted in 2000 for his services to entrepreneurship, had hoped to join a commercial flight with Virgin Galactic as early as 2009
Closing Bell: GCC stock markets up in wake of Trump’s election win
RIYADH: Following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, stock markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council saw a strong rally.
Markets posted gains, with Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index finishing 0.31 percent up to close at 12,130.80 points on Thursday. This came after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Trump on winning the election in a phone call on Wednesday, according to the Saudi News Agency.
Dubai’s Financial Market mirrored the upward momentum, climbing 0.60 percent. Abu Dhabi’s Securities Exchange also saw a lift, finishing the day up 0.44 percent.
Bahrain’s Bourse recorded a rise of 0.52 percent, while Kuwait’s main market similarly rose, closing with a 0.10 percent gain.
However, the Muscat Securities Market in Oman saw a 0.17 percent decrease, while the Qatar Stock Exchange was closed for a public holiday.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index on TASI was SR7.53 billion ($2 billion) as 113 of the listed stocks advanced, while 111 retreated.
Similarly, the MSCI Tadawul Index increased by 2.03 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 1,521.79.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also climbed by 415.36 points, or 1.44 percent, to close at 29,269.00. This comes as 49 of the listed stocks advanced while as many as 22 retreated.
The best-performing stock of the day was Rasan Information Technology Co., whose share price surged by 7.13 percent to SR78.10.
Other top performers include Miahona Co., and Theeb Rent a Car Co., with Miahona’s share price climbing 6.75 percent to SR29.25 and Theeb’s rising 6.59 percent to SR79.30.
Naseej International Trading Co. and Al Moammar Information Systems Co. also posted rises.
The worst performer was Saudi Arabian Mining Co., whose share price dropped by 4.09 percent to SR53.90.
Other worst performers were Abdulmohsen Alhokair Group for Tourism and Development, whose share price fell by 3.18 percent to SR2.74, and ACWA Power Co., which saw a 2.95 percent drop to SR441.20.
On an announcement front, ACWA Power Co. announced its results for interim financial results for the first nine months of 2024, ending on Sept. 30, with revenues surging by 13.3 percent to reach SR1.74 billion, compared to SR1.542 billion in 2023.
The increase was primarily driven by higher revenue from electricity sales, operation and maintenance services, and additional income from development projects and construction management, the company said on Tadawul.
BinDawood Holding Co. also disclosed its financial results for the third quarter, with revenues slightly increasing by 0.189 percent to reach SR1.361 compared to the same quarter last year.
The company closed Thursday’s trading session at SR7.02, a 0.29 percent increase.
Saudi Steel Pipe Co. also released its financial results for the nine months of the year, recording SR381 million in revenues, a 20.18 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The company closed today’s trading session at SR71.40, decreasing by 1.27 percent.
The United International Transportation Co. disclosed a 37.052 percent increase in revenues for the first nine months to reach SR505.8 million, compared to SR369.07 million during the same period last year.
This was primarily driven by the expansion of a long-term lease fleet and the resulting higher lease revenues.
The company closed at SR84, with its stock valie declining by 1.55 percent.
ACWA Power reports 16% profit increase amid record project launches
RIYADH: ACWA Power, the Saudi-listed energy and water desalination company, has announced a 16 percent increase in its profits for the first nine months of 2024, underpinned by significant progress in its power and water production projects.
For the period, ACWA Power’s net profit attributable to equity holders reached SR1.25 billion ($334 million), a rise fueled by a 12.5 percent increase in operating income, which reached SR2.36 billion.
This marks a strong improvement from the same period in 2023. According to a company press release, the growth was primarily driven by an investment gain from the restructuring of a project, alongside a capital recycling gain.
ACWA Power’s CEO, Marco Arcelli, highlighted the company’s commitment to growth, noting that its portfolio now includes 26 projects — the largest in its 20-year history.
“These projects reflect both the speed at which we are realizing our growth, through swift financial closes, and the scale of future cash flows from a diverse and young portfolio,” Arcelli said.
He reiterated the company’s focus on providing reliable, cost-effective energy and water, aiming to create positive impacts across all its operations.
Over the past nine months, ACWA Power successfully achieved financial closure on seven major projects worth SR31 billion. These include Saudi Arabia’s Taiba and Qassim Combined Cycle Gas Turbine projects, the Tashkent Solar PV project in Uzbekistan, and the Hassyan Seawater Reverse Osmosis plant in the UAE.
The company’s expansion in power generation is also evident, having added 2.4 GW of capacity during the same period, including the Ar Rass Solar PV project, a 700 MW solar plant that was completed in just 18 months.
On the renewable energy front, ACWA Power secured a 5 GW Power Purchase Agreement for the Aral Wind project in Uzbekistan, as well as 5.5 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity as part of Saudi Arabia’s fourth round of Public Investment Fund projects.
In water desalination, the company signed a Water Purchase Agreement for the 410,000 cubic meters per day Hamriyah Independent Water Project in the UAE.
Abdulhameed Al-Muhaidib, ACWA Power’s Chief Financial Officer, expressed confidence in the company’s future, stating, “In the first nine months of 2024, we saw strong project mobilization, achieving financial closure on seven projects worth SR31 billion. We also began generating revenue from 2.2 GW of projects that reached partial or full commercial operation.”
He added: “Our diversified asset base, visible growth pipeline, and resilient business model, combined with our focus on operational excellence, give us confidence in achieving sustainable, long-term financial performance.”
UAE banking sector’s net international reserves grow 11% by July 2024
RIYADH: The UAE’s banking sector saw a significant increase in its net international reserves, which rose by 11.1 percent— or 127.5 billion dirhams ($34.3 billion) — during the first seven months of 2024.
By the end of July, the reserves totaled 1.273 trillion dirhams, up from 1.145 trillion dirhams at the close of 2023.
According to the Central Bank of the UAE’s June statistical bulletin, the central bank’s share of these reserves stood at 771.6 billion dirhams at the end of July, reflecting a 14.6 percent increase compared to 673.42 billion dirhams at the end of 2023. Meanwhile, the net international reserves of banks operating in the UAE amounted to 501.6 billion dirhams, marking a 6.22 percent rise from 472.2 billion dirhams at the end of last year.
The bulletin also highlighted a notable increase in the central bank’s gold reserves, which grew by 23.5 percent year on year to 21.28 billion dirhams by July’s end, up from 17.226 billion dirhams in July 2023. Over the first seven months of 2024, gold reserves increased by 17.3 percent, from 18.147 billion dirhams at the close of 2023.
In terms of banking operations, the value of transfers processed through the UAE Financial Transfer System exceeded 11.13 trillion dirhams during the first seven months of 2024, reflecting a 17 percent year-on-year growth from 9.5 trillion dirhams in the same period in 2023.
Monthly remittance values were as follows: 1.512 trillion dirhams in January, 1.449 trillion dirhams in February, 1.565 trillion dirhams in March, 1.592 trillion dirhams in April, 1.78 trillion dirhams in May, 1.42 trillion dirhams in June, and 1.81 trillion dirhams in July.
Additionally, the central bank’s data revealed that the value of cheques cleared via image technology totaled 765.08 billion dirhams across more than 13 million cheques during the first seven months of 2024.
The bulletin also showed that cash deposits at the central bank reached 111.4 billion dirhams during the period, while cash withdrawals totaled 120.3 billion dirhams.
MODON signs contracts worth over $533m to establish industrial complexes in Makkah, Al-Kharj
JEDDAH: Agreements to invest over SR2 billion ($533 million) in new industrial complexes will bring growth and job opportunities to Saudi Arabia’s cities of Makkah and Al-Kharj, advancing Vision 2030.
The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, or MODON, signed two contracts with Albaddad Holding to establish complexes within the second industrial cities in both boroughs.
The inking ceremony took place under the patronage of the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef.
Under the contracts, the company is responsible for developing the infrastructure and constructing ready-made and prefabricated buildings to create a fully integrated complex that supports industrial objectives.
It will also improve production efficiency and enhance added value and sustainable growth opportunities, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The agreements were signed by MODON’s CEO, Majed Rafed Al-Argoubi, and Zayed bin Hussein Al-Baddad, CEO of Albaddad Holding, in the presence of the company’s chairman, Al-Fateen bin Hussein Al-Baddad.
The initiative aligns with MODON’s vision to be the preferred destination for investment growth and the leading partner for industrial and technology ecosystems, fostering an enabling environment that enhances business sustainability and contributes to national economic development.
These efforts support the goals of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Strategy and the Vision 2030 objective of transforming the Kingdom into a leading industrial powerhouse.
The Makkah project is MODON’s first privately developed complex, spanning over 1.3 million sq. meters with an investment of SR1.75 billion.
It aims to localize promising industries through advanced production technology, create 5,000 jobs, and boost national exports, with up to 60 percent of its output targeting markets in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and countries including Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, as well as Iraq.
MODON has also launched several development projects in the second industrial city of Makkah, which is over 4.3 million sq. meters in size, including integrated infrastructure enhanced with essential services and innovative products.
This includes a new 200 megavolt-amperes substation to foster a competitive industrial environment promoting growth and sustainability.
The Al-Kharj industrial complex, spanning over 307,000 sq. meters with an investment of SR375 million, is expected to create approximately 1,000 jobs, supporting industries such as construction, exhibitions, and sports as well as cultural and entertainment events.
It will also enhance the iron, aluminum, glass, and PVC textile industries, with plans to export 60 percent of its production to neighboring Gulf countries.
Through these efforts, MODON is driving industrial growth in the Kingdom by developing and managing distinguished industrial cities and technology zones in collaboration with the public and private sectors.
Currently, the developed land area across 37 industrial cities in Saudi Arabia exceeds 215 million sq. meters, housing approximately 6,882 industrial facilities.
Logistics and healthcare startups to get boost from Saudi government, assistant deputy minister says
Logistics and healthcare startups to get boost from Saudi government, assistant deputy minister says
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is set to launch multiple programs to boost its rapidly expanding startup ecosystem, focusing on the healthcare and logistics sectors, according to a senior official.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of Biban 24 in Riyadh, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Mohammed Al-Ariefy, highlighted that these programs will be unveiled at the forum in the coming days.
These initiatives are designed to empower startups with resources and opportunities that align with the Kingdom’s ambitions to lead tech-driven industries and accelerate growth in its digital economy.
“We’re planning to launch multiple programs at Biban that focus on partnerships within logistics and healthcare. One of these is a hackathon that we’re calling the Tech Challenges, which will be launched in the next two days at Biban,” Al-Ariefy said.
He continued: “But we utilize Biban, not only to launch or sign MoUs (memorandum of understanding), but to be a part of this great ecosystem, and (we are) thanking Monsha’at for their great support and organizing such beautiful events (that) are very vibrant and very active.”
He added that these tech challenges aim to identify real-world business challenges within specific sectors, like logistics and healthcare, that these companies or industries face.
Once these challenges are identified, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology helps create or support startups aimed explicitly at developing solutions.
Al-Ariefy further outlined a strategic focus within the ministry on growing the technology sector by supporting both large corporations and agile startups.
“The technology sector has big tech large corporations, big technology companies that are growing and performing very, very well, and we will continue to work with them and closely,” he said.
Al-Ariefy added: “Then we have the entrepreneurs. If we take one example, there are many startups that started just three or four years ago, and now they have 1,000 employees, and they are contributing to the GDP and to the technology sector and the Kingdom significantly.”
The ministry’s overarching vision is to grow the tech sector’s contribution to the economy, which requires a dual approach, retaining the growth momentum of established companies while also fostering an environment where startups can flourish.
Al-Ariefy underscored that startups in particular are seen as crucial because their speed and flexibility make it easier for them to expand and adapt, adding jobs and increasing economic output at a faster pace.
“Startups tend to scale faster, run (more) agile, so it is easier to grow faster and easier to help us increase the contribution to the economy from digital companies, as well as technology jobs,” he said.
Al-Ariefy highlighted the startup zone at Biban 24, which is focused on promoting and supporting new companies by providing them with opportunities to network, connect with potential investors and customers, and collaborate with other businesses.
The ministry also seeks to promote sector-agnostic technological advancement across real estate, finance, healthcare, and sustainable construction by enabling startups to adopt deep-tech and emerging systems that are reshaping these industries.
“We focus on the technology side. We focus on introducing more emerging and deep technology, providing support that helps startups or founders adopt those technologies, whether they choose to adopt it in proptech or in real estate, health, education or in any other sector,” he said.
