Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Nov 20, 2025

UAE In-Focus — Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur to start talks on bilateral trade deal

UAE In-Focus — Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur to start talks on bilateral trade deal

The UAE and Malaysia have agreed to negotiate a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the two countries said on Tuesday.
It is a type of bilateral trade deal the UAE has been pursuing with various countries since 2021.

The agreement will cover trade in goods and services, investments, economic cooperation, Malaysia’s Trade Ministry said in a statement.

“The UAE is Malaysia’s 17th trade partner globally and the second in the Middle East, accounting for 32 percent of Malaysia’s trade with Arab countries. The UAE is also the first destination for Malaysian merchandise exports to Arab countries,” UAE Trade Minister Thani Al-Zeyoudi said in a statement on state news agency WAM.

IPO stake size

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. is offering a larger stake in its marine and logistics unit in an initial public offering after attracting significant investor demand, it said on Monday.

ADNOC will now offer 19 percent of ADNOC Logistics and Services in the IPO, up from 15 percent, potentially raising $769 million based on the top end of indicated prices, according to Reuters calculations.

ADNOC said it had received strong demand across all tranches and the decision was also part of the company’s commitment to a supportive trading environment for the company’s stock after listing.

It set the price range for the unit at 1.99 dirhams ($0.5420) to 2.01 dirhams per share on May 16. The final offer price is expected to be announced on May 25.

Reuters reported in March that ADNOC was gearing up to list ADNOC L&S in June, the oil giant’s second IPO this year after raising $2.5 billion from its gas business.

Acquisition

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. has signed “definitive agreements” to acquire 90.01 percent of the equity of Fortress Investment Group from SoftBank Group Corp.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the deal is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, the sovereign fund said in a statement.

Fortress currently manages $46 billion of assets invested in the alternative investment space, particularly in credit and real estate across public and private markets.

Once the deal is closed, Fortress management is expected to own a 30 percent equity interest in the company and will hold a class of equity entitling Fortress management to appoint a majority of seats on the board.

Mubadala Capital, the wholly-owned asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment, which currently holds a 9.99 percent stake in Fortress through its Private Equity Funds II and III, will own 70 percent of Fortress equity.

Also, after the close, Fortress will continue to operate as an independent investment manager under the Fortress brand, with full autonomy over investment processes and decision making, personnel and operations.

Drew McKnight and Joshua Pack will be appointed co-CEOs of Fortress and Pete Briger will be appointed chairman.

Mubadala Capital’s CEO and managing director, Hani Barhoush, who has served on Fortress’ board since 2019, will continue to serve on the board.

The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrives in Washington to Reset U.S.–Saudi Strategic Alliance
Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Deal Looms, But Riyadh Insists on Proceeding After Israeli Elections
Saudis Prioritise US Defence Pact and AI Deals, While Israel Normalisation Takes Back Seat
Saudi Crown Prince’s Washington Visit Aims to Advance Defence, AI and Nuclear Cooperation
Saudi Delegation Strengthens EU–MENA Security Cooperation in Lisbon
Saudi Arabia’s Fossil-Fuel Dominance Powers Global Climate Blockade
Trump Organization Engages Saudi Government-Owned Real-Estate Deal Amid White House Visit
Trump Organization Nears Billion-Dollar Saudi Real Estate Deal Amid White House Diplomacy
Israel Presses U.S. to Tie Saudi F-35 Sale to Formal Normalisation
What We Know Now: Donald Trump’s Financial Ties to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Defence Wish List for Washington: From AI Drones to Nuclear Umbrella
Analysis Shows China, Saudi Arabia and UAE among Major Recipients of Climate Finance Loans
Why a Full Saudi–Israel Normalisation Deal Eludes Trump’s Reach
Trump Presses Saudi Arabia to Normalise Ties with Israel as MBS Prepares for White House Visit
US-Saudi Summit Set for November 18 Seeks Defence Pact and Israel Normalisation Momentum
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Visits Saudi Arabia Amid Potential Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Cristiano Ronaldo Embraces Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Vision with Key Role
Saudi Arabia’s Execution Campaign Escalates as Crown Prince Readies U.S. Visit
Trump Unveils Middle East Reset: Syria Re-engaged, Saudi Ties Amplified
Saudi Arabia to Build Future Cities Designed with Tourists in Mind, Says Tourism Minister
Saudi Arabia Advances Regulated Stablecoin Plans with Global Crypto Exchange Support
Saudi Arabia Maintains Palestinian State Condition Ahead of Possible Israel Ties
Chinese Steel Exports Surge 41% to Saudi Arabia as Mills Pivot Amid Global Trade Curbs
Saudi Arabia’s Biban Forum 2025 Secures Over US$10 Billion in Deals Amid Global SME Drive
Saudi Arabia Sets Pre-Conditions for Israel Normalisation Ahead of Trump Visit
MrBeast’s ‘Beast Land’ Arrives in Riyadh as Part of Riyadh Season 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Asserts Saudi Pro League Outperforms Ligue 1 Amid Scoring Feats
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
Saudi Arabia Pauses Major Stretch of ‘The Line’ Megacity Amid Budget Re-Prioritisation
Saudi Arabia Launches Instant e-Visa Platform for Over 60 Countries
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Trump at White House on November Eighteenth
×