Category: 3. Business

Dubai International Chamber, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has announced its key achievements for the first half of 2025. The impressive results reflect the chamber’s growing contributions to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading global investment destination.

Dubai International Chamber successfully attracted 143 companies to Dubai during H1 2025, representing a 138% increase compared to the 60 companies attracted in H1 2024. These included 31 multinational companies (MNCs), marking a 138% increase over the 13 attracted in H1 2024. Meanwhile, 112 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were attracted during H1 2025, representing YoY growth of 138% compared to the 47 attracted during the same period last year.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai International Chamber, stated: “We are making strong and steady progress in consolidating Dubai’s position as the global destination of choice for foreign direct investment and a launchpad for companies targeting international growth. This momentum is fuelled by Dubai’s unique competitive advantages, which include world-class infrastructure, a pro-business regulatory environment, and a strategic location connecting global markets.”

He added: “Dubai International Chamber’s global network of representative offices plays a major role in attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and multinational companies. Our offices contribute to strengthening trade and investment ties with priority markets while fostering business partnerships between Dubai-based companies and their counterparts across the globe.”

During the first half of 2025, Dubai International Chamber continued to advance the objectives of the Dubai Global initiative, which seeks to establish 50 international representative offices by 2030. The chamber’s growing global network plays a central role in positioning Dubai as a leading international business hub, attracting foreign direct investment, and supporting the global expansion of Dubai-based companies into 30 priority markets. As part of these efforts, the chamber expanded its international presence with the opening of five new offices in Dhaka (Bangladesh), Cape Town (South Africa), Bengaluru (India), Bangkok (Thailand), and Toronto (Canada).

During the first half of this year, the Chamber’s representative offices organised 247 business roundtables to promote Dubai as a global business hub, attract foreign direct investments, and introduce Dubai as a launchpad for expansion into global markets.

This international network serves as a strategic platform linking Dubai with global business communities. It facilitates two-way investment flows, unlocks new channels for bilateral trade, and helps companies in each market tap into the opportunities Dubai offers as a gateway to the world.

The chamber’s offices also play a vital role in promoting Dubai’s competitive advantages as a destination for business growth and expansion. They deliver actionable market intelligence and provide tailored support for international companies seeking to establish a presence in the emirate and scale into high-potential global markets.

• Gold price stages a solid bounce from over a two-week low touched earlier this Monday.
  Retreating US bond yields and Fed rate cut bets benefit the non-yielding yellow metal.
  A modest USD uptick and a positive risk tone might cap further gains for the commodity.

Gold (XAU/USD) clings to modest gains through the early part of the European session on Monday, though the lack of follow-through buying warrants caution before positioning for an extension of the intraday bounce from over a two-week low. Investors turn cautious ahead of US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to discuss a peace deal with Russia. This, along with the growing acceptance that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will resume its rate-cutting cycle in September and sliding US Treasury bond yields, underpins the non-yielding yellow metal.

Meanwhile, traders have scaled back their bets for a more aggressive policy easing by the Fed. This assists the US Dollar (USD) in attracting some buyers at the start of a new week and acts as a headwind for the Gold price. Apart from this, the upbeat market mood further contributes to capping the upside for the safe-haven commodity. Traders also seem reluctant and opt to wait for more cues about the Fed’s rate-cut path. Hence, the focus remains on the FOMC meeting Minutes on Wednesday. This will be followed by Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium and provide some meaningful impetus to the XAU/USD pair.

Daily Digest Market Movers: Gold price benefits from safe-haven buying ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

• Traders now seem convinced that the US Federal Reserve will lower borrowing costs at its September meeting. Moreover, the CME Group’s FedWatch Tool indicates the possibility of at least two 25-basis-point Fed rate cuts by the end of this year.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet US President Donald Trump for bilateral talks on Monday. Later, the key European leaders will be joining a larger conversation to discuss a peace deal to end Europe’s deadliest war in 80 years.
• Data released last Thursday showed that US producer prices rose in July at the fastest monthly pace since 2022 and tempered bets for a jumbo 50 bps interest rate cut by the Fed. This assists the US Dollar in attracting some buyers at the start of a new week.
• Meanwhile, the preliminary data from the University of Michigan showed that the one-year inflation expectations climbed to 4.9% from 4.5% and the five-year forecast increased to 3.9% from 3.4%, indicating a gain of momentum in price pressures.
• Additional details showed that the US Consumer Sentiment Index unexpectedly dropped to 58.6 in August from 61.7 in the previous month, signalling a poor backdrop in public confidence. Moreover, the Expectations Index eased to 57.2 from 57.7.
• Earlier, the US Census Bureau reported on Friday that the US Retail Sales increased by 0.5% on a monthly basis in July. This followed the 0.9% rise (revised up from 0.6%) recorded in the previous month and matched consensus estimates.
• Traders now look forward to the release of the FOMC meeting Minutes on Wednesday and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium during the latter part of the week for more cues about the near-term rate-cut path.
• Apart from this, geopolitical developments will play a key role in influencing demand for traditional safe-haven assets and provide some meaningful impetus to the Gold price.

Gold constructive setup backs the case for a move towards the $3,375 resistance zone

An intraday bounce from the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level of the upswing from the July monthly low and a subsequent move beyond the 200-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) on the 4-hour chart favor the XAU/USD bulls. Moreover, oscillators on the said chart have again started gaining positive traction and back the case for a further intraday appreciating move. Some follow-through buying beyond the $3,355 area, or the 50% retracement level, will reaffirm the positive outlook and lift the Gold price to the next relevant hurdle near the $3,372-3,374 region, or the 23.6% Fibo. retracement level. The momentum could extend further and allow the commodity to reclaim the $3,400 mark before aiming to test the monthly peak, around the $3,408-3,410 area.

On the flip side, the 200-SMA on H4, around the $3,346 region, now seems to protect the immediate downside ahead of the $3,324-3,323 zone, or the 61.8% Fibo. retracement level. Failure to defend the said support levels could make the Gold price vulnerable to weaken further towards the $3,300 round figure en route to the $3,283-3,282 horizontal zone and the $3,268 region, or the late June swing low.

Bangladesh is struggling to boost renewable energy capacity amid the energy crisis and spiralling power tariffs. However, the Bangladesh government recently unveiled an ambitious plan to install new rooftop solar capacity of 3,000 megawatts (MW) by December 2025, after more than 15 years of lacklustre growth in the sector. The decision came on the back of a new Renewable Energy Policy approved on 16 June 2025 to achieve 30% renewable energy by 2040. The new programme proposes using public funds for rooftop solar in government offices under the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) model. Further, it aims to encourage Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies to invest in rooftop solar projects in hospitals, and educational and religious institutions under the Operational Expenditure (OPEX) model.

The government also acknowledged the country’s modest share of renewable energy in its power mix compared to its neighbours—India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. On an installed capacity basis, Bangladesh’s share of renewable energy in its power sector is around 5% as opposed to Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan’s contribution of 63%, 48% and 47% respectively (see Figure 1). Even rooftop solar accounts for a significant part of the three countries’ renewable energy capacities in contrast to the tepid progress in Bangladesh. 

While rooftop solar remains a low-hanging fruit for Bangladesh with attractive return on investment, the country should address existing challenges, such as quality issues and lack of monitoring, that have deterred its wider adoption. Bangladesh can draw on the experience of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as it prepares to implement its rooftop solar programme. 

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Updated On: Mon, 18 Aug 2025

12:10:14 PKT

KARACHI (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) kicked off the first trading day of the new business week on a positive note, as the benchmark index witnessed a notable gain.

At the opening of Monday’s session, the KSE-100 index stood at 147,068.83 points, marking an increase of 577.20 points, or 0.39 percent, compared to the previous close.

The upbeat start comes after the market ended the last session on a bearish note, with investor sentiment subdued due to profit-taking.

Trading activity remains active across key sectors, including banking, energy, and cement, as investors look to capitalize on lower valuations from the previous session’s dip.

In previous trading session on Friday, the benchmark index shed 37.67 points, a slight negative change of 0.03 percent, closing at 146,491.63 points against.

A total of 473,601,407 shares worth Rs 32.882 billion were traded during the day.

As many as 479 companies transacted their shares in the stock market, 226 of them recorded gains and 219 sustained losses, whereas the share price of 34 companies remained unchanged.

Meanwhile, share markets edged higher in Asia on Monday ahead of what is likely to be an eventful week for U.S. interest rate policy, while oil prices slipped as risks to Russian supplies seemed to fade a little.

A general risk-on mood saw indices in Japan and Taiwan make record peaks, while Chinese blue chips reached their highest in 10 months.

US President Donald Trump now seemed more aligned with Moscow on seeking a peace deal with Ukraine instead of a ceasefire first, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders later on Monday to discuss the next steps, though actual proposals are vague as yet.

 

The Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) has announced the successful commissioning of the Jhal Magsi Development Project, a significant milestone in Pakistan’s energy sector.

Located in the remote district of Jhal Magsi, Balochistan, the project is now delivering approximately 14 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) of pipeline-quality gas and 45 barrels per day (BPD) of condensate.

The gas is being injected into the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) network following the completion of a 98-kilometer gas transportation pipeline constructed by SSGCL, connecting the Jhal Magsi field to the tie-in point.

Development activities for the project commenced in February 2024, following the Government of Pakistan’s approval of incentives, including the conversion from the 1997 Petroleum Policy to the Marginal Field Gas Pricing Policy. The project was prioritized to address the country’s growing energy needs and was executed on an accelerated timeline despite technical and territorial challenges.

The project’s scope included the installation of critical infrastructure, such as an Amine Unit, Dehydration Unit, Hot Oil Package, power generation facilities, and gathering systems.

The Jhal Magsi Field comprises two wells and is a joint venture between OGDCL, which holds a 56% working interest, Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL) with 24%, and Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL) with 20%.

Bitcoin price has slipped below the crucial $120,000 mark, sending jitters across the crypto market. After touching an all-time high near $124,000, BTC quickly reversed gains and is now flashing bearish signals that drags it way below $118K: on the $115,000 support zone.

The flagship cryptocurrency is trading below $118,000 and its 100-hourly Simple Moving Average, a sign that bulls are losing control. Market charts also show a break beneath a key declining channel at $116,200, further strengthening the case for downward pressure.

Immediate Levels to Watch for Bitcoin Price

At the moment, Bitcoin price is consolidating losses near $115,500 (PKR 32,696,320). A successful breakout above this zone could trigger a rebound toward $119,200 and eventually retest the $120,000 psychological ceiling.

Should BTC manage to break higher, analysts suggest the next target could stretch to $121,500, which aligns with the 50% Fibonacci retracement level of the recent decline.

Reclaiming: $118K: More Pain Ahead if Support Cracks

If Bitcoin fails to reclaim the $118K resistance, another drop could unfold. The immediate safety net lies at $115,500, followed by a major cushion at $115,000. Breaking below these levels could open the floodgates toward $113,500 and even $112,500. In a worst-case scenario, Bitcoin might retest the $110,000 support zone, sparking fears of a deeper correction. Keep a tab on BTC prices from our converter here.

Technical indicators back this bearish outlook. The MACD is accelerating in the red zone, while the RSI has dipped below 50, signaling weakening momentum among buyers.

With Bitcoin price hovering dangerously close to key support levels, the coming sessions will be critical. A decisive move above $118,500 could restore bullish confidence, but failure may lead to a fast track toward $115,000 and beyond. Traders are bracing for heightened volatility as BTC navigates this make-or-break moment.

S&P 500 headed to new ATHs, but was rejected premarket, and didn‘t quite regain strong footing since. It hasn‘t yet though broken below PPI aftermath lows – unlike the dollar that‘s flirting with breaking below the PPI announcement levels. Does that mean the high inflation impact is being brushed off as meaningless for Sep rate cut and more?

It depends where you look, and I talk this sector by sector in the extensive 16min long Sat video, covering counterintuitive gold, silver and oil reactions too (predicted correctly for clients). Yields also didn‘t conform by retreating – is that a function of increasing supply hitting the markets as TGA is being replenished (Q3-Q4 perspective)?

This happens at a time when inflation is objectively heating up, incl. services inflation that can‘t be ascribed to tariffs (their impact as these make their way through the supply chain, through wholesalers to the retailers, is to be felt some more still). While not in the limelight, tariff wars aren‘t over – so what can you make of XLY bucking the trend and scoring a respectable weekly gain while Friday‘s data show that consumer is getting more worried about inflation down the road, and job creation is slow (balance that one out with immigration action). Or the action within tech?