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PIA Privatisation Management Transfer Expected by May 25
Business📍 PAKISTANBreaking

PIA Privatisation Management Transfer Expected by May 25

Management control of Pakistan International Airlines is likely to be formally transferred to its new private owners by May 25, according to sources familiar with the privatisation process, marking a decisive milestone in one of Pakistan's most consequential state enterprise sell-offs in decades. The handover timeline represents the culmination of protracted negotiations between the federal government and the successful bidder, with legal and regulatory formalities understood to be in their final stages.

Arif Habib Consortium Eyes Full PIA Ownership With 25pc Stake Bid
Business📍 PAKISTANBreaking

Arif Habib Consortium Eyes Full PIA Ownership With 25pc Stake Bid

The Arif Habib-led consortium has formally notified the Privatisation Commission of its intent to acquire the remaining 25 per cent stake in Pakistan International Airlines, signalling a move toward complete private ownership of the national carrier. The notification marks a significant procedural step in the ongoing PIA privatisation process, which has been a centrepiece of the government's broader divestment agenda under its economic reform programme.

Emirati Telecom Giant Reportedly Weighing Exit From Pakistan
Business📍 PAKISTANBreaking

Emirati Telecom Giant Reportedly Weighing Exit From Pakistan

A major Emirati telecommunications company is reportedly considering withdrawing its operations from Pakistan, a development that would represent one of the most significant foreign investor exits from the country's telecoms sector in years. The company, which has maintained a substantial commercial presence in Pakistan, is said to be evaluating a full or partial exit amid concerns over regulatory conditions, taxation burdens, and the broader investment climate.

Arif Habib consortium completes full acquisition of PIA
Business📍 PAKISTANBreaking

Arif Habib consortium completes full acquisition of PIA

The Arif Habib consortium has acquired the remaining 25 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines, completing the full privatisation of the national flag carrier in a landmark transaction that marks the culmination of one of Pakistan's most consequential and prolonged state divestment processes. The completion of the acquisition transfers full ownership of PIA to the private sector, ending the government's direct shareholding in an airline that has been at the centre of decades of losses, operational inefficiency, and contentious restructuring debates.

ADNOC Commits $55 Billion to New Energy Projects Through 2028
Business📍 UAE

ADNOC Commits $55 Billion to New Energy Projects Through 2028

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, has pledged to invest $55 billion in new energy projects by 2028, in a sweeping capital commitment that underscores the UAE's determination to expand hydrocarbon and downstream capacity despite regional instability and market volatility. The announcement comes at a strategically significant moment, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has reconfigured regional energy export dynamics.

Diverted Transshipment Vessel Docks at Gwadar, Strengthening Port's Trade Role
Business📍 GWADAR, BALOCHISTAN

Diverted Transshipment Vessel Docks at Gwadar, Strengthening Port's Trade Role

A diverted transshipment vessel has docked at Gwadar Port, marking a notable development in the port's evolving status as a regional trade hub and reinforcing the strategic rationale behind continued investment in its facilities and connectivity infrastructure. Officials described the docking as evidence of growing commercial confidence in Gwadar as a viable transshipment alternative in the regional maritime network.

Altern Energy Terminates Key Power Agreements with Government, CPPA-G
Business📍 PAKISTAN

Altern Energy Terminates Key Power Agreements with Government, CPPA-G

Altern Energy Limited has formally terminated its key power purchase and implementation agreements with the Government of Pakistan and the Central Power Purchasing Agency-Guaranteed, a development that signals deepening distress in the country's independent power producer sector. The company's decision to end these agreements reflects the mounting contractual and commercial disputes between private power producers and state energy entities that have plagued Pakistan's electricity sector.

Corporate Pakistan Posts Strong Profit Growth Across Sectors
Business📍 PAKISTAN

Corporate Pakistan Posts Strong Profit Growth Across Sectors

Pakistan's listed corporate sector has recorded strong growth in profitability, according to figures released on Sunday, providing a positive indicator for investor sentiment and broader economic momentum as the country continues its recovery from years of fiscal strain. The profit expansion reflects improved operating margins across key sectors including banking, energy, and consumer goods, driven in part by falling inflation, a more stable rupee, and a gradual reduction in the cost of borrowing following State Bank of Pakistan rate cuts.

DIBPL Closes USD76 Million Financing for Attock Cement Acquisition
Business📍 PAKISTAN

DIBPL Closes USD76 Million Financing for Attock Cement Acquisition

Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited has successfully closed a USD76 million financing facility for the acquisition of Attock Cement, marking one of the larger Islamic finance-structured corporate transactions in Pakistan's industrial sector in recent memory. The deal demonstrates continued appetite for leveraged acquisitions in the country's cement industry despite challenging macroeconomic conditions.

Amazon UAE Cloud Region Recovery to Take Several Months After Damage
Business📍 UAE / GLOBAL

Amazon UAE Cloud Region Recovery to Take Several Months After Damage

Amazon Web Services has confirmed that its damaged cloud infrastructure region in the United Arab Emirates will require several months to fully recover, signalling a prolonged disruption to digital services across the Middle East and beyond. The company disclosed the extended recovery timeline on Thursday without specifying the precise nature or cause of the damage, though the announcement comes amid the broader regional instability tied to the ongoing Iran-US confrontation.

European Companies Signal Strong Interest in Expanding Pakistan Operations
Business📍 PAKISTAN

European Companies Signal Strong Interest in Expanding Pakistan Operations

Multiple European companies have expressed a strong desire to expand their commercial footprint in Pakistan, according to reports emerging from the EU-Pakistan Business Forum launched in Islamabad on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assuring efforts to facilitate deeper trade and investment ties with the European Union. The forum, inaugurated in the capital, brought together European and Pakistani business representatives to explore bilateral commercial opportunities across sectors including manufacturing, technology, and energy.

BYD Reports Sharp 55 Percent Drop in First-Quarter Net Profit
Business📍 CHINA / GLOBAL

BYD Reports Sharp 55 Percent Drop in First-Quarter Net Profit

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD has reported a 55 percent decline in net profit for the first quarter, a steeper-than-expected contraction that has raised questions about the sustainability of aggressive pricing strategies and the impact of intensifying competition in China's EV market. The profit drop comes despite BYD maintaining strong vehicle sales volumes, suggesting that margin compression from price wars with domestic rivals and the cost of expanding globally is weighing heavily on the company's bottom line.

Reliance Industries Results Reflect Real Economic Cost of Iran War
Business📍 INDIA / MIDDLE EAST

Reliance Industries Results Reflect Real Economic Cost of Iran War

Reliance Industries' latest quarterly results are being read by analysts as an unfiltered indicator of the real economic damage inflicted by the Iran war on major energy and industrial conglomerates, offering one of the clearest corporate windows yet into the conflict's financial toll. Reliance, India's largest private sector corporation and a major refiner, has significant exposure to Middle Eastern crude supply chains, petrochemical feedstocks, and energy logistics corridors that have been disrupted by the ongoing hostilities.

Sun Pharma To Acquire Organon In $11.75 Billion Pharma Deal
Business📍 MUMBAI / NEW JERSEY

Sun Pharma To Acquire Organon In $11.75 Billion Pharma Deal

India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Organon, the American pharmaceutical company, in a transaction valued at approximately $11.75 billion. The deal represents one of the largest cross-border pharmaceutical acquisitions involving an Indian company and significantly expands Sun Pharma's global footprint in women's health, biosimilars, and established branded medicines.

KAPCO And Fauji Cement Acquire 92% Controlling Stake In Attock Cement
Business📍 PAKISTAN

KAPCO And Fauji Cement Acquire 92% Controlling Stake In Attock Cement

Kot Addu Power Company (KAPCO) and Fauji Cement have jointly acquired a 92.03 percent controlling stake in Attock Cement, marking one of the more significant corporate consolidation transactions in Pakistan's industrial sector in recent months. The deal reshapes the ownership structure of one of the country's established cement manufacturers and signals an appetite for strategic industrial investment among major Pakistani conglomerates.

PAA Reverses Illegal Export Cargo Surcharge After PMO Intervention
Business📍 PAKISTAN

PAA Reverses Illegal Export Cargo Surcharge After PMO Intervention

The Pakistan Airports Authority has overturned an export cargo surcharge that industry bodies had flagged as illegal and commercially damaging, following direct intervention by the Prime Minister's Office, which ordered a review of the contested levy. The surcharge, imposed on air cargo exports, had drawn strong objections from exporters and freight forwarders who argued it was applied without legal basis and inflated the cost of air freight at a time when Pakistan's export competitiveness is under significant pressure.

Pakistan Motorbike and Three-Wheeler Sales Jump 31 Percent in Nine Months
Business📍 PAKISTAN

Pakistan Motorbike and Three-Wheeler Sales Jump 31 Percent in Nine Months

Sales of motorcycles and three-wheelers in Pakistan rose by 30.87 percent over the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period last year, according to data released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association, pointing to robust consumer demand in the two- and three-wheeler segment. The growth reflects a combination of factors including rising affordability of smaller vehicles relative to cars, increased demand from delivery and logistics sectors, and financing availability for lower-income consumers.

Attock Refinery's Primary Processing Unit Back Online
Business📍 ATTOCK, PUNJAB

Attock Refinery's Primary Processing Unit Back Online

Attock Refinery Limited has confirmed that its main processing unit has resumed operations following a period of shutdown, restoring the facility's refining capacity and signalling a return to normal production output at one of Pakistan's significant petroleum refining installations. Attock Refinery, listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange and majority-owned by the Attock Group, processes crude oil into a range of petroleum products including motor spirit, high-speed diesel, jet fuel, and furnace oil.

FIFA World Cup Broadcast Rights Crisis Deepens as Key Deals Remain Unsigned
Business📍 GLOBAL

FIFA World Cup Broadcast Rights Crisis Deepens as Key Deals Remain Unsigned

FIFA is facing a deepening broadcast rights crisis ahead of the 2026 World Cup, with India's Reliance reportedly offering only $20 million for broadcasting rights while China has yet to announce any deal, leaving two of the world's largest television markets without confirmed coverage agreements. The figures represent a significant gap between FIFA's valuation of broadcast rights in Asia's two most populous markets and the offers currently on the table.