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GLOBAL CENTRE LAUNCHED TO ACCELERATE CLIMATE FINANCE

- Pioneering new Global Climate Finance Centre in Abu Dhabi to accelerate global climate finance and market design, delivering COP28 legacy
- New knowledge hub to house world-leading research, advisory and skills academy to pioneer new forms of climate finance and establish Abu Dhabi as a leading global marketplace
- Nine global founding members confirm membership including ADGM, ADQ, BlackRock, CIFF, GFANZ, HSBC, Masdar, Ninety One, and the World Bank Group
DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Abu Dhabi will host a pioneering Global Climate Finance Centre (GCFC), that will accelerate the development of climate finance frameworks and skills, and champion best practices in the UAE and globally. The GCFC aims to address key barriers linked to financial frameworks that hinder investment flows, to help make climate finance available, affordable, and accessible as a COP28 legacy for action.
As an independent think-tank and research hub, the GCFC aims to address the root causes currently preventing investment, bringing together cutting-edge research and leading experts to develop fit-for-purpose financial frameworks that are increasingly aligned internationally. By working with stakeholders across sectors, the GCFC will help to create the enabling environment for investment into low-carbon, sustainable and resilient projects.
The GCFC, head-quartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), was first announced by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President during the Finance Session panel on 1st December. Today, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, addressed the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) Summit, part of the Special Edition of ADSW at COP28, where he gave more details of the GCFC’s three core functions:
- Research, Policy and Innovation: As an independent and private-sector-focused global climate finance think-tank, the GCFC will conduct cutting-edge research and share best practices, principles and solutions to align frameworks and build financial markets, enabling greater investment to flow into low-carbon and sustainable investments.
- Advisory and stakeholder engagement: The GCFC will convene private and public stakeholders who are directly facing impediments to develop recommendations and actions that are targeted to deploy funds and incentivize the creation of strong pipelines of bankable investment opportunities. Coalitions and partnerships of relevant actors will be at the core of the GCFC’s work.
- Climate Finance Academy: The GCFC will first and foremost develop a strong knowledge basis on the back of the Abu Dhabi experience on green finance markets, including providing training modules and tailored courses to build expertise and capacity in the UAE. This will establish the Academy as a global thought leader, in turn, opening opportunities to engage with other jurisdictions in supporting the development of tailored financial frameworks well aligned with Abu Dhabi.
Together these initiatives will build capacity in UAE and global financial institutions; scale up green finance market activity and ecosystems; and catalyze international investment into low and zero-carbon initiatives.
The announcement of the GCFC coincides with another landmark climate finance development, the launch of ALTÉRRA, a US$30 billion catalytic climate vehicle that will drive forward international efforts to create a fairer climate finance system with an emphasis on improving access to funding for the Global South. ALTÉRRA will aim to mobilize US$250 billion globally by 2030, steering private markets towards climate investments with a focus on transforming emerging markets and developing economies where traditional investment has lacked due to the higher perceived risks across those geographies. By supporting the creation of climate financial markets, the GCFC will help enable ALTÉRRA to build a climate finance ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and unlock funds into climate investments around the world at a transformational scale.
Commenting on the creation of the GCFC, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said: “The scale of the climate crisis demands urgent and game-changing solutions from every industry. Finance plays a critical role in turning our ambitions into action and is essential to eliminating emissions and keeping 1.5C within reach. COP28 must be an inflection point as we unite the world on how we bridge the gaps to 2030 identified in the Global Stocktake. To do this, we need an all-of-the-above approach that includes everyone because everyone is needed. That is why I greatly welcome this new Global Climate Finance Centre which will catalyze the transformation of UAE financial markets and institutions towards a greener and more sustainable future. It will put Abu Dhabi and the UAE at the forefront of driving global change in sustainable finance, providing a positive legacy for years to come.”
H.E. Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi commented at ADSW: “Abu Dhabi knows how to deliver rapid progress, which is increasingly critical as we respond to global economic and environmental challenges. Just as we have built ADGM as a pioneering International Financial Centre in just eight years, it is now time for Abu Dhabi to build a new pioneer for global climate finance. This new GCFC will unlock new capital flows into the region as the Emirate becomes a key marketplace for sustainable finance, building upon ADGM’s progressive Sustainable Finance Regulatory Framework. Our ambition is for the benefits of this world-leading facility to touch every corner of our planet.”
The GCFC is a global institution. In addition to ADGM, the other Founding Members of the GCFC are ADQ, BlackRock, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), HSBC, Masdar, Ninety One, and the World Bank Group. The Founding Members will provide strategic direction to the GCFC, drawing on their deep expertise, experience, and networks. The GCFC will seek to work with peer institutions and knowledge partners to build on sustainable finance leadership, develop expertise in-house and deliver maximum impact.
H.E. Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ADQ, said: “As we work to accelerate economic transformation and sustainable growth, it is vital that we support innovation in sustainable finance. As a founding member of the GCFC, ADQ is committed to helping deliver lasting impact that will also increase the diversification of the Abu Dhabi economy and strengthen its growing sustainable finance sector.”
Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, said: “BlackRock is delighted to participate in the launch of the GCFC. The future focus of the think tank speaks directly to a number of areas of interest for many of our clients around the world, as they seek the best data, analytics and insights to navigate the risks and capture the investment opportunities of the transition to a low-carbon economy. As we do with many think tanks and organizations around the world, we look forward to contributing our insights and research to the GCFC.”
Kate Hampton, Chief Executive Officer of CIFF, said: “Scaling high-quality, low-cost climate finance for developing countries is essential to keep 1.5 degrees alive and to enable long-term, green, and resilient growth. CIFF is pleased to be partnering with the Global Climate Finance Centre, which can bring transparency and ambition to investors’ transition finance targets and delivery and align that capital with NDCs.”
Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Co-Chair, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), said, “Innovation is needed to accelerate the flow of climate finance and build a bridge to a more prosperous future. GFANZ is looking forward to supporting the Global Climate Finance Centre, to close the gaps in data, action, and investment we must address to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. We applaud the UAE’s leadership in tackling the most pressing and difficult challenges and look forward to working together on our shared mission to scale transition finance and mobilize capital to the global south.”
Noel Quinn, Group Chief Executive at HSBC, said: “For the world to achieve its climate goals, it is absolutely critical that thinking continues to evolve, markets continue to develop, and countries continue to collaborate. HSBC is pleased to be a founding member of the Global Climate Finance Centre, which underlines the COP28 Presidency’s commitment to making this a COP of action while putting in place the tools needed to help deliver a net zero future.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, said: “We welcome this important initiative, and Abu Dhabi is the perfect location to host the Global Climate Finance Center. Masdar looks forward to supporting this independent think-tank through our rich experience and pioneering legacy in financing and developing clean energy projects across the globe.”
Hendrik du Toit, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ninety One, said: “Ninety One looks forward to supporting the GCFC in partnership with the UAE. Climate finance is a vital part of the battle against climate change. This launch represents decisive, ambitious action.”
Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, said: “We need the resources and ingenuity of the private sector, we need all shoulders to the wheel. This partnership embodies that cooperation, helping scale up solutions for low-carbon, climate-smart investments.”
The GCFC will be led by Mercedes Vela Monserrate as its Chief Executive Officer. Being the sustainability lead for ADGM and a key advisor to COP28, Monserrate brings a wealth of experience and expertise to lead the centre in its mission to drive global change in sustainable finance.
Mercedes Vela Monserrate said, “I am honoured to lead the Global Climate Finance Centre and contribute to the transformation of financial markets towards a greener and more sustainable future. Together with our global partners, we aim to create a positive legacy by making climate finance more accessible and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
The GCFC website also launched today: www.gcfc.com.
The UAE has the capital, the capability and the ambition to serve as a global climate finance hub. In July 2023 ADGM implemented its Sustainable Finance Regulatory Framework, comprising the region’s most comprehensive ESG disclosure requirements and a regulatory framework for finds, discretionary managed portfolio, bonds and sukuks designed to accelerate the transition of the UAE to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
The GCFC also builds upon ADGM initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Declaration which has nearly 120 signatories, and the School of Sustainable Finance at the ADGM Academy. The GCFC will champion the accelerated growth of green finance in the region, with a focus on capital markets, and will build on the momentum created by COP28 in establishing ADGM as a strategic leader of sustainable finance.
ADSW is a global platform and event delivered by Masdar, which brings together heads of state, policymakers, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and youth, who all have a stake in the future of our planet, to discuss and engage on bold climate action and innovations that will ensure the next generation a sustainable world.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-centre-launched-to-accelerate-climate-finance-302004475.html
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Hikvision releases 2024 full-year and 2025 first-quarter financial results

HANGZHOU, China, April 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hikvision has announced its full-year financial results for 2024 and first-quarter results for 2025. In 2024, the company reported total revenue of RMB 92.496 billion, marking a 3.53% year‑over‑year (YoY) growth. In the first quarter of 2025, the company reported revenue of RMB 18.532 billion, up 4.01% YoY. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 2.039 billion, reflecting a 6.41% YoY increase.
Over the past two decades, Hikvision has established itself as a global security leader, developing a robust AIoT ecosystem encompassing over 30,000 products. Today, the company remains committed to steady and solid progress, navigating uncertainties with a positive and prudent approach. It maintained its leading position in the domestic security market while seeking growth from overseas markets and innovative businesses. With profitability as a central focus, the company is driving organizational transformation and refining management practices to support long-term, sustainable growth. Notably, Hikvision is at the forefront of leveraging breakthroughs in large-scale AI model technologies to accelerate scenario-based digitalization across diverse industries.
Throughout the past year, the company strengthened its overseas presence, with main business revenue from international markets rising to RMB 25.989 billion, accounting for 28.10% of total revenue and reflecting an 8.39% YoY growth. Hikvision’s overseas revenue spans over 180 countries and regions, with developing markets contributing more than 70% of that total. The steady increase of overseas business revenue has emerged as an important driver of the company’s overall profit growth. Meanwhile, Hikvision’s innovation businesses continued to grow rapidly, with revenue reaching RMB 22.484 billion.
In 2024, Hikvision continued to prioritize research and development, investing RMB 11.864 billion in R&D, accounting for 12.83% of its total revenue. Over the years, the company has built a multi-level R&D system with the headquarters’ R&D capabilities at the core, radiating to key regions both domestically and internationally.
In its latest developments, Hikvision is actively advancing AIoT technologies, with its Guanlan Large-Scale AI Models integrating vision, language, and multimodal capabilities, among others. These innovations have significantly enhanced both perception and cognition abilities of Hikvision’s products and solutions. For instance, in perimeter protection, the large vision model can achieve a 90% reduction in false alarms.
Looking ahead, Hikvision is committed to a strategy of high-quality growth, with a stronger focus on driving innovation, enhancing efficiency and ensuring long-term sustainability.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hikvision-releases-2024-full-year-and-2025-first-quarter-financial-results-302439140.html
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iMENA Restructures as Saudi CJSC and Announces First Tranche of Pre-IPO Capital Increase

- $135M Capital Raise, Comprised of Private Placement and In-Kind Contributions, Aims at Increasing iMENA’s Shareholding in Existing Businesses
- Company completes restructuring into a Saudi company, iMENA Holding
- Transformation part of evolution into regional digital powerhouse.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — iMENA Group (“iMENA”), a regional leader in digital platforms in the MENA region, has raised $135 million from Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned company by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), FJ Labs, a global venture capital firm known for backing category-leading marketplace and network-effect platforms, and Saygin Yalcin, the founder and CEO of SellAnyCar, and a number of other leading Saudi investors.
The capital raise is compromised of a private placement and in-kind contributions and is the first tranche of a pre-IPO funding round. The new funding round will be used to increase iMENA’s shareholding in its three high-performing businesses: OpenSooq, SellAnyCar, and Jeeny; to drive vertical and geographic expansion; and to improve synergies across its platforms.
iMENA confirmed that it has now restructured into a Saudi Closed Joint Stock Company (CJSC) under the name of iMENA Holding. This transformation marks a major milestone in the company’s evolution into a regional digital powerhouse, ahead of a potential public listing. Furthermore Saygin Yalcin will also join iMENA’s Board of Directors and management committee to help drive strategic direction for the company.
Nasir Alsharif, Chairman of iMENA Holding said: “This transaction marks an important inflection point for iMENA in its journey to IPO-readiness by taking advantage of the great opportunities provided by the Kingdom’s Vision (2030) and in cooperation with the largest investment entities. We are shaping the future of the region’s digital economy as a platform of internet marketplaces driving innovation at pace and at scale. The high growth and profitability of our businesses, in sectors and markets within which we have high conviction, provides material value creation opportunities and an exciting pathway for us to accelerate forward.“
A spokesperson at Sanabil Investments added: “We are excited to invest in iMENA Holding, a digital platform with proven scalability and profitability. Leveraging our own experience in internet marketplaces, we understand their unique strategy and are committed to bringing our expertise to support their growth and future IPO aspirations on the Saudi Exchange.“
Acting as financial advisor to iMENA Holding on the private placement, Hossam AlBasrawi, CEO of Al Rajhi Capital commented “Al Rajhi Capital is proud to support iMENA’s transformation and potential IPO journey. The group’s integrated model and strategic vision make it a standout in the region’s digital landscape“.
Closing of the capital raise remains subject to standard closing conditions and the approval of the authorities in Saudi Arabia.
iMENA Holding’s new Board of Directors will comprise the following regional leaders and sector veterans:
- Nasir Alsharif, Chairman of iMENA, Board Member at AWJ Holding Company and Executive Chairman of Sackville Capital
- Khaldoon Tabaza, Co-founder & Managing Director of iMENA
- Adey Salamin, Co-founder of iMENA and CEO of OpenSooq
- Saygin Yalcin, Founder & CEO of SellAnyCar
- Mazin AlDawood, CEO of Osool & Bakheet Investment
- Usman Sikandar, Head of Investment Banking at Al Rajhi Capital
- Marco Somalvico, Vice President M&A of E&
Sanabil Investments will also appoint a member to the Board of Directors of iMENA Holding in due course.
iMENA’s businesses, OpenSooq, SellAnyCar, and Jeeny, are regional leaders in horizontal and vertical marketplaces across the largest sectors in the region, including real estate, automotive, and mobility, with operations in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, and the broader Middle East region. iMENA’s businesses are profitable and growing rapidly, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 55%. Almost 40% of the aggregate revenues of iMENA’s businesses come from Saudi Arabia, with another 40% from the UAE, making them iMENA’s two core strategic markets. iMENA’s businesses aim to serve as a compelling proxy for the digital economy in the Middle East and North Africa region, giving investors direct exposure to the region’s fastest-growing online sectors.
About iMENA Holding:
iMENA was founded in 2012, and has evolved into a regional internet champion, building and scaling high-growth internet businesses across the Middle East and North Africa region. The company was co-founded by Nasir Alsharif, Khaldoon Tabaza, and Adey Salamin, joined as part of this restructuring by Saygin Yalcin, plan to leverage their expertise in technology and investment to continue building and operating digital marketplaces. Over the years, iMENA has launched, acquired, scaled, and successfully exited from a number of successful regional platforms, thereby becoming a strategic consolidator in the digital economy.
- Nasir Alsharif, iMENA’s Chairman, is an experienced investor and builder of investment businesses across venture capital, technology and broader private markets, with current roles including Board Member at AWJ Holding Company and Executive Chairman of Sackville Capital.
- Khaldoon Tabaza, Managing Director of iMENA Holding and Chairman of Opensooq, is a pioneer in the region’s technology and venture capital ecosystem with more than 30 years of experience in building and investing in digital ventures across MENA, including founding the first venture-backed online business in the MENA region more than 25 years ago.
- Adey Salamin is a marketplace expert and the CEO of OpenSooq, known for scaling the platform into one of the region’s most visited websites and mobile applications. Adey has over 20 years of experience as a founder, operator, investor, and advisor of growth businesses.
- Saygin Yalcin is a serial entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of SellAnyCar, one of the most prominent digital automotive brands in the Middle East. Previously, he was Founder and CEO of Sukar.com and Vice President of Souq.com following a merger forming the Middle East’s largest E-commerce group that was later acquired by Amazon.
For more information on OpenSooq, please visit: www.opensooq.com
For more information on SellAnyCar, please visit: www.sellanycar.com
For more information on Jeeny, please visit: www.jeeny.me
Contact:
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CGTN: Unboxing economic policy tools: What’s behind China’s latest CPC leadership meeting?

BEIJING, April 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CGTN published an article on China’s latest leadership meeting on the economic situation and work. Exploring the country’s economic policy tools, the article highlights the strong resilience and potential of the Chinese economy. It also takes a look at the meeting’s stress on enhanced efforts to accelerate the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies, as well as boosting services consumption to strengthen the overall role of consumption in driving economic growth.
China’s economy delivered a strong start in the first quarter of the year, demonstrating steady performance and resilience.
The country’s GDP grew 5.4 percent year on year to 31.8758 trillion yuan (about $4.42 trillion) in Q1 2025, ranking among the highest of the world’s major economies and positioning the country to better weather global uncertainties.
During a meeting held by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Friday, the Chinese leadership analyzed and studied the current economic situation and economic work.
Noting that the country has seen its economy improve this year, with public confidence continuously boosted and solid progress made in high-quality development, the meeting called for efforts to accelerate the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies and boost service consumption to strengthen the role of consumption in driving economic growth.
More proactive, effective macro policies
Besides the GDP, China has seen other economic indicators exceeding market expectations in the first quarter. For example, fixed-asset investment went up 4.2 percent year on year, with investment in infrastructure construction rising 5.8 percent and manufacturing investment increasing 9.1 percent.
Thanks to policy support, local-level responsiveness and the rapid buildup of innovation-driven momentum, the country’s economy showcases strong resilience and potential.
China has made thorough policy preparations to address external changes, as a series of targeted macro policies have already taken effect, and more incremental policies will be introduced as needed to mitigate external shocks.
Friday’s meeting called for efforts to make full use of a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, coordinate domestic economic work and endeavors in the international economic and trade field, unswervingly manage the country’s own affairs well, and keep employment, businesses, markets and expectations stable.
Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities, said efforts should be made to make good use of aggregate and structural policy tools, cut the reserve requirement ratios and interest rates when appropriate, and boost consumption and corporate investment demand.
A multi-pronged approach for struggling enterprises
To aid businesses facing challenges, the meeting urged a multi-pronged approach, including stronger financial support and accelerating integration between domestic and foreign trade development.
Stressing the need to ensure people’s livelihood, it said that for enterprises that suffered relatively bigger impacts from tariffs, the proportion of unemployment insurance funds returned to enterprises to keep payrolls stable will be increased.
Amid recent U.S. tariff hikes, China’s foreign trade enterprises are actively responding with innovative products, seizing orders and expanding markets.
The country has also taken swift and proactive measures to cope with tariff shocks – reaching out to broader overseas markets while bolstering domestic sales channels with upgraded products.
Bai Wenxi, vice chairman of the China Enterprise Capital Alliance, urged the use of policies such as financial support and consumption coupon subsidies to further support foreign trade enterprises and continue to increase financial subsidies for export-to-domestic enterprises.
Boosting service consumption
Friday’s meeting also highlighted the need to boost service consumption, urging a swift removal of restrictive measures in the consumption sector and proposing to introduce a re-lending facility for service consumption and elderly care.
Service consumption has gradually become a new engine of economic growth and an important area for tapping consumption potential. In the first quarter of 2025, retail sales of consumer goods, a major indicator of the country’s consumption strength, gained 4.6 percent year on year.
Supported by targeted policies to boost consumption, service-related spending also picked up pace. In the first quarter, retail sales of services grew 5 percent year on year.
In addition, a series of documents to boost service consumption are implemented intensively. For instance, Chinese authorities have unveiled a work plan to boost service consumption in 2025 and released a series of new measures aimed at expanding and upgrading consumption in the domestic services sector as part of broader efforts to stimulate domestic demand.
A report released by a think tank, the China Institute for Reform and Development, forecasts that by 2030, the per capita services consumption of China’s urban and rural residents could exceed 20,000 yuan, accounting for more than half of total consumption.
Services consumption has become a propeller of goods consumption, and a “goods-like services” trend is gaining momentum across the country, said Chi Fulin, head of the think tank.
For more information, please click:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-04-25/Unboxing-China-s-economic-policy-tools-after-latest-leadership-meeting-1CRzRDF2bLi/p.html
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