Happy Friday everyone!

Saudia made an unexpected fashion debut with a streetwear line unveiled at Riyadh Fashion Week, part of its modern rebrand. Meanwhile, PIF-backed Dazn is eyeing UEFA Champions League rights in a global sports streaming push. In Texas, Damac’s Hussain Sajwani met AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su, underscoring his $20 billion US tech investment drive. And at SIF 2025 in Sharjah, boxing legend Amir Khan joined global icons to hail the UAE as the safest and most connected place to build a business.

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Markets

Saudi Arabia’s Saudia Airline Enters Fashion Scene With Streetwear-Inspired Merch Drop

🔹 What Is It About

Saudi Arabia’s national airline, Saudia, has launched a new lifestyle clothing line that merges streetwear aesthetics with aviation-inspired branding. The collection — unveiled at Riyadh Fashion Week — features tracksuits, dresses, and varsity jackets in the airline’s signature green and blue palette, prominently displaying its “SV” code. Saudia plans to roll out seasonal collections but has yet to disclose pricing.

🔹 Why It Matters

The move underscores Saudia’s shift toward modern branding as the kingdom accelerates social and economic reforms. Once primarily associated with pilgrimage travel, the airline is repositioning itself amid Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 goals — which include diversifying the economy and attracting global tourism and investment.

🔹 What’s Next

Saudia’s fashion push mirrors global carriers like Emirates, which have turned branded merchandise into a profitable extension of their identity. As the airline modernizes its image, the apparel line could become a tool for lifestyle marketing and cultural diplomacy, bridging aviation, design, and Saudi’s new global-facing identity.

Presented by Sharjah Investment Forum

UAE Is ‘The Place To Be’ For Business And Safety: Speakers at WIC-SIF 2025

Two-time world boxing champion Amir Khan praised the UAE’s safety, diversity, and openness at the Sharjah Investment Forum – World Investment Conference (SIF-WIC 2025), calling it “the place to be for business.” Khan, who runs the AK Academy by BoxIQ in the UAE, said the country “truly ticks all the boxes and feels like home,” contrasting its security with his 2022 robbery in London.

Joining him on the panel “Beyond Borders: What Makes the UAE Home for Global Icons,” Patrice Evra highlighted the country’s connectivity, noting that “two-thirds of the world’s population are just a four-hour flight away.” Edgar Davidspraised Sharjah’s cultural vitality, saying its art scene and venues like the House of Wisdom “inspire creativity and community.”

Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar also spoke at the event with famous radio host Kris Fade. He revealed that Emaar made “2 billion dollars, in 3 nights, just by phone, without a sales center. And we didn't offer them anything. And they didn't ask for anything. Why? Because we built the project with exceptional quality.. That's why I don’t believe in the propaganda of marketing.”

The two-day SIF-WIC 2025 drew over 10,000 participants from 142 countries under the theme Transforming Our World: Investing for a Resilient and Sustainable Future.

Saudi PIF-Backed Dazn Eyes Champions League Rights In Global Streaming Push

🔹 What Is It About

Dazn, the sports streaming platform backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), is preparing a bid for global broadcast rights to the UEFA Champions League for the 2027–31 cycle, according to The Guardian. The platform, in which PIF’s Surj Sports Investment holds a $1 billion minority stake, previously secured coverage of all 63 matches of the FIFA Club World Cup in a similarly high-profile deal.

🔹 Why It Matters

For the first time, UEFA is offering a global single-match broadcast package, valued at around £440 million ($587 million) per season. The tender opens competition among major streaming players — including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon — as platforms race to secure premium live sports rights. A successful bid would mark a major leap for Dazn and highlight Saudi Arabia’s expanding influence in global sports media.

🔹 What’s Next

Despite reporting a $936 million pre-tax loss in 2024, Dazn continues to chase marquee rights deals to boost subscriptions and global reach. Any Champions League acquisition would likely require fresh capital or restructuring. For PIF, the move aligns with its broader sports strategy — leveraging global events and media investments to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s soft power in entertainment and digital streaming.

Damac’s Hussain Sajwani Meets AMD CEO Lisa Su In Texas Amid Expanding US Tech Investments

🔹 What Is It About

Damac Group founder Hussain Sajwani met with Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, during a visit to Austin, Texas. He praised her leadership and innovation in a social media post, marking another step in his deepening engagement with the US technology sector. The meeting follows Sajwani’s pledge to invest $20 billion in the United States after Donald Trump’s return to the presidency earlier this year.

🔹 Why It Matters

Through EDGNEX Data Centres, Damac’s digital infrastructure arm, Sajwani is expanding investments across data centers in the US and the Middle East. These sectors depend heavily on AI chips and high-performance computing — areas in which AMD is a global leader. The collaboration highlights growing synergies between Gulf investors and US semiconductor and AI industries.

🔹 What’s Next

The meeting signals Damac’s intent to strengthen its footprint in AI-driven infrastructure and digital assets. Future partnerships with semiconductor and cloud technology firms could position the UAE-based group at the crossroads of real estate, data infrastructure, and next-generation computing.

👨‍💻From Smashi Business’ Desk

• Pavel Durov’s tweet on the Louvre heist takes an unexpected turn, blending humor with sharp criticism of French security

• UAE’s Hadban Twins Among First 25 Creators Honoured With Instagram Rings in New York

🔍In other news…

• ‘Metro premium’ pushes up Riyadh house prices

• Qatar energy minister says gas producing countries must make clear they oppose trade barriers

• Abu Dhabi’s economy to grow by 6% this year on oil output boost, IMF says

• Bahrain MPs may vote again on Gulf Air privatisation

• DP World COO says tariff wars raise costs but growth remains strong

• Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala completes Loscam deal with a 30% stake

• Red Sea Global targets Italy in first step beyond Saudi

🏦 Crypto Corner

• New tax rules may reshape UAE crypto landscape

• Crypto data reveals UAE has mined bitcoins worth $700m

• Michael Saylor — Executive Chairman of MicroStrategy and one of Bitcoin’s most vocal corporate advocates — will make his first-ever appearance in the UAE at Bitcoin MENA in Abu Dhabi.

• Hut 8, part of a American BTC which is partially owned by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, Gets Approval to Operate in Dubai Financial Hub.

• Abu Dhabi Judicial Department now accept AE Coin.

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