Happy Friday everyone!

A Financial Times report reveals that Boston Consulting Group modeled the voluntary relocation of Gazans to Somalia and Somaliland for Israeli clients planning post-war Gaza. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange onboarded Thndr as its first remote retail trading member, giving 4M users mobile access to UAE markets. And in a regional energy shakeup, Israel’s Leviathan gas field signed a record $35B export deal with Egypt, aiming to ease Cairo’s deepening energy crisis and reduce its dependence on costly LNG imports.

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US Consulting Firm Modeled Relocation of Gazans to Somalia and Somaliland: FT Report

🔹 What Is It About

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reportedly created a model exploring the voluntary relocation of Gazans to Somalia and Somaliland, the Financial Times revealed. The work was done for Israeli businessmen planning Gaza’s post-war reconstruction and included a forecast that 25% of Gazans might choose to leave permanently.

🔹 Why It Matters

The modeling reflects renewed interest in controversial third-country relocation proposals, echoing ideas promoted by former President Trump and some Israeli officials. Such plans have drawn sharp criticism from Arab nations and Western governments alike.

🔹 What’s Next

Though no official policy has been adopted, the modeling underscores the geopolitical and humanitarian complexity of Gaza’s future. The idea remains politically charged, with uncertain traction among stakeholders and no clear path forward.

Invest in Sharjah Launches Region’s First Government-led Digital Platform to Streamline M&A in the Emirate

The Sharjah FDI Office has unveiled Sharjah AcquireHub, the region’s first government-backed digital platform dedicated to streamlining mergers and acquisitions. Launched in partnership with Transworld Business Advisors, the platform is designed to attract global investors and support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in scaling, exiting, or restructuring.

With the global M&A market reaching $3.5 trillion in 2024 and regional activity totalling $92.3 billion across 701 deals, AcquireHub connects investors to Sharjah’s growing mid-market opportunities through a secure, transparent system. It offers end-to-end services, including advisory support and due diligence, aimed at enhancing trust and ease in deal-making.

The initiative reinforces Sharjah’s vision of becoming a regional hub for investment and smart economic growth. As over 94% of UAE businesses are SMEs, AcquireHub provides a vital tool for unlocking value, driving expansion, and fueling long-term economic diversification in the emirate.

Markets

ADX Welcomes Thndr as First Remote Retail Trading Member With Over 4 Million Users

🔹 What Is It About

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has onboarded Egypt-born Thndr, a fully digital investment platform, as its first remote retail trading member. Regulated by ADGM’s FSRA, Thndr users will now be able to trade ADX-listed securities directly via mobile, marking a key milestone in expanding digital access to UAE capital markets.

🔹 Why It Matters

With over $13 billion in trading value and 12 million trades in 2024 alone, Thndr is among MENA’s fastest-growing fintechs. This move strengthens financial inclusion, unlocks cross-border trading through the Tabadul platform, and boosts Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional investment powerhouse.

🔹 What’s Next

Thndr users across Egypt, UAE, and the U.S. will gain access to major UAE stocks and ETFs, while ADX anticipates increased foreign investment, liquidity, and broader investor participation. The partnership sets the stage for deeper digital transformation and regional market integration.

Israel’s Leviathan Signs $35 Billion Natural Gas Deal With Egypt — Largest in Country’s History

🔹 What Is It About

Israel’s Leviathan gas field partners have signed a landmark $35 billion deal to supply 130 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Egypt through 2040. The deal, announced by NewMed Energy, marks the country’s biggest-ever energy export agreement and resumes flows that were paused during the Israel-Iran conflict in June.

🔹 Why It Matters

The pipeline-based deal offers a lifeline for Egypt, which is facing a severe energy crunch due to declining domestic gas production. Cheaper than imported LNG, Israeli gas could save Egypt billions and ease pressure on global LNG markets.

🔹 What’s Next

Initial deliveries of 20 bcm begin in 2026, with full capacity expected by 2029 following Leviathan’s expansion and a new pipeline to Egypt. If fully executed, the deal could eliminate Egypt’s need for LNG imports and deepen regional energy interdependence.

👨‍💻From Smashi Business’ Desk

• Dreamers: Hussain Sajwani, founder of DAMAC, went from selling pens in his father’s shop to delivering 48,000+ units across 15 countries.

• A 7-year-old just built an AI app on Replit — and his dad, a Saudi tech CEO, had never built one himself.

• A robot greeted Dubai ruler HH Sheikh Mohammed — and it wasn’t science fiction.

• Dubai-based CEO Alex Bendiouis has reimagined one of the city’s most iconic archival images into an AI video.

• Chaps & Co marks 10 years by turning barbers into partners, starting with co-owner Yazan Sadoud at its new Vida Creek Beach branch.

• A Sharjah car wash owner was laughed at at a Dubai networking event — for saying she runs a car wash.

• Tabby founder, Palestinian entrepreneur Hosam Arab, speaks out on LinkedIn, condemning the starvation crisis in Gaza and calling for an end to the siege.

🔍In other news…

• The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) onboarded on Thursday Thndr as the first remote retail trading member. Thndr, a Hub71 start-up, is one of MENA’s first fully digital investment platforms.

• Adnoc Distribution targets Saudi expansion as profit soars

• Saudi Arabia hosts first regional deployment of OpenAI models through HUMAIN-Groq partnership

• Riyadh Air taps travel tech platform Amadeus for global distribution ahead of launch

🏦 Crypto Corner

• 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.

We are launching a Smashi Crypto newsletter in September 2025! Subscribe to it here to get the weekly updates from the world of digital assets.

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