UAE’s Renewable Energy Pledge, France’s Return to Africa, Egypt’s Fintech Business Win
Insights Dispatch - May 15, 2026
Welcome to the Friday edition of Insights Dispatch, our flagship brief of the three latest developments at the intersection of markets, policy, and power across the Gulf & Africa
UAE: Mubadala Investing $325 Million in Offshore Wind Farm
WHAT HAPPENED?
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company committed $325 million to Orsted’s Hornsea 3–the world’s largest offshore wind farm off the UK’s Norfolk coast–as part of a consortium led by Apollo Global Management.
WHY IT MATTERS?
The investment reflects the UAE and broader GCC’s push toward renewables, accelerated by the Iran-driven energy crisis. Mubadala also recently announced a minority stake in American renewable provider Power Factors.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Other GCC states are expected to follow suit, deepening commercial ties with Western partners in the clean energy space.
KENYA: Macron Unveils $27 Billion Investment Package for Africa
WHAT HAPPENED?
At the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, French President Macron announced a $27 billion continental investment fund targeting energy, technology, agriculture, and maritime sectors, projecting 250,000 new jobs across Africa and France.
WHY IT MATTERS?
The move aims to rebuild French influence following a wave of coups since 2020 that fuelled anti-Paris sentiment across West Africa, with critical minerals a key motivation.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Having criticized China’s Africa policy, and particularly its management of critical minerals, as “predatory”, Macron’s pledge is likely to prompt a rival Chinese investment package, deepening the race for the continent’s critical minerals.
EGYPT: Thndr Fintech Platform Ranks #1 in Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Financial Times‘ fifth ranking of Africa’s fastest growing companies placed Egyptian fintech platform Thndr at number one, with a CAGR of 311.17% from 2021 to 2024, notable in a list typically dominated by Kenyan and South African firms.
WHY IT MATTERS?
Thndr’s rise reflects Egypt’s concerted push to develop its startup ecosystem, including the establishment of government-backed VC firm EgyptVentures in 2017, pointing to the effectiveness of such public reforms.
WHAT’S NEXT?
FT cautions that the Iran war’s economic reverberations could trigger capital withdrawal across Africa, with Cairo and other governments likely to introduce new policy reforms in response.
This reporting may be cited with attribution to Oasis Media Collective. For licensing, republication, or extended use, contact here