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SAUDI ARABIA. Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector began the third quarter of 2015 on a positive note, with business conditions improving at the fastest pace in three months during July. Stronger growth of the sector as a whole was mainly driven by sharper expansions in both output and new orders, while purchasing activity also rose more quickly. However, data for employment bucked the general trend, as the […]

RAS LAFFAN, Qatar — The temperature hovered around 100 degrees on the jetty here, where a set of pipes were connected to a giant red-hulled ship. But the moisture in the air froze on the pipes and flaked off, creating snowlike flurries on the early summer evening. The incongruous sight is common on the Qatari ship, the Al Rekayyat, which carries a frigid fuel known as liquefied […]

From Saturday Night Live in the 70s to big 80s blockbusters to movies like Moonrise Kingdom today, Bill Murray is an actor like no other. The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray chronicles every single Murray performance in loving detail, relating all the milestones, yarns, and controversies. It is also packed with color film stills and behind-the-scenes photography. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – […]

|By Matein Khalid| Every global recession since the OPEC oil shocks of 1973-74 was triggered by a contraction in the $17 trillion US economic colossus. The failure of Lehman Brothers, the meltdown in US subprime mortgages, the impotence of the implicit “Fed/Uncle Sam” put, the ice age in the commercial paper and interbank money markets all tipped the US economy into recession in late 2008 and triggered […]

AMMAN, Jordan — The young visitor from America rode his skateboard, jogged near his house or strolled to the market, barely acknowledging his neighbors. He was a regular at the mosque, but never bothered to introduce himself to fellow worshipers, appearing as indifferent to them as he seemed to his surroundings. “He made no effort,” said the mosque’s imam. After Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez, 24, was identified by […]

SAUDI ARABIA.  JLL, the world’s leading real estate investment and advisory firm, today released its second quarter (Q2 2015) Riyadh Real Estate Market Overview that asses the latest trends in the office, residential, retail and hotel sectors in Saudi Arabia’s largest city. Mr Jamil Ghaznawi, National Director and Country Head of JLL KSA, commented: “there has been relatively little change in the real estate market in Riyadh […]

DOHA, Qatar — Persian Gulf monarchies issued a cautious endorsement on Monday of the accord Secretary of State John Kerry negotiated last month to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. “This was the best option among other options,” said Khalid al-Attiyah, the foreign minister of Qatar, who hosted a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council that Mr. Kerry attended. In a news conference with Mr. Kerry, Mr. Attiyah said […]

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New York-based watchmaking upstarts Redux & Co. create watches that combine the look of classic pilot instruments with dive watch function. The COURG is a 39mm titanium case automatic powered by a Seiko SII caliber NH-35A movement. Strap options include ballistic nylon or Italian leather. A funded Kickstarter. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on […]

Saudi Arabia’s central bank has tightened restrictions on cash withdrawals from banks using credit cards in an effort to head off any consumer debt problems. Previously, under an informal industry arrangement customers could obtain cash advances equivalent to as much as 50 per cent of their monthly credit card spending limits, paying hefty fees to do so, bankers said. From last Thursday, an official ceiling of 30 […]

Payfort, a leading online payment service provider, has launched its installments service in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The new service that makes it easy for ecommerce merchants to offer pay-via-installment options to customers and gives consumers greater purchasing power. “Many consumers show a preference for purchasing-via-installments, but methods of processing monthly installments in common usage in the region have proved cumbersome for consumers,” […]

Billions of dollars of investment emanating from the GCC and Muslim jurisdictions are increasingly seeking Shariah compliant investment opportunities in key global real estate markets, said organisers of an upcoming real estate event in London. The International Real Estate Finance (IREF) Summit, a premier real estate event in the UK is scheduled to take place on December and 2 at The Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London. The […]

Viva, Kuwait’s fastest-growing telecom operator, has reported a net profit of KD21.6 million ($71.3 million) for the first half of the year, jumping 14 per cent compared to the same period last year. Total revenues reached KD134 million ($442.5 million), growing 18 per cent when compared to KD113 million ($373.1) in H1 2014. Operational profit increased by 24 per cent, from KD20 million ($66 million) in H1 […]

Saudi Arabia’s Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), which last week slashed 27 months of profits following an accounting scandal, swung to a second-quarter net loss on Sunday that missed forecasts. Mobily, an affiliate of the UAE’s Etisalat, made a net loss of SR900.9 million ($240.2 million) in the three months to June 30, it said in a bourse statement. This compares with a profit of SR92.5 million in the […]

The Iranian energy projects market represents a $167 billion opportunity for regional and international companies as the Islamic Republic prepares for the lifting of sanctions, a report said.  According to the latest data from Meed Projects, the Mena leading projects tracking service, there are 197 individual energy (oil, gas, petrochemical, industry and utilities) projects either planned or under way in Iran, a number that could well double […]

ABU DHABI // Sky News Arabia has started broadcasting its radio service on 90.3 FM in the UAE. The frequency was previously used by the BBC World Service, which stopped broadcasting on June 30. “Our audience will receive comprehensive news bulletins 24/7 that cover a gamut of Arab and international news developments in real time. This coverage will include news focused on politics, economy, sports, as well […]

Protesters in Baghdad on Friday. High temperatures have made the lack of reliable electricity a bigger political issue than usual. By ANNE BARNARD August 1, 2015 BAGHDAD — In the Iraqi summer, when the temperature rises above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, electricity becomes even more of a political issue than usual. This past week, at the top of Iraqis’ agenda, it has even eclipsed war with the Islamic State. The […]

Laith al-Khaldi who was shot of Friday during a demonstration near Ramallah, died on Saturday. By DIAA HADID August 1, 2015 RAMALLAH, West Bank — A teenager who was shot while protesting the arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler died from his wounds early Saturday, according to family members and residents. It was the sixth fatal shooting by Israeli security forces in recent weeks, and the latest death […]

By ANNE BARNARD and ERIC SCHMITT July 31, 2015 BAGHDAD — A Syrian insurgent group at the heart of the Pentagon’s effort to fight the Islamic State came under intense attack on Friday from a different hard-line Islamist faction, a serious blow to the Obama administration’s plans to create a reliable military force inside Syria. The American-led coalition responded with airstrikes to help the American-aligned unit, known as Division 30, in […]

BAGHDAD — A Syrian insurgent group at the heart of the Pentagon’s effort to marshal local foot soldiers against Islamic State militants came under intense attack on Friday from a different hard-line Islamist faction, the Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. The Nusra Front said in a statement that its aim was to eliminate the American-aligned unit, known as Division 30, before it could gain a deeper foothold in Syria. […]

Photo Lt. Col. Kate Germano, who took command of the Marine Corps’ all-women boot camp, was fired on June 30. The Corps said her Marines had been mistreated; she said her ability to command had been undermined.Credit Department of Defense Earlier this week, The Times asked readers what they thought of Lt. Col. Kate Germano’s article arguing parity for men and women who enlist in the Marines Corps, and […]

In an open letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Mozilla CEO Chris Beard (pictured) said it’s “disturbing” that the new Windows 10 operating system makes it difficult for users to choose anything but Microsoft’s Edge as their default browser. Beard is asking Microsoft to reconsider its approach and make user settings with Windows 10 more obvious and intuitive to manage. Beard, whose organization develops the Firefox Web […]

This is the most successful bag in the history of Kickstarter. $1.3 million raised & that’s because Peak Designs has a knack for improving on existing products. Designed by internet photo guru Trey Ratcliff, the Everyday Messenger Camera Bag converts easily from camera bag to messenger bag & back and features only premium materials from top to bottom. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – […]

INTERNATIONAL. JINSA’s Gemunder Center Iran Task Force has released a new report at a panel discussion yesterday to provide an expert analysis of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA), the final agreement with Iran on nuclear disarmament. The Task Force – co-chaired by Ambassador Dennis Ross, who played a leading role in shaping the Middle East peace process for 12 years under three administrations, and Ambassador […]

UAE.  The MENA Private Equity Association, a non-profit organisation supporting the development of the private equity and venture capital industry in the Middle East and North Africa, launched today its ninth “MENA Private Equity & Venture Capital” Annual Report. According to the Report, which was compiled in collaboration with Deloitte and Zawya – Thomson Reuters, 2014 was a significant year for the industry and has demonstrated the […]

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