King Abdullah appointed a son, Prince Turki bin Abdullah, as governor of Riyadh Province on Wednesday, strengthening his branch of the ruling dynasty as it approaches a difficult decision on how to transfer power to the next generation. Another son, Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah, was made governor of Mecca Province months ago. The line of succession does not pass directly from father to son but has moved […]
The Scottish Parliament: no questions welcome (Alamy) The extraordinary row about how the Scottish Parliament’s committees and their supposed reputation for independence is being so systematically compromised by the SNP is more than just a party political spat. That ministers and their paid hacks are suborning their ever-willing backbench MSPs to dilute or even excise any criticism of the Scottish Government is a negation of democracy. It […]
Etisalat has completed its purchase of a 53 percent stake in Maroc Telecom from Paris-listed Vivendi for 4.14 billion euros ($5.67 billion), the United Arab Emirates operator said in a statement on Wednesday. Etisalat has bought into Maroc Telecom through a separate legal entity, Etisalat International North Africa (EINA). Etisalat owns 91.3 percent of EINA, with Abu Dhabi Fund for Development holding the remainder. The latter is […]
Ahead of a new global marketing campaign launching later this year, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has debuted a new brand for the destination. The new logo, launched last week at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), features the word ‘Dubai’ written in both the Arabian and Roman alphabets, reflecting the city’s rich multiculturalism. Announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister […]
Damac Real Estate Development Ltd. (DMC) is bolstering Dubai’s drive to lead the global Islamic economy with serviced apartments that are Shariah-compliant from their financing to their restaurants and saunas. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC (ADIB) is managing the project’s funding as Damac, which issued its debut sukuk last month, sells the certified Islamic residences, Niall Mc Loughlin, the Dubai-based developer’s senior vice president of communication, said […]
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — The United States Defense Department is considering a request from the Army to transfer Private Chelsea Manning, convicted of leaking national security data to WikiLeaks, to a civilian prison so that she can get treatment for her gender disorder, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. Rear Adm. John F. Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, said that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had approved a request from […]
‘A square plate is at odds with nature,’ remarks the food writer William Sitwell Photo: Alamy There are some advantages to square plates. The task of chasing those last few peas around the platter, for example, is made considerably easier when the blighters can be safely trapped in a corner. But leguminous entrapment aside, it is hard to make a case that they are a significant aesthetic advancement […]
Middle East borrowers are increasingly weighing Australian-dollar bonds as they seek to tap one of the world’s biggest sources of pension funds, according to HSBC Holdings Plc. Three regional lenders including National Bank of Abu Dhabi sold A$1.05 billion ($984 million) of debt this year, known as Kangaroo bonds, compared with two sales in 2013 for A$475 million, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “We expect to […]
Emirates’ ground services unit Dnata is “very interested” in acquiring the world’s largest in-flight catering business from Lufthansa, if it is put up for sale again, Dnata’s president said on Tuesday. Lufthansa, Europe’s largest airline by revenue, had put LSG Sky Chefs up for sale in 2012 but then abandoned the plans. “They have said they are not ready to sell,” Gary Chapman,told reporter on the sidelines […]
|By TAP Staff| The reappearance of cranes on the Dubai skyline is encouraging analysts to predict that the emirate is soon set to reclaim the status it once enjoyed as the world’s crane capital. Construction cranes have dotted the Dubai skyline and are seen to herald the economic growth, with a major build-up of momentum in the real estate activity. Dubai was once home to almost 25 […]
|By TAP Staff| Analysts have estimated that at least $1.5 billion in net new money would flow into the stock markets of UAE and Qatar after the upgrade of the two exchanges by MSCI by the end of this month. Turnover in both countries’ stock markets has doubled this year and at least some of the meteoric performance has to owe to anticipation of the change. On […]
Dubai is set to become a smart city in the next three years, which would see a thousand government services going smart along with other changes that will make daily life of the residents smoother. There will be service booths in public places like malls equipped with video conferencing, document scanning and printing services so that people can complete almost all paperwork without visiting any of the […]
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is keeping a close watch on markets after shares rallied to record highs on speculation that exit polls would show the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies winning a majority in the election, a senior official with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Several traders attributed the gains in Indian shares, which sent the Nifty to record […]
The Reserve Bank of India on Monday said domestic banks will be allowed to offer structured derivatives through their overseas branches even if these products are currently not allowed in India. The change marks a revision from rules passed in 2008 that mandated domestic lenders had to consult with the central bank before offering complex derivative products not allowed at home to overseas customers. Offshore branches of […]
Samsung Electronics Co Chairman Lee Kun Hee, who leads Asia’s biggest technology company and helps generate about a quarter of South Korea’s economic output, remains in stable condition after emergency surgery following a heart attack. Lee, 72, is at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul after being resuscitated following an acute myocardial infarction, Rhee So Eui, a spokeswoman for Samsung Group, said in an e-mailed statement. Lee, who […]
If you are looking for an explanation as to why crude oil prices in Asia aren’t lower, then the blame rests squarely with Chinese stockpiling. China’s record imports of 6.78 million barrels per day (bpd) in April give the impression that oil demand is roaring ahead, but the reality is that almost half a million bpd is being put into storage tanks. The authorities don’t officially disclose […]
Kingdom Tower, the Saudi skyscraper set to be the world’s tallest building, will probably have construction funding in place by the end of the first half, the developer’s chief executive officer said today. The company is in talks to bring in Riyadh-based Alinma Bank as an adviser and lender, Mounib Hammoud, CEO of Jeddah Economic Co., told reporters today on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai. […]
|By TAP Staff|The ability of mortgaged buyers of Dubai properties to step on to the housing ladder is set to be curbed in the near to medium term, real estate consultancy Cluttons has predicted.This in turn will impact on the volume of transactions being recorded, the agency said in its report titled Dubai Spring 2014 Residential Market Outlook. “ We are already seeing the first signs of […]
|By TAP Staff|Investcorp, a leading provider and manager of alternative investment products with more than $11 billion of assets under management, announced that its U.S.-based real estate arm, through separate transactions, acquired a portfolio of commercial and residential properties in Dallas, TX and South Florida for approximately $105 million. “The investment market in the U.S. continues to experience growth in transaction volumes with significant capital flowing into […]
Gold fell to its weakest in a week early on Monday as the euro hovered near a one-month low on fears of policy action from the European Central Bank, but the metal recovered some losses on safe-haven demand over escalating violence in Ukraine. Spot gold eased 0.2 percent to $1,286.40 an ounce by 0313 GMT, after dropping to a one-week low of $1,279.60 earlier in the session. […]
The BSE Sensex and Nifty surged to its second consecutive record high on Monday as blue-chips including ICICI Bank rallied on hopes that exit pulls due after the close of markets would show opposition Bharatiya Janata Party winning a majority in ongoing elections. India’s five-week long elections are set to conclude on Monday, with exit polls from media organisations to be released starting after 6:30 p.m. The […]
Iran’s Supreme Leader described as “stupid and idiotic” Western expectations for his country to curb its missile development, striking a defiant tone ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to mass produce missiles and said the nuclear negotiations were not the place to discuss Tehran’s defense program or to solve the problem of sanctions damaging the Iranian economy. […]
Dubai International Capital, the private equity arm of Dubai Holding, today announced that it has signed an agreement for the sale of Mauser Group to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice for $1.7 billion. Mauser, which was acquired by DIC in 2007 in a deal that valued the Group at c. $1.1 billion, is a worldwide leading producer of rigid industrial packaging with approximately 4,400 employees and consolidated revenues […]
Dubai Financial Market (DFM) will introduce a pre-closing period to its trading sessions from May 14 that will make closing prices more predictable and eliminate large last-minute swings, the bourse said on Sunday. DFM said the move was timed to come ahead of the inclusion of the United Arab Emirates in the list of emerging markets by index compiler MSCI at the end of this month, which […]
