For President Trump, the designation debate is an election promise made good. He has made no bones about taking an approach to the Middle East that is narrowly focused on counterterrorism, and that plays to domestic supporters who view all Islamist movements — or even all Muslims — as potentially hostile. Continue reading the main story In much of the Middle East, though, the rapid pace and […]
Australia and the UAE will explore closer defence ties after a meeting on Sunday between a senior Australian government minister and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Australia’s Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne and Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met on the sidelines of the biennial International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi. The […]
Key to enhancing and diversifying its service offering in the domestic maritime industry 20 February 2017 Riyadh – Saudi Arabia – Bahri, a global leader in logistics and transportation, has opened a new office in Mumbai to strengthen its presence in the fast-growing Indian maritime industry and lay the foundation to offer diverse shipping services to domestic customers. The new office, located in the central suburb of […]
In a country where the use of magic is a crime punishable by beheading, it’s not every day that young Saudis wander down the street dressed as the Hulk or Doctor Doom. But for three days over the weekend, some 20,000 Saudis decked out in costumes and face paint queued to get into Saudi Arabia’s first-ever Comic Con, where robots, video games and giant anime figures filled […]
ABU DHABI // The British royal navy is strengthening its presence in the Arabian Gulf after it took command of US Task Force 50 – the first time it has led a US force in the Middle East. The force, which has assisted in battling ISIL in Iraq and Syria, plays an important role in the region because it allows free passage of trade throughout the Gulf […]
Stock markets in the Middle East were mixed in modest trading volumes on Sunday with Saudi Arabia and Qatar outperforming because of support from the banking sector, while Egypt fell as the currency hit a three-month high. Two-thirds of the 12 listed banks on Saudi Arabia’s bourse gained, lifting the index 0.1 percent. Alawwal Bank added 2.7 percent, with most activity occurring in the last hour of […]
A soldier from the United Arab Emirates died while taking part in a Saudi-led military operation in Yemen, state news agency WAM reported on Friday, without clarifying the circumstances of his death. A second Emirati soldier in Yemen died of a heart attack, the report said. The UAE is a member of a mostly Gulf Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia that is backing Yemen’s internationally […]
MUNICH: Iran’s foreign minister on Sunday stepped up efforts to improve ties with Gulf Arab Sunni states urging them to work with their Shiite rival to address “anxieties” and violence across the region.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week traveled to Oman and Kuwait to try improve ties, his first visit to the Gulf states since taking power in 2013.The six Arab members of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), […]
YANGON Two members of Myanmar’s security forces were injured in a clash with militants on the troubled Rakhine State border with Bangladesh, Myanmar state counselor’s office said, casting doubt on the government’s claim that the region had stabilised. The government last week said the situation in northern Rakhine had stabilised and that it had ended a four-month security crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. The security operation had been […]
19 February 2017 Riyadh – Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has added Viastore, the leading smartphone and Apple products outlet chain, as a strategic partner to Neqaty Program as a step towards enhancing the portfolio of the program’s partners, which is considered as the best customer loyalty program in the region in terms of the added value provided, customer interaction and service development. This addition is aimed at expanding […]
Saudi Arabia officials and executives of around 14 companies plan to embark on a marketing tour of Singapore and Hong Kong next month to attract Asian investors in the $430 billion stock exchange, banking sources told Reuters on Thursday. The HSBC Saudi Arabia Investment Forum will include stops in Singapore on March 1-2 and Hong Kong on March 3, the sources said. The trip reflects the rising […]
Al-Nahedh: Structural Changes, Regulatory Compliance and Cyber Security Major Challenges Facing Banks 18 February 2017 Kuwait – Group Chief Executive Officer at Kuwait Finance House (KFH), Mazin Saad Al-Nahedh stressed the importance of practically facing the economic challenges facing the GCC banks in light of the fall in oil prices, indicating the necessity of applying best practices and highest standards in the structural changes, regulatory compliance and […]
About 40 percent of new hotel supply expected in Riyadh during 2017 will be delayed, but pressure will remain on room rates, according to a new report by real estate consultants Colliers. Despite the softening impact of new supply on the market this year, Colliers forecast that full-year 2017 revenue per available room (RevPAR) for hoteliers in the Saudi capital will fall by 4 percent. The report […]
ABU DHABI – U.S. President Donald Trump’s defense secretary arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday for talks with one of Washington’s closest allies in the Middle East. Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to the region as Pentagon chief, was expected to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan and U.S. embassy representatives. U.S. officials have not disclosed details about his agenda. […]
18 February 2017 Manama, Bahrain – The American Chamber of Commerce Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain), the hosts of this year’s AmCham MENA Regional Council’s Bi-Annual Forum, today announced the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) as the Strategic Partner for the upcoming event being held on the 15-16 March 2017 in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Forum, which aims to promote trade and investment between the United States and markets of the Middle […]
The shortlist for this year’s International Prize for Arabic Fiction has been announced with novels representing the best in contemporary Arabic literature. The finalists for this year’s prize are A Small Death from Saudi Arabian author Mohammed Hasan Alwan; The Slaves’ Pens from Libya’s Najwa Binshatwan; Al-Sabiliat from Kuwaiti author Ismail Fahd Ismail; Children of the Ghetto — My Name is Adam from Lebanon’s Elias Khoury; In […]
ABU DHABI // The bodies of Emirati servicemen Lance Corporal Soliman Mohammed Soliman Al Dhohouri and Sergeant Nader Mubarak Eisa Soliman, who were martyred in Yemen, have been buried by their families. The General Command of the Armed Forces announced that the two died while performing their duty as part of Operation Restoring Hope, being conducted by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition to support and restore the legitimate […]
A Saudi train derailed near the eastern city of Dammam on Friday, injuring 18 people, after flooding from heavy rains caused the rail line to erode, the Saudi Railways Organization said in a statement. The 193 passengers and 6 crew members were transferred to another train and taken to Dammam after the incident occurred at about 1:00 am, it said, adding that all injuries were minor. Repair […]
Cayan Group, the developer of the Cayan Tower in Dubai, has condemned the actions of Russian model Viki Odintcova after photographs of her hanging off the edge of the skyscraper without any restraints. The Saudi-based company said in a statement that the stunt was carried out without its approval or permission and was “in no way a reflection of the Group’s commitments to art, creativity, and the […]
The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces has announced the death of servicemen Nader Mubarak Eisa Soliman and Soliman Mohammed Soliman Al-Dhohouri while on duty with the Saudi-led Arab Coalition’s Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen.The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces offered its condolences to the family of the killed. Source
ABU DHABI // Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, took part in the Yemen Quartet meeting, held in Bonn, Germany, on Thursday. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs in the Sultanate of Oman Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah and the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Yemen […]
Saudi Arabia has broken up four ISIL cells suspected of providing shelter to wanted militants and recruiting fighters, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday, according to Saudi state television. Automatic weapons were seized from the four cells, which comprised 15 Saudis, two Yemenis and a Sudanese man, the ministry’s statement said. Security forces also seized more than 2 million riyals ($530,000) in cash. Among those helped to […]
The Premier League’s most high-profile referee Mark Clattenburg is quitting to take up a position in Saudi Arabia, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said on Thursday. “The PGMOL would like to wish Mark Clattenburg well as he prepares for his move to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation,” it said in a statement. British media reported that Clattenburg will replace Howard Webb, another former Premier League […]
Ten years ago Vladimir Putin angrily declared that the post-cold war order was a sham. Standing before the western military and diplomatic establishment at the Munich Security Conference, the Russian president accused the US of plunging the world into chaos by warmongering, meddling in other countries’ affairs and disregarding international law. For many, it marked the moment that Mr Putin became an adversary. Now, as foreign policy […]
