RIYADH The top U.N. humanitarian official in Yemen said on Tuesday he feared for the lives of civilians in two Red Sea coast cities where Yemeni government forces and their Gulf Arab backers are on an offensive to oust Iran-allied Houthi militia. Coalition-supported Yemeni army forces advanced northward into al-Mokha and Dhubab last week in a bid to deprive the Houthis of strategic Red Sea ports. “I […]
DUBAI // “Bubble babies” at risk from the slightest infection as a result of rare genetic conditions will soon benefit from treatment unveiled at the Arab Health Congress on Tuesday. Gene therapy will provide a lifeline for young children in the Middle East, which suffers from the highest rates of genetic diseases in the world. The process involves ineffective genes copied and replaced in a patient’s body […]
Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim on Tuesday reported a 9 percent increase in group revenues to $8.14 billion (AED29.9bn) in 2016 compared to $7.43bn (AED27.3bn) in 2015. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 8 percent, reaching $1.11bn (AED4.1bn), driven by additional hypermarkets, supermarkets and family entertainment centres. Alain Bejjani, Majid Al Futtaim Holding CEO, said the company will continue on its growth trajectory in […]
A Saudi prince reportedly booked out an entire row on passenger aircraft to transport his falcons back home. A picture posted on social media website Reddit shows what’s believed to be 80 falcons sitting on platforms placed on seating in the centre row of an aircraft. Each of the falcons, who have their wings tied so as to prevent movement, appear to be taking up one seat […]
By Praveen Menon and Pairat Temphairojana | KUALA LUMPUR/BANGKOK KUALA LUMPUR/BANGKOK Seeking to capitalise on U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial new travel restrictions, companies and officials in Asia said they would target greater tourism and education ties with Muslims worried about the curbs. Trump’s Friday directive put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country, an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and a 90-day bar […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for January 31, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. newslide Abu Dhabi Fitness offer Bodytree Studio will celebrate Valentine’s Day throughout February with Bring a Buddy to Bodytree, which offers two-for-one prices for drop-in classes, including all morning yoga classes, from Sundays to Thursdays […]
President Donald Trump has attacked airlines, the media and Democrats over the protests and criticism of his administration that emerged over the way he executed a ban on people from seven Muslim-majority nations entering the US. In a series of tweets and comments at the White House, Mr Trump tried to shift the blame for the chaos that ensued after more than 100 refugees and migrants from […]
Pakistan’s interior minister on Monday criticized President Donald Trump’s restrictions on immigration from several Muslim-majority countries, saying the move would harm the global fight against terrorism, amid concerns that Pakistanis may also be impacted. Mr. Trump issued an executive order Friday, suspending the U.S. refugee program for four months and banning the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. […]
Mr. Faily has been directly affected by the order. Though he holds dual British and Iraqi citizenship, he said information he had received from the American Embassy in Baghdad indicated that he would not be allowed to travel to the United States in the coming weeks to participate in a long-planned conference, he said in a telephone interview from Iraq. Continue reading the main story The edict […]
Leaders in Iran and Iraq, two of the countries targeted by Mr. Trump’s order, issued furious denunciations on Sunday and vowed to take retaliatory measures. But the silence in the capitals of Muslim-majority countries unaffected by the order reflected a lack of solidarity and an enduring uncertainty about the direction that Mr. Trump’s foreign policy might take in some of the world’s most volatile corners. Continue reading […]
When Gen. Raheel Sharif retired from his post as head of Pakistan’s army late last year, he was celebrated as a national savior for his tough stance on terrorism and becoming the first army chief in two decades to retire on time. Just weeks later, speculation over his next career move and an allocation of land has threatened to dent that image. Gen. Sharif is credited with […]
DUBAI A suspected U.S. drone strike killed two men believed to be al Qaeda militants in central Yemen, local officials said early on Monday, hours after American commandos carried out the first military operation authorized by President Donald Trump. The officials said the pilotless plane targeted a vehicle travelling in Baihan in the province of Shabwa, in which two suspected al Qaeda members were travelling. Both men […]
WASHINGTON/RIYADH Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, in a phone call on Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump, agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, a White House statement said. Trump, during his presidential campaign last year, had called for Gulf states to pay for establishing safe zones to protect Syrian refugees. A statement after the phone call said the two leaders agreed on the importance of […]
GE Healthcare’s latest advanced solutions designed to accelerate sustainable healthcare development, now on show at Arab Health 2017 As demand for better healthcare grows, GE firmly committed to partnering with governments and private providers to upgrade health infrastructure and build capacity across the region Tackling breast cancer, GE’s, new Senographe Pristina system, launched at Arab Health, reduces discomfort, pain and anxiety of a mammogram Jeddah; […]
US President Donald Trump will speak to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and South Korea in separate calls on Sunday, the White House said in a statement. Trump is expected to speak with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman first this afternoon, followed by a conversation with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The calls come just days after Trump signed an […]
TEHRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticized his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday, saying now was “not the time to build walls between nations.”“They have forgotten that the Berlin Wall collapsed many years ago. Even if there are walls between nations, they must be removed,” Rouhani said at a tourism convention in Tehran.His remarks came after Trump ordered construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border and […]
The Saudi holy city of Makkah has the most hotel rooms under construction in the Middle East and Africa, according to new data by analysts STR. STR’s December 2016 Pipeline Report showed that Makkah has 23,060 rooms in 14 projects, ahead of Dubai, which has 20,451 rooms in 69 projects. The latest figures showed a total of 158,441 rooms in 555 projects under contract in the Middle […]
The value of the GCC’s healthcare market has grown steadily in recent years and there is little sign that any slowdown is on the horizon. The industry is forecast to be worth $71.3bn by 2020, according to Alpen Capital. The investment bank expects the GCC healthcare sector to record 12.1 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2015 and 2020, after 10.3 percent CAGR between 2008 and […]
Home Appliance & Air Solutions and Home Entertainment Divisions Post Highest Ever Operating Profits in 2016 Saudi Arabia – 26 January 2017 LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced a 2016 operating profit of KRW 1.34 trillion (USD 1.16 billion), 12.2 percent increase from 2015 due in large part to strong performance by home appliances, air solutions and home entertainment. For full-year 2016, LG reported revenues of KRW 55.37 […]
But in interviews with dozens of officials, analysts and ordinary citizens across Muslim-majority countries, there was overwhelming agreement that the order issued Friday signaled a provocation: a sign that the American president sees Islam itself as the problem. Continue reading the main story “I think this is going to alienate the whole Muslim world,” said Mouwafak al-Rubaie, a lawmaker and former Iraqi national security adviser in Iraq. […]
A brief analysis of history suggests that the people, systems and organisations most responsive to change tend to be the most successful, which is directly relevant to the various structural reforms currently being introduced across the region. As governments respond to lower oil prices, the past year has seen a slew of regulatory reforms that will help diversify national economies. The Arab world’s largest economy, Saudi Arabia, […]
(The 19 hijackers implicated in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack came from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. None of those countries will be subject to what Mr. Trump described as “new vetting measures.”) Continue reading the main story During the 90-day period, the Trump administration will assess if the foreign governments on the list are providing enough information about citizens seeking visas […]
Barilla, the world’s leading pasta brand, has announced regional expansion into Saudi Arabia in partnership with Mayar Foods for distribution of its Italian products through retailers across the kingdom. The pasta market size in Saudi Arabia is 55 thousand tonnes with nearly 2kg consumption per capita per year and the numbers continue to grow, the company said in a statement. The Italian family founded company said it […]
The weak economic environment will continue to weigh on the financial profiles of banks in GCC countries in 2017 and 2018, according to S&P Global Ratings. In a new report, the ratings agency said it believes the three key risks are a difficult operating environment, a higher cost of risk, and lower liquidity. However, it added that most GCC banks have built sufficient capital buffers to remain […]
