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 […]
The landscape of public transport is changing across the world. Not long ago, the only option for people who did not have their own car was to queue for a paper ticket and squeeze into a sardine-can bus or train. Today, the new normal is to download a ‘smart’ app and book a point-to-point ride for an ever-diminishing cost. Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Careem are […]
Sitting in his spacious office in Doha’s West Bay, free from the entourage of assistants usually attached to CEOs of large, government-backed organisations, Rashid Bin Ali Al Mansoori appears relaxed and unhurried. He even responds, “How much time would you like?” when asked to confirm the length of our meeting. Al Mansoori, who has served as CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) since 2012, is frank about […]
If only a portion of Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Programme is implemented, there will be dramatic change, one of the kingdom’s most influential lawyers assures. “If we can cover 50 percent of what is the aspiration in the Vision 2030, the kingdom will be doing much better,” the Saudi country director of international law firm White & Case, Doug Peel, says. “My view is that it’s a […]
Dubai, January 25, 2017 SAMENA Telecommunications Council, the tri-regional, non-profit telecommunications industry association that embodies a community of South Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African telecoms operators, manufacturers, and specialist ICT firms, moderated a regulatory roundtable on spectrum management at the 3rd Annual MENA Spectrum Management Conference held in Dubai on 24 – 25 January. The conference, which was hosted by Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in […]
LONDON — Kuwaiti authorities hanged seven prisoners on Wednesday in a mass execution, including a member of the royal family. Five of the prisoners were foreigners: one each from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Philippines, and two from Egypt, according to the state-run KUNA News Agency. The prince who was executed was Faisal Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah, a captain in the Kuwaiti Army. He was convicted of premeditated murder […]
– Top selling agents from more than 39 GCC travel companies hosted from 16-19 January 25 January 2017 Dubai, UAE – This month Dubai welcomed over 50 delegates from across the GCC in two familiarization trips including travel and tourism industry VIPs and representatives. With the GCC contributing 24% of all visitors to Dubai from January – November 2016, it continues to be a key focus for […]
Until recently, oil rich Gulf states could afford to ignore global bond markets. While developed and developing countries issued record sums of debt in the years after the financial crisis, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates used the vast oil wealth to propel themselves to affluence. The states — members of the six-country Gulf co-operation council — built skyscrapers, schools and motorways […]
Leading above-the-neck protection PPE manufacturer outlines its global re-launch at Intersec and commitment to driving safety standards the region 24 January, 2017, Dubai, UAE: Centurion, world leaders in above-the-neck protection, have today officially unveiled a major global rebrand and focus on the Middle East at the Intersec trade fair in Dubai. This follows news of Centurion putting in place manufacturing tools to mould products for the region […]
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have opened an investigation into a visit by Kim Kardashian to a Dubai government children’s charity this month and suggested it undermined local values, a state-owned newspaper reported. Kardashian concluded a brief stay in the Gulf Arab emirate last weekend, shopping at the sprawling Mall of the Emirates and attending a masterclass there on makeup. However, the Emarat al-Youm newspaper quoted […]
The club crest of Spanish soccer team Real Madrid will be altered to remove the traditional Christian cross from clothing apparel sold in some Middle East countries under a regional deal. Marka, a retailing group in the United Arab Emirates, has been granted exclusive rights to “manufacture, distribute and sell Real Madrid products” in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, the company said in […]
Two Saudi men who blew themselves up during a gunbattle with security forces in Jeddah last week had ties with ISIL and were linked to past attacks on mosques and security forces in Saudi Arabia, the interior ministry said on Tuesday. After Saturday’s security operation in Jeddah’s eastern Al-Harazat district, the interior ministry accused the two men of planning attacks inside the country. A ministry statement carried […]
Oil and gas company Saudi Aramco has invited banks to pitch for an advisory position on what is expected to be the world’s biggest initial public offering, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley and HSBC are among banks that have received the request for proposals, one of the sources told Reuters, with the other adding that the invitation was to evaluate Aramco’s […]
By Luke Baker and Matt Spetalnick | JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump’s team spoke often about moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But since taking office, the contentious issue has become more nuanced and may already be moving to the backburner. In a statement issued before a first post-inauguration phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu […]
Now: The Best of Indie Arabia Various artists (Universal Music Mena) Five stars To expats of a certain age, the “Now..!” brand of music compilation albums are synonymous with the kind of plastic pop wheeled out at social gatherings in the days before iPods or YouTube. Since 1983, the brand has shifted more than 100 million copies across five continents. Compiling the biggest hits of the day […]
The 2019 Asian Cup will begin on Jan. 5 and will be played over 28 days across eight stadiums in the United Arab Emirates, the continent’s soccer governing body said on Monday. The Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi will play host to the opening game and the final on Feb. 1 in the region’s premier tournament for the member nations, the Asian Football Confederation said in […]
Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption body has accused executives and employees of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) of misusing public funds, it said in a statement on Sunday referring the case for prosecution. The National Anti-Corruption Commission, or Nazaha, said it had identified irregularities in eight contracts concluded by the state-controlled utility company’s employees in Eastern Province worth more than 80 million riyal ($21.33 million), mostly involving the purchase of […]
Proscient to provide Process Safety and Operational Risk Management System (PSORMS) capabilities to reduce risk, improve productivity and lower costs Proscient to provide Process Safety and Operational Risk Management System (PSORMS) capabilities to reduce risk, improve productivity and lower costs Dammam, Saudi Arabia, 23 January 2017 Petrotechnics, the developer of Proscient – the hazardous industries’ first software platform for Operational Excellence – has been selected by Accenture […]
Your daily guide to community and cultural activities across the Emirates for January 23, 2017, including performances, festivals, art exhibitions, film screenings, health and fitness events, talks, classes, workshops and family fun. newslide Abu Dhabi Film screening Watch a screening of the visually stunning 1951 Jean Renoir film The River as part of the Cinema Space series. The film has been restored with the support of Martin […]
The Saudi finance ministry said on Sunday there would be no fees applied on remittances out of the country, days after the kingdom’s advisory Shura Council said it was looking at a proposal to impose a 6 percent levy on expatriate remittances. Saudi Arabia is “committed to the principle of free movement of capital in and out of the kingdom, in line with international standards,” the ministry’s […]
RIYADH/ADEN: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) on Sunday dispatched a convoy loaded with 17 containers of medical supplies and equipment to Yemen, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Royal Court and KSrelief Supervisor, said Sunday. The convoy consisted of 11 containers carrying 279 types of medical supplies to the Republican Hospital in Aden and 25 types of medical equipment and supplies for the central medicinal and pharmacology storage […]
