The UAE has been named the top GCC country for advertising spending in the first quarter of 2017 with AED1.5 billion ($410 million. This figure accounts for 46 percent of the total advertising expenditure across the Gulf region, according to TBWA Worldwide, a global advertising network. State news agency WAM cited its rankings, saying the UAE was followed in the second place by Saudi Arabia with $220 […]
In a curious incident that is certain to provoke questions about the proximity, not to mention fund flow, between Israel and ISIS the former Israeli Defense Minister, cited by the Times of Israel, said that Islamic State terrorists have on at least one occasion “apologized” to Israel for mistakenly attacking IDF soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights. The disclosure may also provide some insight into why after […]
Sadara’s 26-plant chemical complex makes strong headway towards full operation with completion of plastics envelope JUBAIL, Saudi Arabia, April 27, 2017 – Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara) announced today the startup of its fourth and final polyethylene unit, the High Pressure Low Density Polyethylene (HP-LDPE) Train. This marks a significant milestone for the company as it continues to bring its world-scale manufacturing facilities on stream. The HP-LDPE Train […]
US hotel giant Hilton has announced that it has more than 16,000 rooms under construction in the Gulf region which will open by 2020. Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta underlined the importance of the region to his company’s ambitious expansion plans. He said Hilton has a total of over 21,000 rooms in its pipeline across the Gulf, with the six markets of the GCC contributing more than a […]
28 April 2017 Beirut, April 27, 2017 US$ 43.9 billion of assets US$ 36.0 billion of customers’ deposits US$ 17.0 billion of loans to customers Advertisement US$ 3.8 billion of shareholders’ equity US$ 110 million of net profits in the first quarter of 2017, of which 23% from Odea Bank and 10% from Bank Audi Egypt, raising the contribution of entities abroad to consolidated net profits to […]
Dubai-based business tycoon Mohamed Alabbar is weighing buying in to venture capital firms in the Middle East to help kick start his $1 billion technology fund, according to people familiar with the matter. Representatives for Alabbar held talks with several regional companies, including Middle East Venture Partners and BECO Capital, about either buying them entirely, joining as a co-investor or making a significant investment in the firms, […]
Emerging market equities have been the darling asset class de jour in 2017, mainly in Asia and Latin America, despite the March FOMC rate hike, a US Dollar Index at or above 100 and a mini-swoon in crude oil after a Saudi-Russian output cut spat. Earnings growth (India/Thailand) a stabilized currency (China), policy reforms (India, Brazil, Indonesia) local interest rate cuts (Brazil) and lower US protectionist policies […]
Global energy markets are heading to a rebalancing in the next years after oil prices fell to historic lows due to oversupply, Qatar’s energy minister said Thursday, praising OPEC members for their adherence to a “successful” November deal to cut production. Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry Mohammed Saleh Abdullah Al-Sada told the Atlantic Council summit in Istanbul that a decade of high oil prices had led […]
By Phil Stewart and Yara Bayoumy | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON When U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis greeted Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister at the Pentagon last month, the first thing he did was joke about the time “the Iranians tried to murder you.” Mattis’ reference to a foiled 2011 plot, denied by Iran, was a telling sign of how much more aligned President Donald Trump’s administration is with Gulf […]
Oman positioned fourth among Dubai’s top 10 source markets for inbound tourism, with the second highest contribution to visitation among GCC countries 26 April 2017 Dubai, UAE – The Annual Visitor Report 2016 released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) during this year’s Arabian Travel Market reveals the emirate welcomed over a million overnight visitors from Oman. This marks a 3 per cent […]
A UAE court on Wednesday sentenced an Iranian to 10 years in prison followed by deportation for attempting to ship a generator to his home country in breach of international sanctions. The appeals court in Abu Dhabi found the unnamed man guilty of “attempting to export a power generator to Iran for its nuclear programme, in breach of international sanctions,” state news agency WAM reported. It did […]
· “The Middle East remains an extremely important region and we are committed to enhancing our customer experience,” says Robert Williams · British Airways’ recently announced investment plans to boost customer experience with the new First Wing now open to passengers flying from Kuwait · Airline set to launch 22 New Routes in 2017 expanding its network of onward connections for Kuwaiti and wider Middle […]
Qatar said Wednesday that the deal to secure the recent release of a hunting party kidnapped in southern Iraq went ahead with the “full knowledge” of Baghdad. Responding to a complaint by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that ransom money was brought into Iraq without its approval, the emirate said it had regularly consulted with officials in Baghdad during the tense negotiations. It was the first official statement […]
. 240 modern gas stations across the country set for completion by 2020 · Strong support is required to encourage organized companies to step in to the service field. 26 April 2017 Riyadh – Petromin, the leading lubricants and automotive services company in Saudi Arabia, outlined plans to build 240 gas stations across the Kingdom at the 10th edition of the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment […]
Oil prices reversed early losses on reports of the third weekly drawdown of crude stocks in the US, although analysts cautioned on waiting for further signs that Opec’s production cuts are finally tightening the market. Inventories of US crude fell by a larger than expected 3.6m barrels in the week ended April 21, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, compared with expectations for a draw of […]
Oil traders banking on a sustained market recovery in 2017 are growing impatient. As the price of Brent crude falls towards $50 a barrel, Opec, energy analysts and some of the most powerful banks in the commodities sector are urging traders to maintain their composure. After a production cut deal between the cartel and rivals such as Russia was agreed late last year, prices began 2017 $10 […]
Located on Reem Island, Vida Beach Reem Island Abu Dhabi and Vida Residences Beach Reem Island Abu Dhabi will add to the portfolio of Emaar Hospitality Group’s upscale lifestyle hotel brand Scheduled to open in 2020, the iconic hotel and extended stay serviced residences overlook the Arabian Sea within a marina setting Vida Beach Reem Island Abu Dhabi will feature 262 guestrooms and suites, and […]
Dubai’s tourism sector sustained the momentum of its strong 2017 start, with the emirate reporting an 11 percent increase in overnight visitation in the first three months of the year. Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) said in a statement that the city saw 4.57 million travellers in Q1, more than double the growth achieved in the first quarter of 2016. Among Dubai’s top […]
By Stephanie Nebehay | GENEVA GENEVA The United Nations needs massive funds to avert famine in Yemen and warring parties there must ensure humanitarian aid can be delivered, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday as he opened a donor conference in Geneva. A U.N. appeal for $1.2 billion this year for Yemen, where Guterres said a child under the age of five dies of preventable causes […]
· Emaar Hospitality Group, which marks its tenth year in operation, now has 26 upcoming projects · Showcases its portfolio of 10 operational hotels and three serviced residences, and other new properties at the premier travel, tourism and hospitality event 24 April 2017 Dubai, UAE – Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties, today unveiled six new hotel projects as part of […]
DUBAI: The chief of Qatar Airways on Monday accused American carriers complaining over alleged subsidies to Gulf airlines of “bullying,” as he announced new US routes in defiance of mounting airport restrictions.US carriers Delta, United and American Airlines have accused Qatar Airways along with Dubai’s Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad of benefitting from government subsidies to expand their transcontinental networks.They have urged US President Donald Trump to […]
InterContinental Hotels Group announces new signings as well as openings across its MEA brand portfolio at the UAE’s Arabian Travel Market and Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 24 April 2017 Dubai, United Arab Emirates – InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG), one of the world’s leading global hotel companies, announced four new hotel signings as well as six new hotel openings across the GCC in 2017 at the Arabian Travel […]
By Stephanie Nebehay | GENEVA GENEVA Aid agency Oxfam called on donor nations on Monday to step up life-saving assistance to millions of civilians in Yemen facing starvation and disease, rather than providing arms to fuel the deepening conflict. “Many areas of Yemen are on the brink of famine, and the cause of such extreme starvation is political,” the British charity said on the eve of a […]
Browse the International Prize for Arabic Fiction’s website, and you will see that one of its main aims remains unchanged from when it was launched 10 years ago: “To encourage the translation of Arabic literature into other languages.” The subtext here was that Ipaf hoped it might discover an Arabic-language literary star who might be spoken of in the same hallowed terms as, say, Japanese writer Haruki […]
Two Qatari hunters who endured a 16-month hostage ordeal in Iraq spoke Sunday of their joy at being released, in the first public comments since the group were freed. Mohammed Marzouki was among 24 Qataris and two Saudis who were on a hunting trip in a mainly Shiite area of southern Iraq when they were kidnapped in late 2015. They flew back to Doha on Friday following […]
Authored by Paul Craig Roberts, “Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is the numbers of people all over the world who have obeyed the dictates of the leaders of their government and have gone to war, and millions have been killed because of this obedience… Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world, in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and […]
The UAE has a Minister of Happiness. It also has a happiness rating, and for three years running has been the highest-ranked Arab country on the global Happiness Index, an annual list compiled by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, under the General Secretariat of the United Nations. It also ranks 21st globally. A recent YouGov survey revealed that more than three-quarters of new arrivals in the UAE […]
Family businesses in the GCC region face serious challenges in a highly competitive modern-day business environment, according to a new report. Orient Planet Research’s study said key issues such as corporate governance and succession continue to stalk family-led enterprises in the region. According to the report, governance, financial and succession concerns are turning into challenges due primarily to the force of globalisation, the rising number of family […]
DOHA: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met Qatar’s emir on Saturday during a visit to the oil-rich Gulf state, home to the largest US air base in the Middle East.The visit to Doha is part of a regional tour that has included stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel. Mattis is scheduled to visit Djibouti on Sunday.The Pentagon chief’s meeting with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani […]
ABU DHABI // National Service recruits and volunteers have come away from military training with greater discipline, patience, appreciation for those serving in the Armed Forces, and life-long friends. After months of physical and technical training at Armed Forces’ National Service centres across the country, Emirati conscripts said the time in service had had a profound effect on their physiques, attitude and outlook. Hadi Al Badi, a […]
