Brent crude oil fell below $50 a barrel for the first time this year after US crude inventories climbed to a fresh record, raising fears that Opec’s attempts to tighten the market are falling short. US crude inventories rose by 5m barrels in the week ended March 17, the US Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday, triggering an immediate bout of selling that pushed Brent below $50 […]
BEIRUT: The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said a US-backed assault to drive Daesh from its de facto capital Raqqa would begin at the start of April and the YPG would be taking part, despite fierce opposition from neighboring Turkey.A spokesman for the US Pentagon said no decision had been made yet on the Raqqa offensive.US-backed forces, including the YPG, are closing in on the […]
Iona Craig, who reported on the aftermath of the botched Navy SEAL raid in Yemen for The Intercept from Yeman, did so with the help of the Pulitzer Center. Iona Craig. Grants from the Pulitzer Center go a long way for international journalists who eke out a difficult existence covering tough stories from dangerous places. The details of her recent Yemen experience should give pause to most […]
Etihad Airways has said there is no immediate change to its policy of carrying items on board its aircraft. Reports in US media this morning have said the US government is expected to announce a temporary ban on passengers on certain flights originating in the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well other Muslim-majority countries, from bringing laptops, iPads, cameras and most other electronics in carry-on luggage. […]
(Image: file photo) NEW YORK — A lot of people woke up confused by the news this morning that the US government is banning electronics on some inbound flights from several Muslim-majority countries. They’re right. It doesn’t make sense. The simple rundown is that passengers on all airlines with direct flights from ten Middle Eastern and African airports — including in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — […]
By David Shepardson and Kylie MacLellan | WASHINGTON/LONDON WASHINGTON/LONDON The United States and Britain on Tuesday imposed restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from certain airports in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said passengers traveling from those airports could not bring devices such as tablets, portable DVD players, laptops […]
In a poorly rolled out bit of security theater, the US just banned people from carrying laptops, cameras, and tablets—but not phones—in the cabins of airliners traveling from several Middle Eastern and North African cities to the US. The regulation affects fliers from Amman, Cairo, Istanbul, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Casablanca, Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. It’ll also affect anyone connecting through those airports. No US […]
At the start of March we showed a fascinating chart from Rystad Energy, demonstrating how dramatic the impact of technological efficiency on collapsing US shale production costs has been: in just the past 3 years, the wellhead breakeven price for key shale plays has collapsed from an average of $80 to the mid-$30s… … resulting in drastically lower all-in breakevens for most US shale regions. Today, in […]
Fashion Forward kicks off at Dubai’s Design District on Thursday with a packed three days of runway shows, sector talks and designer presentations. The latest edition will see 17 new brands debuting their collections before eagle-eyed buyers, members of the press and public. The significant leap in participant numbers appears to reflect renewed optimism when it comes to the wider fashion industry. According to a Dubai Chamber […]
Authored by Melkulangara Bhadrakumar via The Strategic Culture Foundation, The common thread running through the two major ‘hot spots’ in the Middle East today – the conflicts in Syria and Libya – is undoubtedly the threat to international security from the extremist groups operating in these theatres. Therefore, Syria and Libya become test cases of the efficacy of the international community – Russia and the United States […]
DUBAI: Houthis have directly contributed to the humanitarian disaster in Yemen by preventing aid from reaching vulnerable members of the population, Yemen’s ambassador to the US said in a recently-penned opinion editorial published in Newsweek.Ambassador Ahmed Awad BinMubarak raises the question of why “thousands have lost their lives and tens of thousands more have lost their homes and livelihoods” when these communities live nearby one of Yemen’s […]
21 March 2017 Dubai, United Arab Emirates – HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the 200 megawatt (MW) second phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The project reflects a new era in the excellence and leadership of the UAE, as it increases the share of clean and renewable energy. […]
By David Shepardson and Mark Hosenball | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Passengers travelling on certain U.S.-bound foreign airline flights will have to check electronic devices larger than a cell phone once U.S. authorities formalise a new ban in response to an unspecified terrorism threat, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday. The new rule is expected to be announced Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security, the officials said, adding […]
The UAE has pledged US$15 million (Dh55m) to a historic alliance to protect cultural heritage sites threatened by war and extremism. The Emirates was among the world donors that pledged more than $75m during a conference at the Louvre Museum in Paris, attended by Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, French president Francois Hollande and other officials. The conference established the International […]
Airline passengers travelling from eight Middle Eastern nations, including Jordan and Egypt, will be barred from carrying large electronic devices into the main cabin under new regulations from the Trump administration. The rules, which come into effect on Tuesday, also apply to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to a US official. Passengers from the eight countries will have to check laptop computers and other […]
Photo The bodies of migrants killed in an aerial attack on a boat off Yemen were brought to the port city of Al Hudaydah. Credit Abdel-Karim Muhammed/Associated Press The United Nations on Monday called for an inquiry into an aerial assault on a boat of migrants last week off Yemen’s Red Sea coast that left at least 42 people dead. The attack on the boat, believed to […]
NEW YORK // A chilly climate isn’t keeping Norway from basking in the glow of being named the world’s happiest country. It surged from fourth place in last year’s UN assessment all the way to the top spot, according to the World Happiness Report 2017 released on Monday. Other top countries on the list included Nordic neighbours Denmark and Iceland, as well as nearby Switzerland. “All of […]
UAE-based mother, baby and child e-commerce website Mumzworld has commenced talks to raise new funds for expansion across the non-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, its founder says. In February 2016, the company successfully closed its Series B funding with multi-million dollar investments led by Wamda Capital, twofour54, and Endeavor Catalyst, aimed to support its expansion in the GCC. “We are now across the GCC. The UAE and […]
The captions may be brief but the portraits are both striking and revelatory. One photograph is that of an imam in Lanzhou, Gansu province, known for his laughter. Another is that of an imam from Quanzhou, Fujian province, whose child has surpassed his father’s warrior-like skills, embodying the wisdom of the dragon while striking a pose like a tiger. They form part of a new exhibition at […]
KUWAIT: Saudi armed forces, as well as those of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and some US military on Sunday started the Eagle Resolve 2017 military exercises in Kuwait.Lt. Gen. Mohammed Khaled Al-Khader, chief of general staff of Kuwait’s Army, attended the activities along with the leaders of the army units participating in the exercise.Al-Khader delivered a speech at the start of the exercise, praising the […]
It’s in facials, on cappuccinos and most recently on the award-winning Burg Khalifa. But what is gold leaf like to work with when it comes to more permanent projects? We speak to a variety of artists about this tricky material. newslide Gold-leaf gilder All that glitters is gold at Emirates Palace. Most of the ceiling and many of its walls, totalling a one-kilometre surface, are covered in […]
UAE-based Aster DM Healthcare is in discussions with its banks to change some terms of a syndicated loan to counter difficult business conditions, including delays to payments it is owed, sources familiar with the matter said. The company, which operates hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in the Gulf and India, raised a multi-tranche syndicated loan equivalent to about AED600 million ($163 million) in March last year, Thomson Reuters […]
With GCC governments placing so much emphasis on start-ups as the backbone of a stronger, non-oil based economy, people would be forgiven for thinking it was all about quantity over quality. In fact, in an interview two years ago, a senior official at Abu Dhabi government leading on the UAE’s ‘Takamul’ patenting initative, came right out and said it. He told Arabian Business that the quality of […]
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the Social Media Week in Kuala Lumpur, April 23, 2015. ― Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will not be airing the live telecast of a debate between former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh […]
18 March 2017 Dubai, UAE – The UAE’s wise leadership has worked tirelessly to anticipate the future, as a fundamental element of its strategies and plans. The vision of the UAE’s leadership, led by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and HH Sheikh […]
The 11th edition of Art Dubai closed yesterday and it was, according to its director Myrna Ayad, another success. “We had very positive feedback from galleries, artists and visitors and it was an exciting first edition for me,” she says. “I’m already looking forward to next year’s edition as well as to develop and grow the fair alongside the team.” Other than Ayad herself, who is new […]
AJMAN // Four adventurers drove 1,400 kilometres to a far-flung area of Oman and planted the UAE flag on one of the world’s highest sand dunes. The members of the UAE Adventure Club, a non-profit organisation that teaches people about the desert and off-roading, made the trip to Mazyouna province, in the south of Oman near the Yemen border, aiming to become the first to raise the […]
The GCC mobile phone market returned to growth in the final quarter of 2016 after suffering three consecutive quarter-on-quarter declines, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). The global technology research and consulting firm said the region saw the shipment of 5.98 million units in Q4, up 7.7 percent on the previous quarter. When viewed year on year, however, the shipment numbers for Q4 were still down […]
ADEN: A Houthi missile attack Friday killed 26 members of pro-government forces in a camp east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, hospital officials in the town of Al-Maarib said. The news agency of the internationally recognized government said the attack took place during Friday prayers in Al-Maarib province, eastern Yemen. The death toll is expected to rise, it said. A loyalist military source said the attack targeted […]
UAE-based retailer Paris Gallery has announced plans to open 30 new stores across the Middle East over the next five years. The company said in a statement that its expansion would focus mainly on the Gulf region and would see its workforce grow to about 5,100 employees, up from 3,500. The total projected retail area in operation will reach 3.2 million square feet by 2021, it added. […]
