ADEN: Two US drone strikes killed at least four suspected Al-Qaeda members in southern Yemen on Thursday, security officials said, barely a month after a controversial US commando raid against the jihadists.The first strike targeted the home of a known Al-Qaeda member in the Yashbum Valley in Shabwa province, a provincial security official told AFP.Four suspected militants who had been standing outside the house were killed, he […]
Social media conversation about ride-hailing app Uber is on the decline in the Middle East, while its local competitor Careem is gaining pace, according to a new report. US-based Crimson Hexagon, a social media analytics company, on Wednesday said in its “The Middle East Consumer Trends” report that Careem is gaining traction over Uber because it is perceived as a “local” brand as regional consumers now prefer […]
Address Hotels + Resorts, the premium luxury hotel brand of Emaar Hospitality Group, on Wednesday unveiled its new city lifestyle resort, Address Boulevard. Address Boulevard has 196 rooms including 116 deluxe rooms, 44 deluxe club Rooms, 28 one-bedroom suites, seven two-bedroom suites and a luxurious Presidential Suite. In addition, there are 532 serviced apartments including duplexes and two penthouses, with short-term guests at the residences also guaranteed […]
The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will discuss the likelihood of constructing a regional rail network by 2021 at a meeting of regional ministers in April, a United Arab Emirates minister said on Tuesday. The regional bloc made up of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar last year reached an agreement in principle to delay the 2018 completion date until 2021. “Commitment is there. […]
Though the big-name international authors appearing at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, such as Jeffery Archer and crime novelist Kathy Reichs, often get the most attention, it is worth remembering there are 140 writers attending the event. Among them are some of the biggest names in the Arab literary world. All Arabic sessions will be translated into English, so everyone can share their ideas on literature, […]
28 February 2017 Dubai, UAE – Gulfood 2017, the 22nd edition of the world’s largest food and beverage trade platform, has rubberstamped its standing as a true industry weathervane and innovation laboratory. Right across the 1,000,000 square foot show, which runs until Thursday 2 March at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), up to 90,000 food professionals from 150 countries are absorbing tens of thousands of products being […]
A voracious thirst for petroleum makes the US one of the largest importers of oil. But for the past two weeks it has also scaled the ranks of exporters. Outbound shipments of crude have surpassed 1.2m barrels a day, more than last month’s daily production of Algeria, Ecuador or Qatar, each a member of Opec. The foreign sales underscore how the US has become more integrated into […]
Pro-government lawmakers accused Mr. Sadat of leaking drafts of the law to foreign embassies, and of faking the signatures of 16 fellow lawmakers on another proposed law that he had drafted. Mr. Sadat denied the accusations, saying he had circulated his criticism only in a news release via email and his website. Continue reading the main story Mr. Sadat’s expulsion highlighted the lopsided balance of parliamentary power […]
o Food consumption in the GCC to expand at a 4.2 per cent from 48.1 million MT in 2016 to 59.2 million MT in 2021 o Consumers spending Dh250 worth of Prestige cookware/kitchenware products is guaranteed of winning something back! 26 February 2017o Food import bill is expected to have crossed US29.17 billion in 2016 o UAE’s packaged food import bill reached US$4.3 billion in […]
Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO) could encourage other Gulf countries to list their oil assets, a leading regional economist said, but the oil giant must clear uncertainties over taxation, OPEC policy and ownership of crude. Nasser Saidi, a former economy minister of Lebanon, told Dubai Eye Radio in an interview that Aramco has to address how the company will separate its assets and liabilities from those […]
Yemen The funeral of Emirati serviceman Khalid Ali Gharib Al Beloushi, who was killed while on duty with the Saudi-led Arab coalition’s Operation Restoring Hope in Yemen, will take place Saturday after Al Duhur prayers at the Al Warqa Grand Mosque in Dubai. The General Command of the UAE Armed Forces announced the death of the serviceman on Friday, and offered its condolences to the family of […]
Anwar Ahmad ABU DHABI // More than 7,000 people descended on Al Ghazal Golf Club in Abu Dhabi to take part in the gruelling Spartan challenge or support friends and family in what is one of the toughest desert races of the year. An estimated 3,000 competitors took on the course. Adult and children’s challenges included rope climbing, burpees, spear throwing, atlas carrying, a barbed wire crawl […]
ADEN A suicide bomber killed at least eight soldiers in an attack on a military camp in Yemen’s southern city of Zinjibar at dawn on Friday, a local official and residents said. The bomber, wearing a military uniform, drove a car that exploded at the entrance of the camp. Ten others were wounded. Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since March 2015 between the internationally recognized […]
There was so much weaponry inside that visitors got searched not just on the way in, but also on the way out. Continue reading the main story The exhibition served to promote Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which has distinguished itself as a regional hub for international business at a time when wars and uprisings have upended other Arab states. It also provided […]
An online commercial released by Nike this week showing Arab women fencing, boxing and spinning on ice-skates has stirred controversy over its attempt to smash stereotypes about women leading home-bound lives in the conservative region. It begins with a woman nervously peering out of her doorway and adjusting her veil before going for a run in the street, while a female voice narrates in a Saudi dialect: […]
Photo Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram insurgents last February at Dikwa camp in northeastern Nigeria. The United Nations raised the alarm on Wednesday about the risk of famine in northern Nigeria. Credit Agence France-Presse — Getty Images UNITED NATIONS — In a world filled with excess food, 20 million people are on the brink of famine, including 1.4 million children at imminent risk of death. In the […]
But they are not buying much. Unemployment is high, especially among the many young people graduating from college. In all, 50,000 people remain displaced. Electricity and water supplies are still near crisis levels. Hamas, which governs Gaza, elected a new hard-line leader. Tunnel building goes on (and, presumably, so does the construction and smuggling of weapons). On the Israeli side, the political right talks of a new […]
Photo A session at the International Conference in Support of Palestinian Intifada in Tehran on Tuesday, where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, urged renewal of the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, against Israel. Credit Ebrahim Noroozi/Associated Press TEHRAN — Everything was in place on Tuesday for a gala celebration at Iran’s annual conference in support of Palestine. Awaiting the hundreds of guests was a table piled high […]
21 February 2017 Dubai – Auerbach Grayson & Company, LLC, a New York-based brokerage firm specializing in global trade execution and exclusive in-depth research on developed, frontier and emerging markets, announced today that it has partnered with Dubai-based Arqaam Capital, the specialist emerging markets investment bank, to provide U.S. investors with greater access to the Middle East and South Africa. Through its exclusive partnership with Arqaam Capital, […]
ABU DHABI // Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed has praised the role of Sudan, under the leadership of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, in joining the Arab Coalition and its support for the Saudi-led operation to bring hope to Yemen. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces also praised the performance of Sudanese forces in field operations, alongside other Arab Coalition forces. […]
Travis Kalanick has it all worked out. Just ask him. He sees the future, and what it looks like is pretty different from what most people experience every day. Not surprisingly, it all starts with Uber. With a ride-sharing system, says the 40-year-old bachelor and CEO of the transportation company that has gained global notoriety, one car can be shared by 30 people. “The cost of that […]
Partnership will allow partner-drivers to connect with on-demand medical professionals United Arab Emirates, 20 February 2017 Uber, the smartphone app-based technology company, has announced a partnership with Altibbi, an online medical mobile application, to connect Uber partner-drivers with on-demand doctors. The application allows partner-drivers to connect with a selection of certified doctors, and get round-the-clock affordable medical consultations over the phone. This gives partner-drivers access to safe […]
Some of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds are increasingly striking their own private equity deals rather than relying on external fund managers, in a drive to cut costs and gain more control. With some $6.5 trillion in assets, sovereign investors already account for 19 percent of capital committed to private equity, according to data from research firm Preqin. But mega-funds such as the Abu Dhabi Investment […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
