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Bank Muscat Sells Oman Brokerage Business To Gulf Baader

The decision to sell the business was due to the bank’s review of “strategic alternatives and operational priorities”, a statement said.

Oman To Announce 2015 State Budget On Thursday

Oman has been considering a range of spending cuts and tax rises, including a levy on the remittances of foreign workers.

Expat Residents Should Be Allowed Visa-Free Travel Across GCC – Official

The move will boost the GCC’s tourism industry, helping sectors such as aviation and hospitality.

Oman Sovereign Fund Boosts Buying Of Local Stocks

The organisation’s executive president said that the fund has been investing heavily in Muscat Securities Market, taking advantage of the fall in prices.

Sultan’s Absence Raises Worries Over Oman Succession

Analysts fear that any power struggle after the sultan’s death within his Al-Said family – or between the royal family and army leaders – could rattle the country.

Oman’s Mina Al Fahal Refinery To Resume Operating On Dec. 18

ORPIC had said on Dec. 5 that it had put out a fire at one of the naphtha treatment units at the refinery in Muscat.

Exclusive: Ooredoo Oman CEO On Being Nawras No More

Greg Young says the rebranding is crucial to the Omani telecom operator’s future success.

Majority Of Oman’s Shura Council Votes To Ban Alcohol In Country

If enforced, it will become illegal to consume and trade alcohol across the sultanate.

Oman Cement Firms Say Gov’t To Double Gas Prices From Jan 1

Cement firms in Oman have also warned that the price rise will lead to an increase in their production costs.

Doha Bank Shareholders Approve India Assets Buy

HSBC Bank Oman said in April it had agreed to the sale of its Indian business to Doha Bank.

Gulf Stock Markets Bleed After OPEC Lets Oil Slide

Saudi Arabia’s bourse took the biggest hit, dropping 4.8 per cent to 8,625 points, its lowest close since early January.

Oman Raysut Cement Says 2015 Costs To Rise 3% On Gas Price Hike

Raysut will try offset the impact of higher gas prices by making other cost reductions, improving efficiency and restructuring its own prices, according to a bourse filing.

Stock News: Saudi Down To 11-Month Low, Dubai Falls To Five-Month Low After Oil Price Plunge

Brent crude prices have fallen about 10 per cent since regional equity markets last traded on Thursday.

Oman Cement Says Gas Costs In 2015 To Rise By $5.45m

The government plans to introduce hikes to gas prices in 2015.

HSBC Oman Says In Talks With Meezan Bank To Sell Pakistan Unit

HSBC Oman, 51 per cent owned by London-listed HSBC, said talks were preliminary and may or may not lead to a sale.

Oman Mulls Expat Remittance Tax, Spending Cuts As Oil Tumbles

A two per cent tax on the remittances sent by foreign workers in Oman is estimated to generate about OMR62 million.

Lulu Group Inks Deal With Oman Government To Operate $20.8m Retail Complex

The commercial complex will include a shopping centre, stores, a food court and an area for children’s games.

Omantel Q3 Net Profit Rises 3.1%, Meets Estimates

The company made a net profit of OMR30 million ($77.9 million) in the three months to Sept. 30, up from OMR29.1 million in the year-earlier period.

WhatsApp, Viber Do Not Hurt Revenues – Ooredoo Oman CEO

The new OTT players have helped the telecoms provider boost revenues from data usage, says the CEO.

Ailing Sultan Qaboos Tells Omanis He Will Miss Birthday Celebrations

In a video message broadcast on state television, a frail-looking Qaboos offered greetings to Omanis on the occasion of his birthday, which falls on Nov. 18 and is celebrated in Oman as a national day.

Bank Muscat’s Islamic Unit Plans Maiden Sukuk In Q1 2015

The lender has received regulatory approval for the issue, which would help fund its expansion.

Oman Islamic Banking Hits 4.4% Of Assets, May Double By 2018 -Study

The Sultanate introduced Islamic finance at the end of 2012, becoming the last country in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to do so.

Oman Likely To Start Cutting Subsidies Next Year -Minister

Oman has been considering ways to reform its costly and sometimes wasteful subsidy system, though reductions in spending would be politically sensitive

Oman Studying Ways To Limit Spending After Oil Price Plunge

Oman needs a relatively high oil price to balance its budget, so its state finances are more vulnerable than most to the drop of Brent crude oil to around $85 a barrel.

Oman Oil In Talks With US-Based Occidental Petroleum To Buy Its Local Assets

Oxy had said in October 2013 that it planned to sell a minority stake in its MENA operations as part of a restructuring programme.

Sohar Port Challenges Gulf Rivals As Oman Pushes Beyond Oil

Sohar is starting to compete for traffic with Jebel Ali and other top Gulf ports, as part of a far-reaching plan by Oman to diversify its economy beyond oil.

Omani Telco Nawras Q3 Net Profit Jumps 36%

Nawras had 2.51 million subscribers as of Sept. 30, up 6.5 per cent from a year ago.

Oman’s Bank Dhofar Q3 Net Profit Rises 18%, Misses Estimates

The bank made a net profit of OMR9.8 million ($25.5 million) in the three months to Sept. 30, up from OMR8.3 million in the same period of 2013.

Bank Muscat Q3 Net Profit Rises 2.5%, Misses Estimates

The bank made a quarterly profit of OMR40.39 million ($104.9 million) in the three months to September 30, it said in a statement to the Muscat bourse.

HSBC Bank Oman Q3 Net Profit Rises 9%

The lender made a net profit of OMR3.8 million ($9.87 million) in the three months to September 30, compared with OMR3.5 million in the same period of 2013.