UAE Creates $15bn Aluminium Firm In State Merger

The new entity, Emirates Global Aluminium, will be jointly held by Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) and Emirates Aluminium (Emal).

REVEALED: Top 10 Cheapest Supermarkets In The UAE

The UAE’s first direct supermarket price comparison. Are you getting a fair deal?

Zain Saudi To Defer Paying $1.49bn In Licence Fees

The rescheduled payment, spread over seven years, will be treated as a commercial loan.

Saudi Arabia Buys 525,000 Tonnes Hard, Soft Wheat

The wheat is of optional origin from the European Union, Australia and North and South America.

Emirates Launches Tokyo Haneda Services

Airline now serves both Tokyo airports and new service operates as a codeshare with Japan Airlines

GCC Countries To Consider Action Against Hezbollah

The GCC has called Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria “sectarian intervention”.

Dubai Property Investors Face Dhs172m Loss On Hydra Projects

The Abu Dhabi developer has sold three plots of land to help meet its creditor obligations, but is still facing a huge deficit in its debts to the Abu Dhabi courts.

Dubai Retailer MAF Delays Hybrid Bond Sale Citing Weak Market

The Majid Al Futtaim group planned to partly finance the $683 million acquisition of Carrefour’s stake through a hybrid bond.

Etihad Expands To South America, Launches Flights To Brazil

The Abu Dhabi carrier will offer non-stop flights to Sao Paolo three times a week.

Construction Begins On Dubai’s Largest Mosque

Up to 25 per cent of the construction work on the Khalifa Al Tajer Mosque has been completed.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Repays Govt Funds In Full

The lender has repaid the remaining Dhs2.6 billion of a Dhs6.6 billion loan facility it borrowed from the government.

Bahrain Budget Deficit Widens To $601m In 2012

The deficit was lower than the BD1.33 billion initially foreseen and is equivalent to two per cent of GDP.

UAE’s Taqa Takes Over BP’s Harding Field In North Sea

The move was part of an acquisition of BP assets in the North Sea agreed in 2011.

Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding Sells $40m Mauritius Hotel Stake

The Saudi company sold its stake to Hawaii-based Outrigger Hotels and Resorts.

Saudi And Egypt Sign $1.6bn Deal To Link Power Grids

The project will allow both countries to share power of up to 3,000 megawatts.

Dubai’s ENOC Cuts Diesel Price

Emirates National Oil Co (ENOC) has cut the retail price to Dhs3.50 a litre.

Dubai’s Property Sector Goes Back To The Future?

Has Dubai learned its lesson from the property slump that saw prices drop almost 60 per cent five years ago?

Dusit Residence And Suites Doha Opening Late 2013

High-rise property in West Bay will further stoke competition in the city’s hospitality sector

Qatar Hires Managers For First World Cup Stadium

Regional firm KEO International has been appointed project manager and LA-based Aecom Technology Corp was named as design consultant.

Kuwait’s Burgan Gets Approval For Stake Buy In Maltese Bank

The lender has received regulatory approval to buy a 25 per cent stake in Malta’s Fimbank.

UAE Among Top 10 Most Competitive Nations In The World

The nation moved up eight spots on IMD’s annual world competitiveness ranking.

Etihad Raising ME And Subcontinental Services

Extra flights to Amman, Cairo, Islamabad and Muscat this summer are designed to improve network-wide connectivity.

Jeddah’s Islamic Development Bank Sells $1bn Sukuk

The senior, unsecured notes priced at a profit rate of 1.535 per cent, arranging banks said.

UBP Snaps Up Lloyds International Private Banking Arm

Lloyds also said on Wednesday that it would close its business in Dubai and intended to withdraw from South Africa.

UAE Revives Plans To Build Currency Mint

The UAE’s currency, the dirham, is currently printed overseas in countries such as the UK and France.

Bomb Injures Seven Policemen In Bahrain

At least four other policemen were less seriously hurt in the attack in Bani Jamra village.

Top 10: Dubai’s Weirdest Guinness World Records

Dubai likes to set records, which is why Guinness World Records is opening an office in the city. Time to celebrate some of Dubai’s stranger world records.

Oman Considers Dollar Bond Issue In 2014 – Central Bank

The non-OPEC oil exporter’s only previous international bond was a $225 million Eurobond sold in March 1997.

Tom & Jerry, Batman Perfumes To Hit UAE Shelves

Warner Bros licenses regional operator to market the themed fragrances in the Middle East.

Emirates Secures $160m Sponsorship Deal With Real Madrid

The new four-year deal promotes the Dubai-based carrier to main shirt sponsor of the club from the 2013/14 season.