Etihad Close To Buying Stake In India’s Jet Airways

The Abu Dhabi-based airline is in final stages to acquire a part of the Indian carrier, say sources.

Banking Special: Assets And Profits Soar In Qatar

High oil and gas prices and a large-scale infrastructure programme buttressed Qatar’s banking sector in 2012.

Oman To Create 20,000 Govt Jobs This Year- Minister

The government spent $780 million to create 36,000 jobs for Omanis last year.

UAE’s New Mortgage Rule Will Deter Property Investors – Experts

The UAE central bank recently issued a ruling to limit home loans to foreigners at 50 per cent of the property’s value.

Concourse A Opens At Dubai International

EK003, which took off at 1439 from Dubai to London Heathrow, became Concourse A’s first flight.

Qtel Buys Further $360m Stake In Tunisian Telco

Qatar telecom, along with its Kuwaiti arm Wataniya, now owns a 90 per cent stake in Tunisiana.

TAQA Buys 53.2% Stake In Iraqi Kurdistan Oil Block For $600m

Abu Dhabi National Energy Co(TAQA) confirmed that production was expected to begin in 2013.

Qatar Airways Rebuts LDI Denials

German Emirati joint venture company Lindner Depa Interiors (LDI) denied delaying the opening of the New Doha International Airport.

Saudi PetroRabigh Refinery Halted For 20 Days

A power cut on Saturday has forced the refinery to stop all operations.

Oman Boosts 2013 Spending To $33.5bn

Spending on education, health, housing and social welfare has been boosted by 22 per cent in this year’s budget.

Banking Special: Stable Times For The UAE

The UAE is well capitalised but banking asset quality remains a concern.

Expats Who Bounce Cheques No Longer Risk Prison In UAE

UAE courts have stopped sentencing debt defaulters to prison since last month, say reports.

Oman Awards $108.5m Airport Contract To US Firm

The sultanate is expanding the Muscat airport’s terminal building and the airfield.

Saudi To Develop Midyan Gas Field In 2013

Saudi oil minister Ali Naimi confirms that the natural gas field will start production within “short period.”

Abu Dhabi Foreign Trade Up 37.6% In 2011

Exports rose 38.5 per cent to Dhs416 billion, driven by a rise in oil prices.

Dubai Approves New Budget; Spending Set At Dhs34.1bn

Government expenditure is up six per cent from 2012, while revenues are forecast to rise 7.8 per cent in 2013.

Banking Special: Robust Performance In Saudi

Saudi’s behemoth banks were flush with capital in 2012.

Nakheel Awards $136m In Contracts For Villa Project

Arabtec and SS Lootah have been awarded the contracts for the Dubai developer’s Jumeirah Park development.

Germany, Saudi Close To Signing 100m Euro Arms Deal

Reports say the Kingdom wants to buy 100 of the Dingo armoured vehicles over the longer term.

Saudi Arabia To Issue Bonds For Jeddah, Riyadh Airports

The Kingdom’s aviation authority launched its first sukuk in 2012 and raised SAR15 billion to fund the Jeddah airport development.

Etihad Exceeds 2012 Target; Carries Over 10m People

The Abu Dhabi airline is set to achieve a 22 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers.

Qatari Growth Slows As Energy Sector Sluggish

The Gulf state’s real GDP rose 3.9 per cent in the third quarter of the year, according to official data.

UAE Central Bank Limits Home Loans To Foreigners

Foreigners buying real estate in the UAE can now only get a loan for up to 50 per cent of the property’s value, say sources.

Emirates Gears Up for Double Daily A380s to New York and Paris

The expansion dovetails with the opening of Concourse A, the world’s first purpose-built A380 concourse, at Dubai International Airport in January

Saudi Arabia’s 2012 Budget Surplus At Record 14.2% Of GDP

2013 revenue projected at a conservative SAR829 bn, according to Emirates NBD, as spending on education and healthcare to increase.

Emirates And CAE Investment Tops $260 million

The Emirates CAE Flight Training Centre services over 200 aviation clients and trains more than 10,000 pilots and technicians a year

Kuwait Inflation To Keep Falling In 2013

The Gulf state’s inflation rate will slow to 4.1 per cent next year, says central bank chief.

Saudi Arabia Sets Record Budget For 2013

The government plans to spend $219 billion in 2013, 19 per cent higher than the amount budgeted for 2012.

New Airline Operating Licences In Saudi May Take 3-6 Months

Qatar Airways and Bahrain’s Gulf Air have become the first foreign airlines to obtain carrier licences in the Kingdom.

Qatar Airways Sues German Emirati JV For $600m

Airline claims Lindner Depa Interiors was to build 19 airport lounges at New Doha International Airport by the summer “but failed to complete the project on time”