Saudi Aramco’s first-half net income falls 12%

The company said the drop in earnings was mainly due to a drop of 4 per cent in the average realised price of crude oil

Saudi King meets Yemen’s President Hadi in Mina

The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Yemen

SAUDI-CONFLICT-YEMEN-COALITION

Saudi intercepts another Houthi drone fired towards kingdom

Last week, Saudi forces intercepted drones heading towards “civilian airports” in the kingdom

Dubai airport posts 5.6% drop in H1 traffic due to runway closure

The airport retained its position as the world’s largest for international passenger traffic

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad partners with Swiss blockchain platform Winding Tree

Several airlines and hotels that have partnered with Winding Tree to bypass intermediaries using the distributed ledger technology

Saudia begins operating daily flights from new Jeddah airport to Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi was one of Saudia’s first international destinations from Jeddah’s new airport

Video: Nearly 2.5 million Muslims perform Hajj in Saudi

The five-day ritual is a religious duty to be performed once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it

UAE urges for calm in Yemen’s Aden

Clashes have broken out between the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and forces loyal to the Yemeni President in Aden

In pictures: UAE leaders perform Eid prayers

Rulers also receive well-wishers on the occasion of Eid Al Adha

A strong call for de-escalation in the region

With the possibility of further conflict with Iran looming, GCC states have urged for a diplomatic solution

Growing pull towards entrepreneurship in the UAE

A recent survey suggests that almost seven out of 10 employees want to start their own companies despite concerns over procuring finances

social media

Social space: A roundup of all the social media news from across the GCC

Fadi Khater, founder and managing partner of digital marketing agency Netizency, provides an overview of social media trends in the region

Iran meeting to decide fate of oil deal

Saudi Arabia plans to keep Aug-Sept oil exports below 7 million bpd

Saudi says it is committed to do whatever it takes to keep the market balanced next year

Saudi wealth fund PIF eyes investment in date producer Bateel

Bateel owns date groves in Al Ghat, about 250 km away from Riyadh, and has a chain of cafes and bakeries

Iraq hands over remains of 48 Kuwaiti citizens who vanished during the Gulf War

Kuwait says around 605 people, mostly Kuwaiti, went missing during the seven-month occupation and ensuing war

First international flights set to take-off from Jeddah’s new airport

Saudia will start daily flights to Abu Dhabi and Bahrain from the new airport on Friday

UAE issues travel advisory for Jammu and Kashmir, calls for peaceful dialogue

The advisory comes after the Indian government revoked Article 370 of its constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir

Five Bangladeshi expats have received gold card visas in the UAE so far

Two Bangladeshi businessmen from the same family and same company were the latest to receive the visas earlier this week

Aldar posts 7% rise in Q2 profit, says sentiment up for Abu Dhabi property market

The developer reported a net profit of Dhs476m for the second quarter

Motorists in Dubai to be excused for committing minor road offences

Dubai police is running a scheme under which motorists can have their traffic fines reduced or even completely waived off

UAE minister calls for calm in Yemen’s Aden after clashes break out

Clashes erupted between southern separatists and presidential guards in Aden on Wednesday

Saudi, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela agree to freeze oil output at Jan levels

China’s CNPC extends Oman oil production contract for 15 years

Production at the oilfield block reached 1.33 million tonnes in the first half of this year

Saudi Arabia to host world’s richest horse race in 2020

The Saudi Cup, which will be run over nine furlongs on dirt on Feb. 29, will award the winner $10m

Saudi, UAE send 540,000 tonnes of wheat to Sudan

The amount will cover basic food needs for three months

Bahrain, Manama, Cityscape view of Bahrain World Trade Center and Bahrain Financial Harbor

Bahrain’s Investcorp posts 5% rise in annual net profit

Investcorp is giving up its wholesale banking license in Bahrain to convert itself into a holding company

Sharjah announces free parking for Eid Al Adha

Public parking in the emirate will not be free on Arafat Day

Dubai businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor urges for end to Skype ban in UAE

The Dubai businessman also said reconsidering some of the fees will have a “positive impact on the economy”

Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC acquires stake in VTTI oil storage business

VTTI owns 15 terminals located at major hubs across 14 countries

Work progressing on mega Mall of Oman, says developer

The mall – expected to be one of the biggest in Oman – will open in March 2021

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to fly Dreamliners to Jakarta, Maldives

The airline’s two daily services from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta will be operated on a year-round basis by a two-class Boeing 787-9