Saudi Arabia To Reopen Baghdad Embassy After 25-year Chill

Saudi Arabia closed its Baghdad embassy in 1990 after the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

Fog Causes Severe Disruption At Abu Dhabi Airport -Etihad Airways

The airport was closed for a little more than an hour from 2.30am local time on Saturday, Etihad said.

Dubai Says To Lift Spending 9% And End Deficit In 2015 Budget

Spending this year is projected at about Dhs41 billion ($11.2 billion), up from Dhs37.88 billion in the original budget for 2014, according to state news agency WAM.

Saudi King Needed Help Breathing Due To Pneumonia

A Saudi source familiar with the affairs of the royal family said the king would most likely stay in hospital for another week.

Bahrain Denounces Interference After Washington Criticises Arrest

The U.S. State Department expressed concern over the detention of a senior opposition leader on Wednesday, saying it would further inflame tensions in the country.

Saudi Arabia Captures Shi’ites Suspected Of Instigating Unrest

The man was one of 23 men wanted by Saudi authorities, who accuse them of serving the agenda of a foreign power.

Saudi Aramco Halts Ras Tanura Clean Fuels Project

The energy project appears to be one of the first suspended in Saudi Arabia in response to the halving of the oil price in the last six months.

Oman 2015 Budget Raises State Spending At Expense Of Big Deficit

Government expenditure this year is estimated at OMR14.1 billion ($36.6 billion), up 4.5 per cent from last year’s original plan, the ministry said.

Anantara Opens New Luxury Island Resort In Doha

Banana Island Resort Doha is the group’s first property in Qatar.

Qatar Airways Flight Makes Unscheduled Landing Due To Unruly Passenger

The airport had earlier said the flight, which was headed to Doha, was diverted due to a minor medical issue.

U.S. Concerned Over Detention Of Bahraini Opposition Leader

The U.S. State Department said that it was concerned that an arrest of such a senior leader could inflame tensions in the country.

Dubai’s Emaar Eyes Strong Growth As It Revamps Organisational Structure

Under the new structure, the company will focus on carrying out professional project management, ensure timely delivery of all projects and improve its customer service.

Oman Postpones 2015 State Budget Announcement

A news conference on the budget was scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. local time.

Emaar Properties Names Amit Jain As Group COO

Jain was previously executive director of finance and group chief financial officer at Emaar, according to the company’s website.

Saudi King Undergoing Medical Tests In Riyadh Hospital

The monarch, who took power in 2005 after the death of King Fahd, has undergone surgery in the past few years related to a herniated disc.

Oman’s State Council Rejects Proposal To Tax Expat Remittances

The council said that such a tax would have a negative impact on the country’s investment prospects.

Stock News: Gulf Markets Mixed In Thin Trade

Dubai’s stock index edged up 0.5 per cent in relatively thin trade while Abu Dhabi’s bourse was up 1.6 per cent.

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.

Clashes Erupt Outside House Of Detained Bahraini Opposition Leader

Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the al-Wefaq Islamic Society, was arrested on Sunday after leading a protest rally against last month’s elections.

Top 10 New Year Eve Parties In Dubai

As the countdown to 2015 begins, Gulf Business rounds up a list of new year’s eve parties that are creating a buzz.

Dubai Shares Drop Most In World As Gulf Markets Slump On Oil

The DFM General Index tumbled 5.4 per cent, the steepest retreat since December 16.

Russia Turmoil Slows Traffic Growth At Dubai Airport

Passenger traffic related to Russia and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States plunged 18.2 per cent from a year earlier in November, Dubai Airports said.

ENOC Continues To Slash Diesel Price As Oil Drops

The fuel retailer has slashed the price of diesel by an additional 20 fils to Dhs3.10 per litre as of December 30.

Kuwait’s CBK Cuts Stake In Boubyan Bank To 17.7%

The identity of the buyer of CBK’s holding in Boubyan was not immediately clear.

Qatar Says Holders Of 32% Of Songbird’s Free Float Support Bid

Songbird’s management earlier this month said an offer from Qatar undervalued the London based-developer.

Saudi Sipchem Starts Testing $40m Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Plant

The start-up phase will involve testing equipment at the plant, which has annual production capacity of 4,000 tonnes, a statement said.

Saudi Arabia Denies Rumours About Public Wage Cuts

Unnamed government official denies comments on social media about the government mulling a reduction in public expenditure.

Saudi’s Riyad Bank Recommends H2 2014 Dividend

The bank said that it will give a dividend of 35 halalas per share, down from 80 halalas from the same period last year.

Ajman Ruler Approves Increased Spending In 2015 Budget

The 2015 budget is around 23.44 per cent larger than the previous year, a senior official said in a statement.