Saudi Arabia’s Almarai Q2 Net Profit Rises 8.8%

The company said rising costs had crimped its half-year profit due to a rising wage bill associated with localisation efforts.

Dubai Launches Project To Build World’s Biggest Mall

The eight million sq ft mall will be connected to a theme park, theatres, medical tourism facilities and 100 hotels and serviced apartments.

Nakheel Awards Dhs44m Contract For Al Furjan Community Centre

Construction is scheduled to begin in Q4 2014, and the centre is slated to open in March 2016.

GDF Suez Signs Agreement For $1.5bn Mirfa Project In Abu Dhabi

The french utility company signed a 25-year power and water purchase agreement with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company.

Bahraini Policeman Dies Of Bomb Blast Wounds – Ministry

The explosion occurred near the village of East Eker, south of the capital Manama.

Kuwait Warns Against Violent Protests

The government accused demonstrators of setting fire to tyres and garbage containers and destroying a restaurant last week.

Dubai World Repays $300m Early To Creditors – Sources

The payment came from the proceeds of asset sales completed by the firm and follows an initial sum of $284.5 million returned in March to creditors.

Bahraini Bank ABC To Raise $500m Loan, Picks Arrangers

The facility will pay an interest rate of 120 basis points above the London interbank offered rate (Libor).

Etihad Becomes Official Airline Of England Cricket Board

England’s national squads will fly with the UAE carrier and the airline will benefit from a range of commercial rights

Saudi Arabia Deploys 30,000 Soldiers To Border With Iraq – Al-Arabiya TV

Al Arabiya said that it had obtained a video showing Iraqi soldiers in Karabala after they quit their positions on the border.

Obama Discusses Iraq Threats With Saudi Arabian King Abdullah

U.S President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah agreed to consult closely on regional developments, the White House said.

Saudi Non-Oil Business Activity Accelerates In June – PMI

The seasonally adjusted SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers Index increased to 59.2 points last month from 57.0 points in May.

Dubai’s Shelf Drilling Cancels London IPO

The company said that it cancelled the IPO due to challenging public market conditions.

Dubai’s Arabtec Says Has Backing Of Key Investor After Shares Plunge

Arabtec chairman assured investors on Wednesday that Aabar still considered it a long-term investment and might even raise its stake in future.

Turkey’s Bank Asya, Qatar’s QIB End Talks Over Asya Stake Sale

The talks with QIB faltered after the banks failed to agree a price, the sources said.

India, Pakistan Among 64 Nations Soon To Get Visa-On Arrival In Bahrain

The Gulf state is planning to implement a new visa policy in 2015, under which nationals from 64 countries can receive one-month visas on arrival.

Nakheel Awards Contract For 8 Substations In Deira Islands

Engineering consultancies Green Energy and Energoprojekts will carry out design review and infrastructure site supervision services for the 132/11kv substations, the developer said.

UAE Regulator Says Arabtec Obeyed Disclosure Rules

The Securities and Commodities Authority clarified that it could not have suspended trading in Arabtec shares during their recent plunge.

GE Oil & Gas Opens New Facility In Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone

The new facility will further expand the company’s presence in the UAE.

Dubai’s DEWA Awards Dhs76m Contract For New Substation In Jumeirah

The 132/11kV substation is one of the projects that DEWA has launched to build the emirate’s power capacity.

Arabtec Says Has Aabar’s Backing, No Projects Scrapped

Aabar’s chairman says investors misunderstood the significance of the small reduction of its stake in Arabtec.

Dubai Records World’s Strongest Prime Rental Rise in Q1, 2014

Prime rents in the city rose six per cent in Q1, and are up 16.4 per cent year-on -year, the report found.

Stock News: Dubai Ends Up 7.9% As Arabtec Continues Surge

Dubai’s main index posted its biggest daily rise since last September, while Arabtec surged its 15 per cent daily limit.

Foreign Investors Sold Stocks Worth Dhs15.1bn On Dubai’s Index In June

Net foreign investment in-flow reached Dhs2.1 billion last month despite market volatility, DFM said.

Dubai’s Amlak Proposes New Restructuring Deal For $2.7bn Debt

The sharia-compliant mortgage lender proposed in June to make an initial down-payment of 20 per cent while the remaining debt will be paid over 12 years.

Saudi Aramco Unit Ups Stake In S-Oil In $1.95bn Deal

The purchase will increase AOC’s ownership of S-Oil to 63.4 per cent from 34.99 per cent, AOC said in a statement.

Qatar Airways Launches Daily Non-Stop Flights To Dallas/Fort Worth

The new service is estimated to add around $200 million annually to the US destination’s economy.

Mall Of Egypt On Track To Open In Jan 2016 – MAF Properties CEO

Political unrest in Egypt is not affecting work on the mall, confirms George Kostas, CEO of UAE-based retailer Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

Stock News: Arabtec Surges On Hopes For Govt Intervention, Lifts Dubai

Dubai’s main index is up 3.1 per cent while Arabtec jumps 8.7 per cent ahead of a briefing scheduled for after the close on Wednesday.

Qatar’s CBQ To Buy Out Public Shares, Then Delist Turkey’s Alternatifbank

The second-largest lender in Qatar bought a 74.25 per cent stake in the Turkish bank last year.