Hamad International Airport Takes Off

Ten airlines are now operating out of the $17 billion facility and all others will switch by May 27

Oman Telco Nawras Q1 Profit Rises 14%

The firm made a net profit of 8.8 million rials ($22.86 million) in the three months to March 31, a statement said.

Bahrain, Russia Sign Investment Deal Amid Western Sanctions

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said it had signed a deal with Bahraini sovereign wealth fund to identify and work together on investment opportunities in their countries.

Bahrain Jails Five For Plotting To Bomb 2013 F1 Race

Bahrain’s official news agency did not name the five but said they had confessed to the plot.

Abu Dhabi’s TAQA To Price $750m 10-Yr Bond Tues

The transaction was formally launched to price at 115 basis points over midswaps, a document from the lead banks said.

Emirates To Start Daily Brussels Flights

Dubai carrier targets premium business traffic to and from the EU capital

Dubai’s MAF Tightens Pricing Ahead Of $500m Bond Sale

High demand for the offering has helped MAF reduce the prospective cost of its borrowing.

$1bn New York University Abu Dhabi Construction Completed

The project was designed by award-winning architects Rafael Vinolycovers and developed by state-owned investment company Mubadala.

Unpatched OS Increasing Vulnerability of Saudi PC Users

Cyber security company Secunia found that 17.4 per cent of users had unpatched versions of WinXP, Win7, Win8 or Windows Vista.

Two Senior Bankers Leaving UAE Lender NBAD – Sources

NBAD, 70 per cent owned by the Abu Dhabi government, has been realigning its business under new chief executive Alex Thursby, who took charge last summer.

Etihad Inks Partnership Deal With Philippine Airlines

The agreement includes codesharing, frequent flyer reciprocity, airport lounge access, air pass agreements and cargo cooperation between two airlines.

King Abdullah Football Stadium To Open Thursday

The 60,000 seat venue has taken 14 months to construct.

UAE’s Agthia Reports 32% Net Profit Rise in Q1 2014

The company’s first quarter growth was mainly driven by higher net sales and an overall improvement in margins.

Oman Cement Q1 Net Profit Falls 47%

The company’s net profit fell to 3.70 million rials ($9.61 million) in the first quarter of the year compared to 6.94 million rials in the same period of 2013.

UAE Grants China Right To Develop Abu Dhabi Oil Fields

The UAE concession system allows oil producers to acquire equity in hydrocarbon resources from the country, with ADNOC usually holding a 60 per cent stake in each joint venture.

RAK Ceramics Says Major Shareholder To Sell 30.6% Stake

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi, a member of the ruling family of Ras Al Khaimah, has agreed to sell 250 million shares in the company, a bourse statement said.

Commercial Bank Of Qatar Q1 Net Profit Rises 8%

The bank earned a net profit of 548 million riyals ($150.5 million) for the opening three months of 2014.

MSCI To Cut Weights Of Some Qatar, UAE Stocks

The document said the weightings of eight stocks would be reduced “as they may pose accessibility issues to international institutional investors”.

Qatar’s Al Jazeera Files $150m Damages Claim With Egypt

The company filed a compensation claim on Monday for what it said was damage to its media business inflicted by Cairo’s military-backed rulers.

UAE Lender NBAD Warns Over Falling Margins As It Posts Flat Profit

NBAD’s chief executive said fierce competition combined with global interest rate pressure was starting to drive down the profitability of lending.

Emaar May List Malls Unit On Dubai Financial Market -Sources

Company officials previously said there might be a dual listing on Nasdaq Dubai, the smaller of the emirate’s two exchanges, and London.

Etihad Airways Urges Speedy Restructuring Of Air Berlin

The German airline had said last month it was in talks over certain options that prompted speculation that Etihad could gain more control over the carrier.

Dubai International Passenger Traffic Up 7.5% In March

The airport’s passenger traffic was boosted by the expanding networks of Emirates and flydubai, authorities said.

Emaar Launches ‘Skip The Line’ Scheme For Long Term Investors

The scheme allows long term investors and end users to purchase properties without pre-registration even on the launch day.

UAE Lender NBAD Q1 Net Profit Flat, Beats Estimates

The bank posted net profit of Dhs1.41 billion ($383.9 million) in the first three months of 2014.

Saudi Sets Up Expert Panel To Contain MERS Virus

Saudi Arabia has appointed 10 disease specialists to investigate the spread of the MERS virus and advise the government on future steps.

Dubai Expo 2020 Site Works To Be Completed By 2019- Committee

Dubai’s Expo 2020 Preparatory Committee will submit the mandatory registration dossier for the event in 2015, it was confirmed.

Dubai’s DP World Q1 Consolidated Container Volume Up 9.1%

The company handled 6.76 million twenty-foot equivalent units in the quarter, compared with 6.19 million TEU in the corresponding period of 2013.

Qatar Airways Launching A380 London Heathrow Services In June

Airline’s first superjumbo scheduled to take off from the new airport

UAE Cooling Firm Tabreed’s Q1 Net Profit Rises 22%

The Dubai-listed firm made a first-quarter net profit of Dhs58.24 million ($15.86 million) compared with Dhs47.84 million a year earlier.