Mohamed Alabbar to acquire stake in YNAP from Richemont

Emaar Plans Dubai, London Listing For Retail Unit

Dubai’s largest listed property developer has said it would list 25 per cent of its shopping malls and retail unit.

Kuwait’s Gulf Bank Names Cesar Gonzalez-Bueno New CEO

Bueno replaces Michel Accad who resigned in October last year.

Middle Eastern Property Investors Turn West As Regional Instability Continues

London remained the favourite Western destination for regional real estate investors.

Coutts Exec Dugan Resigns To Join NBAD As CIO -Sources

Prior to joining Coutts, Dugan was CIO of Dubai’s Emirates NBD.

Pakistan Central Bank Blocks Kuwait’s Noor From Selling Meezan Bank Stake

Pakistan’s central bank stated the prospective buyer had not met its standards for suitability.

Saudi Arabia’s Food Inflation Rate Drops To 4.6% In February

Saudi Arabia’s food inflation rate in February was the lowest since November 2012.

Saudi C.Bank: China Yuan Good Diversifier, But Far From Reserve Currency

Saudi Arabia’s central bank reserves, the vast majority of which are believed to be in U.S. dollars, grew to a record $718 billion in January.

UAE, Abu Dhabi Extend $20bn Of Dubai Debt

The debt is being rolled over for five years at a one per cent annual interest rate, WAM said in an official statement.

Majority Of UAE Firms To Hire 10 Staff Over Next Three Months

Receptionists, accountants and human resource professionals are the most sought after groups among the employers in the UAE.

Saudi C.Bank Gov Says Rates Reasonable, No Impact From Fed

Saudi Arabia, which pegs its riyal currency to the U.S. dollar, has kept its repo rate at 2.0 per cent since January 2009.

Saudi 2014 Economic Growth Of 4.4% Achievable – Central Bank Governor

Saudi Arabia’s central bank governor said that he expected the private sector to drive growth in the Kingdom.

Emaar Plans $2.5bn Listing Of Shopping Mall Unit

The proceeds “will be primarily distributed as dividend” to Emaar shareholders, the firm said.

New York Takes London’s Crown As World’s Top Financial Centre

Qatar, Dubai and Riyadh ranked 26, 29 and 31 respectively on the Global Financial Centres Index.

UAE’s ADCB To Buy Back Further Shares In 2014 – CEO

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank bought back seven per cent of its shares last year after it secured approval for a 10 per cent buyback.

Oman Central Bank Says No Quick Introduction Of Islamic Instruments

The need for Islamic interbank tools is relatively acute in Oman because its Islamic banking regulations prohibit the use of commodity murabaha.

Kuwait Central Bank Sees GDP Growth Of Up To 3.5% In 2014

Kuwait also expects its ratio of non-performing loans to decline in 2014.

Sharjah Ruler Approves 7% Rise In Government Spending In 2014

Public sector wages and operating costs have driven up Sharjah’s government spending in 2014.

Gulf Arab Rift Has No Effect On Central Bankers Meet -Kuwait

Kuwait’s central bank governor said the dispute had not marred relations between his counterparts from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Saudi Arabia To Name And Shame Corrupt Officials

The Shoura Council has also asked the Kingdom’s anti-corruption agency to provide a report on the graft situation in the country.

Abu Dhabi’s Inflation Rises 2.1% In 2014

Housing, water and electricity costs rose 1.5 per cent in the last two months and were the largest contributors to the overall increase in the consumer price index.

Oman Central Bank Tells Lenders To Avoid Conflicts Of Interest

The move coincides with a wide-ranging government crackdown on corruption.

UAE’S Emirates REIT To Raise At Least $135m In Dubai IPO

The company plans to use the proceeds for possible future acquisitions and investment in existing assets.

UAE’s First REIT To Announce IPO On Nasdaq Dubai

Emirates REIT, which was formed in 2010, has eight properties valued at over Dhs1.1 billion.

UAE’s NBAD Picks Banks For Five-Year Aussie Bond-IFR

The lender has picked ANZ, Citigroup, HSBC and itself to arrange the Kangaroo bond.

Kuwait Budget Spending Up 8% Year-On-Year In April-Jan

The International Monetary Fund warned Kuwait in December to restrain the rising public sector wage bill and subsidies.

Qatar’s Doha Insurance To Launch $120m Rights Issue March 17

Doha Insurance has said the capital boost would increase financial solvency and improve its credit rating.

New CEO Of Kuwait’s NBK Backs Bank’s Regional Strategy

NBK’s Islamic banking business has helped to boost profits, the executive said.

Qatar’s Barwa Bank Names Subeai As Acting CEO

Khalid Yousef al-Subeai was previously CEO of The First Investor, Barwa’s wholly-owned investment banking unit.

Qatar May Face Higher Costs Of Hiring Foreign Workers – IMF

The publicity about deaths of migrant construction workers in Qatar could affect the availability and cost of hiring new workers, said the fund.

Caution May Return On Ukraine-Russia Crisis, Egypt Clashes Could Weigh

Regional shares were dampened last week due to the Ukrainian crisis but recovered lost ground as the situation seemed to have calmed.