Bahrain Clarifies Basel III Capital Rules, Eyes 2015 Rollout

Bahrain’s decision could influence regulators in other Gulf states such as the UAE and Qatar that have not yet clarified their stance.

UAE’s TRA Rejects Over 134,000 Mobile Number Switch Requests

Out of 190,185 mobile number porting requests received, only 55,555 were successfully transferred, the UAE’s telecom regulator said.

Hikma Buys Boehringer Injectable Drugs Business For Up To $300m

Hikma has also entered into an exclusivity arrangement with Boehringer to potentially acquire all of the assets of the Ben Venue manufacturing facility in Bedford, Ohio.

Qatar Airways Launches Edinburgh Flights

Scottish passengers and companies now have better access to Asian and Australasian markets

Emirates To Start A380 Mumbai Services In July

The Dubai carrier will also deploy larger Boeing 777 aircraft to Delhi and Hyderabad

Qatar’s RasGas Signs Deal With E.ON To Supply LNG To The UK

The three-year contract has the potential to supply up to around two billion cubic meters over its term.

Etisalat’s Tanzania Telecoms Business Defaults On $96m Loan

Zanzibar Telecom, which uses the brand name Zantel, has struggled against larger rivals Vodacom and Bharti Airtel.

Saudi Court Sentences Man To Death For Sedition

This is the second time in a week that the death penalty has been imposed on a man involved in unrest in Qatif.

UAE Regulator Approves Samena’s Acquisition Of RAK Ceramics Stake

The regulator also granted Samena a waiver in relation to the price it was paying for the RAK Ceramics shares.

Drake & Scull Wins Dhs110m Contract For Abu Dhabi’s Plaza View

The Dubai-based contractor will provide MEP services for the Plaza View project, a mixed-use development.

LG Launches New G3 Smartphone

The lightweight phone features a 5.5-inch quad HD display and a 13MP rear camera.

Dubai’s DIFC Sets Up Dispute Settlement Authority

The move is in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021, which calls for an effective dispute settlement mechanism to attract more business to the region.

Egyptians Slow To Vote On Extra Day To Shore Up Sisi

Former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi faces only one rival – leftist Hamdeen Sabahi.

Australian Apple Users Report Cyber Attack

Cyber attackers have reportedly locked Australian users’ smartphones and demanded payment in return for unlocking them.

Nakheel Awards Dhs160m Construction Contract For Ibn Battuta Hotel

The 372-room hotel is part of the developer’s 28,000 square metre expansion of the Ibn Battuta mall complex.

Qatar Airways Delays A380 London Heathrow Launch

Airline’s website shows double-decker’s launch has been put back until July 1

Exclusive: Hotel Star Rating System Obsolete, Says Starwood CEO

Brand was already more important than star rating up to a decade ago, according to Starwood’s president and CEO.

Google Building Self-Driving Cars With No Driver Seat, Steering Wheels

Google aims to build up to 200 such cars in the near term.

Nearly 400 million Twitter Users Estimated By 2018

The figure is far short of the one billion expected.

Luxury Hotel Chain Bulgari Partners With Meraas To Debut In Dubai

The Bulgari Hotel, located off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Road, will comprise 100 rooms and suites.

Pictures: Qatar Airways Begins Operations From New Doha Airport

Qatar’s national airline shifted operations to the much-delayed Hamad International Airport in Doha on May 27.

Internet Users In the Middle East To Reach 197m by 2017

Internet penetration will increase to 51 per cent from 32 per cent in 2012.

DEWA Starts Work On Dhs170m Water Project

The project is intended to increase the quantity of water flow and ensure continuity of supply for current and future projects in Dubai.

Vodafone Qatar Q4 Loss Narrows As Customer Base Expands

Vodafone made an annual loss of QAR246 million in the 12 months to March 31.

Pace Of New MERS Infections In Saudi Arabia Slows To Four A Day

In the first two weeks of the month, the daily number of new cases in Saudi Arabia averaged nearly 11, but since May 14 the average number of new infections has slowed.

Nakheel Awards Dhs1.2bn Construction Contract For Nakheel Mall

UAE contractors United Engineering Construction and Actco General Contracting Company win contract to build the new complex, located in Palm Jumeirah.

UAE Etisalat Picks Banks Ahead Of Potential Bond Issue – Statement

A separate document from lead arrangers showed Etisalat chose Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland to arrange the offering.

Dubai Airports: Passenger Traffic Up, Runway Upgrade “Ahead Of Schedule”

Passenger traffic through Dubai’s main airport reached 6.16 million in April, the airport operator said.

Officials Declare UAE Hospitals As MERS Free

Most of MERS cases in the UAE were found in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, according to official reports.

UAE’s Etisalat Sees Fixed-Line Telecom Competition By Year-End -Document

Etisalat and rival du have been unable to reach an agreement over network-sharing in the UAE despite beginning talks in 2009.