ADCB To Buy $122.5m SME Loan Portfolio From Mubadala GE

The portfolio, which comprises loans to SMEs in the UAE, will strengthen the bank’s position in the sector.

Saudi’s Khodari Q1 Net Up On Auction But Operating Profit Plunges

The firm’s operating profit fell 96 per cent partly due to reforms in Saudi Arabia’s labour market.

Saudi Savola Group Q1 Profit Rises 43%

The company made a profit of 423 million riyals in the first three months of 2014, up from 295 million riyals in the year-earlier period.

Nakheel Awards Dhs47m Contracts For Deira Islands Project

The developer has appointed AE7 for design, supervision, architectural and engineering services.

Saudi SABIC Profit Slips In Q1, CEO Says Must Expand Abroad

SABIC made a net profit of 6.44 billion riyals ($1.72 billion) between January and March compared to 6.56 billion riyals a year earlier.

National Bank Of Oman Q1 Profit Rises 20%

The bank made a profit of $26.75 million in the first three months of 2014, according to a statement in Oman bourse.

Kuwait Finance House Q1 Profit Rises But Misses Estimates

Net profit rose to 26.06 million dinars in the first three months of 2014 from 23 million dinars in the same period a year ago.

Two Killed In Bahrain Car Explosion – Interior Ministry

The ministry said on its Twitter account the explosion was in the mostly Shi’ite village of al-Maqshaa’, outside of the capital Manama.

China Says To Help Qatar Central Bank Buy Chinese Bonds

This is the latest step to widen foreign access to Chinese capital markets.

Gulf Arab States Agree On Measures To Heal Internal Rift

GCC foreign ministers met in Riyadh for a comprehensive review of measures used to implement foreign and security policies.

Nuclear Power: Boon Or Bane For The GCC?

As the UAE and Saudi race to build nuclear reactors to meet mounting energy needs, the inevitable question arises – is nuclear a viable option?

Majority Of UAE Parents Fund Children’s Education Through Current Income

The study found that the majority of parents in the UAE were financially ill prepared for their children’s education.

Etihad Toughens Stance On Alitalia Deal But Talks Continue-Sources

The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad has been looking at Alitalia’s books for a possible investment since the start of the year.

Emirates To Cut 41 Flights During Dubai Airport Runway Upgrade

The 80-day renovation programme at the airport will begin on May 1.

Saudi Conservatives Protest Against Westernisation

Dozens of local men were found demonstrating in front of the court against social reforms in the Kingdom.

Abu Dhabi’s Mega Industrial Zone Kizad Completes Phase One Of Logistics Park

Kizad said that around 83 per cent of the logistics park has been pre-leased to a number of local and international firms.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala 2013 Profit Jumps On Financial Investments

Mubadala, which has stakes in GE and private equity firm Carlyle, saw net profit tripling over the last year.

Expert Warns Dubai To Regulate Off-Plan Property Market

Rising volumes of cash transactions and off–plan sales could inflate prices to 2008 levels, an expert has said.

Saudi’s Dar Al Arkan Q1 Net Profit Rises 4.3%

The property developer said the net profit hike was mainly due to increased sales of developed properties at higher gross margins.

Saudi PetroRabigh Says Unit Shutdown Extended To April 25

The firm estimated financial loss due to the outage to amount to around SAR214 million.

Saudi Retailer Jarir Says Board Recommends SAR1.83 Q1 Dividend

The figure is slightly higher than the SAR1.60 per share that the firm paid in the corresponding period of 2013

Exclusive: No Negative Feedback From Tourism Dirham: Dubai Tourism Chief

The new charge, varying between Dhs7 and Dhs20, was introduced on March 31 and is applicable per room per night across hotels in Dubai.

Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank Considers Sale Or Merger

The deal, estimated to be worth $5 billion, would be the largest banking transaction in the region for the past 20 years.

Saudi Authorities Detain Activist After Court Appearance

Waleed Abu al-Khair has been charged with breaking allegiance to King Abdullah, disrespecting authorities and inciting public opinion.

Google Misses Revenue Target, Ad Prices Slide

The average “cost per click” declined nine per cent, as mobile advertising make up a bigger slice of its business.

Qatar Islamic Bank Posts 15% Q1 Net Profit Increase

The bank made a net profit of $92 million in the opening three months of 2014.

Dubai Rental Growth To Continue In 2014

Residential rental growth is expected to continue until there is adequate supply in the market.

Abu Dhabi’s TAQA Begins Storing Gas At New Bergermeer Facility

TAQA has invested in Bergermeer storage facility alongside Dutch energy company EBN.

HSBC Bank Oman Says Agrees Indian Business Sale To Qatar’s Doha Bank

The deal is due to be completed in the second half of 2014, a statement said.

Langham Plans Dubai Palm Jumeirah Hotel For 2015

Luxury Hong Kong-based hotel company makes its first foray into the Middle East and chooses Dubai as the first resort in its global collection.