Bahrain’s Gulf Finance House Doubles Q4 Profit On Investment Revenue

The investment firm made a net profit of $5.2 million in the three months to December 31.

Bahraini Islamic Bank Al Baraka Q4 Net Income Climbs 23%

The Islamic lender recorded a net attributable profit of $32 million in the three months to December 31, 2013.

Emaar Launches New Luxury Apartment Complex At Dubai Hills Estate

Mulberry at Park Heights comprises of 330 apartments in close proximity to an 18-hole championship golf course.

Kuwait’s Burgan Bank Q4 Net Profit Slumps

The lender made a net profit of $8.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Nakheel Confirms Repayment Of Dhs2.35bn Bank Debt

The Dubai developer announced earlier this year that it would repay Dhs4 billion of its bank debt in 2014, ahead of maturity in September 2015.

Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel To Reopen In April After $50m Renovation

The hotel will offer 268 fully refurbished and brand new rooms and suites.

Abu Dhabi’s Al Khalidiyah Mall To Open New Samsung, Victoria’s Secret Stores

Al Khalidiyah Mall has launched a new 3D cinema and a bowling alley in addition to opening new international branded stores.

What Can We Expect At Mobile World Congress 2014?

Samsung is expected to launch the new Galaxy S5, while new releases can also be anticipated from HTC and LG.

Almost 40% Of Dubai Firms Plan To Hire In Q1 2014

Dubai’s service and manufacturing firms are the most optimistic about hiring, according to a DED survey.

Victoria State Courts Middle East and India Links

Trade missions designed to foster opportunities across food & beverage, agriculture, education, urban design, marine and fashion

UAE Has No Plans To Tax Individuals – Finance Minister

The country is mulling the imposition of tax on companies, Sheikh Hamdan cofirmed.

France’s AXA To Take Major Stake In UAE’s Green Crescent Insurance

The sizes of the stake and details of the nature of the alliance have not been disclosed.

Egypt’s Ousted Mursi Says Jail-Break Trial Is “Void”

Mursi and his Brotherhood comrades are charged with breaking out of jail during the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak.

Venus Williams Claims Dubai Tennis Championship

This is the American’s first singles title since 2012.

Tenants Become Investors As Abu Dhabi Engineers Property Rebound

Unlike Dubai, Abu Dhabi’s property market rebound appears to have been triggered by clever government intervention in the market.

Kuwait: In Recovery Mode

Profitability at Kuwait banks has improved and the economy is on the up, but the need for more government capital expenditure and diversification away from oil remain concerns.

Egypt Puts Three Al Jazeera Journalists On Trial

The journalists were put on trial on charges of aiding Egyptians belonging to a “terrorist organisation”.

61,000 UAE Mobile Users Request To Switch Operators – TRA

More than 23,000 mobile numbers have been switched so far, according to the TRA.

US Negotiator At Iran Talks Heads To Saudi Arabia, UAE

Under secretary for political affairs Wendy Sherman will travel to Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Jerusalem next week for consultations with respective governments.

Shell Sells Italian Retail Business To Kuwait Petroleum

Shell’s Italian retail network will be rebranded Q8 as part of the agreement, the company said.

Blackrock Says Cut Exposure To UAE Stocks On Signs Of Excess

The fund’s largest equity investments include Emaar Properties and London-listed UAE firm NMC Health.

Gulf Islamic Banks’ Extra Product Costs Shrinking, Study Finds

The cost gap for Gulf banks rated by S&P seems to be narrowing to as little as 30 basis points in the first half of 2013 from a high of 110 bps in 2009.

Oman’s Sale Of 19% Of Omantel To Start Next Week

The government will offload 142.5 million Omantel shares, reducing its holding to 51 per cent from 70 per cent.

Dubai Taxis To Accept Card Payments From February

An extra charge of Dhs2 will be levied on all credit and debit card payments while Nol card users will incur a Dhs1 charge.

Saudi Airlines Secures $1.9bn Loan To Fund Planes

The loan will finance the delivery of the next 17 aircraft on order for the carrier.

Emirates Plane Causes Scare In Melbourne After Smoke Emerges From Tyres

Engineers found the smoke to be the result of a common occurrence caused by a warm tyre, the airline said.

Private Equity And SWF Investments Rising In MENA

The region witnessed a strong rise in deal value and volume, aided by rising business confidence and improved liquidity.

Three Adagio Aparthotels Gear Up For UAE Launch

Accor is tapping into region-wide demand for long-stay accommodation

Bahrain’s Batelco To Take Control Of Kuwaiti Internet Firm

Batelco will buy 46 per cent of Qualitynet from Ali al-Ghanim & Sons for an undisclosed fee.

Saudi Telecom To Screen First-Day Movie Releases For TV Customers

At present Saudis must wait six to nine months after films are released in cinemas to watch them on local pay-television.