Nakheel 2013 Profit Up 27%; Plans Dhs6-8bn New Projects In 2014

The developer attributed the profit rise to the timely completion of projects and the handing over of finished units to customers.

Saudi’s Almarai Posts Marginal Q4 Net Profit Gain

Net earnings in the three months to December 31 were 373.3 million riyals, up 1.2 per cent on the same period a year earlier.

Saudi’s Al Rajhi Bank Halves H2 Dividend After Q4 Profit Drop

Al Rajhi reported a 19.1 per cent drop in fourth-quarter net profit.

Dubai’s Real Estate Deals Hit Dhs236bn In 2013

The number of deals in Dubai rose 53 per cent from 2012, reaching a total of 63,652, according to the land department.

Chronic Wealth Gap Biggest Global Risk – WEF

A World Economic Forum report finds the gap between incomes is the biggest global risk, followed by extreme weather and unemployment.

SABIC’s Q4 Profit Up 5.7%, Below Forecasts

SABIC earned 6.16 billion riyals in the quarter, not the 6.58 billion analysts predicted.

Investcorp Sells UK-based TDX Group to Equifax for $327m

TDX is the UK’s largest debt placement services and debt management platform company.

Israeli Minister To Lead Delegation To Abu Dhabi Energy Summit

The Israeli delegation will be the first at government level to visit the UAE since the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.

OPEC Outages Cut Its Oil Output To Below 2014 Demand

OPEC sees fast growth in 2014 of 3.5 per cent, up from 2.9 per cent in 2013 as monetary stimulus continues.

Qatar Airways To Launch Saudi Operations By Q3

Saudi Arabia started opening up its aviation market in 2012 by awarding additional carrier licenses.

Emirates Starts Daily Kiev Services

Ukraine-UAE inbound market set to double.

MENA Green Energy On The Rise

With local energy demand surging, green power is rapidly gaining traction.

Dubai Launches Entrepreneurship Academy

The academy aims to equip entrepreneurs with practical skills and knowledge they need to become future businesspeople.

UAE Attracts Top Talent Ahead Of Expo 2020

Around 49,000 LinkedIn members have moved to the UAE in the last 12 months.

Dubai Group Signs $10bn Debt Restructuring Deal

Ahmed al-Qassim was appointed chief executive of Dubai Group last week.

New Saudi Airline In $2bn Deal For Bombardier Planes

Bombardier has so far seen slow orders for the CSeries after several months of development delays.

Nakheel Appoints Halcrow To Design New Palm Attraction

The new project, called The Boardwalk, will run across the whole of the existing crescent with a pier at either end.

Top 10 Safest Airlines In The World

Nervous flyer? Fear no more. Fly with one of these airlines to (almost) guarantee your safety.

UAE To Attract $14.4bn FDI In 2014

The UAE attracted FDIs worth $12 billion in 2013 owing to increased government spending and resurgence in some service sectors.

Jaguar Land Rover MENA Up 46% In Record Year

Land Rover sales in the region were up 49 per cent on the previous year while Jaguar saw a rise of 30 per cent.

Saudi-Qatar Rivalry Divides Syrian Opposition

Syrian National Coalition is expected to decide this week whether to take part in the Geneva-2 conference in Switzerland.

Qatar’s Masraf Al Rayan Buys Islamic Bank Of Britain

IBB was majority-owned by another Qatari lender, Qatar International Islamic Bank.

Qatar Holding Deal Maker Fakhroo Leaves For Govt-Linked Role

Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo, a Qatari national and a director at the fund’s mergers and acquisitions team, left late last year.

Qatar’s Delayed Hamad International Airport To Open Mid-2014

The airport’s passenger terminal will be opened with a larger-than-planned capacity of 30 million.

Middle East Faces Oil Challenges From Shale And Within – BP

Middle East energy use will grow by 77 per cent by 2035, double the increase in production.

Bahrain Crown Prince Meets Opposition On Ending Political Deadlock

Reconciliation talks were suspended last week in a setback for efforts to stabilise the country.

UAE Salmon Farms: A Big Catch

An Abu Dhabi company plans to bring the region’s first ever salmon farm to the capital.

MENA IPOs Raise $726.2m In Q4 2013

IPOs in the MENA region recorded a 133 per cent increase in terms of volume and 114 per cent increase in terms of value compared to Q4 2012.

Etisalat Hires Standard Bank For Nigeria Tower Sale

Etisalat Nigeria could raise $400 million by selling its transmitter towers.

Lenovo Launches First LTE Smartphone, Vibe Z, In UAE

The phone, priced at Dhs1999, will be available in the country by the end of February.