Dubai Only City That “Deserves To Win Expo 2020”- Senior Official

The Expo 2020 winning bid will be announced in November this year.

Tax Breaks For Dubai’s Three And Four Star Hotels

The tax exemption, covering the 10 per cent municipality fee, will extend to applications over the next three years.

3,200 UAE Students Enrolled In UK Universities

The UAE’s booming private education sector has attracted many UK universities to setup affiliate campuses in Dubai.

Qatar GDP Growth Slows Marginally To 6% In Q2

GDP rose 0.6 per cent from the first quarter, according to the Ministry of Planning and Statistics.

Qatar First Bank Says CEO Mansour Resigns

Ahmad Mehsari from Qatar Islamic Bank will take over as the bank’s acting chief executive.

Egypt Received $7bn Of Promised $12bn In Gulf Aid

Egypt has received $3 billion from the UAE and $2 billion each from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

Abu Dhabi Airport Sees 18.5% Rise In August Passenger Traffic

Over 1.5 million passengers passed through the emirate’s airport in August.

GCC Capital Expenditure To Rise By 8.2% In 2013

GCC states’ expenditure on rail schemes, expansion of power generation plants and housing projects is expected to boost capital expenditure in 2013.

Saudi Cleric Says Women Who Drive Risk Damaging Their Ovaries

A campaign calling for women to defy the ban in a protest drive on October 26 has spread rapidly online.

Government Debts Affect Dubai’s Business Confidence

According to the IMF, Dubai’s total debt stands at $142 billion, or around 102 per cent of its GDP.

Etisalat-Vivendi’s Maroc Tel Stake Talks Extended

Vivendi in July entered into exclusive negotiations with Etisalat to sell its majority holding stake in Maroc Telecom for 3.9 billion euros in cash.

Bank Dhofar CEO Resigns Amid Merger Talks

Bank Dhofar has appointed Abdul Omar Al-Ojaili as its acting chief executive, replacing Anthony Mahoney.

Oman May Issue Sovereign, Islamic Bonds In 2014

Oman aims to develop its fledgling Islamic finance industry with a debut issue of sukuk by the government.

Egypt’s Transitional Government Phase To End By Spring

The Egyptian army ousted Mursi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, on July 3 after mass protests against his one-year rule.

UAE Moving Away From Cash-Based Society

A MasterCard study has found the UAE has one of the fastest changing payments systems.

UAE’s Food Imports From Victoria Up 66%

Major food exports from the Australian state include dairy, meat, fresh fruit and vegetables

UAE’s First REIT Plans IPO On Nasdaq Dubai

Emirates REIT, formed in 2010, has income-generating assets worth 770 million dirhams.

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Arab Monetary Fund In $117m Loan To Jordan

Jordan was hit by a financial crisis last year as foreign aid fell and welfare payments soared.

Emirates Has “Work To Do” On Boeing 777X Price Negotiation

Emirates is the largest operator of Boeing’s twin-engined 777 jetliner and is looking at a more fuel efficient version to introduce around 2020.

Majid Al Futtaim Waits For Stability In Egypt, Syria

MAF had a Carrefour store in Aleppo shut down as a result of the violence in Syria.

Dubai Stock Investors Place World Expo Bets Ahead Of Vote

Dubai is competing with Izmir in Turkey, Sao Paulo in Brazil and Yekaterinburg in Russia for the right to host the 2020 world’s fair.

Review: Lenovo K900

The flagship smartphone from Lenovo is unwieldy, but takes great photos.

Qatar’s QEWC Signs $450m Finance Deal For Desalination Plant

The plant, when completed, will produce 10 per cent of the Gulf country’s water.

Saudi Has Most Attractive Tax Framework Among G20 Nations

Saudi imposes a particularly light tax burden on entrepreneurs as compared to its European counterparts, says Ernst &Young

Dubai, China Sonangol Sign MoU To Build Oil Refinery

Dubai-based Noor Investment Group will act as the financial advisor to Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy on the project

Mubadala’s H1 Profit Up 10.4% On Investment Gains

The Abu Dhabi fund said that profit attributable to equity owners for the first half of the year was Dhs1.1 billion.

Oman To Unveil Privatisation Plans In January

The government currently owns more than 60 companies across various sectors in the country.

NBA Champion Kobe Bryant To Open Health Business In Dubai

The LA Lakers’ player has received a tax-free trade license from the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).

Dubai Hikes Real Estate Fee To Fight Speculation

The registration fee charged for real estate transactions has been raised to four per cent from two per cent.

UAE’s Airport Retail Industry Rakes In Revenues

The UAE’s airport retail sector has benefitted heavily from increased passenger traffic in the country.