Qatar Government Spending Growth Slows Sharply In 2012/13

Total state spending stood at QAR178.2 billion, slightly below the initial plan of QAR178.6 billion for the fiscal year ended in March.

32% Of UAE Firms ‘Definitely Hiring’ In Next 3 Months

The Bayt.com index survey found that 30 per cent of MENA companies are hiring in the next three months.

Qatar Airways To Launch Dreamliner On Indian Routes

The carrier will operate its Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet to Delhi and Bangalore from September 1.

Kuwait To Deport Nine Egyptians Protesting Against Cairo Crackdown

A security source said the nine were “prominent participants suspected of incitement and chanting hostile slogans”.

Saudi Electricity CEO Resigns, Aramco Executive To Replace Him

Ali bin Saleh Al-Barrak has been serving as the CEO of the utility since October 2006.

UAE Ranks Third Most Popular Hub For British Expats

Tumbling bonuses in the west and improved employment prospects in the UAE are attracting British expats to the country.

GCC Insurance Industry To Reach $40bn By 2017

The industry is growing because of increased business activity in the region.

Volkswagen ME Records Best Ever Month

The German automotive brand saw deliveries for its Passat model rise 415 per cent on last year.

Bahrain’s Investcorp Sells Skrill Group For $800m

Skrill, an online payment system in Europe, was sold to funds advised by CVC Capital Partners.

Yemen Says 18 Foreign Oil Firms Qualified To Bid For 20 Blocks

UAE-based Crescent Petroleum is one of the companies to bid for the onshore and offshore blocks.

Saudi Arabia Warns Against Pressing Egypt On Crackdown

Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal met French president Francois Hollande with both calling for fresh elections in Egypt.

Dubai’s Union Properties Shares Jump 11% On Trading

Emirates NBD, a majority stake-holder in UP, sold down its stake from around 48 per cent to around 31.4 per cent in the first half of this year.

Command The Skies: Flying An A380 Simulator

What’s it like for pilots and crew onboard an A380? Dominic Ellis popped into the Emirates Aviation Experience to find out.

Universities In Dubai Academic City Add New Courses As Demand Grows

The majority of students in Dubai-based universities are from the UAE, according to official data.

Former FA Chairman Suggests Re-Bidding Process For Qatar 2022 World Cup

David Bernstein, former chairman of the English Football Association said moving the event from summer to winter was not viable.

MENA Unemployment Rate Hit 19% In 2012, Highest In The World

Gallup’s annual ‘Payroll to Population’ survey finds that 56 per cent of the region’s population does not participate in the workforce.

Saudi’s Prince Alwaleed Fires Celebrity TV Preacher For Brotherhood Links

The prince said Tareq al-Suwaidan, who has more than 1.9 million Twitter followers, had identified himself as “one of the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood”.

Dubai Air Traffic To Almost Double By 2020

Dubai’s aircraft movements rose 7.4 per cent in the first half of this year as compared to same period last year.

Political Turmoil Lowers M&A Deals Outlook In ME

Political unrest and sectarian conflicts in countries like Egypt and Syria have deterred potential investments in the region.

Five Bahraini Security Officers Injured By Homemade Bomb In Village

Activists in the Kingdom have been demanding more democratic reform for two and a half years.

Muslim Brotherhood Faces Ban From Egypt Rulers

Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi proposed dissolving the group in a move that would force it underground and could usher in mass arrests of its members countrywide.

Britain To Reopen Yemen Embassy On Sunday

The Foreign Office said on August 6 it had withdrawn all staff from the embassy due to a high threat of kidnapping.

Saudi King Backs Egypt’s Rulers Against “Terrorism”

Hundreds were killed in Egypt last week when the security forces cleared protest camps set up by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Dubai’s Leeds Utd Owner Sells More Than Half Stake

GFH Capital offloaded a 10 per cent stake to Bahrain-based International Investment Bank earlier this year. It has now sold a total of more than half the shares.

Yemeni Nobel Winner: Egypt Coup Deadly For Arab Democracy

Karman was the first Arab woman and second Muslim woman to win the Nobel peace prize.

India’s Attempt To Curtail Gold Imports Faces Backlash

Bullion imports are plunging as an increase in tax on financing shipments boosts costs for jewellers. But can the move really save the country’s economy?

Arabtec Reports 114% H1 Profit Rise

The contractor revealed second quarter net profit of Dhs92.4 million, up from a loss of Dhs11.6 million on the same period in 2012.

Qatar Central Bank Sends Draft On Basel III

Banks in Qatar have been waiting for the central bank’s guidance on how debt instruments will be treated under the new Basel standards.

Abu Dhabi Duty Free H1 Revenues Outpace Passenger Growth

Abu Dhabi duty free revenues touched Dhs437.6 million in the first half of 2013, up 17.4 per cent from the same period last year.

UAE’s Abraaj Acquires Student Accommodation Assets In Turkey

The investment firm has acquired a stake in Republika Academic Apartments, which has two buildings in Istanbul.