Bahrain Needs To Cut Public Debt After 2012 Spending Boost – IMF

The Gulf state upped its original 2012 expenditure plan by nearly 19 per cent in September 2011.

Dubai’s Dnata Fully Acquires Italian Flight Caterer

Air services provider dnata already owned 50 per cent of Servair Airchef in Italy.

Gold Jewellery Demand In Middle East Up By 15%

Asian and Middle Eastern markets drive growth in global demand in gold jewellery.

Dubai’s ENBD Plans Bond Sale To Boost Capital

Emirates NBD plans to meet investors on roadshows in Asia, London and the UAE.

Egypt Says Disputes With DAMAC Are Resolved

DAMAC filed an international arbitration case against Egypt in 2011 over the conviction of its chairman and owner, Hussain Sajwani.

Cohn & Wolfe Takes Minority Share In WPP Sibling BPG

The new agency, to be called BPG Cohn & Wolfe, is the latest move in the international company’s expansion plans to grow across the region, India and Southeast Asia.

GCC Family Businesses Urged To Form Governance Structure

Succession planning is a major challenge affecting many of the region’s family businesses.

Qatar Airways Resumes London Dreamliner Services

Airline will be keeping its fingers crossed for a smooth summer schedule – as will Boeing as it resumes B787 deliveries

Struggling Singapore Airlines Fights Back Against Gulf

With a market value of $11 billion, Asia’s second biggest airline desperately needs growth. Profit slumped nearly 70 per cent in the year to March 2012.

Emirates Adds A380 To Brisbane-Auckland, NZ Approves Qantas Deal

Brisbane passengers will soon be able to travel on the popular double-decker and Auckland will be served by three daily Emirates A380s from early October

Kuwait Airways Picks Airbus For New Planes

The deal, which will see Kuwait Airways pay around 850 million dinars ($2.98 billion) for 25 new planes, could be closed this month.

Air Berlin Declines Further Etihad Finance Help

Germany’s second-biggest carrier, almost 30 per cent-owned by Etihad, suffered a first-quarter loss before interest and tax (EBIT) of 188.4 million euros ($244.5 million).

Saudi’s Mobily Denies Asking For Help To Spy On Customers

A software engineer claimed that the company had asked him to build surveillance tools to intercept customers’ messages on Twitter.

Carlyle-Backed General Lighting Plans Saudi Share Sale

Carlyle acquired its 30 per cent stake in General Lighting for an undisclosed amount in March 2010.

Qatar Airways Wants To Be Launch Customer For 777X – CEO

Boeing said on May 2 that it had begun offering the new 777X mini-jumbo jet.

Can Dubai Become The World’s Leading Islamic Business Hub?

Dubai hopes to tap into the trillion-dollar Islamic finance industry and has ambitious aspirations to become the global hub. Can it succeed?

Sudan Sugar Firm To Export Animal Feed To Gulf

Sugar plant Kenana is mainly owned by the governments of Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Dubai Inflation Remains Low In April Despite Jump In Rents

On an annual basis, inflation edged up to a two-year high of 0.9 per cent, up from 0.6 per cent year-on-year in March.

Etihad Launches Daily Service To Amsterdam

The inaugural flight carried the code of the Dutch airliner KLM as it took off for Netherlands’ capital city on Wednesday morning.

Abu Dhabi Fund Names Deutsche Bank Exec As Infrastructure Head

ADIA said John McCarthy will oversee its existing portfolio and originate new transactions.

Refinery Shutdown Forces Oman Fuel Imports

A two-month shutdown of Oman’s biggest refinery slashed Omani regular gasoline output by 42 per cent in the first quarter of 2013.

Kuwaiti Ministers Offer To Resign – State News Agency

Kuwait’s elected parliament has been caught in a long-running power struggle with the appointed government.

Dubai’s Union Properties Q1 Profit Slips 2.2%

The Dubai-listed firm made a first quarter net profit of Dhs21.9 million ($5.96 million), lower than Dhs22.4 million it posted in the period last year.

Qatar’s QPI Hopes To Extend Centrica North America Deal

Centrica and QPI said in April they would buy Suncor Energy Inc’s gas business in Canada for C$1 billion ($986.73 million) in their first acquisition.

Dubai’s Non-Oil Trade Up 16% In Q1

Non-oil trade grew to Dhs325.5 billion ($88.6 billion) in the first quarter from 280 billion in the same period last year.

Skype Users In The UAE Won’t Go To Jail – Experts

Etisalat recently announced that it has unblocked Skype, but VoIP services by external providers are still banned in the UAE.

EXCLUSIVE: Etihad CEO Slams Legacy Alliances

James Hogan says the Abu Dhabi carrier’s one-on-one partnerships are “easier, faster and more cost effective”.

Kuwait’s Investment Dar Offers New Settlement To Creditors

The firm is currently undertaking a KD1 billion debt restructuring plan agreed in 2011.

Virgin Among Five Bidders For Saudi Telecom Licences

The Kingdom plans to sell three mobile virtual network operator licences as part of a plan to liberalise its telecom market.

UK Backs Dubai As Expo 2020 Host

Regional diversity makes Dubai the first choice for Expo 2020 bid, says UK minister.