Emirates Starting Daily A380 Barcelona Services In February

The 517-seat A380 will be the first permanent superjumbo service to fly into Barcelona and replaces the Boeing B777-300ER.

Soft Opening For Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort And Spa

Luxury brand’s second hotel in the city combines business and leisure.

Oman Air Opens First And Business Class Check-In

New facility provides premium passengers with a smoother start to their journeys and less waiting times

Bank Muscat Q2 Net Profit Up 8.9%

Oman’s biggest lender by market value reported a net profit of 63.1 million rials in the first half of 2013, down from the prior-year period.

Kuwait Sends $200m Worth Of Oil To Egypt

Kuwait last week joined other oil-producing Gulf states in pledging a massive aid package worth $12 billion to Egypt.

Qatar Plans To Buy 118 German Leopard Tanks

The tiny Gulf state also plans to buy 16 tank howitzers from equipment makers Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall.

Saudi Q1 GDP Growth Slows To 2.1%

The drop from 6.5 per cent a year earlier reflects a fall in Saudi crude oil output over the year.

Physical And Mental Tips For Top Business Form

A physical, mental and spiritual balance is vital to business says Dr. Corrie Block, a regional business development consultant based in Dubai.

Nokia Launches New Phone With 41-MP Camera

No Middle East release date issued by Nokia, as regional vice president believes the new phone will be popular in the region.

Dubai Commands 30% Of ME Luxury Market Share

The affinity towards luxurious brands and intra-region tourism has helped boost the luxury goods market in the emirate.

Oman’s Renaissance Sells Unit To UK Interserve For $46m

The UK group bought Topaz Oil and Gas to expand its growth in the Middle East.

Kuwait Court Rejects Election Challenge, Confirms July 27 Vote

Almost constant factional infighting over the past seven years has prompted repeated elections in Kuwait.

DeVere Group Eyes Gulf Market Post Acuma Buyout

DeVere Group CEO believes that the acquisition of Acuma, a UAE-based wealth management firm, will help further their presence in the Gulf market.

Mashreq’s Retail Banking Profit To Double

The Dubai lender’s retail arm made a net profit of Dhs240 million last year.

Qatar, RWE In Initial Talks On DEA Unit

RWE said in March it was planning to offload DEA to slash capital spending and cut its multi-billion euro debts.

The Galleries’ Business Lounge Targets Jebel Ali Corporates

The 700sqm facility accommodates up to 80 people and features boardrooms, conference and meeting rooms and internet stations.

General Dynamics To Beat Out Germany For Saudi Tank Deal

Sources have said that a deal for Saudi Arabia to buy M1 Abrams tanks from General Dynamics was already in sight.

Abu Dhabi’s ADIA Invests $200m In India Real Estate

ADIA has investments of about $400-$500 million in India which includes a $50 million investment in Red Fort Capital, a real estate private equity fund.

Egypt Announces Criminal Investigation Of Mursi

Egypt’s first freely elected leader has been held at an undisclosed location since the army removed him from power on July 3.

Morsi Fallout: Egypt’s Stock Markets

How have Egypt’s markets reacted to the second presidential ousting in as many years?

Underwater Hotels – Unique Concept, But Are They Profitable?

Tea Ros, managing director at Strategic Hotel Consulting, examines the challenges developers face in underwater construction.

Gulf Billions Buy Egypt Economy Breathing Space

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have offered Egypt $8 billion in grants and loans, while Kuwait has pledged a further $4 billion.

The Egyptian Rebel Who “Owns” Tahrir Square

A bunch of kids in T-shirts changed the course of the Arab world’s most populous nation by mobilising mass protests against the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.

Bahrain’s GFH Hopes More Active Investment Will Secure Recovery

Gulf Finance House is banking on a revamped business model to revive its fortunes.

‘Career-Oriented’ UAE Expats Delay Marriage, Survey Reveals

About half the respondents surveyed were legally single.

Lenovo Beats HP To Become World’s Top PC Supplier

Industry analysts IDC and Gartner reported that Lenovo reached 16.7 per cent global PC marketshare in Q2 2013.

Etihad Seals $200m Simulator Deal with CAE

New simulators to be housed in academy extension and fill training gap for long-range aircraft.

Emirates To Start Sixth Daily Bangkok Service And Entering Ukraine

The airline will be effectively offering shuttle services throughout the day to Bangkok this winter.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Buys Back Shares Worth $103m

The purchase price was equivalent to a 5.6 per cent discount to Tuesday’s closing share price of Dhs5.15.

Qatar National Bank Q2 Profit Surges 24%, Beats Estimates

Loans and advances during the second quarter rose 26.3 per cent to QAR296 billion.