Former Deyaar CEO Shahin Sentenced To 15 Years In Dubai Prison

Zack Shahin has been convicted of embezzling Dhs30 million along with the three other men.

Egypt To Apply Gains Tax In QNB Bid For NSGB

Individual shareholders and investment funds holding minority stakes in NSGB will have to pay a 10 per cent tax on their gains.

UAE’s Mulk Holdings To Build $10m Aluminium Plant In India

The facility is part of the company’s expansion strategy and is expected to generate over 2,000 jobs in India.

Intercontinental’s Crowne Plaza Chosen For Oman Convention Centre

Three more hotels are due to open on site, a five-star property, another four-star hotel and a three-star hotel and apartments.

Dubai’s Atlantis Operator Kerzner Signs $145m Loan Refinancing

Kerzner sold its stake in Dubai’s Atlantis resort to state-owned Istithmar World for $250 million.

UK’s Taylor Woodrow JV Wins Dhs84m Abu Dhabi Airport Contract

A joint venture between Taylor Woodrow and Abu Dhabi contractor Fibrex will work on the airport’s expansion.

Dubai Airport Passenger Numbers Up 11.4% In February

The emirate’s airport handled 5.1 million passengers in February.

Dedicated Filipino Radio Station Launches In UAE

Arabian Radio Network announce the new 24-hour channel in response to growing demand from Filipino nationals.

Dubai Platform Hosts First Islamic Commodity Trade

The Dhs50 million facility was signed by Noor Islamic Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai.

Saudi Telecom Appoints Chairman As Acting CEO – Sources

Abdulaziz al-Sugair will take the helm following the imminent departure of CEO Khaled al-Ghoneim.

Dubai’s Trade With Iran Drops 31% In 2012

Two-way trade between Dubai and Iran was roughly Dhs25 billion last year.

Oman’s Bank Dhofar Gets $68m After Court Ruling Overturned

The Omani bank lost a court case in June 2011 against Oman International Bank, Ali Redha Trading and Muttrah Holding.

Top 10 Biggest IPOs Of All Time

China holds the first and second biggest initial public offerings ever as Asian and U.S. companies go head-to-head.

Saudi Aramco Says Committed To China Refinery Project

Aramco Overseas signed a deal in March 2011 with oil firm PetroChina to build a 200,000 bpd refinery.

Revealed: 10 Oldest Newspapers In The GCC

The majority of the early newspapers in the region were founded in Saudi Arabia.

Around $100 Per Barrel Is Good Price For Oil – Saudi’s Naimi

Current oil prices will not deter economic growth, says Saudi’s oil minister.

Credit Card Use Boosts MENA’s GDP Growth

The UAE’s GDP saw a rise of $4.2 billion thanks to a rise in electronic payments. Saudi Arabia’s GDP saw growth of $4.7 billion.

Saudi Electricity Sets Initial Price Guidance For Sukuk

Meetings with fixed income investors are scheduled to conclude in London on Monday, having taken place in the United States last week.

Dubai’s Emirates NBD May Price Tier 2 Bond Monday

The dollar-denominated deal aims to boost the bank’s supplementary capital.

Saudi Mulls Banning WhatsApp, Skype

The Kingdom is reportedly in talks with application operators to ensure that they adhere to regulatory requirements.

Sheikh Mohammed Urges New UAE Cabinet To Work As “One Team”

People of the UAE “deserve the best,” Sheikh Mohammed said at the first meeting of the country’s new cabinet.

Dubai’s Al-Braik Plans $200m Silicon Smelter In Abu Dhabi

The $200 million investment will build two furnaces with combined output capacity of 33,000 tonnes per annum.

Banks To Sign $2bn Saudi Rabigh 2 Loan By End-March

A coalition of seven banks will back the dual-tranche, long-term loan, say sources.

The Business Of Sports Sponsorship

Sponsoring events has become a key tool in company portfolios.

Standard Chartered Seeks Egypt Acquisition, Plans Iraq Push

In the Gulf region, the bank will focus on lending opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, says regional head.

Arabtec Signs Dhs500m Contract In Cairo

The Dubai-based construction company is building a twin-tower project in South Cairo.

UAE’s Dana Sukuk Restructuring Vote Postponed To April 23

This is the second time that the meeting has been rescheduled.

Around 10 Million Saudis Stay In Rented Houses

A mixture of issues including the right type and price of housing, in the right locations, is causing a problem in the Kingdom, says report.

YouTube Reaches 1 Billion Monthly Users

Nearly one out of every two people on the internet now visits the video-sharing website.

FIFA is considering a request from the South American Football Confederation for hosts Qatar to play Ecuador a day earlier than previously planned

Qatar Ready To Host Winter World Cup In 2022

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said that any request to change the timing of the event from summer to cooler months would have to come from Qatar.