Saudi Supreme Court upholds blogger’s sentence

Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes, a 10-year jail term and a fine of SAR 1 million last year.

Dubai’s IMG awards construction contract for City of Arabia project

The deal to construct the Avenue 353 villa project has been awarded to McFadden International Construction Group.

Saudi-led air strikes kill 44 in attack on Yemeni army compound

More than 100 people, including civilians, were also wounded in the attack, according to reports.

Saudi Arabia arrests 45 suspects in mosque bombing case

The arrests come after the government declared a reward for helping nab the suspects in the mosque bombing case and for providing information about future attacks.

UAE’s National Drilling Co. signs $543m in deals for 14 new rigs

One offshore and one onshore rig will be manufactured in the UAE as part of the deals.

Boeing on track to deliver flydubai’s first 737 MAX in 2017

Testing of the new aircraft is slated to begin in the first half of 2016.

Emirates obtains naming rights for UK’s Spinnaker Tower

The structure, situated in Portsmouth, will be renamed Emirates Spinnaker Tower and rebranded in red.

OPEC+meeting

OPEC agrees to keep pumping as oil glut fears persist

The decision defers discussion of several tricky questions set to arise as members such as Iran and Libya prepare to reopen the taps after years of diminished production.

Scotland fans go easy on Qatar but Amnesty up the heat

There had been widespread calls among Scotland supporters to boycott the match with Qatar because of human rights concerns.

Cheap oil to push UAE into first fiscal deficit since 2009 -IMF

The UAE’s consolidated fiscal balance is expected to swing to a deficit of 2.3 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015 from a 5.0 per cent surplus last year, the IMF said.

Egypt’s EFG-Hermes plans Saudi Islamic fund as market opens up

EFG-Hermes says nearly a third of its $3 billion of assets under management is in Saudi Arabia, with $265 million managed by its Saudi unit.

Mubadala GE joint venture says looks at options for future structure

The joint venture was studying options in the wake of the U.S. conglomerate’s decision to exit most of its GE Capital operations.

Yemen conflict: will the GCC pay an economic toll?

Will Saudi-led military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen have a major impact on oil prices and GCC economies as a whole?

Phone review: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

The S6 Edge is a great looking product but does not do enough to justify its higher price tag.

Etihad-backed Alitalia unveils new cabins, services and livery

Seats and services are now more closely aligned with partner Etihad.

Emirates inks air-rail codeshare with France’s SNCF, adds 19 new destinations

The deal will help boost Emirates network in France and ease connectivity for passengers.

Foreign firms wary of Saudi expansion on opening up of bourse

Regulatory obstacles and uncertainty about the size of fund inflows are deterring foreign firms from undertaking any quick build-up in their staffing and office space in Riyadh.

Dubai Parks and Resorts begins leasing retail, dining units in Riverland

The entrance plaza will feature about 50 dedicated outlets along with various street dining options.

Dubai named fourth most popular city among international visitors

The emirate is expected to receive about 14.3 million international visitors this year, up by 8 per cent from 2014, a new study says.

Emaar Properties trims Egypt listing price, sees up to $334m float

The flotation will involve 600 million shares, equivalent to 12.99 per cent of the company, offered at a price between 3.5 pounds and 4.25 pounds.

FBI extends FIFA scrutiny to World Cup host bids of Russia, Qatar

The U.S. law enforcement official said the review of the bids would be part of a probe that goes beyond the indictments.

Saudi stadium plan scaled back as oil drop bites -sources

About 11 new grounds were to be built as a means of growing the game in the kingdom but sources said only two will be built as state spending is hit by low oil prices.

Five minutes with.. Chris Govier, GM, Middle East Operations, Xerox

Xerox’s new regional head is hoping to maintain the company’s position in the production space.

Qatar says ‘prejudice and racism’ behind criticism of 2022 World Cup

Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah said the country was being unfairly targeted over allegations of graft in the vote that won it the World Cup.

Qatar says air strikes ineffective without Iraqi national dialogue

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah said the international community was not doing enough to pressure all parties in Iraq to start national reconciliation.

ISIL hackers targeting news organisations – report

News organisations of all sizes were found to be key targets for the terrorist organisation.

Saudi names suspects in mosque bombing, offers $1m bounty

The ministry also offered a $1.9 million reward for information that would avert any future attacks.

Low oil prices, regional tensions dent business confidence in the UAE

A new survey found a large quarter-on-quarter dip in UAE hiring during Q1 2015.

Qatar hits back at allegations of worker deaths in FIFA stadiums

The country said that not a single worker has died in its construction sites, dismissing rumours of 1,200 worker deaths.

Saudi may issue government bonds this year -IMF official

Bond issues are being considered after global oil prices plunged last year.