Bahraini Fund Mumtalakat Won’t Sell Assets To Plug Any Budget Shortfall

The fund holds stakes in Bahraini companies including Aluminium Bahrain, Gulf Air and Batelco.

Pullman Opens In Jumeirah Lakes Towers

Second Pullman hotel in Dubai targets business and leisure travellers in the fast-growing community

Asian workers take a break at Friday Market in Kuwait City

Kuwait To Arrest 100,000 Illegal Expats

The crackdown will be the largest operation ever, conducted by the authorities in Kuwait, an official said.

Oil Prices Rise Above $50 Ahead Of Expected ECB Move

The ECB’s Executive Board has proposed a programme that would allow it to buy $58 billion of bonds a month starting in March.

Different Arab money

Growth In Gulf Arab Oil States To Slow Moderately This Year

Analysts believe GCC governments will be able to use huge financial reserves to keep state spending high.

IMF Cuts UAE’s 2015 Growth Forecast

The Gulf country is expected to see a growth of 3.5 per cent for 2015 and 2016, according to IMF’s latest update.

Abu Dhabi’s Al Hilal Bank Says CEO Berro Resigns

Sarie Ahmed Arar, currently the executive vice president of wholesale banking, will assume the role of acting CEO.

Nakheel Wins Court Case Against Owner Of Britain Island On The World

Safi Qurashi has been ordered to pay Dhs11 million to the property developer for a case relating to the Dubai Waterfront project.

Dubai’s DEWA Will Not Raise Electricity Rates In 2015, 2016 – CEO

The decrease in oil prices has not had an impact on electricity generation in Dubai, said Saeed Al Tayer.

Oman’s Bank Dhofar Mulls Options For Up To $300m Capital Raising

A Tier 1 capital-boosting bond was its preferred method, the bank said.

Lord Mayor Of London To Visit UAE To Boost Finance Ties

Alderman Alan Yarrow will visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai during his trip next week, part of wider 12-day GCC visit.

UAE Urges More GCC Cooperation To Solve Air Traffic Congestion

Air traffic in the GCC is expected to grow by six per cent over the next few years, a top industry official said.

Stock News: Mobily Weighs On Saudi; Egypt Extends Gains

Saudi Arabia’s main index was nearly flat while Egypt’s bourse rose 1.2 per cent.

Yemen Leader Ready To Accept Demands Of Houthis After His Guards Defeated

Hadi said the group had a right to serve in posts in all state institutions, and a draft constitution that has been a source of disagreement was open to amendment.

OPEC Chief Says Oil Will Rebound, Defends Decision Not To Cut

Badri said, if OPEC had reduced its supply, non-member countries would have increased production, forcing OPEC to implement further cuts.

Gulf Arab Ministers Condemn Houthi “Coup” In Yemen

Although the GCC described the Houthis’ actions as terrorism, they stopped short of promising any measure to counter the group in Sanaa.

Saudi Ma’aden To Shut Ammonia Plant For 30-Day Maintenance

The closure of the facility in Ras Al Khair belonging to Ma’aden Phosphate Company will have no significant financial impact.

Oil Export Losses To Reach $300bn In Middle East

Economies such as Qatar, Iraq, Libya and Saudi Arabia will be hit hardest by the more than 50 per cent decline in petroleum prices, the IMF said.

Saudi Firm Mobily Rings Up Surprise Loss

Mobily made a net loss of SAR2.28 billion ($607.1 million) in the last quarter of 2014.

Oman Oil Minister Slams OPEC Policy On Prices, Market Share

The minister said that OPEC’s policy might temporarily force high-cost producers out of the market but they would eventually come back.

Zain Saudi Q4 Net Loss Narrows, Beats Forecasts

The company has yet to make a quarterly profit since launching services in 2008.

Saudi Dar Al Arkan Q4 Profit Falls 26%, Misses Forecasts

The company attributed the fall to losses in financial investments, higher operating expenses and finance charges.

Kuwait Oil Minister: Better Economic Growth Needed To Absorb Oversupply

Ali al-Omair also said the Kuwait’s budget for the next fiscal year was expected to be based on an average oil price of $40 to $45.

Spain’s Abengoa Wins Deal For Solar-Powered Desalination Plant In Saudi

Abengoa will jointly develop the project with AWT, the commercial arm of King Abdulaziz City of Science & Technology.

UAE Appoints Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri As TRA’s Director General

Al Mansouri was previously director general of the UAE mGovernment and the deputy director general of the TRA.

Dubai’s Emaar Malls Q4 Net Profit Rises 5%

Emaar Properties owns 84.6 per cent of EMG, having floated 15.4 per cent of its subsidiary last September.

Saudi Q4 GDP Growth Lowest In Over A Year

GDP, adjusted for inflation, grew two per cent from Q4 2013, down from 2.4 per cent in the third quarter.

Yemen’s Houthi Gunmen Guard President’s Home But Say He Has Not Been Toppled

Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi warned President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi that he had to implement a power-sharing deal.

Middle East CEOs’ Confidence Has Dropped In 2015

Business confidence was notably down in oil producing countries across the world due to falling crude prices, the survey said.

Dubai Raises Renewable Energy Targets On Cheaper Solar – DEWA CEO

Renewable energy targets have been revised to 2.3 per cent by 2017 and 15 per cent by 2030.