Dubai Launches Project To Build World’s Biggest Mall

The eight million sq ft mall will be connected to a theme park, theatres, medical tourism facilities and 100 hotels and serviced apartments.

Nakheel Awards Dhs44m Contract For Al Furjan Community Centre

Construction is scheduled to begin in Q4 2014, and the centre is slated to open in March 2016.

GDF Suez Signs Agreement For $1.5bn Mirfa Project In Abu Dhabi

The french utility company signed a 25-year power and water purchase agreement with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company.

Airbus Lags Boeing In Order Race Despite Busy June

The European planemaker posted 515 orders between January and June, or 290 when adjusted for cancellations.

Bahraini Policeman Dies Of Bomb Blast Wounds – Ministry

The explosion occurred near the village of East Eker, south of the capital Manama.

Kuwait Warns Against Violent Protests

The government accused demonstrators of setting fire to tyres and garbage containers and destroying a restaurant last week.

Iraq Oil Shock To Lift Safe-Haven Currencies Before Those Of Crude Exporters

Any setback to the government in Southern Iraq could lead to greater demand for the more liquid currencies like the yen, the dollar and the Swiss franc.

Islamic Banks Rebrand In An Attempt To Go Mainstream

Aiming for growth in new territories and demographic groups, Islamic banks look to drop the “Islamic” from their moniker.

More People, Less Water Mean Rising Food Imports For Egypt

Even as Egypt wrestles with dwindling water from its only major source, the Nile, it pushes farmers to grow more to supply the country’s costly subsidised food programme.

Dubai World Repays $300m Early To Creditors – Sources

The payment came from the proceeds of asset sales completed by the firm and follows an initial sum of $284.5 million returned in March to creditors.

Applebees Adds 20 More Outlets To Its Middle East Portfolio

The American chain already has 34 outlets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.

Iraq Denies Border Forces Withdrew From Saudi Arabian Frontier

An Iraqi spokesman said that the frontier was “fully in the grip” of Iraqi border troops.

Bahraini Bank ABC To Raise $500m Loan, Picks Arrangers

The facility will pay an interest rate of 120 basis points above the London interbank offered rate (Libor).

Dubai’s Drake & Scull Wins Dhs304 Million Contract In India

The contract incudes the construction of a 400 kilovolt (kv) power transmission line in the northern state of Uttarakhand.

GCC To Spend $150bn On Education – Report

The number of students in the GCC region is expected to grow at a 3% annually between 2013 and 2020 to reach 13.7 million, a new study says.

Etihad Becomes Official Airline Of England Cricket Board

England’s national squads will fly with the UAE carrier and the airline will benefit from a range of commercial rights

Growing Concern In Muslim World About Islamist Militancy – Survey

Support for violent tactics such as suicide bombing has fallen in many countries but significant minorities still approve of them, a survey showed.

Saudi Arabia Deploys 30,000 Soldiers To Border With Iraq – Al-Arabiya TV

Al Arabiya said that it had obtained a video showing Iraqi soldiers in Karabala after they quit their positions on the border.

Obama Discusses Iraq Threats With Saudi Arabian King Abdullah

U.S President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah agreed to consult closely on regional developments, the White House said.

Saudi Non-Oil Business Activity Accelerates In June – PMI

The seasonally adjusted SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers Index increased to 59.2 points last month from 57.0 points in May.

Dubai’s Shelf Drilling Cancels London IPO

The company said that it cancelled the IPO due to challenging public market conditions.

Dubai’s Arabtec Says Has Backing Of Key Investor After Shares Plunge

Arabtec chairman assured investors on Wednesday that Aabar still considered it a long-term investment and might even raise its stake in future.

Turkey’s Bank Asya, Qatar’s QIB End Talks Over Asya Stake Sale

The talks with QIB faltered after the banks failed to agree a price, the sources said.

India, Pakistan Among 64 Nations Soon To Get Visa-On Arrival In Bahrain

The Gulf state is planning to implement a new visa policy in 2015, under which nationals from 64 countries can receive one-month visas on arrival.

Nakheel Awards Contract For 8 Substations In Deira Islands

Engineering consultancies Green Energy and Energoprojekts will carry out design review and infrastructure site supervision services for the 132/11kv substations, the developer said.

UAE Regulator Says Arabtec Obeyed Disclosure Rules

The Securities and Commodities Authority clarified that it could not have suspended trading in Arabtec shares during their recent plunge.

GE Oil & Gas Opens New Facility In Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone

The new facility will further expand the company’s presence in the UAE.

Dubai’s DEWA Awards Dhs76m Contract For New Substation In Jumeirah

The 132/11kV substation is one of the projects that DEWA has launched to build the emirate’s power capacity.

Arabtec Says Has Aabar’s Backing, No Projects Scrapped

Aabar’s chairman says investors misunderstood the significance of the small reduction of its stake in Arabtec.

Dubai Records World’s Strongest Prime Rental Rise in Q1, 2014

Prime rents in the city rose six per cent in Q1, and are up 16.4 per cent year-on -year, the report found.