Virgin Atlantic To Drop Little Red UK Flights

Airline blames slot constraints amid strong competition and poor loads

Middle East Airlines Record Strongest Global Traffic Growth In August

International passenger traffic rose 6.7 per cent in August with all regions showing growth over the previous year.

Stock News: Emaar Lifts Dubai After Announcing Fresh IPO Plans

Shares in Emaar rose 1.4 per cent to Dhs11.35 and were the main support for Dubai’s index, which added 0.4 per cent.

UAE Business Activity Growth Falls To 4-Month Low In September

UAE firms saw output growth accelerate to a three-month high of 63.2 points in September from 62.2 points in August but new orders growth dropped to 64.0 points.

Saudi September Non-Oil Business Growth Fastest In Over 3 Years

The SABB HSBC Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index climbed to a seasonally adjusted 61.8 points in September, its highest level since June 2011.

Chevron Sells Stake In Canadian Shale Field To Kuwait

The deal with Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co helps Chevron reduce production risk and gives it more capital to increase drilling in Alberta’s Duvernay shale formation.

US Working On New Screenings For Ebola But No Travel Ban

The first patient diagnosed with Ebola in the US, Thomas Eric Duncan, is in a critical condition.

US And Allies Have Conducted 341 Strikes In Iraq, Syria

Except for eight strikes against the Khorasan Group in Syria, all have been against Islamic State militants.

Whatsapp new privacy features

Facebook’s WhatsApp Acquisition Now Has Price Tag Of $22bn

The acquisition was announced by Facebook in February and recently received regulatory approval in Europe.

UAE’s RAK Petroleum Plans To list In Oslo

The firm aims to raise $25 million in an initial public share offering (IPO).

Emirates To Launch A380 On Milan Route

The A380 service will help boost capacity by around 38 per cent on the Dubai-Milan route, the airline said in a statement.

Kuwait’s KPI Cancels Refinery Investment, Considers Sale

The refinery could be converted into a storage terminal or might be shut down permanently following the cancellation of the investment, an official said.

Dubai’s RTA Launches Drone Service To Monitor Projects

The Roads and Transport Authority said that drones help access areas that are unreachable through human means and can also be used during emergencies on roads.

Iran Releases Journalist, American Husband Still In Jail

Yeganeh Salehi, Tehran correspondent for the UAE English language newspaper, The National, was freed last week and is said to be in good health.

Falcon Private Bank Appoints New Global Head Of Private Banking

Erich Pfister joins the bank from Credit Suisse, where he was head market area United Kingdom and international.

Zain Arm Draws Weak Demand For First Bahraini IPO Since 2010

Money raised from the offering will be used to fund upgrades of its network infrastructure as well as expand its super-fast 4G LTE offering in the kingdom.

UAE’s Emke Group Buys Stake In East India Company

The group will acquire almost 10 per cent stake in British trading firm East India Company along with a 40 per cent share in its fine foods subsidiary.

Bullion Sinks To Lowest In 15 Months On Robust U.S. Data

Gold has also failed to capitalise on geopolitical tensions caused by military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Silicon Valley Giant Hewlett-Packard To Split Into Two Public Companies

Under the reported plan, HP will separate its computer and printer businesses from its corporate hardware and services operations.

Global Officials To Issue Communique Warning Of Economic Risk

With Europe flirting with deflation, Japan not far from recession and a slowing economy in China, there are worries the recovery from the deep 2007-2009 crisis is losing traction.

UAE Says Biden Apologises For Any Implication It Supported Militants

State news agency WAM said on Sunday that Biden had telephoned Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nehayan, who is also the deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, over the comments.

High Risk Ebola Could Reach France, UK By End-Oct

The deadly epidemic has killed more than 3,400 people since it began in West Africa in March.

UAE Says Shocked By US Vice President’s Comments On Terror Financing

Joe Biden said that the Middle East had provided money and weapons to Al Nusra and Al Qaeda.

BP Awards $730m Drilling Contracts For Oman’s Tight Gas Project

The Khazzan project aims to extract around one billion cubic feet (bcf) per day of gas.

Islamic State Video Shows Second British Hostage Beheaded

British aid worker Alan Henning was part of an convoy taking medical supplies to a hospital in Syria in December last year when he was kidnapped.

Apple To Hold iPad Event On Oct. 16

The iPhone maker is expected to unveil the new iPads and the latest updates to its iMac line, according to reports.

Oman Says Sultan In Good Health After Medical Tests

Sultan Qaboos has been in Germany since July for medical tests.

Kuwait In Talks With Major Oil Companies To Develop Fields

Kuwait has invited BP, Total, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron, to bid for an agreement for the northern Ratqa heavy oilfield.

Vodafone Qatar Agrees To Buy State-Owned Broadband Firm

Vodafone Qatar will buy 100 per cent of Qatar National Broadband Network, comprising 21 million shares.

Private Banking Special 2014: State Of The Wealth

Private Banking in the region is set to grow further this year, as nationals switch from protecting their wealth to growing it.