Rotana Announces 10 New Hotels In The Middle East

The expansion includes properties in Dubai, Iran and Sudan.

Egyptian Militants Claim Attacks Near Tourist Sites In Sinai

Militant attacks and other political violence have intensified since the army overthrew Mursi last July following mass protests against his rule.

Butlers On Board Etihad A380s

Etihad appears intent on pushing its first class into the luxury private jet space, targeting high-net-worth individuals across the globe.

IFA, Tijaria’s $50m JV To Develop Vacation Club

The $50 million joint venture would fill a current market gap, a company executive said.

Oman’s Sohar Oil Refinery Shut For Cooling Pipe Repair -Operator

The refinery has capacity to process around 116,000 barrels per day of Omani crude.

Egypt Is Safe For Arab Tourists, Says Tourism Minister

The Arab nation is looking towards the Gulf region to revive its slowing tourism sector

Oman 2013 Nominal Economic Growth Slowest Since 2009

The slowdown would underline the government’s main challenge of creating enough jobs for the country’s growing population of nationals.

Bahraini Shi’ite Youth Risk Radicalisation As Political Talks Stall

There are fears that a deadlock in political efforts to solve a three-year-old standoff is deepening frustration among young Shi’ites.

UN’s Ban Urges Climate Action Ahead Of New York Summit

Ban said both meetings would be “solution shops” for an urgent problem.

Accor Plots Middle East Hotel Push

The group plans to reach 100 hotels by 2017.

Hilton Opens First DoubleTree Hotel In Dubai

The 359 room property is Hilton’s fourth Doubletree on the Arabian Peninsula.

Dubai’s Arabtec Appoints New CFO -Statement

Iyad Abdalrahim was formerly CFO of Arabtec’s construction unit.

Alitalia, Creditors Working On Plan To Woo Etihad At Key Meeting

One of the options under discussion envisages hiving off a large chunk of Alitalia’s $1.11 billion of debt into a separate company.

Saudi Arabia Reports 25 New Cases Of MERS, Deaths Stand At 109

The total number of cases in the kingdom is 396, of whom 109 have died.

Alitalia Looking To Create Bad Company To Woo Etihad

Under the plan to woo Etihad, the new firm would take on the majority of Alitalia’s debt and around 3,000 staff, a local paper reported.

Egypt Warns Against Travel To Saudi Arabia Due To MERS Virus

The first case of the disease in Egypt was reported last week.

Qatar Lifts Retail Diesel Prices By 50%

The move apparently aims to curb smuggling of fuel in the Gulf country, a local newspaper reported.

Bank Muscat’s Islamic Unit Plans $300m Dual-Currency Sukuk Issue

The issue would be part of a 500 million rial ($1.3 billion) sukuk programme which the bank’s shareholders approved in March,

Abu Dhabi’s Senaat Shelves IPO Plans – Sources

The IPO was expected to mark the merger of the Abu Dhabi, Dubai indices and help kick start new listings in the UAE.

Oman Industrial Conglomerate Orpic Signs $2.8bn Loan

The money will be used to fund various Orpic projects, including an expansion plan for its refinery in the industrial city of Sohar.

First Boutique Hotel Opens In Sharjah

72 By Hues is looking to capitalise on Sharjah’s growing tourism market.

UAE Telco Operator Du Aims For Double-Digit Revenue Growth In 2014

Chief executive Osman Sultan was bullish on the company’s prospects despite a slow net profit growth of 4.5 per cent in the first quarter.

Dubai Islamic Bank In Talks For 40% Stake In Indonesian Lender -CEO

The bank’s chief executive declined to name the acquisition target.

Kuwait’s Al Ahli Bank Appoints Former Gulf Bank Head As CEO

Accad joins Ahli, a medium-sized lender, from Kuwait’s Gulf Bank where he resigned as CEO last year.

Sofitel Dubai Downtown Opens Its Doors

Luxury brand’s third Dubai property blends French culture and art and targets business and leisure travellers given the proximity to DIFC and Dubai Mall

Bank Of Sharjah Q1 Profits Rise 13%

The lender said that it continued to grow its loan book in Q1 2014 while maintaining the structure of its balance sheet with high levels of liquidity and capital.

Bahrain’s GIB Sets Guidance On 2bn Saudi Riyal Floater -IFR

The issuer completes investor meetings for the deal on May 5 and settlement is scheduled for May 11.

Emirates SkyCargo Begins Operations At Dubai World Central

The start of operations was marked by the arrival of an Emirates SkyCargo Boeing 777 Freighter from London Heathrow today.

UAE’s FNC Passes Anti-Money Laundering Act

Under the law, individuals found guilty of money laundering will face a jail term of ten years along with a fine ranging from Dhs100,000 to Dhs500,000.

Saudi-French Alliance Wins $2bn Bus Deal For Riyadh Metro

The 10-year deal will be linked to the city’s railway project and will handle the procurement, operation and maintenance of the buses.