Qatar Declares Bank Holiday On Tuesday

The emir of Qatar is to hand over power to his son the Crown Prince on Tuesday.

Qatar Emir Steps Down, Hands Power To Son

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani had long planned to abdicate in favour of 33-year-old Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim.

Yemen’s Remittances Hit By Saudi Labour Crackdown

Up to 53,000 Yemenis staying illegally in Saudi have been deported since the beginning of this month.

Lenovo Launches Smartphones In UAE, Saudi

The PC maker has introduced six new models to the market, with prices ranging from Dhs499 to Dhs1,999.

Qatar Airways To Operate Dreamliners To Scandinavia

The Doha-based airline will operate the Boeing 787 on services to the capital cities of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

Burj Khalifa’s Online Profile Reaches New Heights

The towering Dubai landmark has become the first skyscraper globally to be mapped out by Google Streetview.

Kuwait’s United Real Estate Raises KD60m Via Bond

The amount will be mainly used to refinance existing paper.

Dubai Holding Hires Citi To Advise Axiom Sale

Many of Dubai Holding’s units have had to hold talks with banks to extend liabilities and restructure debt.

Kempinski Gears Up For ME Expansion

But work on its long-awaited Palm Jumeirah hotel in Dubai remains ongoing and it is unlikely to open until late 2015.

Dubai’s Arabtec Extends $650m Share Offer Period

The closing date for subscriptions has been extended to July 4 from June 23.

Kuwait Sheikh Sues UBS For $21.4m In Dubai Court

Sheikh Meshal Jarah al-Sabah says the bank recruited him to scupper Vivendi’s bid to acquire Zain’s operations in Africa.

Qatar Readies For New Leadership But Little Change Expected

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani will meet ruling family members on Monday amid reports that he intends to hand over power to his crown prince, Sheikh Tamim.

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths

Exclusive Interview: Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports

Paul Griffiths explains why Dubai International will soon be the world’s largest airport and why high oil prices are not a bad thing.

France and Qatar Launch New $394m Fund To Invest In French SMEs

Qatar had earlier planned to invest 50 million euros into businesses in French suburbs.

Saudi Officially Changes Weekend To Friday-Saturday

King Abdullah issued a decree to make the switch, bringing the Kingdom’s working week in line with other GCC states.

The Lowdown: Dubai’s Biggest Mega Projects

Gulf Business brings you the mammoth developments that are set to change Dubai’s landscape.

UAE Start-Ups Have ‘Strong Fundamentals For Success’

Although there are only a limited number of start-ups in the country, the ones that exist are rapidly gaining momentum, says expert.

Abu Dhabi’s Merged Property Firms To Begin Trading On June 30

Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate will trade as a merged entity with a capital of Dhs7.86 billion.

Gulftainer Acquires 51% Stake In Gulf Stevedoring

The acquisition allowed Gulftainer to assume full management of three Saudi terminals, located in Jeddah and Jubail.

France Makes New Offers On Military Equipment To Qatar

France has been hoping to sign a contract to equip Qatar’s air force with Rafale fighter planes made by Dassault.

Oman Air Flight Diverted Due To Bomb Hoax

The flight from Muscat to Kuala Lumpur was diverted to Mumbai after the threat was received.

Al Nasr Sign Holman From Premier League’s Aston Villa

The Australian midfielder is believed to have agreed terms with the UAE club and will undergo a medical.

First Gulf Bank Buys Dubai Credit Card Firm For $164m

The Abu Dhabi-based lender has acquired Dubai First from the debt laden Dubai Group.

Iran Seizes Two UAE Fishing Boats In Gulf

Twelve UAE nationals were arrested after the boats allegedly crossed into Iran’s territorial waters.

Qatar Convicts Ruling Family Member Over Deadly Nursery Fire

Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani and his wife Iman al-Kuwari were sentenced on Thursday to a maximum of six years in prison.

Over 1.5 Million Saudi Workers Change Status Before Crackdown

Saudi Arabia is trying to reduce a black market in labour among the estimated nine million foreigners in the country.

Kuwait’s KIPCO Hires Rothschild To Advise TV Arm IPO

KIPCO owns 60.5 per cent of OSN and its Saudi-based partner Mawarid Group has 39.5 per cent.

New Death In Saudi From SARS-Like Coronavirus

The latest cases bring the total number infected worldwide to 70, with 39 having died since MERS was identified last year.

Saudi Not Calling All Tourists

The Kingdom has no immediate plans to open its doors completely to foreign travellers.

Saudi Crackdown On Illegal Firms Threatens Thousands

Under Saudi regulations foreign-owned businesses face a complex licensing process and are tightly controlled.