Saudi diplomat accused of rape withdrawn from India

The diplomat was accused of repeatedly raping and torturing two Nepali maids working at his home near New Delhi

Saudi Aramco says Amin Nasser appointed as CEO

Nasser has been acting president and chief executive officer of Saudi Aramco since April

Qatari developer Katara buys iconic Rome hotel for $251m

As part of the deal, the Westin Excelsior Rome will undergo a complete renovation over the next five years

Kuwait to start offshore oil exploration in two years

Kuwait aims to add a total of 700,000 bpd of crude oil production capacity from offshore and onshore areas

Police seize suspected militants with guns and suicide vest in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has detained hundreds of people suspected of links to ISIL over the past year

Saudi Arabia says six credit agencies apply for licences

The kingdom issued new regulations governing credit agencies’ operations in Saudi Arabia last year

Mecca crane disaster: Saudi king orders SAR 1m compensation for victims’ families

Those who suffered permanent disability will also receive SAR 1m while others injured will get SAR 500,000 in compensation

Emirates NBD to offer banking services via Twitter

The service will allow customers to tweet the bank for enquiries about their current or savings account and credit cards

Boeing appoints new business heads for Turkey and Qatar

Omar Arekat, Boeing Commercial Airplanes sales director, has been appointed managing director for Qatar

Dubai’s Juma Al Majid launches hospitality arm, takes over ex-Taj hotel

The former Taj Palace Hotel in Deira has now been renamed Jood Palace Hotel- Dubai

UAE car rental firm Massar launches pay as you drive app

New smart car app, available on Android and iOS, lets drivers pay only for the number of kilometres they use

Saudi suspends Binladen group over Mecca crane disaster

King Salman also ordered that the group’s board members and senior executives be barred from travel abroad

Etihad Airways Partners to raise at least $500m via bond

Price guidance for the five-year bond was maintained in the area of 7 per cent

Buffet-backed fast food chain Dairy Queen in major UAE expansion

Over 20 outlets are planned across the UAE over the next four years

Kuwait court sentences seven to death over mosque bombing

The June 26 suicide bomb attack inside a Shi’ite Muslim mosque killed 27 people.

UAE retail chain LuLu expands into Indonesia, plans 15 outlets

The group plans to invest $300m in the first phase of expansion

Saudi-led coalition in Yemen sees victory “no matter what”

Yemeni forces and their Arab allies are fighting to oust the Houthis in a six-month war that has killed over 4,500 people

Saudi cabinet grants license to Qatari bank for first time

Qatar National Bank has been granted a license to open a branch inside the kingdom

Group of 32 countries criticises Bahrain’s human rights record

The group has expressed concerned about reports of harassment in the Gulf State

China’s SEPCO set to win gas booster project for Saudi Aramco

Under the new project called MGS 2, SEPCO will build a gas compressor station, industry sources said

Nakheel signs contracts worth Dhs 2.4bn for Nad Al Sheba project

The Nad Al Sheba project, which includes 1500 villas and serviced residences, is slated for completion in early 2018

Swiss authorities helping Oman in oil corruption probe

Swiss authorities are involved because transactions related to the probe involved Swiss financial institutions, a source said

Different Arab money

GCC economies hit by oil price drop, to grow 3.4% in 2015

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have fared better than their GCC counterparts because of economic diversification, says report

Five Saudi soldiers killed at Yemen border, fighting begins in central province

The five Saudis were reportedly killed in southern Najran province

UAE Armed Forces launch ground offensive in Yemen

An Emirati serviceman was killed during the operation, state news agency WAM reported

UAE bank FGB raises $1bn loan for general purposes

The three-year facility is structured as a bullet loan which means the principal will be repaid at the end of the term

New Filipino restaurant to open in Dubai

A survey found that less than 4 per cent of Filipino expats would pay up to Dhs 100 for a single meal

Saudi Electricity says Aug peak power load hit record high

SEC’s peak load rose by 10.2 per cent to 62,260 MW from 56,547 MW a year earlier

Abu Dhabi Ports sees 41% growth between Jan-July 2015

More than 772,000 TEUs containers were handled in the first seven months of 2015

Kuwait’s KIPCO plans $5bn real estate project

The 380,000-square-metre project is planned for the al-Daiya area