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Saudi Arabia Worst On Women’s Legal Issues

A World Bank report found the Middle East and North Africa have made the least progress over the last 50 years in improving women’s economic opportunities.

ME Carriers To Net $1.6bn Profits In 2013

IATA projects that Middle East carriers will post a profit of $2.1 billion in 2014.

Gulf Bond Market Braces For Deals After Fed Decision

The US Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain its monetary stimulus is expected to boost the the regional bond market.

Egypt Set For Total Rewrite Of Mursi Constitution

A 50-member committee has been appointed by the interim government to amend the constitution.

Syria Discloses Chemical Weapons Stockpile Details – Watchdog

Syria is believed to possess about 1,000 tonnes of toxins

Turkey’s Erdogan Risks Alienating Gulf Investors

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan outspoken support for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has set it at odds with the Gulf Arab states.

Chemical Weapons Disposal Will Cost $1bn, Take A Year – Assad

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied that his forces were responsible for a chemical weapons attack in Ghouta.

BlackBerry’s New Phone Z30 To Launch In Middle East Next Week

The new touchscreen device boasts a five-inch display and a 1.7 gigahertz processor.

RBS To Boost Mideast, Africa Trade Finance After Regional Revamp

The bank’s retail business in the UAE was sold to Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank in 2010.

Social Entrepreneurship Can Reduce Welfare Costs In ME

In a candid chat with Gulf Business, Hult Prize CEO Ahmad Ashkar discusses why he thinks the time is ripe for social entrepreneurship in the Middle East.

Majority Of Middle East Senior Managers Are Hired Online: Study

Most senior managers apply for jobs via the career portal on a company’s website, says study.

Qatar-Egypt LNG Supply Talks On Hold As Summer Peak Passes

Qatar agreed in May to donate five cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Egypt.

UN Confirms Chemical Weapon Use In Syria Attack

U.N. chemical investigators confirmed the use of sarin nerve agent in an August 21 poison gas attack.

Wealthy Individuals To Be Main Buyers Of Zain Iraq IPO – CFO

The telecoms operator is looking to raise more than $1 billion through its IPO next year.

Occidental Seeks Buyers For Stake In Middle East Unit

Sources say the company could sell 30 per cent to 40 per cent of its Middle East business unit.

Syria’s Chemical Weapons; Decades To Build, Years To Destroy

Syria’s stockpile is believed to be spread over dozens of sites and include research and development centres, some of them underground.

Ex-Barclays Team Plans London-Based Islamic Asset Firm

Arabesque is due to open to investors in the first quarter of 2014 and will focus on value-based investment strategies.

Kuwait To Transfer $2bn Aid To Egypt

Kuwait’s state news agency said the package would comprise a $2 billion central bank deposit, a $1 billion grant and $1 billion in oil products.

StanChart Appoints MENA CEO As Head Of Islamic Arm

Christos Papadopoulos will lead the bank’s expansion in sharia-compliant banking.

ME Insurance M&A Activity At All Time Low

Transactions in the Middle East between July 2012 and June 2013 dropped to nine deals as compared to 13 in the previous year.

Gulf Arab States Still Want Deterrent Action Against Syria

Bahrain’s Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa was speaking at the start of a meeting of foreign ministers from the six GCC countries.

UAE Salaries To Increase 5% In 2014

Salaries in Saudi Arabia are expected to increase on average by six per cent, while Oman and Kuwait’s pay rises will grow by 5.6 per cent.

iMENA Invests $8m In Hellofood For ME Expansion

iMENA Holdings and Rocket Internet have partnered to invest in the regional operations of Hellofood, a global food ordering service.

Saudi Diplomat Kidnapped In Yemen Asks Family To Stage Protests

Militants seized Saudi vice consul Abdullah al-Khalidi in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden in March 2012.

Qatar To Convert $2bn Egypt Central Bank Deposit Into Bonds

Qatar sent Egypt $3 billion in May of which it converted $1 billion into three-year bonds.

GCC Real Estate Industry Heats Up Amidst Strong Competition

Local firms have to raise standards as they face increasing competition from international property developers, says new report.

GPHG To Make Middle East Debut In Dubai

The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève will showcase 70 of the finest watches in DIFC this October.

Obama Appeals For Backing To Hit Syria, Europeans Urge Delay

The US President is emphasising that he only plans limited strikes on Syria to deter future chemical weapons attacks.

As Obama Blinks On Syria, Israel, Saudis Make Common Cause

Saudi Arabia, like Israel heavily dependent on the United States for arms supplies, is engaged in a historic confrontation with Iran for regional influence – a contest shaped by their leading roles in the rival Sunni and Shi’ite branches of Islam.

Surprise Or Not, U.S. Strikes Can Still Hurt Assad

With weeks to prepare for an attack, Assad might benefit in some ways from the delay in any strike by the United States.