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Oman Muscat

Oman schools to end academic year without exams; Muscat extends lockdown to May 29

The decision applies to private and public schools which will end the current academic year on May 7

Message from the top: Ethan Xue, president, OPPO MEA

As companies across the GCC tackle the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, regional business leaders reveal insights on what their organisations are doing and offer advice on how to deal with the current crisis

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ to buy Jordanian firm from founders, Carlyle

Last week, the company acquired 30 per cent of shares in National Petroleum Construction Co. it didn’t already own

Revealed: Indian repatriation flight schedule from the UAE

There will be 10 Air India flights organised from Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi to India from May 7-13

Volkswagen Middle East

Volkswagen Middle East launches new e-commerce platform in UAE, Saudi Arabia

A Live Chat facility will also allow customers to access an online personal chat with a dealership’s sales representative

India to begin repatriation of stranded citizens, including from UAE, this week

Citizens will be transported via aircraft and naval ships and will be quarantined for 14 days upon arrival at their destination in India

Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair launches Covid-19 fund for refugee education

The fund focuses on refugees living in overcrowded camps, informal tent settlements and congested host communities where access to online education is currently out of reach

Why should we embrace a new age of computing power in the Middle East

Computing and connectivity are advancing by leaps and bounds, and will soon pave the way to a digital world in which all things are connected

PepsiCo pledges $5m towards Covid-19 relief in MENA region

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, PepsiCo and its foundation are focused on providing financial assistance, medical equipment and meals as well as supporting local health authorities’ efforts across the region

Bahrain to pay private sector salaries with $570m Covid-19 relief package

The government will pay the salaries from April to June of approximately 100,000 citizens employed in the private sector

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Saudi-led Arab coalition announces two-week ceasefire in Yemen

The two-week period is subject to extension

Egypt bans Ramadan gatherings, public iftars – reports

The committee of scholars at Cairo’s al-Azhar university added that people should still fast as the ritual had no link to coronavirus

LinkedIn to offer free recruiting tools in the UAE for people with ‘critical skills’

Companies can post mission-critical jobs for free on the platform from April 1 to June 30

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Covid-19: The new business opportunities in the Middle East and beyond

While the Covid-19 outbreak has created pandemonium globally, some business segments from education and entertainment to telemedicine and telecommunications now have a bigger role to play than ever before

Saudi destroys missile launched towards Riyadh, two injured

Saudi air forces also intercepted another missile launched towards the city of Jazan

UAE Central Bank cuts interest rates

The move follows a similar announcement by the US Federal Reserve

Mandatory quarantine for passengers arriving in India from UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar

The measures will be in force until March 31 and will be reviewed subsequently

Lebanon to suspend flights to UK, Egypt, nine other countries

There will be a four-day grace period for Lebanese citizens to return from the countries on the list before the ban comes into effect

Oil drops 31% in worst loss since Gulf War as price fight erupts

Goldman Sachs warns that prices could drop to near $20 a barrel

Iraq to suspend border trade with Iran, Kuwait from March 8-15

Sea- and air-borne trade will continue as long as personnel and goods involved have the necessary paperwork from their originating countries

WHO flies Dhs1m aid from Dubai to Iran to combat coronavirus

The shipment included gloves, surgical masks and laboratory diagnostic kits

European Commission greenlights Saudi Aramco-SABIC deal

Saudi Aramco seeks to acquire a 70 per cent stake in SABIC for $69.1bn

Saudi Arabia stops issuing tourist visas to residents in China; six other countries

Previously issued tourist visas to residents of these countries will also be temporarily suspended

Revealed: Arab leaders for change

The list features prominent Arab business veterans and personalities from across industries who are making an impact

Lebanon has more to worry about than $31bn maturing Eurobonds

Falling reserves and inflows have led to a shortage of foreign exchange in Lebanon, disrupting the financial system

Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak dies aged 91

He became Egypt’s longest-serving ruler in more than 150 years before being forced from office by a popular uprising in 2011

UAE halts all flights to Iran on coronavirus concerns

The country has already suspended all flights to and from China, with the exception of Beijing

At least 50 die of coronavirus in Iran – reports

Around 250 people inside a seminary in Qom were believed to have been quarantined on Monday

Lebanon slammed by double downgrade as bond default looms

S&P Global Ratings cut the country’s long-term foreign currency rating to CC, following a similar reduction by Moody’s Investors Service to Ca

‘The US is sparing no effort in smearing Huawei’ – Middle East President Charles Yang

Huawei has signed 77 5G contracts globally, of which 12 are in the Middle East