Serbia’s Central Bank Issues Licence To UAE’s Mirabank

The bank is expected to start its regular operations by the end of March 2015.

Stock News: Gulf Markets Tumble, Lose $49bn, As Oil Slides Below $60

Dubai’s index closed 7.3 per cent lower at 3,084 points, a one-year low, while Abu Dhabi’s benchmark ended 6.9 per cent lower on Tuesday.

Brent Falls Below $60 For First Time Since 2009

Oil futures have almost halved since June amid rising output and cooling demand.

Gulf Can Cope With Cheaper Oil, IMF Says As Bourses Plunge

GCC states should rein in state spending, but in a gradual way to avoid hurting economic growth.

Former British Regulator Sants To Advise Abu Dhabi Financial Zone

Hector Sants will advise the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) on the creation of its regulatory framework and its strategy.

Emirates To Start A380 Flights To Perth

Emirates set to be first airline to fly the A380 to Perth next summer

Kuwaiti Ship, Egyptian Fishing Boat Collide In Red Sea, Killing 13

The collision is at least the second such recent incident involving vessels passing through the Suez Canal.

Police Storm Sydney Cafe To End Hostage Siege, Three Dead

Authorities have not publicly identified the gunman, but a police source named him as Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee.

Middle East CFOs’ Optimism Highest In Three Years- Study

The majority of CFOs in the UAE reported a rise in optimism despite political turmoil in the region, a new survey says.

Islamist Group Criticises Egypt Over Arrest Warrant For Cleric

Interpol this month issued a Red Notice alert for Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi in connection with several alleged offences including murder, arson, vandalism and theft.

Gunmen Take Hostage In Belgium, No Islamist Link Seen

Belgian police cordoned off part of the city after the four men were seen entering the building in the Dampoort district, where they took a hostage.

UAE’s Dana Gas Says Kurdistan Government Failed To Pay $100m

Dana warned that the Kurdistan’s government could face sanctions if the autonomous region failed to pay the money to its consortium.

Huge Gap Of Women Leaders In The Middle East – Mercer

A quarter of organisations in the region have no women leaders in their 100 most senior roles, a survey by Mercer found.

Australia’s Currency Drops As Sydney Hostage Drama Continues

At least one gunman has taken several people hostage at a central Sydney cafe.

Stock News: Qatar Enters Bear Market As Dubai Erases 2014 Gains

Dubai’s gauge wiped out this year’s advances as oil prices plummeted to the lowest level since July 2009.

Dubai-Based Retailer Al Ghurair To Launch 30 New Stores In The GCC

The latest addition will see Al Ghurair’s retail presence in the region increase to 90 shops from the 60 it currently operates in the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.

Syrian Wins Arab Idol Contest, Steers Clear Of Politics

Hazim Sharif steered clear of specific political references in interviews after his victory, which was broadcast to millions of viewers across the Middle East.

UAE Says OPEC Won’t Change Output Even If Price Drops to $40

UAE minister of energy ruled out a cut in OPEC’s production or an emergency meeting soon to stabilise the falling oil prices.

OPEC Chief Defends Policy, Says Group To Try To Ride Out Price Fall

OPEC Secretary-General said that Gulf countries should continue to invest in oil exploration despite the decline in oil prices.

Dubai’s Aramex Buys South Africa’s PostNet Franchise For $16.5m

PostNet provides courier, printing and copying services, plus stationery and mailboxes, and has 287 stores in South Africa.

Airbus A350 Delivery To Qatar Rescheduled For Dec 22

The handover of Airbus’ first mainly carbon-composite jet was originally scheduled for December 13.

Flydubai Targets European Traffic Flows

The low-cost carrier is launching new routes to Zagreb, Sarajevo and Sofia.

Saudi King Gives $35m Grant For Ebola Fight

Under the grant, Jeddah-based IDB will setup treatment centres in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia and Mali.

Songbird Says Too Early To Know Shareholder Intentions On $4bn Qatari Bid

Songbird Estates is the owner of London’s Canary Wharf financial district.

UAE’s First Gulf Bank Looks To Asia For Expansion

It is particularly looking to expand into North Asia and mainland China and also wants to increase its presence in India.

Oil Plunges 3% To New 5-Year Lows After Bearish IEA Outlook

The IEA slashed its outlook for global oil demand growth for 2015 by 230,000 barrels per day to 900,000 bpd.

Lebanon Counts The Cost Of Conflict

The burden of supporting Syria’s displaced citizens has dampened business and investor confidence in Lebanon.

Is E-Commerce The Best Bet For Middle East Start-Ups?

Although opportunities are abound, many entrepreneurs underestimate the challenges of starting up online.

How Yemen’s Houthis Control Sanaa And Alarm The West

Widely seen as a failed state, Yemen remains one of the gravest threats to stability in the Gulf and beyond.

Gulf Bonds Diverge As Oil Plunge Separates Strong From Weak

As oil plunges, the region is dividing into three classe in investors’ eyes with Kuwait and Qatar emerging as the strongest.