Abraaj Buys Stake In Thai Education Firm Amid Political Turmoil

Abraaj said it had bought a stake in out-of-school education provider KPN Academy, without disclosing the purchase price.

Former Army Chief Sisi Poised For Victory In Egypt Election

Sisi’s sole competitor is Hamdeen Sabahi, a leftist politician who finished third in the 2012 election.

Etihad-Owned Air Berlin Considers Splitting In Two

Air Berlin could be divided into a unit that offers traditional scheduled flights and another that flies to tourist destinations.

Etihad Launches Freighter Operations To Uganda’s Entebbe

The service is expected to carry large quantities of electronics and textiles to the Ugandan city.

Samsung May Unveil ‘Watch-Phone’ As Early As June

The new smartwatch will be able to make or receive calls without having to be tethered to a mobile phone, say reports.

Etisalat Scraps Buyout Offer To Maroc Telecom Minority Shareholders

Etisalat paid 4.14 billion euros ($5.7 billion) for Paris-listed Vivendi’s stake in Maroc Telecom.

UAE Businessman BR Shetty Buys Forex Firm Travelex

Dr. Shetty is the owner of money transfer service UAE Exchange, which has over six million customers in 30 countries.

UAE To Continue Political, Economic Support To Egypt After Poll

The UAE has welcomed Sisi’s rise and the army’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Qatar Fund Commits $2bn Investment To Russia

The amount will be allocated via joint investments with state-backed private equity fund the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

UAE Banks Tap Australian Debt Opportunities

National Bank of Abu Dhabi, First Gulf Bank, Emirates NBD and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank have issued kangaroo bonds this year.

Calling All Telecoms Firms In The Middle East

Regional telecom operators are grappling with new business models and growing competition. Enterprise provider SAP says it can help.

30 Seconds On The Business Of… Electronic Payment Solutions

Gulf Business speaks to Raghu Malhotra, division president, Middle East and North Africa, MasterCard.

UAE Calls For Greater Coordination In GCC Economic Integration Plans

The comments were made at the 24th meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Planning and Development in Kuwait.

Sony CEO: Not Thinking Of Selling Or Shutting TV Business

Sony plans to turn its struggling TV business into a separate entity – Sony Visual Products Inc – within a few months.

Documents Reveal Etihad Received Royal Funding – Australian Daily

The loan for the state carrier required no repayments until 2027, reported the Australian Financial Review.

Iran President Says Nuclear Talks At Tough Juncture, Deal Possible

The lack of progress in talks that ended last week in Vienna had raised doubts over a breakthrough by the July 20 deadline.

Iranians Arrested For “Happy” Video Freed

The six youngsters were detained for what police called their “obscene” behaviour, one of them said in an online posting.

Ousted Egyptian Leader Mubarak Gets 3 Years Jail For Embezzling Millions

Mubarak has been under house arrest at a military hospital since August.

LuLu International Invests Dhs55m To Launch Galito’s Restaurant Chain in UAE

The franchise agreement includes plans to setup 15 restaurants in the UAE over the next four years.

Etihad Opens Sydney Premium Lounge

UAE carrier’s two-level facility offers free wifi and is the airline’s first lounge in Australia

Al Jazeera Warns Life Of Its Journalist Jailed In Egypt Is At Risk

Abdullah Elshamy, one of four reporters being held in Egypt, has been on hunger strike since Jan. 21 to protest against his detention.

Kuwait’s Emir To Visit Iran, Turn “New Page” In Ties

Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah will visit Iran on May 31-June 1 at the invitation of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Global Islamic Banking Assets To Exceed $3.4 Trillion by 2018

Combined profits of Islamic banks broke the $10 billion mark for the first time at the end of 2013

Emirates Could Buy More A380s If Airbus Revamps Jet – Executive

The carrier placed a surprise order for 50 more of the jumbo jets during the Dubai air show in November.

World Free Zones Organisation Launches In Dubai

The global NGO, headquartered in Dubai, aims to boost international awareness of free zones.

Airbus Chief Says A380 To Match Boeing’s Latest Jet 777X

Airbus plans to decide later this year whether to upgrade the wide-body jet with new engines.

UAE’s Lulu To Invest $200m On Halal-Only Hypermarkets In Malaysia

The supermarket chain plans to open five outlets across Malaysia in the next two years.

Saudi Arabia Closes Embassy In Libya Due To Security Concerns

Heavily armed gunmen stormed Libya’s parliament on Sunday demanding its suspension.

Dow Awards Construction Contract For Reverse Osmosis Plant In Saudi

Fluor Corporation has won the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the facility.

Qatar To Help Deutsche Bank Raise $11bn In New Equity Capital

The capital measures will increase the bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 ratio and help the German lender expand its investment banking business.