Anthony Miles: The Coherent Conglomerate

The Gulf’s empires are facing an internal challenge: the need to pull together under one brand, writes Anthony Miles, a consultant at Bladonmore.

Qatar Buys Helicopters, Missiles In $23bn Arms Deals

The Gulf state announced deals with about 20 global companies, including with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Airbus and Boeing.

Arab League Summit In Kuwait Merely Papers Over Rifts

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have accused Qatar of disregarding an accord not to interfere in fellow Arab states’ internal affairs.

HSBC Appoints New Head Of MENA Retail And Wealth Management

Khalid Elgibaly, formerly the chief executive of Standard Chartered in Pakistan, will take on the role.

Egypt’s EFG-Hermes Sinks To 2013 Loss On One-Off Charges

EFG-Hermes said the one-off charges totalled 761 million pounds, including 616 million in the fourth quarter alone.

Middle East Funds Bullish On Regional Equity Markets

Survey finds that 47 per cent of the funds expect to raise their equity allocations to the Middle East over the next three months.

Egypt’s Sisi To Run For President, Vows To Tackle Militancy

Sisi toppled Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood last July after mass protests against his rule and has emerged as an influential figure.

Video: Hands On With The New Nokia X Range

Nokia launched its new range of Nokia X smartphones, based on Android open source, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Arab States Pledge To Work To End Rifts

Saudi, the UAE and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Qatar three weeks ago, accusing it of interfering in fellow Arab states’ internal affairs.

Facebook To Buy Virtual Reality Goggles Maker For $2bn

The acquisition comes soon after Facebook’s $19 billion deal for messaging service WhatsApp.

Pictures: HTC Unveils New Flagship Phone, HTC One M8

HTC’s latest handset boasts a new dual camera lens on the rear of the device.

Occidental Middle East Asset Sale Delayed Due To Regional Disputes

The firm said last year that it planned to sell a minority stake in its regional operations as a part of a restructuring program to lift its valuation.

Obama Aims To Soothe Saudi Fears With Riyadh Visit

Washington’s preliminary nuclear deal with Iran last year caused tensions between the US and Saudi.

Deutsche Bahn Joins Etihad Rail In UAE Railway Venture

The JV, Etihad Rail DB, will manage operations for the first stage of the railway.

Egypt’s Naeem Holding To Cross-List On Abu Dhabi Exchange

The company has given no details of the timing or size of the listing.

Arab Summit Opens, Leaders Struggle With Multiple Rifts

The gathering in Kuwait follows an unprecedented row among members of the GCC over Qatari support for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, and a verbal spat between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

PineBridge Buys 50% Stake In Turkish Therapy And Rehab Chain

The stake in Romatem is PineBridge’s second investment in Turkey and its third deal in the Middle East.

Gold Off 1-Month Low, But US Rate Hike Fears Cap Gains

Some gold investors have turned bearish after comments last week from U.S. Federal Reserve chief that suggested interest rates could rise sooner than many had expected.

Yahoo Maktoob Redesigns Homepage, Boosts ME Football Coverage

The company recently launched an Arabic football app and the Yahoo Fantasy Premier League in Arabic.

Virgin’s Branson Confirms Gulf Funding For Cruise Ship Project

Branson was looking for potential Middle East investors for his $1.7 billion cruise ship project, according to media reports.

Servcorp Targets Gulf Expansion

The declaration by Servcorp’s CEO was followed by the first public announcement confirming 120 day ‘hassle free’ business licenses will be made available in Dubai.

GCC Rift Looms Large Ahead Of Arab League Summit

Iran and Syria are the main issues for discussion at the summit, scheduled to take place in Kuwait on March 25-26.

Emirates To Drop Clark International In The Philippines

Dubai carrier makes unusual move and decides to drop new route

U.S. Drops Bid To Arrange Obama Summit With Divided Gulf States

The U.S. has abandoned efforts to arrange a summit with Gulf Arab leaders due to divisions with the group of its regional allies, officials said.

Japan Woos Gulf Tourists

A shift in policy is now seeing Japan take steps to embrace the Muslim traveller.

Defying Allies, Qatar Unlikely To Abandon Favoured Syria Rebels

Qatar’s Syria policy matters not only because Doha remains a generous backer of the opposition but also because its dispute with other funders.

Perseverance Pays For India’s Richest Man, Mukesh Ambani

It took Reliance Retail seven years of losses and over $1 billion in investments to find a formula that works.

U.S. FAA Review Says Boeing 787 Dreamliner Is Safe

Battery issues are still being investigated by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

Etihad Increases Aer Lingus Stake

Reports claim Etihad’s stake in Aer Lingus is now valued at just under €37 million

Google Plans Voice-Controlled Smartwatches To Track Heart Rates

The Android Wear project is open to software makers to create apps for the watches.