Marriott MEA To Open 13 New Hotels By 2017

New openings include Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Rwanda and Ghana.

Arabtec Plans To Hire 10,000 Across The Middle East

The Dubai-based construction company is targeting young recruits for the new roles.

GCC Petrochemical Exports To Surge In 2014 – GPCA

GCC petrochemical exports are expected to rise due to the Bali Package, which aims to cut the cost of trade by 15 per cent.

Etihad In Final Due Diligence Stage For Alitalia Stake Buy

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is reportedly planning to buy a 40 per cent stake in the struggling Italian carrier.

US President Obama Plans Visit To Saudi Arabia – Report

Obama will hold a summit with Saudi King Abdullah to ease tensions between the two countries, according to a report.

Middle East Peace Mediators To Meet In Munich

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will meet with Tony Blair and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Ford Middle East Reports 12% Rise In 2013

Ford recently announced its fifth global business unit – Ford Middle East and Africa.

Investment Banks In Middle East To Remain Profitable In 2014- Report

Investment banks in the Middle East have been growing as regional markets continue to recover from the global financial crisis, says Frost & Sullivan.

Saudi Arabia To Give Egypt Up To $4bn More Aid

GCC states have given Egypt billions of dollars since the army toppled President Mohamed Mursi.

Egypt To Put Al Jazeera Journalists On Trial

In a statement, the prosecutor said the four had published “lies” that harmed the national interest.

Arabtec Expands Into Iraq With Baghdad Office

The Dubai firm has started looking for candidates for senior management posts including for the position of CEO.

GCC Can Be Melting Pot For Global Energy – CEO

Energy CEO of DNV GL says the Gulf needs to look at the cost of energy and its sustainability.

Pentagon Notifies Congress Of Possible F-16 Upgrades For UAE

The multibillion dollar deal would include the sales of guns and navigational systems.

Stocks News: Gulf Vulnerable To Further Profit-Taking

The Dubai index has dropped for two consecutive sessions but is still up in January.

Roche To Add Staff Across Middle East Offices In 2014

Swiss biotech firm Roche has said that it will increase its regional workforce from 300 to 375 in 2014.

Over One Billion Smartphones Shipped In 2013, Samsung Leads

Smartphones accounted for 55.1 per cent of all mobile phone shipments last year, says IDC.

Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah secures $201m Funding

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China marks its first project financing deal for a hospitality project in the Middle East

UAE Considers Importing North American Gas

Rapidly rising demand and slow production growth have made the UAE a net importer of gas over the past few years.

India Lifts A380 Restrictions And Gulf Carriers’ Hopes

Presently only Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have the required infrastructure for the jumbo jets.

GCC Nationalisation Schemes Creating “Ghost Workers”

Most of these schemes have failed in the past and can only be successful when accompanied by wage reforms and skill match up by locals, says new study.

Boeing, UAE Join To Produce Aviation Biofuel From Desert Plants

The research partnership comes after findings that desert plants fed by seawater will produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks.

Dubai Retailer Majid Al Futtaim Plans To Invest $2.3bn In Egypt

The company expects to complete construction of its ‘Mall of Egypt’ project near Cairo by the end of 2015.

Dubai’s Arabtec Expands, Opens New Headquarters In Belgrade

The new office will help the company expand its presence in the wider Balkan region.

BAE Systems Says Making Progress On Saudi Price Talks

BAE lost a potential $10 billion deal to sell 60 Eurofighter jets to the UAE late last year.

Middle East CEOs’ Confidence Rises Sharply In 2014

Middle East CEOs are the most confident globally about short-term revenue growth in 2014.

UK Offers Support To Qatar For 2022

Ambassador Nicholas Hopton dismissed criticism Qatar has faced in preparation for hosting the event.

Etihad Announces Codeshare With New York’s JetBlue Airways

Etihad will codeshare on 40 JetBlue routes within the U.S. with further codeshares planned for later in the year.

Abraaj Group Acquires Majority Stake In Turkish Dairy Firm

Abraaj’s investment will help Yörsan Group grow both domestically and internationally.

Renault Middle East Sales Up 19%

The French car company sold over 55,000 units in the region with the UAE recording the biggest increase.

Egypt Tourism Revenues Down 41% In 2013 Vs 2012

Egypt’s tourism sector has shrivelled since former president Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a popular uprising in 2011.