Cost Of Food Drops 15%

Government reminds retailers and suppliers not to raise food prices ahead of Ramadan and iftars.

Mursi To Visit Saudi Arabia

Egypt’s new President will make his first official visit to the Kingdom this week to meet King Abdullah.

KSA’s Almarai And Dar Alarkan Up

Saudi Arabia’s dairy producer and property developer both reveal an increase in net profit for the second quarter.

CEOs Optimistic On ME Growth

PwC’s annual survey shows Middle Eastern businesses have continued confidence in the region.

Kuwait’s Exiting PM To Select Cabinet

Analysts expect Kuwait’s ruler to dissolve the parliament in order to allow fresh elections later this year.

IBM To Expand In The ME

The global technology firm plans to increase regional hiring and open more offices in a major expansion drive.

Dubai Duty Free Gets $1.75bn Loan

The Dubai airport retailer will use funds from the international credit facility to finance on-going expansion.

Emirates Islamic Bank Prices Sukuk

The $500 million Sukuk, EIB’s second issue this year, is priced at par and is due to mature in January 2018.

Gulf Deposits In Jersey Hit $33bn

The Gulf States account for 14 per cent of the total deposits in the island, according to official data.

Hilton To Open New Hotels In Egypt

The international hotel operator plans to open one hotel in Cairo and a resort in Alexandria.

UAE Bank Deposits Drop In May

Total deposits in the country decreased by 1.2 per cent during the month to close at Dhs1.1 trillion.

Qatar Plans New Harrods Hotels

Qatar Holding is planning to open Harrods branded hotels in Malaysia, Paris and New York.

UAE Seeks Strong Egypt Ties

The country has called for a closer relationship with Egypt as it begins a new era under President Mursi.

Qatar Airways Plans Saudi Carrier

Qatar Airways is keen to launch an airline in the Kingdom, but is worried about excessive fuel charges.

DP World sells Adelaide Port

The Dubai-based port operator sold its 60 per cent stake to Australian firm Flinders.

Etisalat Gets New Chairman

Eissa Al Suwaidi has been appointed as the new head of the UAE telecoms company, replacing Mohammad Omran.

Saudi Approves Mortgage Law

The long-awaited mortgage law is expected to help solve the Kingdom’s critical housing problem, say experts.

UAE Car Dealer To Invest Dhs900m

Al Nabooda, the distributor of Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen in Dubai, plans major investment push.

Qatar Plans $4bn Sukuk

The Gulf state is reportedly setting up two companies through an official decree to issue the Islamic bonds.

Job Unhappiness Causes Absenteeism

Most employees in the MENA region miss work because of low satisfaction and lack of responsibility, says survey.

Indian Remittance Tax Unclear

UAE exchanges say there is still no clarity regarding the Indian government’s proposed service tax on remittances.

Qatar’s Economy Grows By 6.9%

The country plans to boost government spending by 27 per cent to $49 billion for the fiscal year that began in April.

Dubai Rents Rise Between 6-9%

Average apartment rents increased six per cent and villa rents rose nine per cent in Q2 2012, says Asteco.

GCC IPOs Pick Up In Q2 2012

Four IPOs, valued at over $1.1 billion were issued in the GCC during the second quarter of 2012.

Bahrain Bank Merger Gets Nod

Shareholders of Capital Management House, Capivest and Elaf Bank approve the three-way merger.

Tourists To Abu Dhabi Rise 12%

The number of guests in the emirate’s hotels reached 192,374 during May this year, official statistics show.

Mursi Sworn In As President

A momentous day marks the dawn of a new era for Egyptian politics as Mursi is handed power.

Emirates Adds Saudi Flights For Ramadan

The airline will fly 73 extra flights to Jeddah and Medinah Al Munawarrah from July 20 to September 1.

Dubai Property Market Most Open

The UAE city is ranked as having the most transparent real estate market in the MENA region.

Saudi Aramco To Sell Unit For $1.3bn

The oil giant signs agreement to sell its Vela marine unit to Saudi National Shipping Company.