Oil drops 31% in worst loss since Gulf War as price fight erupts

Goldman Sachs warns that prices could drop to near $20 a barrel

Austria’s OMV mulls additional 39% stake in Borealis from Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala

The acquisition would increase OMV’s holding in Borealis to 75 per cent, while Mubadala would maintain a 25 per cent stake

Iraq to suspend border trade with Iran, Kuwait from March 8-15

Sea- and air-borne trade will continue as long as personnel and goods involved have the necessary paperwork from their originating countries

Oil slides amid Saudi-Russia discord on OPEC+ production cuts

West Texas Intermediate futures for April delivery fell 40 cents to settle at $46.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange

Italian investor seeks partner to bid for troubled NMC Health

GKSD Investment Holding SA approached Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. about becoming an equity partner

WHO flies Dhs1m aid from Dubai to Iran to combat coronavirus

The shipment included gloves, surgical masks and laboratory diagnostic kits

Latest coronavirus case in India travelled from Dubai

The other coronavirus patient travelled from Italy

NMC Healthcare

Hospital operator NMC Health asks lenders for leniency

NMC’s shares have been in free-fall since a December report by Muddy Waters Capital LLC

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to launch in H2 2020

The low-cost carrier will focus on establishing routes to markets in which Wizz Air has existing, high growth operations

European Commission greenlights Saudi Aramco-SABIC deal

Saudi Aramco seeks to acquire a 70 per cent stake in SABIC for $69.1bn

Saudi Arabia stops issuing tourist visas to residents in China; six other countries

Previously issued tourist visas to residents of these countries will also be temporarily suspended

Revealed: Arab leaders for change

The list features prominent Arab business veterans and personalities from across industries who are making an impact

Airlines send in world’s strongest disinfectants to fight the coronavirus

As the Covid-19 continues to spread, airlines have stepped up normal cleaning procedures to limit the risk of contamination

Boeing dangles funds for Max simulator time ahead of return

Boeing has repeatedly missed targets for re-certifying the Max, grounded since March after two fatal crashes

Lebanon has more to worry about than $31bn maturing Eurobonds

Falling reserves and inflows have led to a shortage of foreign exchange in Lebanon, disrupting the financial system

Revealed: All you need to know about the coronavirus Covid-19

The new strain of the coronavirus that reportedly emanated from a food market in China has morphed into an international contagion

Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak dies aged 91

He became Egypt’s longest-serving ruler in more than 150 years before being forced from office by a popular uprising in 2011

UAE halts all flights to Iran on coronavirus concerns

The country has already suspended all flights to and from China, with the exception of Beijing

At least 50 die of coronavirus in Iran – reports

Around 250 people inside a seminary in Qom were believed to have been quarantined on Monday

Egypt’s Banque Misr to borrow $250m, grow in Africa

Egypt’s second-largest state-owned lender will use the debt to finance small-and-medium-size enterprises, among other purposes

G20 finance chiefs discuss coronavirus threat to global economy in Saudi meet

Central banks in Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey and South Africa have cut rates this year

Lebanon slammed by double downgrade as bond default looms

S&P Global Ratings cut the country’s long-term foreign currency rating to CC, following a similar reduction by Moody’s Investors Service to Ca

Investor anxiety rises as coronavirus spreads outside China

South Korea reported its first death from the virus on Thursday while in Singapore, more than 80 people have contracted the virus

‘The US is sparing no effort in smearing Huawei’ – Middle East President Charles Yang

Huawei has signed 77 5G contracts globally, of which 12 are in the Middle East

India’s Reliance, Saudi Aramco accelerate refinery stake sale talks

In August, Reliance valued its oil-to-chemicals division at $75bn including debt, implying a $15bn valuation for a 20 per cent stake

Lebanon lira no longer fit for airline owned by central bank

Starting on Monday, February 17, Middle East Airlines will only accept foreign currency payments

Air pollution costs world $8bn a day, Greenpeace says

China, the US and India bear the highest economic cost of soaring pollution, at an estimated $900bn, $600bn and $150bn a year, respectively

Nissan sues Ghosn in Japan, seeks $91m in damages

The ex-Nissan boss, who was facing two trials on charges of financial misconduct in Japan, jumped bail and fled the country late last year

Lebanon weighs IMF help to decide on $1.2bn bond payment

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri requested the World Bank and IMF for assistance to address the country’s financial woes

Dubai’s Operation Falafel to expand to New York, London, Paris

The restaurant brand expects to roll out its first unit in New York by Q2 2020