Dubai ruler launches $3m Arab Reading Challenge project

The project will see over a million students committing to read 50 million extracurricular books during one academic year

Saudi diplomat accused of rape withdrawn from India

The diplomat was accused of repeatedly raping and torturing two Nepali maids working at his home near New Delhi

Qatari developer Katara buys iconic Rome hotel for $251m

As part of the deal, the Westin Excelsior Rome will undergo a complete renovation over the next five years

Home Centre reveals 50 store expansion, Dhs 1bn investment

The investment will expand upon Home Centre’s 90 store footprint

Boeing appoints new business heads for Turkey and Qatar

Omar Arekat, Boeing Commercial Airplanes sales director, has been appointed managing director for Qatar

GCC construction firms continue to hire despite oil slump

Previously awarded projects are continuing without impact, experts say

Rouhani’s nuclear dividend to feature in Iranian elections

Parliament is dominated by conservatives and many analysts say Khamenei will not want Rouhani’s allies to win a majority

Pictures: Accor opens Novotel, ibis in Iran, leads Tehran hotel drive

Accor is set to become the first international hospitality company to operate in Tehran since the 1979 Revolution.

UAE retail chain LuLu expands into Indonesia, plans 15 outlets

The group plans to invest $300m in the first phase of expansion

Saudi-led coalition in Yemen sees victory “no matter what”

Yemeni forces and their Arab allies are fighting to oust the Houthis in a six-month war that has killed over 4,500 people

China’s SEPCO set to win gas booster project for Saudi Aramco

Under the new project called MGS 2, SEPCO will build a gas compressor station, industry sources said

Egypt security forces accidentally kill 12, including Mexican tourists

The tourist group of 22 had parked their four four-by-four vehicles off road for a barbecue near the Bahariya oasis

Swiss authorities helping Oman in oil corruption probe

Swiss authorities are involved because transactions related to the probe involved Swiss financial institutions, a source said

Different Arab money

GCC economies hit by oil price drop, to grow 3.4% in 2015

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have fared better than their GCC counterparts because of economic diversification, says report

Five Saudi soldiers killed at Yemen border, fighting begins in central province

The five Saudis were reportedly killed in southern Najran province

UAE Armed Forces launch ground offensive in Yemen

An Emirati serviceman was killed during the operation, state news agency WAM reported

Abu Dhabi Ports sees 41% growth between Jan-July 2015

More than 772,000 TEUs containers were handled in the first seven months of 2015

Kuwait to buy Eurofighters in a deal worth up to $9bn

Sources said the 20-year-long deal for 28 Eurofighters would be finalised “in a few weeks”

Qatar appoints first ambassador to Iraq in 25 years

Iraq’s foreign minister had said in May that Qatar would open an embassy in Baghdad

No relaxation seen in Gulf states’ curbs on Syria’s refugees

The Gulf states worry about the political, social and economic impact of an influx of refugees

Dubai eyes China for lucrative incentive tourism market

The emirate hosted the International Dragon Awards in August, welcoming about 5,700 attendees

India in diplomatic row over rape case ahead of Modi’s Saudi visit

Two Nepal maids claim they were kidnapped, gang-raped and starved over several months at a Saudi diplomat’s home

UAE says over 100,000 Syrians given visas since 2011

More than 242,000 Syrian nationals currently live in the country

Majority of UAE firms planning international expansion

Around 10.4 per cent of all firms planning global expansion are from the UAE, a new poll showed

Indian police investigate accusation Saudi official raped Nepali maids

The two women, aged 30 and 50, told police they were raped, assaulted, starved and held hostage over several months in Delhi

Gulf firms turn to banks to fund big projects as state coffers squeezed – SocGen

A drop in oil prices, which hit a six-and-a-half-year low last month, has pushed some Gulf state budgets into deficit for the first time in years

Yemen coalition readies for 10,000-troop Sana’a offensive

Al Houthi rebels seized the city in September last year

Qatar sends 1,000 ground troops to Yemen battle – Al Jazeera

A total of 1,000 Qatari soldiers, backed by 200 armoured vehicles and 30 Apache helicopters have reportedly been deployed

Gulf oil ministers to meet on Thursday amid price slide

Oil prices have more than halved since peaks hit in summer last year due to abundant supplies

Doha Bank partners with India’s Reliance, led by Anil Ambani

The agreement is aimed at generating new business opportunities in the GCC and India