Carlson Rezidor to enter Iraq

The 260-room hotel will be located in Erbil’s Western suburbs, about 3kms from the airport

UAE, Bahrain say 50 soldiers killed in Yemen attack

The incident took place in the oil-producing Marib area of central Yemen near the border with Saudi Arabia

India and UAE: A firm handshake

The recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister promises renewed focus on economic and political ties between the two nations

Saudi Arabia satisfied with Obama’s assurances on Iran deal

Saudi King Salman met with Obama at the White House on Friday to seek more support in countering Iran

Dubai’s DIFC aims to have 100 Indian firms by 2024

Dubai’s financial freezone is looking to Indian and other Asian markets to fuel its growth over the next 10 years

Obama scores policy win in securing votes for Iran nuclear deal

The list of US senators backing the deal has now reached 34

War prevents 13m children from attending school in MENA – UN

Attacks on schools are one of the main reasons why many children cannot go to classes, a report by UNICEF said

Saudi Arabia, U.S. near deal for two Lockheed warships

The deal, valued at well over $1bn, could be reached by the end of this year

Obama to assure Saudi king of US help to counter Iranian threat

King Salman will meet Obama on Friday as part of his first US visit since ascending to the throne in January

UAE’s Arabtec says no progress on mega Egypt housing project

The company announced over a year ago that it had agreed in principle with the Egyptian government to build one million homes in the country

Oil prices continue to drop as US oil inventory surges

Oil prices dropped to their lowest level in over six years last week

UAE, UN to jointly host global manufacturing summit in Abu Dhabi

The inaugural summit will be held in the second half of next year

Huawei plots 10 Middle East customer service centres

The plans come following the launch of the company’s Dubai location this week

Satellite images show Islamic State destroyed major temple at Palmyra – UN

The images show the remains of the Temple of Bel at the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Geneva-based United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) said on Twitter

Egypt sets parliamentary election date in October

Egypt has been without a parliament since June 2012 when a court dissolved the democratically elected main chamber

Despite smartphone glut, Apple’s new iPhones still awaited in UAE

The company is expected to unveil its latest iPhones on September 9

Saudi-led coalition air strike kills 36 Yemeni civilians -residents

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri denied the strike had hit a civilian target

French thieves pose as Gulf Arab tourists, rob hotel guests

The thieves pretended to have lost their keys in order to gain access to the rooms of wealthy Arab tourists at luxury hotels in Europe

About 22% of Gulf firms say they only ‘talk about innovation’

A new survey shows that Gulf firms are not big risk takers in terms of innovation

Crude oil could reach $55 by year-end after “bumpy ride” – analyst

Oil prices remain challenged by over-supply in the market and the likelihood of decreased demand from China

Egypt summons UK ambassador over criticism of Al Jazeera trial

British Ambassador John Casson said that Egypt’s stability should be built on freedom of the press and freedom of expression after the court sentenced the three journalists to prison

Apple expected to unveil new iPhones at Sept. 9 event

The company is widely expected to unveil the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6 Plus S

Countries with the highest air pollution levels in the Middle East

The UAE tops the world for exposure to tiny air pollutants, according to the latest report compiled by The World Bank

Saudi-led air strikes kill 10 people in central Yemen – officials

The war in Yemen has killed more than 4,300 people, many of them civilians

White House confirms that Saudi King Salman will meet Obama on Sept. 4

The two leaders will discuss Syria, Yemen and steps to counter Iran’s destabilising activities in the region, a White House spokesman said

Egyptian court sentences 3 Al Jazeera journalists to prison

The journalists were accused of operating without a press license and broadcasting material harmful to Egypt

Thirsty Middle East faces worsening water stress – researchers

Thirteen Middle Eastern countries plus the Palestinian Territories are projected to face extremely high water stress in 25 years’ time, researchers warned

OPEC+meeting

Iran says some in OPEC do not want high oil price

The group will require approval from all countries to execute any market regulating measures, the official said

Saudi military intercepts Scud missile fired by Yemeni forces

The Saudi military said it intercepted the missile and retaliated with air strikes on Yemeni territory

The world’s top five safest countries

Qatar ranks among the top 10 safest countries with a population of under five million