Dubai’s Emirates Says Adds $7.6bn To EU GDP

Emirates’ operations supported 85,100 jobs across the EU in the 2013-2014 financial year, the company said in a statement.

Iran Rejects Obama’s Demand For 10-Year Nuclear Halt Work

On Monday, Obama said Iran must halt nuclear work for at least 10 years for a deal to be reached between Tehran and six major powers.

BlackBerry Unveils New Mid-Market Leap Smartphone

The phone, unveiled at the Mobile World Congress, would hit stores in US and European markets around April and be priced around $275.

Vatican On Alert For Islamist Attack, But No Plot-Security Chief

ISIL militants have made threats against Catholic targets in Rome that have been given much space in Italian media.

Abraaj Sets Up $200m North Africa Healthcare Group

Abraaj will be the main investor in the healthcare group with $145 million, while three other investors will pitch in about $55 million.

EU Seeks To Bolster Middle East Quartet Via Arab Involvement

The idea is to have more frequent top-level meetings with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt to ensure the region is more closely engaged at a time of change.

Iran Says Nuclear Deal Hinges On U.S. Will To Lift Sanctions

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted that an agreement couldn’t be reached as long as sanctions existed.

Saudi Consul Released After Three Years As Hostage In Yemen

Abdullah al-Khalidi, Saudi Arabia’s consul in Aden, was seized in March 2012.

Egypt Got $23bn In Aid From Saudi, UAE And Kuwait In 18 Months

Investment Minister Ashraf Salman said the aid included oil shipments, cash grants and deposits in Egypt’s central bank.

Stock News: Egypt Rebounds, Saudi Arabia Flat

Saudi Arabia’s market lacked clear direction and was nearly flat as oil edged down towards $62 per barrel.

Emirates To Launch Daily Service To Bali From June

The new non-stop service will begin from June 3, with Bali becoming Emirates’ 148th global destination.

Jumeirah To Open Bodrum Resort In Turkey This May

Jumeirah will soon have a second property in Turkey and second resort in Europe

Egypt’s Sisi Meets New Saudi King To Discuss Middle East Crises

King Salman broke official protocol to meet Sisi at the airport.

Egypt Election Committee Working On New Poll Timetable

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directed his government to amend the article within one month.

Egypt Court Ruling Opens Way For Possible Election Delay

Egypt has been without a parliament since June 2012.

ISIL In Syria Has Abducted 220 From Christian Villages This Week

The abductions reportedly took place when ISIL took 10 villages inhabited by the ancient Christian minority near Hasaka.

UAE Court Sentences Six Iranians To Life In Jail Over British Businessman’s Kidnap

Abbas Yazdi, a businessman of Iranian descent who owns a general trading company in Dubai, disappeared in June 2013.

Emirates’ Partner Qantas Reports First-Half Profit As New Strategy Gathers Speed

The airline’s turnaround strategy includes stripping costs, freezing capacity and slashing 5,000 jobs.

Emirates President Tim Clark Urges US Govt To Ignore Subsidy Claims

He was responding to allegations made by the three largest U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines.

Lenovo Website Breached, Hacker Group Lizard Squad Claims Responsibility

Although consumer data was not likely compromised by the attack, the breach was the second security-related black eye for Lenovo in a matter of days.

ISIL Seize 100 Iraqi Tribesmen Before Battle For Tikrit

Iraqi soldiers and pro-government Shi’ite militias have been massing for days in preparation for an attack on ISIL strongholds along the Tigris River.

Yemen Ex-President Amassed Up To $60bn, Colluded With Rebels – UN Experts

Ali Abdullah Saleh’s rule from 1978 to 2012 was marred by graft, UN appointed investigators have told the Security Council.

Oil Rises To $59 As Saudis Say Demand Growing

Oil fell on Tuesday after a bigger-than-anticipated rise in U.S. crude oil stocks.

Qatar’s Hassad Food Eyes Brazilian Sugar, Poultry Assets

Hassad Food, wholly owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, was set up in 2008 to boost the Gulf country’s food security.

Firms See Drone Sales In Gulf Surging After US Eases Export Policy

Teal expects a $4.5 billion UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) market in the Middle East over the period from 2014 to 2023.

US Firm Raytheon Agrees To Equip UAE Armoured Vehicles With Rockets

The firm did not give a contract value or say when delivery will begin.

Gunmen Kidnap French Woman, Yemeni Escort In Sanaa

No further details were immediately available on the identity of the woman or what she was doing in Yemen.

Egypt’s Sisi Issues Decree Widening Scope Of Security Crackdown

The anti-terrorism law gives authorities powers to ban groups on charges ranging from harming national unity to disrupting public order.

Gulf Economies Have Failed To Diversify, Qatar Central Banker Says

GCC economies should rethink their monetary policies and the long-term sustainability of their currency pegs to the U.S. dollar, he said.

Airbus To Deliver 30 Commercial Aircraft To UAE Airlines In 2015

The UAE currently comprises around 20 per cent of Airbus’ Middle East market, an official confirmed.