Business / Middle East Business

Gulf bankers meet to boost cooperation 13 Mar 2014 - 12:49 am

KUWAIT CITY: Arab central bank governors of the energy-rich Gulf met yesterday in Kuwait to discuss combating terror funding and boosting cooperation. Central...

Middle East grain buyers avoid Ukraine 13 Mar 2014 - 12:49 am

AMMAN: Turmoil in Ukraine is driving Middle Eastern grain buyers to shy away from striking new deals there and to consider rival suppliers,...

Egypt sees GDP growing slower 13 Mar 2014 - 12:48 am

CAIRO: Egypt’s newly appointed finance minister said yesterday the growth target had slipped and the budget deficit would widen more than official forecasts...

Shurooq signs MoU with US Chamber 12 Mar 2014 - 12:35 am

Doha: The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and the US Chamber of Commerce have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting...

India to slash Iran oil imports 12 Mar 2014 - 12:33 am

NEW DELHI: India has to cut its Iranian oil imports by nearly two-thirds from the first quarter after the United States asked it...

Egyptian pound steady 11 Mar 2014 - 01:50 am

A man walks past an exchange bureau advertisement showing images of the US dollar in Cairo yesterday. The Egyptian pound remained steady against...

Saudi retailer Alhokair eyes US, UK buys; plans debut sukuk 11 Mar 2014 - 01:24 am

DUBAI: Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co, the Saudi retailer which franchises brands such as Zara and Marks and Spencer in the kingdom, is studying...

Dubai trade growth slows down in 2013 10 Mar 2014 - 01:12 am

DUBAI: Dubai’s non-oil trade expanded 7.6 percent last year, slowing from 13 percent growth in 2012, but the emirate’s trade with Iran stabilised...

Iraq cuts April crude oil prices to US, Asia 10 Mar 2014 - 01:12 am

BAGHDAD: Iraq cut the price of Basra light crude to US buyers for April by 10 cents to 60 cents per barrel below...

Abu Dhabi signs $1bn loan pact with Serbia 07 Mar 2014 - 12:33 am

ABU DHABI: Serbia has signed an agreement for a $1bn loan from Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s Department of Finance said yesterday, boosting the...

Dubai World prepays $284.5m to creditors 06 Mar 2014 - 01:08 am

DUBAI: Dubai World, one of the emirate’s big state-owned conglomerates, has prepaid $284.5m to creditors under its $25bn debt restructuring plan, sources familiar...

Etisalat posts 70pc rise in Q4 net profit 05 Mar 2014 - 12:49 am

DUBAI: Etisalat, the United Arab Emirates’ biggest telecoms operator by revenue and subscribers, missed analysts’ forecasts with a 70 percent rise in fourth-quarter...

Mideast markets up, QE index dips 05 Mar 2014 - 12:49 am

Doha: Qatar Exchange ended in the red area yesterday when trading closed at 11,588.24 points, down 75.78 points, or 0.65 percent, from the...

Middle East to boost growth for SocGen 05 Mar 2014 - 12:49 am

DUBAI: Societe Generale (SocGen) aims to leverage its experience in structured and transport finance to grow its business in the Gulf, its regional...

Du gets $1.17bn in refinancing 05 Mar 2014 - 12:48 am

DUBAI: United Arab Emirates telecommunications firm du has borrowed $1.17bn in three separate deals to refinance existing debt and fund equipment purchases, the...

UAE business activity growth up in February 05 Mar 2014 - 12:48 am

DUBAI: Business activity growth in the United Arab Emirates’ non-oil private sector edged up in February from a three-month low in the previous...

Etihad profit up 48pc; Alitalia on radar 04 Mar 2014 - 01:04 am

Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan in Abu Dhabi yesterday. ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive said talks to pick an equity stake in...

Oman targets big rise in gas output 04 Mar 2014 - 12:51 am

MUSCAT: Oman expects a significant increase in its natural gas output over the next five years but little improvement in oil production, its...