Oman Government Official, Two Executives Jailed, Fined On Corruption Charges

Over 20 government officials and private executives from Oman’s oil industry are accused of offering or accepting bribes in exchange for contracts.

Kuwait: The Sleeping Giant

Having lagged behind its regional peers due to political and socio-economic issues is Kuwait ready to awaken from its slumber?

Saudi British Bank Q4 Net Profit Jumps 20%, Beating Forecasts

SABB attributed its profit rise to higher operating income.

Kuwait Says Oil Mkt Balance Takes Precedence Over Price Issue

Kuwait’s oil minister Ali al-Omair said the OPEC member targets 3.5 million barrels per day capacity by 2015.

UAE Frees American Jailed For YouTube Parody Video

Shezanne Cassim, 29, was sentenced to a year in prison in April over a “mockumentary”.

Alcoa Pays $384m To Settle Alba Bribery Charges

Criminal and civil allegations claimed officials were bribed for years to accept the supply of raw materials from Alcoa.

Uncertainty Over Future Running Of Abu Dhabi’s Big Oilfields

A 75-year partnership with ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Total and BP expired on Friday.

UAE Arrests Iranians Suspected Of Kidnapping Briton In Dubai

Abbas Yazdi, a 44-year old businessman, went missing in Dubai in June.

Qatar: More Than Just A Gas Nation?

With a new leader at the helm and the emirate’s gas boom coming to an end, can Qatar maintain its economic and political momentum?

DME Targets Asia Sales Growth In 2014

Dubai Mercantile Exchange CEO, Christopher Fix, is looking to establish DME Oman as the price benchmark for Middle East crude heading East

Saudi Arabia Raises December Oil Output Slightly, Pumps 9.8m bpd

The Kingdom kept production in November at steady levels from October when it cut output.

Irish Firm Launches Healthcare Project In The UAE

Broadmeadow Healthcare International will deliver elderly care services through partnerships with local government agencies.

Dubai Group Appoints Former Emirates NBD Banker As CEO

Ahmed al-Qassim was a director of investment banking at Emirates NBD.

4DX Cinema Launches In The UAE

VOX Cinemas has launched 4DX enabled sensory cinemas at Mirdif City Centre and Deira City Centre.

Qantas Credit Rating Slashed By Moody’s

Dubai-linked airline recently announced the loss of 1,000 jobs.

Dubai’s Victory Heights Project Completed

Victory Heights handed over 75 per cent of its phase one villas in 2010 as Dubai recovered from a property crash.

First Look: Dubai Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf

Marriott’s latest Dubai property has short-stay executives and long-stay contract workers firmly in its sights

Bahrain Suspends Reconciliation Talks With Opposition Groups

The breakdown raises the prospect of more political instability in the country.

Just Falafel Plans 160 New Restaurants In US, Canada

The UAE restaurant chain has signed five area franchise agreements with different partners across North America.

Saudi Hollandi Bank Q4 Net Profit 347.3m Riyals

The bank’s net profit for the quarter was boosted by a 22 per cent jump in total operating income to 671.1 million riyals.

UAE Takes Charge Of ADCO Oilfields

A current deal with ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Total and BP expires on January 11.

Emirate Of Sharjah Raises Profile With Sovereign Credit Rating

Moody’s assigned an A3 government bond rating to the Sharjah government on Wednesday, while Standard & Poor’s rated it A.

Kuwait’s Agility Appoints Tarek Sultan As CEO

Sultan, who was previously the chairman and managing director, will take up the position of deputy chairman.

Saudi’s Riyad Bank Posts 27.2% Q4 Net Profit Jump

Saudi Arabia’s third-largest lender by assets saw Q4 profit grow as income rose and expenses declined.

Oman’s Household Income Rises 83.9% In A Decade

The Muscat governorate recorded the highest average household income of $3,789 per month.

Alitalia’s Chairman Likely To Stay On For Talks With Etihad

Roberto Colaninno said in October he would step down after a 300-million-euro capital increase, completed at the end of December.

Controversy Over FIFA Comments On Qatar 2022 World Cup Timing

FIFA backtracks on comments made by secretary general Jerome Valcke that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would not be played in the summer.

Hiring For Expo 2020 To Begin By 2016

Construction, banking, travel and hospitality are sectors that will witness a rise in hiring activity.

Could Learning Arabic Boost Your UAE Job Prospects?

Knowledge of Arabic can provide job seekers with flexibility in the UAE’s competitive market but it will not trump skill and experience, experts say.

Saudi Aramco To Skip Diesel Term Imports On Delivered Basis

The Saudi firm might instead focus on tying up term contracts on a free-on-board basis with sellers like India’s Reliance Industries.