Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, passes away

Sheikh Hamdan held the position of ‎Minister of Finance since the first formation of the Cabinet on December 9, 1971

UAE Indonesia

UAE to invest $10bn in Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund

The investments will focus on strategic sectors in Indonesia, including infrastructure, roads, ports, tourism and agriculture, among others

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Sheikh Mohammed restructures Dubai government; approves five-year foreign trade plan

Three new chambers of commerce will be created and the five-year plan seeks to increase Dubai’s foreign trade from Dhs1.4 trillion to Dhs2 trillion

Kuwait city

Kuwait eases Covid-19 restrictions, exempts vaccinated arrivals from institutional quarantine

The nightly curfew timing has been reduced by one hour

Saudi’s Nazaha arrests several people on corruption, embezzlement charges

Legal procedures against the accused are currently underway

Qatar, Saudi deny immediate Israel normalisation plans

The UAE became the first Gulf Arab nation to agree to normalise ties with Israel

Saudi-led jets strike Houthi targets in Yemen after Aramco hit

These strikes came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked an Aramco refinery in the Saudi capital on Friday

Cryptocurrency Dubai DMCC

Cryptocurrency businesses can now open offices within DMCC freezone in Dubai

Cryptocurrency businesses will be offered bespoke licences by the DMCC Crypto Centre in Dubai

Scoring a goal: Following the AlUla Declaration, how will Qatar’s growth plans fare?

Normalisation of ties with the GCC, the upcoming FIFA World Cup and economic reforms are painting a positive picture for the gas-rich nation

Bahrain awarded $4.1bn worth of contracts in 2020

Covid-19 response sees Ministry of Health spending almost tripled compared to 2019

UAE money laundering prosecution office

UAE gross bank assets at Dhs3.172 trillion at the end of January

Gross credit in the banking system grew from Dhs1.779 trillion by the end of December 2020 to Dhs1.779.2 trillion in January 2021

Saudi economy contracted 3.9% in fourth quarter as oil drags

The non-oil economy shrank an annual 0.8 per cent in the fourth quarter

Abu Dhabi court fines four people, jewellery firm Dhs90m for money laundering, fraud

Each of the four defendants has been handed a five-year imprisonment term followed by deportation and a fine of Dhs10m

ADNOC Distribution

UAE’s ADNOC Distribution changes share dividend policy

It confirmed a minimum Dhs2.57bn dividend for 2022

Sheikh Khalifa announces 2021 as Year of the 50th

The ‘Year of the 50th’ officially starts on April 6, 2021 and lasts until March 31, 2022

Biggest aluminum maker in Middle East sees prices staying high

Emirates Global Aluminium said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization were Dhs4.1bn in 2020

Kuwait masks

Kuwait: Schools to reopen in Sept, cinema entry only for vaccinated people post Ramadan

Some two million people in Kuwait are expected to receive Covid-19 vaccination by September

UAE Central Bank

Overall liquidity in UAE banking system back to pre-Covid levels – Central Bank

The Central Bank of the UAE projects the country’s real GDP to increase by 2.5 per cent in 2021

UAE to require listed firms to have at least one woman on board

The requirement came into force after the Securities and Commodities Authority’s meeting on Sunday

Ras Al Khaimah: Violation, late payment fees scrapped for companies in events sector

The new exemptions follow an earlier set of measures that were approved last year

Saudi’s labour reforms take effect with expats now having greater rights

The new initiative offers expatriate workers labour mobility and amends existing exit procedures

Tom Watson Counterculture

How the UAE has shaped its technological ambition and retained its cultural heritage

The UAE’s cultural development showcases its traditional values while embracing a modern vision

Dubai Economy issues 4,796 new licences in February 2021, registers 3.4% y-o-y growth

Bur Dubai accounted for the largest share of the new licences issued in February 2021 in terms of areas

Hamdan bin Mohammed chairs Executive Council meeting june 2019

Freeze on Dubai government fees extended until early 2023

The three-year freeze on government fees was first announced by Sheikh Hamdan in March 2018

UAE: Services extended by artists, influencers subject to VAT – authorities

The UAE government instituted a 5 per cent VAT on goods and services in January 2018

International Holding Company

Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company reports Dhs3bn net profit for 2020

IHC’s total assets increased to Dhs14bn as of December 31, 2020, from Dhs4bn a year earlier

Kuwait begins nightly curfew, mulls lifting institutional quarantine for vaccinated arrivals

A 12-hour nightly curfew – from 5pm to 5am – will be in place for one month starting Sunday, March 7

KUWAIT-HEALTH-VIRUS

Kuwait eases visa transfer restrictions for expats

The new decision allows expat government employees and those on dependent visas to transfer to jobs in the private sector

Cash dividends worth Dhs29bn proposed by 38 UAE listed companies for 2020

Banks are the largest distributors of profits

UAE’s Ministry of Economy unveils list of violations, fines for money laundering

The issuance of the violations and fines list supports the UAE’s efforts in combating money laundering crimes and financing of terrorism