Dubai contractor Arabtec asks banks to waive debt terms

The building company reported accumulated losses of Dhs4.6bn last year

Saudi says tax on tobacco, sugary drinks can generate up to SAR10bn

A 50 per cent levy will be imposed on soft drinks and 100 per cent on tobacco and energy drinks

Saudi privatisation drive to see 100 entities listed on the Tadawul

Close to 180 companies are listed on the Saudi stock exchange currently

Troubled construction firm Saudi Oger sells 2.8% stake in Saudi Investment Bank

Saudi Oger is struggling because of cuts in government spending and payment delays

Dubai’s Shuaa plans HQ move to Abu Dhabi

The move comes as major shareholder Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG) seeks to reduce costs

CEO argues 1% Gulf wealth tax would be better than VAT

Khalid Abdulla-Janahi said a proposed tax on people with assets of more than $5m was an effective way of shrinking deficits

Newly merged lender First Abu Dhabi Bank set to cut jobs

The merger of National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank was completed April 1

Strong loan growth helps Qatar National Bank post 12% Q1 profit rise

Loan growth was up 33 per cent year-on-year to QAR536bn

Ratings firm Fitch gets licence to operate in Saudi

Standard & Poor’s became the first foreign credit agency to obtain such permission last year

Saudi finance minister: No income tax for citizens

Saudi companies will not see their profits taxed

Bahrain’s Investcorp sells stake in PRO Unlimited

The company said the deal represented a 2.5 times increase in value for PRO since its 2014 acquisition

Revealed: Top 10 salaries in Oman

Oman was the third strongest market in terms of salary increases

How to manage your exposure to the FX market

FX Options helps investors to balance risks in their portfolio

Revealed: Top 10 salaries in Kuwait

Kuwait was the third weakest market in terms of pay rises

Oman cautions banks to be extra vigilant on property, personal loans

Oman is struggling to cope with the impact of lower oil prices

Revealed: Top 10 salaries in Bahrain

Bahrain saw the second smallest salary increase over the last year

Qatar Investment Authority sells stake in Santander Brasil worth $737m

QIA was the second biggest shareholder in the Brazilian unit of Spain’s Banco Santander SA

Revealed: Top 10 salaries in Qatar

The overall average monthly salary was up 0.98 per cent from $12,086 to $12,204

Saudi Aramco raises $3bn with debut sukuk

The Islamic bond is the oil giant’s first fundraising exercise aimed at diversifying revenue

Revealed: Top 10 biggest salaries in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia showed the weakest salary growth across the GCC region

Al Hilal Bank appoints new CEO

Former chief executive Khaled AlKhoori stepped down in late January

Dubai’s Noor Bank to get new CEO – sources

The head of corporate and investment banking at Mashreq will be taking on the role

Revealed: The UAE’s top 10 salaries

The average monthly pay packet in the UAE rose 0.66 per cent in the last year from $11,276 to $11,350

Merger of three Qatari banks to take six months

The new bank would have assets worth more than QAR160bn

Merged NBAD, FGB bank gets new name – First Abu Dhabi Bank

The new bank began trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange on Sunday

Dubai Holding CEO and vice chairman step down

Dubai Holding’s previous chairman, Mohammed Abdullah al-Gergawi, resigned last month

UAE’s state-owned fund Mubadala plans overseas investments

The fund may also sell or reduce some of its existing stakes in companies

Saudi Aramco formally appoints banks to advise on IPO

JPMorgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley and HSBC have been appointed as international financial advisers

Saudi bank lending growth almost halts in February

Bank lending to the private sector showed year-on-year growth of only 0.3 per cent

Residential property sales and leasing in UAE to be exempt from VAT

The first sale of new residential property in the country will be subject to the zero rate of VAT