Bahraini Police Question Top Al-Wefaq Members Over Rally

The officials did not specify the nature of violation that occurred during the rally.

Saudi Finance Minister Says No Need To Create Sovereign Wealth Fund

At present, the surplus petrodollars of the world’s top oil exporter are mostly invested abroad by its central bank.

Saudi Ministry To Discuss Deficit Financing With Central Bank

A ministry statement said the government could cover the deficit with its huge fiscal reserves, but Alassaf told media that borrowing might also be used.

Saudi Finance Minister Says Can Endure Low Oil Prices Over Medium Term

Alassaf said everybody expected prices to rise eventually but there was a difference over when.

Build Greener To Tackle Climate Change, Arab Cities Urged

The speed of the urbanisation process has put additional stress on social services and infrastructure in a region already deeply vulnerable to climate change.

Are Security Concerns Restraining Cloud Computing’s Growth In The Middle East?

While cloud computing is expected to grow in the Middle East and Africa, concerns about security are pushing against that trend.

Iran Exits Recession With 4% Growth In Six Months, Rouhani Says

The International Monetary Fund expects Iran’s economy to expand 1.5 per cent in 2014.

HSBC Sees Bonds Gaining On Loans As Oil Curbs Cash

Bank liquidity may be affected by oil prices, says HBSC debt-capital markets head for MENA.

Saudi Arabia Plans To Raise Spending In 2015 Budget

The stock market rose in the minutes after the announcement, trading 0.9 per cent higher.

RAK Ceramics To Exit Sudan Business, Boost UAE Capacity

In November, chief executive Abdallah Massaad told Reuters that the company was working to exit its non-core businesses.

Kellogg Ups Bid In Battle With UAE’s Abraaj For Bisco Misr

Kellogg’s latest bid, for 89.86 Egyptian pounds ($12.57) per share, followed an offer earlier by Abraaj for 88.09 pounds.

NRIs Save Much More Than Other Expats In The UAE

A majority of UAE’s non-resident Indians save to support their children and parents, a new study showed.

Iraq Says OPEC Will Need To Step In If Oil Prices Keep Falling

Iraq’s oil minister Adel Abdul Mahdi did not specify the form of intervention that OPEC should adopt.

Kuwait Airways Firms Up $3.3bn Boeing Order

The new order will help Kuwait Airways expand its operations through the launch of new routes.

Etihad Completes Alitalia Purchase

The deal is expected to give Etihad greater access to the fourth largest travel market in Europe.

UAE Central Bank Says To Study Margin Lending In Stock Market

In a brief statement describing discussions at the board meeting, the central bank did not elaborate on how the study would be conducted.

Warplane Downed In Islamic State-Held Eastern Syria

The Observatory, which monitors Syria’s war with a network of sources, said the pilot was believed to have an Arab nationality.

Stock News: Gulf Markets Edge Up In Early Trade; Real Estate Strong

Dubai’s main index was up 2.2 per cent at 3,802 points with property stocks dominating trade.

Saudi British Bank Recommends Bonus Share Issue To Boost Capital 50%

One bonus share would be issued for each two shares held, increasing the number of the bank’s outstanding shares to 1.5 billion from 1 billion.

Abu Dhabi Airport Reopens Southern Runway After Dhs830m Upgrade

The upgrade will allow the airport to handle wide body aircraft such as the A380 and the Boeing 787.

Australian Foreign Minister Hopeful Egypt Will Release Al Jazeera Journalist

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suggested in November he was considering pardoning Greste and two other journalists of Qatar-based Al Jazeera television.

Saudi’s MMG Given Go-Ahead To Sell Suspended Shares Over The Counter

Shares in the company have not traded since July 2012, when they were suspended by the regulator after breaching rules relating to accumulated losses.

Over 1,000 Islamist Militants Killed In U.S Strikes In Syria

Activists say that the death toll since the military campaign was launched in late September was probably higher among the hardline Islamist insurgents.

Dubai’s Hotel Occupancy Rates Fall In October

Average occupancy fell by 0.3 per cent in October compared to the same period last year, a new survey showed.

Lau Family, Qatar To Boost Stakes In Lifestyle For $1bn

Qatar Investment Authority’s holding will total 22.8 per cent from purchasing 2.9 per cent of the company, a statement said.

Emirates To Begin Third Daily Service To Birmingham

The additional service will increase passenger and cargo capacity to and from Birmingham by 42 per cent, the airline said.

Arab OPEC Sources See Oil Back Above $70 By End-2015

The delegates said they may not see – and some may not even welcome now – a return to $100 per barrel any time soon, a price that was previously considered ideal.

Saudi Telecom To Book $166m Gain On Land Transfer To Government

The company originally announced in June that the government had seized a 1.05 million square metre plot in the Al Faisaliah district of Riyadh with a book value of SAR105.3 million.

Stock News: Gulf Stock Markets Mixed Early On After Oil Pulls Back

Dubai’s main index was down 0.4 per cent with trade focusing on real estate developers.

Saudi 2015 Budget Expected To Raise Spending Marginally

Saudi Arabia will continue spending actively on major strategic projects such as housing, transport and the construction of industrial cities, a newspaper said.