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Middle East

Etisalat’s Egypt Unit Signs $120m Loan

HSBC and National Bank of Abu Dhabi, will each provide $60 million each to Etisalat Misr.

UAE Calls Egyptian Hostage Killings By ISIL “An Ugly Crime”

The UAE’s president and other leaders condemned the killings and affirmed their support to Egypt in rooting out such radical groups.

Orascom Construction To List On Nasdaq Dubai, Egyptian Exchange

The listing followed a demerger of OCI NV’s engineering and construction business from its fertilizer and chemicals business.

Egypt Says It Bombed ISIL Targets In Libya

The attack focused on ISIL camps, training sites and weapons storage areas in Libya, where Islamist militants have thrived amid chaos.

Sisi Warns Of Response After ISIL Kills 21 Egyptians In Libya

The president said Cairo would choose the “necessary means and timing to avenge the criminal killings”.

ISIL Releases Video Purporting To Show Killing Of 21 Egyptians In Libya

The Egyptians, dressed in orange jump suits, were beheaded after being forced down on the ground.

Egypt Lines Up $6.8bn Of Kuwaiti Investment For Energy Projects

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab signed MoUs with Kuwaiti companies involving projects due to start in three to five years.

Different Arab money

Gulf States Continue Dialogue On Value-Added Tax – UAE Official

The GCC states have been mulling the introduction of VAT since 2007 to broaden their revenue base.

Egyptian Court Puts Ousted President Mursi On Trial Over Qatar Link

Ex-Islamist president Mohamed Mursi is charged of endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar.

Alghanim Industries Signs Deal To Expand Wendy’s In The Middle East

Kuwait’s Alghanim has acquired all operational outlets of Wendy’s in the UAE with plans to open additional stores in the MENA region over the next 10 years.

Jordan Jails Senior Muslim Brotherhood Leader For Criticising UAE

Rushaid, the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, had criticised the UAE for designating the pan-Islamic movement as a terrorist group.

Gulf States Urge U.N. To Enforce Resolution In Yemen

GCC members urged the Council to pass a resolution, which authorises the use of military force or economic sanctions to enforce Council resolutions.

Egypt Court Releases Two Al Jazeera Journalists But Case Not Dismissed

Fahmy, who is a naturalised Canadian citizen, was released on bail of $32,765 while Mohamed was released without bail.

Pay TV Network OSN To Launch WWE Channel In The Middle East

OSN has signed a five-year partnership with the wrestling network to distribute it as a premier channel in the MENA region.

Emirates’ Sheikh Ahmed Challenges US Airlines To Reclaim Marketshare

The airline chief said that the US carriers underestimated the level of competition when they signed the open skies policy in 1999.

Saudi Oil Minister Discusses OPEC With Russian, Algerian Officials

Under Saudi guidance, OPEC decided last November not to cut output, allowing oil prices to plunge.

IMF Says Egypt’s Reforms Starting To Spur Turnaround In Economy

The IMF projected growth to reach 3.8 per cent in 2014/15 and to rise to five per cent over the medium term.

Embassies In Yemen Close As Thousands Protest Against Militia Rule

The US, France and Britain have shut down their embassies while Germany said that it will soon follow suit.

Stalled EU-GCC Free Trade Agreement Should Be Passed – UK’s Mandelson

The GCC and the European Union have remained in a stalemate regarding the agreement for several years.

United States Closes Its Embassy In Conflict-Hit Yemen

Last month, Houthi fighters, who had captured the capital in September, seized the presidential palace, driving the President to resign.

Rosneft’s Sechin Slams OPEC, Warns On Possible Oil Shortage

OPEC ministers and delegates have blamed non-OPEC producers such as Russia, Mexico and Kazakhstan, as well as U.S. shale oil production, for the oversupply in the market.

Confident Gulf Bond Market Shrugs Off S&P Downgrades

S&P cut its outlook for Saudi Arabia’s “AA-/A-1+” foreign and local currency credit ratings to negative from stable and lowered ratings of Bahrain and Oman.

UN’s Ban Ki-Moon Urges Arab Leaders To Tackle Radicalisation

The UN secretary general said that Arab countries could tackle radicalisation by promoting interfaith dialogue and being attentive to people’s aspirations.

S&P Cuts Ratings On Middle Eastern Oil Producing Countries

Standard & Poor’s lowered its sovereign credit ratings on Bahrain and Oman, while lowering its outlook on Saudi Arabia.

US Welcomes UAE Decision To Base Fighter Jets In Jordan

The UAE had earlier suspended flights as part of the U.S.-led coalition conducting air strikes against ISIL.

GCC Countries Are Not Food Insecure – Expert

High fiscal reserves in the GCC act as a strong buffer from global food price fluctuations, an expert said.

Egypt Sets Retrial Date For Jailed Al Jazeera Journalists -Lawyer

Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were sentenced to seven and 10 years in jail respectively last year.

Burning Of Pilot Galvanized Anti-Islamic State Coalition -U.S. Official

Muslim clerics also condemned the burning to death of the pilot, Mouath al-Kasaesbeh, saying such a form of killing was considered despicable by Islam.

Arab Leaders Bemoan Lack Of Strategy, Weapons Against Jihadists

ISIL fighters have brought large areas in Syria and Iraq under their control.

Gulf Institutional Funds Favour Japan, Asia, Shun Europe – Pictet

Middle East investors have began to look east as Europe’s economy struggle due to repeated fears over sovereign debt levels and weak growth indicators.