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Stock News: Gulf Markets Tumble, Lose $49bn, As Oil Slides Below $60

Dubai’s index closed 7.3 per cent lower at 3,084 points, a one-year low, while Abu Dhabi’s benchmark ended 6.9 per cent lower on Tuesday.

Gulf Can Cope With Cheaper Oil, IMF Says As Bourses Plunge

GCC states should rein in state spending, but in a gradual way to avoid hurting economic growth.

Kuwaiti Ship, Egyptian Fishing Boat Collide In Red Sea, Killing 13

The collision is at least the second such recent incident involving vessels passing through the Suez Canal.

Middle East CFOs’ Optimism Highest In Three Years- Study

The majority of CFOs in the UAE reported a rise in optimism despite political turmoil in the region, a new survey says.

Islamist Group Criticises Egypt Over Arrest Warrant For Cleric

Interpol this month issued a Red Notice alert for Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi in connection with several alleged offences including murder, arson, vandalism and theft.

UAE’s Dana Gas Says Kurdistan Government Failed To Pay $100m

Dana warned that the Kurdistan’s government could face sanctions if the autonomous region failed to pay the money to its consortium.

Huge Gap Of Women Leaders In The Middle East – Mercer

A quarter of organisations in the region have no women leaders in their 100 most senior roles, a survey by Mercer found.

Stock News: Qatar Enters Bear Market As Dubai Erases 2014 Gains

Dubai’s gauge wiped out this year’s advances as oil prices plummeted to the lowest level since July 2009.

Dubai-Based Retailer Al Ghurair To Launch 30 New Stores In The GCC

The latest addition will see Al Ghurair’s retail presence in the region increase to 90 shops from the 60 it currently operates in the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.

Syrian Wins Arab Idol Contest, Steers Clear Of Politics

Hazim Sharif steered clear of specific political references in interviews after his victory, which was broadcast to millions of viewers across the Middle East.

UAE Says OPEC Won’t Change Output Even If Price Drops to $40

UAE minister of energy ruled out a cut in OPEC’s production or an emergency meeting soon to stabilise the falling oil prices.

OPEC Chief Defends Policy, Says Group To Try To Ride Out Price Fall

OPEC Secretary-General said that Gulf countries should continue to invest in oil exploration despite the decline in oil prices.

Lebanon Counts The Cost Of Conflict

The burden of supporting Syria’s displaced citizens has dampened business and investor confidence in Lebanon.

Is E-Commerce The Best Bet For Middle East Start-Ups?

Although opportunities are abound, many entrepreneurs underestimate the challenges of starting up online.

How Yemen’s Houthis Control Sanaa And Alarm The West

Widely seen as a failed state, Yemen remains one of the gravest threats to stability in the Gulf and beyond.

Gulf Bonds Diverge As Oil Plunge Separates Strong From Weak

As oil plunges, the region is dividing into three classe in investors’ eyes with Kuwait and Qatar emerging as the strongest.

OPEC+meeting

OPEC Cuts 2015 Demand Forecast For Its Oil To Lowest In A Decade

OPEC forecast demand for the group’s oil will drop to 28.92 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2015, down 280,000 bpd from its previous expectation.

Differences Persist Despite Unity Pledges At GCC’s “Happy Summit”

Differences still exist between the six GCC states over issues relating to Egypt, Libya and Iran.

GCC Creates Joint Police And Naval Forces As Regional Threats Mount

The police force, which will be known as GCC-POL, and the naval force will help the Gulf states to counter risks posed by terrorist militant groups in the region.

Middle Easterners Big Takers For St. Kitts’ Citizenship Program

The program allows investors to purchase government-approved real estate (min $400,000) in return for citizenship.

Kuwaiti Emir Says Oil Price Fall Hitting Gulf Arab Incomes

Sheikh Sabah said that one of the ways to encounter the oil price slide was greater economic integration within the GCC.

Stock News: Dubai Plunges 4.2% As Oil Hits New Low

The main Dubai index drop almost neared its July low as panicky retail investors began selling off.

Stock News: Dubai Leads Losses As Oil Drags Gulf Down

Brent crude oil fell more than $2 a barrel on Monday to a new five-year low.

Canadian Embassy In Cairo Closed Due To Security Concerns

The British Embassy in Cairo closed to the public on Sunday, also citing security concerns.

Airbus Unveils New VIP Cabin For A330s In Middle East

European manufacturer’s ACJ330 Summit targets governments and VIPs

Abu Dhabi-based Cristal Group Expands In Erbil And Saudi Arabia

The group is opening three new hotels in the Iraqi city of Erbil and a new hotel in Saudi Arabia, its chief executive said.

Trade Finance, The Islamic Way

Islamic lenders need to improve their efficiency and increase penetration in predominantly Muslim markets to be big players in global trade finance.

Saudi Suspends Aid To Yemen After Houthi Takeover

Houthi fighters, friendly with Iran, took over the capital Sanaa in September.

Stock News: Gulf Markets Upbeat As Oil Prices Rise

Brent crude was up 0.3 per cent at $70.10 a barrel at 0840 GMT.

Lufthansa Pilots’ Strike Impacts Gulf Flights

Half of all long-haul flights are affected as group unveils details of low-cost long-haul division