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Iran Oil Minister Meets Kuwait Emir On Weak Oil Prices

Iran’s oil minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh discussed the developments in the oil market with Kuwait’s emir, the Iranian news agency reported.

OPEC Delegates Start Whispering About Potential Oil Cut

International oil prices have fallen by around 30 per cent since June, as fast-rising U.S. shale production has contributed to growing supplies.

Egypt Considers Tighter Curbs On Media Coverage Of Military

A law in effect for decades already bans reporting on the military without permission, but a text of the new draft leaked to local media would increase curbs and penalties.

Zain Iraq Says To Launch 3G Mobile Services By Jan 2015

Zain and its rival Asiacell had baulked at government demands to pay $307 million for 3G spectrum for seven to eight years remaining on their $1.25 billion mobile licences awarded in 2007.

Iraqi President To Visit Saudi Arabia Amid Hopes Of Diplomatic Thaw

An improvement in ties between Riyadh and Baghdad could help strengthen a regional alliance against Islamic State militants.

Dubai Insulated From Oil Price Slide Due To Economic Diversification – S&P

Dubai’s diversification into sectors such as trade, tourism, real estate will ensure that it enjoys favourable economic conditions.

Iran, US, EU Hold Nuclear Talks In Oman

The discussions are taking place just two weeks before a self-imposed November 24 deadline for reaching a comprehensive deal.

Stock News: Qatar, UAE Stocks Rise After MSCI Index Review

Shares in Dubai’s Emaar Properties and Dubai Islamic Bank, whose weightings also increased, rose 2.5 and 1.6 per cent respectively.

Egypt Received $10.6 bn From Gulf Last Fiscal Year -Minister

Of about 74 billion Egyptian pounds of aid received in the 2013-14 fiscal year, 53 billion pounds was in the form of petroleum products, with the remaining 21 billion pounds coming as cash grants.

OPEC Concerned, Not Panicking About Oil Price – Badri

Abdullah al-Badri said it was up to OPEC member countries to decide how to respond to the oil price drop.

Can Tehran Seize The Day?

The menace of ISIL has presented Iran with an opportunity to liberate its economy from sanctions by emerging as a responsible regional power that Washington and Riyadh can work with. Can it seize the opportunity?

Olympics- Give Middle East A Chance, Says Asian Olympic Chief

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said the World Cup could be a catalyst for positive change in the Middle East.

Amsterdam’s OCI To Spin Off Construction Business, List In Egypt, UAE

The new company is expected to be named Orascom Construction.

Egypt Receives $1bn Grant From Kuwait

Gulf countries have stepped in to help Egypt since the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi last year.

MENA IPOs Raise $1.7bn In Q3 2014

There were a total of three IPOs in the MENA region during the third quarter with the Emaar Malls Group (EMG) listing being the largest in 2014, the report said.

RBS Says Reviewing Options After Middle East Corporate Loan Book Sale

The statement from the bank was issued following a Bloomberg News report about RBS hiring PricewaterhouseCoopers to sell its Middle Eastern corporate loan book.

Middle East Carriers Record Strongest Rise In Sept Air Travel – IATA

Regional airlines recorded a passenger demand growth of 15.8 per cent in September 2014, compared to a year ago, said IATA.

Billionaire Nassef Sawiris To Ramp Up Egypt Investments After Tax Win

He said the first would be a multibillion-dollar project related to the power sector in partnership with a Middle Eastern group.

Kuwait To Raise Crude Oil Exports To Egypt, Could Send Diesel

Kuwait has said it would ship around two million barrels of crude oil a month to Egypt, giving it priority as a buyer ahead of sales from storage into the Mediterranean market.

Facebook Cashing In On Video Ads As MENA Users Reach 74m

The social networking website is tapping in on its recently introduced video features to attract more advertising revenues.

UAE Remains Top Pick For Middle Eastern Property Investors – Survey

The levelling-off in the market is however prompting investors to explore other asset classes, said the JLL survey.

UAE’s Abraaj Offers $118m For 100% Of Egypt’s Bisco Misr

The offer is for the whole company but Abraaj will accept no less than a 51 per cent controlling stake, it said.

Gulf Economies Edge Towards Reform As Oil Price Slides

The austerity plans may be the first serious effort by the wealthy Gulf Arab states to economise since the oil price slump of the 1990s.

Egypt Signs $350m Oil, Power Financing Deals With Saudi

The total value of Saudi oil aid since July 2013 has amounted to about $5 billion.

Next Stop For The Yuan’s Global Journey: Canada, Middle East

Beijing is aggressively promoting its currency to more international investors in a bid to turn the “redback” into a global reserve currency, while at the same time expanding its already considerable political and economic clout.

Bahrain’s Investcorp, Mumtalakat Buy U.S. Workforce Services Firm PRO Unlimited

Investcorp did not reveal the deal value in the statement but said that the new investment will allow it to expand its business.

UAE Climbs Up In World Bank’s Ease Of Doing Business List

The UAE was also one of the top 10 countries globally which improved its rankings in the ease of doing business list as it introduced around 20 economic reforms over the last year.

Gulf Arab States Saw $780m In Fund Outflows Due To Fed Taper-IMF

Owing to large current account surpluses, the GCC is seen by international investors as better equipped to handle a period of rising interest rates than most areas of the world.

IMF Retains GCC Growth Forecast But Warns Of Weak Fiscal Balance

The fund has warned that fiscal balances across the GCC and other Middle Eastern countries will deteriorate if the policies continue to remain unchanged.

Egypt To Ask Allies For Help After Deadly Sinai Attacks

At least 33 security personnel were killed on Friday in the Sinai Peninsula bordering Israel and Gaza.