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Egypt’s Sisi Urges Israel To Consider 2002 Arab Peace Initiative

The plan, rejected by Israel, offered full recognition of the Jewish state but only if it gave up all land seized in the 1967 Middle East war and agreed to a “just solution” for Palestinian refugees.

U.S. Defense Secretary Sees Long-Term Fight Against Islamic State

The U.S.-led coalition escalated air strikes on Islamic State in and around Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab, last week.

Egypt Has Paid Back $500m To Qatar – Central Bank Governor

Qatar has provided around $7.5 billion in loans and grants during ex-president Mohammed Mursi’s year in power.

The Gulf’s IPO Boom

Market watchers suggest the lack of regional IPO activity in recent years could soon be a distant memory.

Threat To Syrian Town Tests Patience For U.S. Strategy

The current strategy requires Western patience that grows thinner with each headline of gruesome Islamic State atrocities or videos depicting beheadings of American or British hostages.

At Least 20 Killed In Suicide Bombing In Yemeni Capital

The attack occurred just hours after a showdown between the Houthis and President Abd-Rabbu Mansour led to the resignation of PM Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak.

IMF Cuts Middle East Growth Forecasts On Global Trends, Unrest

In 2015, growth in the region is expected to accelerate to 3.9 per cent – but that is 0.9 percentage point slower than the IMF’s July forecast.

UAE’s Gulf Capital Invests $25m In Egypt’s Amak Petroleum

The investment is expected to help Amak, a firm specialising in providing petroleum services, to fund its growth plans.

IT Spending By MEA Manufacturers To Grow 40% By 2018

Robust GDP growth, quick adoption of 3D platform technologies and increasing awareness of IT threats is boosting regional IT spend.

Middle East Airlines Record Strongest Global Traffic Growth In August

International passenger traffic rose 6.7 per cent in August with all regions showing growth over the previous year.

US And Allies Have Conducted 341 Strikes In Iraq, Syria

Except for eight strikes against the Khorasan Group in Syria, all have been against Islamic State militants.

Iran Releases Journalist, American Husband Still In Jail

Yeganeh Salehi, Tehran correspondent for the UAE English language newspaper, The National, was freed last week and is said to be in good health.

Islamic State Video Shows Second British Hostage Beheaded

British aid worker Alan Henning was part of an convoy taking medical supplies to a hospital in Syria in December last year when he was kidnapped.

Private Banking Special 2014: State Of The Wealth

Private Banking in the region is set to grow further this year, as nationals switch from protecting their wealth to growing it.

Middle East and Africa M&A Values Plunge 62% Q-on-Q In Q3 2014

Mergermarket attributed the sharp decline in total values to the lack of inbound mergers and acquisitions.

Middle East Carriers Post 7.8% Cargo Growth In August

The air cargo growth was aided by Middle East airlines’ growing links to developing markets and their diversification plans, IATA said.

Gulf Arabs Demand Return Of State Authority In Yemen

GCC states would not “stand idly” in front of foreign intervention, the ministers said in a statement after the meeting late on Wednesday in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.

Middle East Stock Markets To Close For Eid Holidays

Bourses in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman will close for the whole week starting October 5.

UAE Firm Signs Deal To Build Egypt’s First Coal-Fired Power Plant

Al Nowais Investments, an Abu Dhabi-based private firm is leading a consortium to build Egypt’s first coal-fired power plant in the Suez area.

Different Arab money

Some Win, Some Lose In Gulf’s Sukuk Mutual Fund Market

Funds dedicated to sukuk are a rare breed, with only 20 currently marketed in the Gulf.

Up to 53% Of Data Generated In MENA Not Protected

The Middle East and North Africa region is expected to see its digital universe grow by over 600 per cent by 2020, finds new study.

Gulf Countries To Invest Up To $5bn In Africa Annually – Study

Gulf states have provided $30 billion in funding over the last decade to develop African infrastructure, a study says.

Islamic State Fight Seen Costing U.S. $2.4bn Or More Annually

Intensifying the scale of operations against the militants could send costs soaring to between $13 billion and $22 billion annually, analysts say.

Dubai Tops List Of Billionaire Cities In The Middle East

The city has 34 billionaires with a combined wealth of $79 billion, says new report by Wealth-X and UBS.

Gulf Electricity-Sharing Grid Looks At Growing Larger

The grid has been working since 2009 with trading touching the equivalent of 800,000 mega watts (MW) hour of energy annually.

Dubai’s Arabtec Says Plan For $40bn Egypt Housing Scheme Nearly Completed

The project would not only mark a huge expansion of Arabtec’s business but also boost Egypt’s struggling economy and help to resolve a housing shortage.

Iran Urges OPEC To Stop Oil Slide, Gulf Members Relaxed

Oil has fallen from $115 in June, pressured by concern about slowing global demand and higher supplies, raising concern among some oil exporters of lower revenues.

Qatar Says Fight Against Islamic State Will Fail If Assad Stays

Islamic State fighters have exploited the chaos of Syria’s three-year-old civil war, which pits Assad and his allies against mainly Sunni Muslim rebels and Islamist militants.

As Risks Multiply, NGOs Reassess Security In The Middle East

International aid agencies are relying increasingly on local organisations to get access to communities in need both in Syria and Iraq.

Majid Al Futtaim To Partner With British Firm AllSaints For Regional Stores

MAF-Fashion will begin the roll out of the AllSaints stores across the GCC in 2015, a statement said.