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Wale To Succeed Vos As Starwood President EMEA

New regional president is a 35-year Starwood veteran who most recently served as senior vice president and director of operations for Western Europe.

US Allies Plan Big Gulf Naval Exercise In May

Representatives from over 30 nations will gather in Bahrain to practise minesweeping and escorting ships.

Morgan Stanley Names Kayello As New MENA Head

Kamal Jabre is relocating to London to take up a senior investment banking role.

The GCC’s Health Scare

The regional president of Medtronic, one of the world’s biggest medical companies, explains the Gulf’s health timebomb.

Dubai International Airport Is World’s ‘Fastest Growing’

Airport buoyed by Emirates’ nine new destinations, equating to nearly 22,000 additional seats every day

Starwood Restarts Doha And Aqaba Projects

Starwood leaders upbeat after meeting 50 owners across 12 countries during month-long HQ relocation.

Yemenis Protest Against New Saudi Labour Ruling

Thousands of Yemeni labourers face deportation following new Saudi regulations that require expats to work only for their sponsors.

Egypt Reopens Alexandria Airport After Runway Protest

Egypt’s second biggest airport was closed on Sunday after police officers staged a protest on the runway to demand better pay.

Cairo Airport To Partly Close In Summer To Save Power

The closure will not affect air traffic as the airport has seen a dramatic reduction in flights, said the civil aviation minister.

Egypt: What Revolution?

Egypt’s stalled reforms and violent protests are endangering the country’s economic progress.

Le Méridien Hotels Middle East In $200m Upgrade

Hotel group Starwood announces huge renovation plans as well as 10 new hotels to open this year.

GCC Banks Continue To Outperform International Peers

The region’s biggest lenders reported single digit revenue and profit growth as well as a rise in loan loss provisions.

Arab Leaders Set Up $1bn Fund For Jerusalem

Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, said his country will contribute $250 million to the fund.

Egypt To Apply Gains Tax In QNB Bid For NSGB

Individual shareholders and investment funds holding minority stakes in NSGB will have to pay a 10 per cent tax on their gains.

Dubai’s Trade With Iran Drops 31% In 2012

Two-way trade between Dubai and Iran was roughly Dhs25 billion last year.

Credit Card Use Boosts MENA’s GDP Growth

The UAE’s GDP saw a rise of $4.2 billion thanks to a rise in electronic payments. Saudi Arabia’s GDP saw growth of $4.7 billion.

Standard Chartered Seeks Egypt Acquisition, Plans Iraq Push

In the Gulf region, the bank will focus on lending opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, says regional head.

Arabtec Signs Dhs500m Contract In Cairo

The Dubai-based construction company is building a twin-tower project in South Cairo.

GCC’s Islamic Banking Assets’ Growth Slows To 14%

Growth in 2012 was up on 2011, far outperforming conventional banking assets’ growth of 8.1 per cent.

Obama Talks Tough On Syria, Counsels Patience With Iran

The long-running Middle East peace process took a back seat at the start of Obama’s four-day tour.

YouTube Users In MENA Can Now Monetise Original Content

The video-sharing website has started its partner programme in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt.

Qatar’s CBQ To Buy 71% Of Turkey’s Alternatifbank

The value of the transaction is seen at around $460 million.

Trade Between Arab Region, Brazil Hits $26bn In 2012

Trade flows between the regions increased by 3.26 per cent in 2012 compared to the previous year.

Libya Halts Telco Management Contract – Etisalat CEO

Etisalat is keen on winning the contract to run state-owned Libyan Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Co.

MENA’s Great Job Squeeze

With high youth unemployment, the Arab world is facing its biggest timebomb yet.

REVEALED: Top 10 Middle East Advertisements In 2012

A cross-section of the best print, TV and integrated ad campaigns from across the region.

Emirati Female Entrepreneurs On The Rise

Men still 2.8 times more likely to start a business in MENA as the UAE ranks 22nd on a global survey for ease of setting up a company.

FAA Approves Dreamliner Test Flights

But no timeframe has yet been given as to when Dreamliners will return to service globally, and the FAA has warned additional testing may be necessary.

Obama Picks New US Ambassador To Libya

Deborah Jones, a former ambassador to Kuwait, has been appointed to the post.

Egypt Court To Hear Appeal On Sunday Over Vote Ruling

A body representing the state said it had lodged an appeal with the Administrative Court against its ruling last week.