Microsoft Appoints Insider As CEO

Indian-born Satya Nadella replaces Steve Ballmer who said he would step down in August 2013

Kuwait To Invest $676m In Italy

The announcement was made by Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, who is officially visiting the GCC.

Japan’s Tohoku Signs 15-Year LNG Deal With Qatar

Tohoku declined to provide any details on how the Qatar gas will be priced.

Islamic Bank Of Britain Gets Fresh Capital, Plans Expansion

The injection will allow IBB to grow its retail operations and develop its commercial business.

Emirates Starting Daily Abuja-Kano Flights

Emirates will soon serve three cities in oil-rich Nigeria

Saudi Airline Flynas Targets UK And South-East Asia

One-time short-haul carrier is embarking on international expansion

Etihad Regional Starts Geneva-Stuttgart Flights

New route enables Stuttgart passengers to connect with Etihad’s global network via Geneva

Obama To Meet Saudi King To Discuss Security

Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief has said the kingdom is looking at a “major shift” in relations with the United States.

Marriott MEA To Open 13 New Hotels By 2017

New openings include Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Rwanda and Ghana.

Arabtec Plans To Hire 10,000 Across The Middle East

The Dubai-based construction company is targeting young recruits for the new roles.

GCC Petrochemical Exports To Surge In 2014 – GPCA

GCC petrochemical exports are expected to rise due to the Bali Package, which aims to cut the cost of trade by 15 per cent.

Etihad In Final Due Diligence Stage For Alitalia Stake Buy

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is reportedly planning to buy a 40 per cent stake in the struggling Italian carrier.

US President Obama Plans Visit To Saudi Arabia – Report

Obama will hold a summit with Saudi King Abdullah to ease tensions between the two countries, according to a report.

Middle East Peace Mediators To Meet In Munich

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will meet with Tony Blair and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

Ford Middle East Reports 12% Rise In 2013

Ford recently announced its fifth global business unit – Ford Middle East and Africa.

Investment Banks In Middle East To Remain Profitable In 2014- Report

Investment banks in the Middle East have been growing as regional markets continue to recover from the global financial crisis, says Frost & Sullivan.

Saudi Arabia To Give Egypt Up To $4bn More Aid

GCC states have given Egypt billions of dollars since the army toppled President Mohamed Mursi.

Egypt To Put Al Jazeera Journalists On Trial

In a statement, the prosecutor said the four had published “lies” that harmed the national interest.

Arabtec Expands Into Iraq With Baghdad Office

The Dubai firm has started looking for candidates for senior management posts including for the position of CEO.

GCC Can Be Melting Pot For Global Energy – CEO

Energy CEO of DNV GL says the Gulf needs to look at the cost of energy and its sustainability.

Pentagon Notifies Congress Of Possible F-16 Upgrades For UAE

The multibillion dollar deal would include the sales of guns and navigational systems.

Stocks News: Gulf Vulnerable To Further Profit-Taking

The Dubai index has dropped for two consecutive sessions but is still up in January.

Roche To Add Staff Across Middle East Offices In 2014

Swiss biotech firm Roche has said that it will increase its regional workforce from 300 to 375 in 2014.

Over One Billion Smartphones Shipped In 2013, Samsung Leads

Smartphones accounted for 55.1 per cent of all mobile phone shipments last year, says IDC.

Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah secures $201m Funding

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China marks its first project financing deal for a hospitality project in the Middle East

UAE Considers Importing North American Gas

Rapidly rising demand and slow production growth have made the UAE a net importer of gas over the past few years.

India Lifts A380 Restrictions And Gulf Carriers’ Hopes

Presently only Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore have the required infrastructure for the jumbo jets.

GCC Nationalisation Schemes Creating “Ghost Workers”

Most of these schemes have failed in the past and can only be successful when accompanied by wage reforms and skill match up by locals, says new study.

Boeing, UAE Join To Produce Aviation Biofuel From Desert Plants

The research partnership comes after findings that desert plants fed by seawater will produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks.

Dubai Retailer Majid Al Futtaim Plans To Invest $2.3bn In Egypt

The company expects to complete construction of its ‘Mall of Egypt’ project near Cairo by the end of 2015.