Audi Middle East Reports 16.3% Record Rise

Its Q7 model was its best-selling vehicle with a year-on-year rise of 36.8 per cent.

US, Gulf Arab States Pledge $1bn In Fresh Syria Aid

An international donor conference in Kuwait is intended to help the UN reach a $6.5 billion aid target.

Another Boeing 787 Dreamliner Grounded After Battery Problem

Japan Airlines was forced to ground one of its 787 aircraft after detecting smoke outside the plane.

Middle East Online Job Postings Rise 13% In December

Job openings in the banking, financial services and insurance industry grew 42 per cent year-on-year in December, recording the highest growth among industries in 2013.

Bahrain’s GFH Agrees Part Sale Of Leeds United Stake

GFH bought Leeds United in December 2012 through its Dubai-based subsidiary, GFH Capital.

First Jubail Diesel Cargo Adds To Pain For Europe’s Refiners

Saudi Aramco is set to ship the first cargo of diesel to the Mediterranean for January 23 loading.

Hong Kong Exchange CEO: “We Are Not Ready For China’s Boom”

Dr Li Xiaojia urges Hong Kong to boost its capabilities before it loses out to other international finance centres.

Online Banking Users Warned About New Threat

A new malicious Trojan called Neverquest is designed to steals usernames and passwords to online bank accounts, says Kaspersky.

Swatch Group Reports Sales Rise Of 8.3%

The Swiss group, which owns 20 brands, saw its watches and jewellery segment grow by more than 10 per cent.

Volkswagen ME Reports 30% Rise In 2013

The German manufacturer sold almost 14,000 vehicles across the region last year.

Gulf Markets Seen Steady Following Early-Year Surge

Markets in the United Arab Emirates are closed on Sunday for a religious holiday.

Alcoa Pays $384m To Settle Alba Bribery Charges

Criminal and civil allegations claimed officials were bribed for years to accept the supply of raw materials from Alcoa.

UAE Arrests Iranians Suspected Of Kidnapping Briton In Dubai

Abbas Yazdi, a 44-year old businessman, went missing in Dubai in June.

25m Euro Gulf Investment In Irish Companies Announced

The Gulf Trade Mission was led by the Irish prime minister Enda Kenny.

Rolls-Royce Middle East Up 17% – Another Record Year

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, praises Middle East dealers and the region’s discerning customers.

EFG Hermes Approves $144m Share Buyback Plan

The Egyptian bank’s shares rose almost 10 per cent after the announcement of the plan.

Just Falafel Plans 160 New Restaurants In US, Canada

The UAE restaurant chain has signed five area franchise agreements with different partners across North America.

Alitalia’s Chairman Likely To Stay On For Talks With Etihad

Roberto Colaninno said in October he would step down after a 300-million-euro capital increase, completed at the end of December.

Emirates Launches Daily A380 Service To Switzerland

Zurich is the Dubai carrier’s 25th A380 destination.

ME-Africa Trade Corridors To Grow In 2014 – Aramex CEO

Hussein Hachem, CEO of Aramex, says Africa-Middle East trade corridors have expanded alongside the growth of Africa’s economy.

Ed’s Letter: Looking To The Year Ahead

The year ahead looks to be a good one, writes Alicia Buller, editor of Gulf Business.

Middle East Salaries To Rise 3.8% In 2014

Newly hired finance professionals are expected to see the largest salary hike at five per cent.

Job Creation Big Issue For Middle East In 2014 – V.Shankar

V.Shankar also questioned the changes resulting from the U.S.’s emergence as a shale gas producer.

Landmark Signs ME Franchise Rights For Jamba Juice

The company’s Foodmark branch plans to open 80 stores across the region over the next 10 years.

Kerry Says Saudi King Backs Israeli-Palestinian Push

The U.S. Secretary of State spent two hours and 40 minutes with King Abdullah. Earlier in the day he met with the King of Jordan.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Rumours Begin

The phone will reportedly debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this February.

Emirates President Tim Clark Knighted In UK Honours List

Clark was recognised for his “services to British prosperity and to the aviation industry”.

MEA M&A Deal Values Up 26.9% In 2013

The 2013 deal value saw the highest rise in the last six years with all the quarters posting values above $12 billion, the report found.

UAE Declares Holiday For Prophet’s Birthday On Jan 12

Ministries and federal departments will remain closed on Sunday. Private sector employees will have either Saturday or Sunday off.

UAE Urges Emiratis In Lebanon To Leave The Country

The country’s foreign affairs ministry also urged UAE citizens against all travel to Lebanon because of security concerns.