Qatar Airways to launch daily direct flights to Sydney from March 2016

The new route launch comes after Australia and Qatar agreed to boost flight capacity by 50 per cent

Gulf-backed Yemeni forces battle Houthis for strategic territory

The seizure of the Marib dam by militiamen fighting alongside Gulf troops is their biggest success in several weeks

StanChart aims to hire financial crime compliance staff in Middle East

The bank is hiring a head of sanctions for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan

Dubai’s dnata acquires 30% stake in Italy’s Airport Handling

Under the agreement, dnata will also have a call option to acquire a further 40 per cent share

Twitter may expand 140-character limit with new product

The company’s executives are also discussing changes to how the character limit is measured

Death toll from air strike on Yemen wedding party rises above 130

The Saudi-led coalition conducting air strikes in Yemen has strongly denied any role in the wedding party carnage

Lenovo launches 6.8-inch smartphone in the Middle East

The device is aimed to cater to a younger demographic who rarely make calls

UAE salaries predicted to rise by 5% in 2016

Inflation also expected to fall to around 2.7 per cent, report finds

Bahrain, UAE among top 10 countries for expats – HSBC

Singapore topped the list as the most attractive destination for expatriates worldwide

UAE needs 14,000 teachers over next five years – expert

The Gulf region faces teacher shortages as demand outstrips supply

Apple confirms iPhone 6s, 6s Plus to retail in UAE on Oct 10, priced from Dhs 2,599

The company sold a record 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices during the first three days of sales

Café Barbera to open four new shops in Dubai and Saudi Arabia

The family-run coffee house has just opened its 8th UAE outlet in Mirdiff

OPEC+meeting

Kuwait sees no oil summit before OPEC’s December meeting

Venezuela has been pushing for an emergency OPEC meeting

Saudi asserts that investigation into haj tragedy will be transparent

Atleast 769 pilgrims were killed and over 930 injured in a stampede near Mecca on Thursday

Helicopter attack kills 30 civilians in Yemen village

Residents and medics said most of the victims were women and children

Iran denounces Saudi Arabia over haj stampede, demands apology

At least 155 Iranian pilgrims died in the stampede on Thursday near Mecca and 300 other Iranians remain unaccounted for

Abu Dhabi Financial Group launches Montenegro project

The Capital Plaza occupies over one million square feet of prime retail, business, hospitality and residential space

Saudi border officers killed in attack from Yemen

The men were killed by heavy gunfire from the Yemen side of the border on Friday after their patrol vehicle was hit by a mine explosion

Gulf Arabs oppose Russia role in Syria, still bent on Assad’s ouster

Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states have reaffirmed their opposition to Assad, but have not said publicly how they intend to deal with the arrival of the Russian forces

Taiwanese firms turn to Internet of Things as PC sales tumble

Taiwanese firms are banking on demand for connected devices and sensors as they look to offset a slowdown in the PC industry

Twin suicide attack kills 10 at Yemen Houthi mosque

The attack took place at al-Balili mosque, just outside the Old City of Sanaa

Moscow sees growing chance for international deal on Syria – source

Diplomacy has so far failed to find a solution to Syria’s crisis, now in its fifth year

Gulf countries will stick to currency dollar-pegs, Fitch says

Gulf currencies pegged to the US dollar have come under pressure but Fitch said that the decision to remove the pegs will most likely be political

Yemeni president returns to Aden after 6-month exile

His return is the most concrete sign yet that the Saudi-led military coalition has secured enough territory from the Houthis

Two Saudi soldiers missing in Yemen, presumed in Houthi custody

Evidence suggests they are alive and detained by the Houthi militias, an official said

Saudi-led air strike kills 20 in Sanaa, medics and local officials say

The attack came a day after similar air strikes killed around 50 people

Lanxess sells 50% in rubber business to Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco will buy the stake for around 1.2bn euros in cash

Dubai property firms can weather current market correction – S&P

The real estate entities rated by S&P have “sufficient headroom in their credit ratios” to handle the slowdown, the agency said

Exclusive: UK subsidiary of Nigeria’s Access Bank to open Dubai office

The bank aims to help facilitate investments from the Gulf region into Africa, primarily Nigeria, says CEO

Saudi king, Venezuela president discuss oil price recovery, OPEC

Venezuela’s government is pushing for action to boost low oil prices that have battered its economy