Muscat, Oman -- Pakistan and Oman have agreed to boost air travel between the two countries' airports, reports said. The agreement came after a series of meetings in the Pakistani capital held by officials from both nations. An Omani delegation, led by Naif Ali Al Abri, Chairman of the Civil...

Kuwait City, Kuwait -- Dozens of candidates have submitted their candidacy documents for Kuwait's National Assembly election, set to take place on June 6.  At least 31 Kuwaitis presented their documents to the election affairs department affiliated with the Ministry of Interior on Saturday, bringing the total number of candidates...

Vlad Marinescu, the IJF director general said that the IJF executive committee voted unanimously to reinstate Russians and Belarusians. The decision to end the ban followed a recommendation of the International Olympic Committee.

Amman, Jordan-- Seeking to widen its economic and trade ties with Jordan, the Iraqi Business Council (IBC) will organize the Jordanian-Iraqi Business and Finance Forum next month in Amman, under the theme: "Building Bridges of Common Prosperity," with “wide” participation from the two countries’ investors, business owners, companies and other...

ABU DHABI, UAE  - The UAE has evacuated 176 people from seven countries, including media professionals, from Sudan on Saturday and brought them here by plane, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) said. The UAE continues the process of prioritizing the evacuation of the most vulnerable groups,...

TEHRAN, IRAN- Iran executed Swedish-Iranian dissident Habib Chaab for "terrorism" on Saturday, according to the judiciary. "The death sentence for Habib Chaab... nicknamed Habib Asyud, the head of Harakat al-Nidal terrorist group... was executed today, Saturday morning," the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported. Chaab had been held in Iran since October...

Bern, Switzerland-- Seeking to expand its industrial base, Saudi Arabia is keen to widen cooperation with Switzerland in the industrial and mining sectors, besides increasing access to non-oil exports. In this connection, the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef, held a meeting with Switzerland's State...

Dubai, UAE - The UAE is on track to become a global hybrid working hub, a new report by Workspace has revealed.  Workspace is one of the Middle East’s leading trade show for workplace technology and solutions.   According to the report, 98 percent of UAE businesses revealed that they would...

Tehran, Iran--Iran's head of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) considers the United States to be responsible for all of Israel's actions targeting the Iranian nuclear facilities and the people working for the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Ali Shamkhani made the remarks in a tweet on Friday. According to Mehr News...

Sharjah, UAE-- Sharjah showcased its technology-enabled approach to the tourism industry at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, highlighting the future of tourism in the region and beyond. Sharjah pavilion at the event demonstrated cutting-edge technologies and groundbreaking concepts, offering a compelling glimpse into the emirate's tourist destinations. Run by...

Ajman, UAE -- The emirate of Ajman has issued a total of 1,483 business licenses during the first quarter of 2023, showing a growth of 13 percent compared to Q1 2022, the Department of Economic Development in Ajman (Ajman DED) said. Import and export, retail perfumes, general trade, and wholesale...

Dubai, UAE -- A total of 3,050 real estate transactions worth AED10.4 billion ($2.83 billion) were recorded in Dubai during the week ending 5th May 2023, according to figures released by the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The DLD report showed that 189 plots were sold for AED1.19 billion, 2,239 apartments...

Tehran, Iran -- Iran has expelled four Azerbaijani diplomats, state media reported Friday, saying the move was "in response" to Baku's expulsion of Iranian embassy staff in April after months of tensions. "Four diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, declared personae non gratae, were...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Emirates International Investment Company (EIIC) has acquired a 7.6 percent stake in Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) from Mubadala Investment Company.  The transaction brings EIIC's total shareholding in ADIB to 47 percent, demonstrating strong confidence in the prospects for the long-term growth of the UAE's second-largest...

Washington, United States - Improving trade relations between African countries could provide a major boost to economic output (GDP) across the continent and help tackle challenges like climate change, the International Monetary Fund said Friday. The new IMF report found that reforming the "fragmented" trade policy landscape and better implementating existing...

During late-night talks Thursday, Raisi and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad discussed "ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations" and "emphasized existing cooperation in the field of reconstruction", according to a joint statement.

Baghdad, Iraq - Jordan and Iraq have signed a deal to resume the export of Iraqi crude to Jordan under preferential terms, the Jordan News Agency reported The agreement was signed by the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister of Jordan, Saleh Al Kharabsheh, and the Oil Minister of Iraq, Hayan...

Dubai, UAE – A roadshow led by the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) in collaboration with JP Morgan in New York has highlighted investment opportunities in UAE’s capital markets following the strong performance of the exchange’s equity benchmarks last year. The two-day show attracted major institutional investors in the US...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Thursday spoke on the telephone to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them further. The two leaders reviewed current areas of UAE-Qatar...

Dubai, UAE – The UAE announced on Thursday that companies will be subject to fines of up to AED 500,000 ($136,147) for failing to meet Emiratization targets. The announcement made by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) follows the implementation of UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 44 of 2023,...

Sharjah, UAE -- The UAE Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) and its Lithuanian counterpart have signed an MoU to establish the first UAE-Lithuanian Business council besides strengthening economic relations and increase investment flow between the two countries. The MoU was signed at the UAE-Lithuania Business Forum organized...

Since the beginning, more than 765 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported to the WHO from around the world, including nearly seven million deaths. And Covid remains a threat. While the death rate from the disease has plunged in recent months, it still killed at least 16,000 people...

BERN, SWITZERLAND - The UAE discussed bolstering strategic relations and cooperation in various development, economic and financial fields of common interest with Switzerland here. The UAE's Ministry of Finance (MoF) held the fifth financial dialogue with the Swiss Confederation in Bern. Younis Haji Al Khoori, Undersecretary of the Ministry of...

Dubai, UAE - ZāZEN Properties, a sustainable property developer in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has noted a surge in demand for one-bedroom apartments in Dubai.  With overall property prices increasing, residents are searching for the best ways to invest their money, whether as a long-term profitable option or to...

Tehran, Iran - Russia and Iran are set to sign a bilateral agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara section in Iran, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.  "We just discussed the signing of a bilateral agreement between the two countries on extension of the Rasht-Astara railroad with...

Abu Dhabi, UAE— AD Ports Group will add drydock services to its portfolio at Khalifa Port in an expansion of its range of port and marine logistics services. With this expansion, from container and cargo handling to vessel repairs and maintenance, Khalifa Port aims to better serve existing clients and...

Doha, Qatar - Inbound visitors to Qatar surged by 183.5 percent YoY in March, according to the 111th issue of the Qatar Monthly Statistics bulletin by the Planning and Statistics Authority.  The total number of visitors reached 433,000 in the month, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to February 2023....

Abu Dhabi, UAE--The property market in Abu Dhabi has recorded 5,472 property sales and mortgages valued at US$7.62 billion in the first quarter of 2023 as against 3,304 transactions worth $ 3.07 billion during the same period in 2022, according to official data released by the Department of Municipalities and...

Abu Dhabi, UAE--Looking to boost tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the Jordan Tourism Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2023. The MoU will unlock the...

Tehran, Iran -- Iranian authorities have arrested managers at a major petrochemical company for backing a workers' strike over pay and conditions in an energy-producing region in the south, Iranian media reported Wednesday. "A number of managers" were arrested for "having supported the acts of counter-revolutionary elements" and "organized strikes"...

AMMAN, JORDAN  - Jordan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Wednesday briefed his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the outcome of a consultative meeting held here on Syria.In addition to Jordan, the meeting on Tuesday also brought together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and...

Dubai, UAE -- April 2023 was the best month in a decade for Dubai's real estate market, both in terms of the number of transactions and the value of these deals. The number of transactions grew by 17 percent to 8077 in April 2023, from 6898 transactions in April 2022,...

Dubai, UAE - Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has added 200 MW of clean energy from the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park ahead of schedule.  With this addition, the solar park's current production capacity is now at 2,327MW using photovoltaic solar panels and...

Dubai, UAE - Dubai-based consumer technology holding group Astra Tech has launched the world's first "Ultra app" - Botim 3.0.  The app is a combination of fintech, e-commerce, GPT, and communications in a single user experience, built on top of a communication platform.  Botim GPT is an executional GPT that...

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia -- Center3, a connectivity company owned by stc Group, and Meta Company announced on Tuesday the landing of the world's longest submarine cable project at two of the four planned landing sites in Saudi Arabia: Jeddah and Yanbu. ‏ The project, a part of the 2Africa subsea...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia has approved new rules aimed at boosting foreign investment in the country's securities market.  The rules framed by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) include those for Foreign Investment in Securities, amendments to the Investment Accounts Instructions, amendments to the Implementing Regulation of the Companies...

Seoul, South Korea -- Samsung Electronics is banning employees in its mobile and appliances division from using generative AI services such as ChatGPT, the company said on Tuesday, after instances of "misuse" of the technology. Interest in artificial intelligence chatbots has soared since the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT debuted in November. ChatGPT caused...

Manama, Bahrain -- The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) announced that the monthly issue of the short-term Islamic leasing bonds, Sukuk Al Ijara, has been oversubscribed by 403 percent. Subscriptions worth BD 104.778 million ($277 million) were received for the BD 26 million issue, which carries a maturity of 182...

With the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) widely expected to raise its base rate a quarter-point on Wednesday, analysts will be looking for any "revisions to the forward guidance in its statement," Goldman Sachs' chief US economist David Mericle wrote in a recent note to clients.

Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's private sector exports hit QR 9.1 billion ($2.49 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, representing a 17.5 percent growth year-on-year (YoY) compared to QR 7.73 billion in Q1 of 2022.According to Qatar Chamber's quarterly report issued Tuesday, exports through the General Model amounted to QR...

FRANKFURT, GERMANY -  Eurozone banks tightened lending criteria in the first quarter at their fastest pace since the 2011 sovereign debt crisis, while demand for loans fell heavily, according to a European Central Bank survey released Tuesday. The results highlight the impact of aggressive monetary tightening combined with recent banking sector...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Passenger traffic through the UAE's airports during the first quarter of 2023 increased by 56.3 percent compared to the same period in 2022, according to Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Approximately 31.86 million passengers passed through the UAE's airports...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has published the 2023 revised SCCA arbitration rules with effect from May 1. The final text was endorsed after extensive review by the SCCA’s board of directors. The SCCA, in a statement, said the new rules will apply to all...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-- Saudi Arabia is looking to attract some US$26 billion dollars worth of investment in the machinery and equipment sector, according to its Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef. AlKhorayef, who is also Chairman of National Industrial Development Center (NIDC), announced that the industry...

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Abu Dhabi has been named the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the third consecutive year, according to the IMD Smart City Index.  The study surveyed 120 residents in each of the 118 cities worldwide and evaluated infrastructure and digital...

Kuwait City -  Kuwait's Crown Prince, Shaikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, issued a decree on Monday to dissolve the National Assembly. The decision, he said, was made in accordance with the Constitution and as a reflection of the will of the Kuwaiti people. The Prime Minister presented the proposal for...

TUNIS, TUNISIA - Tunisia's largest union on Monday attacked the government's handling of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a loan to bail out the North African country as it slides deeper into debt. Tunisia is seeking a bailout package worth nearly $2 billion from the IMF, which conditions...

SHARJAH, UAE -  Over 3.8 million passengers traveled through Sharjah Airport in the first quarter of 2023, recording a 28.01 per cent increase over the same period in 2022. The airport is expected to achieve even higher growth rates by the end of 2023.   The aircraft movement for the...

Dubai, UAE -- Container service providers in Dubai will now be required to declare their local sea container charges to the Dubai Maritime Authority through the Dubai Trade Single Window Portal. The requirement came into effect after DMA introduced Directive No 1 of 2023 on Transparency of Local Sea Container...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- The number of containers handled by Saudi ports in the first quarter of 2023 grew by 17.57 percent to reach more than two million standard containers, the kingdom's General Authority of Ports (Mawani) said. The number of exported containers during the first quarter of 2023 witnessed...