Bloomberg China’s aviation market, projected to overtake the US this decade and become the world’s biggest, has shrunk to such an extent due to the coronavirus outbreak that it’s fallen from third to 25th, behind Portugal. Airlines have slashed capacity because of the epidemic centred in Hubei province, leaving the industry reeling. About 1.7 million seats — almost 80% of ...

Bloomberg Carrefour SA’s Brazil unit rallied as investors cheered the French retailer’s move to accelerate the expansion of its cash-and-carry business in Latin America’s largest economy. Shares of Atacadao SA rose as much as 6.2% in Sao Paulo on February 17, the most in more than two months, after it agreed to buy 30 cash-and-carry stores and 14 gas stations ...

Bloomberg Packaged-foods maker Conagra Brands Inc cut its sales and earnings forecast, blaming a slowdown at restaurants over the holiday season and subsequent weakness at retailers in January. The Chicago-based company now anticipates organic sales to be flat or to grow only 0.5% in the fiscal year that ends in three months, a reduction from its prior growth forecast of ...

Abu Dhabi / WAM The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator, on Monday announced it has granted Nawah Energy Company the operating licence for Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, making the UAE the first country in the Arab region to operate a nuclear power plant. In a press conference in Abu Dhabi, ...

DUBAI / WAM Figures released by Dubai Customs showed a three percent growth in Dubai’s external trade in foodstuff in 2019, reaching AED86.2 billion compared to AED84 billion in 2018. According to the customs authority, which revealed the figures during the Gulfood 2020 Exhibition currently taking place in Dubai, exports totalled AED16.94 billion, a growth of 15.3 percent, compared to ...

DUBAI / WAM Agthia Group, a regional food and beverages company, on Monday announced the launch of the ‘Al Ain Plant Bottle’, the region’s first plant-based water bottle. The packaging of the new bottle is environmentally friendly and made from 100 percent plant-based sources, including the cap. The water bottle serves a growing consumer move towards sustainability, as it is ...

Bloomberg Lebanon is at risk of “implosion” unless it develops a new governance model that’s more transparent than today’s system, according to the World Bank. “Politicians need to stop and listen,” Ferid Belhaj, the World Bank’s most senior official for the Middle East and North Africa, said in an interview. “You cannot continue doing what you’ve been doing for years ...

DUBAI / WAM HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, described the Global Women’s Forum Dubai 2020 as a major event that supports comprehensive women’s empowerment. Holding the forum in the UAE is the outcome of the global attention ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has bolstered its global handling partnership agreements with dnata, an Emirati airport services provider. The new agreements align the two UAE-based companies until 2023, with dnata providing warehouse and cargo handling services to manage 180,000 tonnes of air cargo carried annually across 15 gateways in ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the 2nd Abu Dhabi Manuscripts Conference kicked off on Monday at Saadiyat Island’s Manarat Al Saadiyat. The event aims to highlight issues and technical challenges in the field of manuscript preservation, while exploring practical solutions. Taking place under the theme, ‘Issues and Insights’, the opening ...