Paris / Bloomberg Airbus Group SE is close to selling off its remaining holding in Dassault Aviation SA as the European aircraft maker disposes of assets to focus on its core businesses, people familiar with the matter said. Airbus is working with advisers, and a sale could come as soon as this week, the people said, asking not to ...

  Dubai / AFP Bahrain’s struggling carrier Gulf Air said on Thursday it reduced losses by 62 percent last year as a result of the company’s restructuring. Losses fell from 62.7 million dinars ($166.29 million) in 2014 to 24.1 million dinars ($63.92 million) last year, Gulf Air said in a statement. “I am delighted with these results. 2015 delivered the ...

  New York / Bloomberg Iberia suspended its route to Africa’s biggest economy on May 12, followed by United, which informed employees that it would end flights from the US to Nigeria at the end of June because of a lack of demand and trouble collecting payments. British Airways and Emirates have said they are facing difficulties obtaining outstanding air ...

  WASHINGTON / AFP A decision to ease the bottlenecks at London’s airports faces the threat of further delays in the aftermath of Britain’s vote over membership in the European Union on June 23, Heathrow Chief Executive Officer John Holland-Kaye said. “If we leave the EU, the main focus of government will be figuring out what it all means, renegotiating ...

  ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business Economic diversification, through reducing dependence on oil revenues, is the only path to success in the UAE’s corporate ecosystem. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups, which are considered the backbone of any economy, could play a crucial role in facilitating this diversification. Buoyed by the great government and bank support, SMEs and start-ups ...

  ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business At a time when most of the leading economies worldwide are struggling with the woes of financial meltdown, Islamic economies are among the fastest-developing markets in the world. From halal products and industry to Islamic banking and finance, this economy encompasses a number of sectors that are receiving a worldwide recognition and generating a ...

  RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business Known as one of the strongest countries in bespoke car sales, UAE with its wealthy population is driving the growth of the global ‘customised cars’ industry. The recent win of Abu Dhabi Motors that made it top Rolls-Royce Bespoke Dealer in the world for 7th year in a row, is testimony to the fact ...

  Sharjah / Emirates Business The mobile library of Knowledge without Borders (KwB) — the Sharjah-based cultural project — has concluded its visits for the first five months of the year. A major component of KwB’s strategy to bring reading within reach of all, the library’s 2016 tour schedule to date has seen it visit almost 250 locations in the ...

  Ritika SHARMA / Emirates Business UAE is home to thousands of expats from nearly 200 countries, who increasingly rely on cargo services to send their stuff homes. It involves transactions worth millions of dirhams every month. Treading an innovative business model, a leading cargo company here has introduced a stress-free option for customers to convert the huge billing amount ...

  Sunaina Rana / Emirates Business E-commerce has become one of the biggest business trends in the UAE, of which mobile commerce is an integral part. According to a recent study conducted by Criteo, mobile was the most preferred device for business during the Ramadan season, with a 44% rise in spending two weeks prior to Ramadan, to 49% by ...