News

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Prospects of business growth and development of a knowledge-based economy across the Arab gulf region were the crux of a meeting held on Wednesday in Riyadh and attended by GCC trade executives, with the UAE underlining the importance of safeguarding intellectual property patents and innovation, being a solid pillar for economic development. “The UAE strongly believes …

  Abu Dhabi / WAM Finding a framework that balances between fundamental human rights and international efforts in combating cyber-terrorism is the overall theme of an anti-cyber terrorism conference to be hosted by Abu Dhabi on May 15-16 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The International Conference for …

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC), one of the leading regional multi-line insurance providers for corporates and individuals, announced on Wednesday its financial results for the three-month period ending March 31. The company reported a net profit of AED 74 million for the period, an increase of 90% in profitability over the same period …

  Dubai / Emirates Business The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) hosted an outreach session on the opportunities financial technology (FinTech) presents in the Middle East. The seminar was held jointly with the FinTech Hive at DIFC, Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance and the Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) on May 8. The event provided a forum to discuss …

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business ADNOC Distribution announced a reduction of the retail price of unsubsidised LPG cylinders for the month of May 2017 in all service stations in the UAE. As per the announcement that is set on the 10th of every month, the new reduced retail price is as follows: AED 45 per 25lb, reduced from the …

  LONDON / Reuters Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday urged oil pricing agency S&P Global Platts to protect the dated Brent crude benchmark from declining North Sea supply by including other grades, such as Russian Urals, in its price-setting process. The suggestion marks a shift from two years ago when Shell said adding Urals would not be “worth the trouble”. …

  DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Electricity Co (SEC) swung to a first-quarter profit on Wednesday after a royal decree exempted the Gulf’s largest utility firm from municipality fees. The company, which the government is aiming to restructure to improve efficiency, made a profit of 4.94 billion riyals in the three months to March 31, a bourse statement said. This compares …

  Bloomberg A surge in demand for Sri Lanka’s latest dollar bond is putting a spotlight on the appetite for emerging-market securities, even amid the Federal Reserve’s tighte- ning campaign. The small South Asian country garnered more than $11 billion of orders for the $1.5 billion of 10-year notes it sold last week, marking a quadrupling in demand compared with …

  Bloomberg SoftBank Group Corp. has contributed $5 billion to last month’s record $5.5 billion fundraising by Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. SoftBank Group Capital Ltd., an investment arm of Masayoshi Son’s technology empire, contributed $2 billion to last month’s record fundraising by Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing. SBGC invested the money in Xiaoju Kuaizhi Inc., the formal name for …

  Bloomberg Gold imports by India gained more than four-fold in April driven by jewelers restocking in anticipation of a recovery in sales during the wedding season that will last till mid-June. Shipments rose to 98.3 metric tons last month from 22.2 tons a year earlier, according to a person familiar with provisional data from the finance ministry, who asked …