News

  Bloomberg Petroleo Brasileiro SA reduced investments by 25 percent and is accelerating asset disposals in its latest business plan as it downsizes to withstand low international oil prices amid Brazil’s deepest two-year recession on record. The 2017-2021 plan, the first drafted under Chief Executive Officer Pedro Parente, focuses on accelerating debt reduction and retreating from peripheral businesses such as ...

  Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business With a finger on the pulse of the fast-paced consumer electronics industry, GITEX Shopper tracks top 10 trends for tech savvy consumers looking to update devices and tap into the latest developments in the industry. Visitors to the Middle East’s largest consumer IT and electronic show, which will take place from October 1-8 at ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business As much as 94% of the remittance industry remains brick and mortar, giving IMTOs (International Money Transfer Organisations) a tremendous opportunity to tap new audiences and deliver additional value to existing consumers through digital channels, says Xpress Money COO, Sudhesh Giriyan. Giriyan’s comments came during a high-powered panel discussion on e-banking and digital transformation at ...

  Dubai / Emirates Business A recent business confidence survey conducted by the British Institute of Facilities Management on the Middle East’s FM market forecasted a very positive growth, noting that 36 percent of participants intend to completely outsource their FM services, while 60 percent expect more outsourcing of FM operations in the future. Isnaad, a leader in soft FM ...

  Emirates Business “Product of the Year,” the world’s largest consumer-voted award for product innovation, organized a seminar for FMCG brands on overcoming the emerging challenges in the unfavorable market. The third edition of “POY talks” brought together a distinguished group of international speakers, consisted of four sessions that unfolded the methods to overcome the current economic challenges by optimizing ...

  Beja / AFP Activists are warning of a potential “thirst uprising” in Tunisia following protests over severe water shortages after one of the North African nation’s driest summers on record. Residents in the interior are suffering long water supply cuts, reservoirs are running dry and farmers are seeing significant losses, adding to social tensions in a country still struggling ...

  Reuters Egypt’s central bank is expected to raise interest rates on Thursday, a Reuters poll showed, in an attempt to fight inflation and attract foreign investment as the country pushes through with economic reforms. Egypt has been struggling with a shortage of foreign currency since the 2011 uprising drove away tourists and foreign investors — two major sources of ...

  Dubai / WAM The CEO Advisory Council of the UAE Banks Federation, the professional body representing 49 banks in the UAE, has welcomed the bankruptcy law, and recognised the mutual benefit it will bring to banks and owners of businesses, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This came up during the council’s third meeting of the year held ...

  DUBAI / WAM Dubai has become the world’s largest Sukuk listing centre by value, after Emaar Properties has listed a US$750 million Sukuk on Nasdaq Dubai, raising the total value of Sukuk listed in the emirate to US$45.55 billion. A US$500 million Sukuk issued by Emaar Properties in July 2012 is also listed on the exchange. So far this ...

  Sharjah / Emirates Business The Sharjah Foreign Direct Investment, (Sharjah FDI Forum 2016) will highlight the strategic trade relations between the UAE, the UK and mainland Europe. Taking place on September 28-29 at Al Jawaher Reception & Convention Centre, the two-day Sharjah FDI Forum 2016 forms part of Shurooq’s efforts to introduce international investors and industry leaders to Sharjah ...