Regional News

  Bloomberg Egypt’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 15.5% in August, driven to its highest level in at least seven years by the weakening of the currency and an increase in electricity prices. Consumer prices rose 1.9 percent in the month, according to data published by the state-run CAPMAS statistics agency. Food and beverage prices, which account for the largest ...

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is weighing plans to cancel more than $20 billion of projects and slash ministry budgets by a quarter to repair finances squeezed by low oil prices, people familiar with the matter said — efforts that analysts expect to slow economic growth. The government is reviewing thousands of projects valued at about 260 billion riyals ($69 billion) ...

  Emirates Business Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications “MOTC” has signed an agreement with Emirates Classification Society, TASNEEF, authorizing it to inspect the small ships that are not abiding by the international conventions in GCC countries. The agreement will help ensure that all ships and vessels are compliant with the safety requirements of the GCC “GCC CODE”. The Emirates ...

  Emirates Business The Qatar Ministry of Culture and Sports has awarded the operation of two world-class arenas to ELAN Live Nation, a joint venture (JV) between ELAN Group, a diversified and fully integrated media and entertainment group in the Middle East, and Live Nation, the global leader in live entertainment. The JV will operate Lusail Multipurpose Arena in Lusail, ...

  Bloomberg A group of liquefied natural gas industry executives is launching a digital platform that will allow LNG traders to buy and sell spot cargoes via online auctions. The Global LNG Exchange, or GLX, will begin testing its platform in October and plans to handle live deals starting in the first quarter, Chief Executive Officer Damien Criddle said in ...

  Bloomberg A power struggle between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a senior minister in his Likud party shut down the train line linking two of Israel’s biggest cities for a day, snarling commuters in miles-long traffic jams and bringing hundreds of demonstrators into the streets before service was restarted. Thousands of Israelis starting their work weeks and soldiers returning ...

  Emirates Business Chestertons KSA has released its Q2 2016 report for Riyadh, the first ever analysis of the Saudi capital by the leading property consultant. The report highlights that there is increasing demand for affordable housing, as Riyadh’s population growth continues to outstrip property market supply. The Riyadh Real Estate Market Overview for Q2, 2016, points out that Riyadh’s ...

  AP Billboards and street signs have gone up across Egypt’s capital extolling austerity and hope, part of a pro-government public relations campaign aimed at preparing Egyptians for sweeping economic reforms. The advertising blitz follows last month’s provisional agreement by the International Monetary Fund to give Egypt a $12 billion loan over three years to help President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s government ...

  REUTERS Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) expects its coal-to-chemicals project in China with Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Group to cost $3-4 billion, its acting CEO told Al Arabiya TV. “The project is approximately $3-4 billion and we expect it to be ready in 2020,” Yousef al-Benyan said. SABIC signed the agreement in May. The joint project would be a ...

REUTERS Kunooz Oman Holding, one of the country’s major mining, quarrying, transportation and construction materials groups, plans an initial public offer of its shares in the first half of 2017, chairman Salim Abdullah al-Rawas said on Thursday. He told a news conference that the company had obtained initial approval from Oman’s securities regulator to offer at least 25 percent of ...