Regional News

Bloomberg Iraq would support a proposal for OPEC and other major oil producers to freeze output at talks in Algeria next month, Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi said in Baghdad. The endorsement marks a slight shift by Al-Abadi, who was quoted by Reuters on Aug. 23 saying that Iraq still hadn’t raised production sufficiently. The country’s deputy oil minister, Fayyad Al-Nima, …

  Reuters Egypt’s state grains buyer GASC received only one offer on Wednesday at its first wheat purchase since reinstating a zero-tolerance policy on ergot fungus, a near complete boycott that underscores the difficulty of sourcing grains under the rule. A ban on the common grain fungus caused huge disruption to Egypt’s massive wheat imports earlier this year, with global …

  Reuters Iraqi state oil firm SOMO has blacklisted three tankers involved in shipping crude from Kurdistan, stepping up pressure on the semi-autonomous region amid tense talks on sharing oil revenue. Kurdistan has been exporting crude independently via Turkey since mid-2015 after saying Baghdad had failed to respect an oil revenue-sharing deal and transfer enough money to Erbil. Baghdad, which …

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s National Industrialization Co., known as Tasnee, agreed terms with lenders to refinance around 6 billion riyals ($1.6 billion) of debt at its titanium unit after a slump in commodity prices, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The new debt will have a duration of three years — with the option to extend to five …

  Reuters Qatar’s government will levy a new airport tax on passengers from Tuesday as the country seeks new revenue streams amid falling oil prices. Every passenger leaving Qatar from Doha’s Hamad International Airport, including transit passengers, will be charged 35 riyals ($9.61) for using airport facilities, according to a statement by the airport. The charge will apply to tickets …

  Reuters Qatar National Bank (QNB) has been given approval to open a branch in India offering banking services, the Gulf region’s largest lender said on Sunday. The bank, which in June completed the 2.7 billion euro purchase of Turkey’s Finansbank, has a presence in more than 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In a statement, …

  Bloomberg Egypt will no longer accept imported wheat containing any traces of the ergot fungus, the Agriculture Ministry said, sowing fresh regulatory confusion that has hampered shipments to the world’s biggest buyer of the grain. The new ruling runs counter to a less restrictive policy by the Supply Ministry allowing for shipments containing as much as 0.05 percent ergot …

  Reuters Iraq is willing to play an active role within OPEC to support oil prices but will not sacrifice its goal of expanding market share and will continue to ramp up output, its oil minister said. Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, on a visit to the southern oil city of Basra, renewed calls for local and international oil companies in Iraq …

  Bloomberg The initial public offering of Saudi Arabian Oil Co. remains on track while the government considers how to meet all its objectives from the sale of a stake in the world’s biggest oil company, the kingdom’s Energy Minister said. Saudi Arabia hopes to list the company, also known as Saudi Aramco, in early 2018, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih …

  Emirates Business Crystal Lagoons, the multinational innovation company and developer of the world’s top amenity patented technology that makes giant crystal-clear lagoons a reality, has announced two new project wins in Egypt, bringing its total portfolio of active and under development projects in the Middle East and India to 15. Showcasing a range of projects at this year’s Cityscape …