Doha / Reuters Five years ago Samer Habib moved to Qatar where he opened a restaurant that turned a profit serving Lebanese salads and sandwiches to expats. In June, the business folded. The European lawyers and Indian clerks who for years frequented Habib’s restaurant have been leaving the country in recent months, he said, many laid off in sweeping …

  Reuters Algeria has boosted output in recent months at two major oil fields, including the Hassi Messaoud field, an oil official said, as the OPEC member strives to maximise production to make up for lost revenue. Production at Hassi Messaoud, 800 km (500 miles) southeast of the capital Algiers, has risen to 470,000 barrels from 420,000 barrels, the official …

  Manama / TNS Around 200 small businesses are facing major financial difficulties that could force them to close down and let go of thousands of employees. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which have been struggling to stay afloat since last year, have called for urgent measures to be taken, including new legislation, to protect them from going bankrupt. The SMEs …