Manama / TNS Bahrain is aiming to earn BD1 billion per year from tourism by 2020, it was revealed. The estimated revenue for last year was BD600 million, which means almost doubling the income in the next four years. Economic Development Board (EDB) tourism and leisure investment executive director Jerad Bachar said it would be difficult, but achievable. He was …

  Riyadh / Reuters Contracting giant Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) has repaid a 1 billion riyal ($266.7 million) Islamic bond that matured in late June, a sign of modestly easing pressure on the embattled firm, banking sources said. The payment came after a delay of several weeks and used money from a 2.5 billion riyal loan the company secured from …

  Paris / Reuters Iran is assessing whether to apply for associate membership of the ITER multi-national nuclear fusion project, its director said, just a year after Tehran struck a deal with six world powers to curb its own atomic programme. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which was launched 10 years ago by Europe, United States, China, India, …