Bloomberg U.S. commercial real estate prices dropped in January for the first time since 2010, a sign of weakening demand by investors after a six-year rally that pushed values to records. The Moody/RCA Commercial Property Price Index slipped 0.3 percent from December, Moody’s Investors Service said. The decline was led by office and industrial buildings, which each had a price ...

Bloomberg Two resort-style pools, with deckside cabanas. A beach volleyball court, professional-grade barbecues, and around-the-clock staff. Sounds like a good place for a college student to spend spring break—if she didn’t already live there. Purpose-built student housing such as the Stadium Centre apartments—the 710-bed complex described above, a short walk to Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus—has become increasingly upscale over ...

Bloomberg ‘Bring your mother-in-law to work’ day, ‘take your baby on your business trip’ programmes; longer paid maternity leaves and subsidized day care — companies in India, especially multinationals and tech firms, are rolling out initiatives to keep women from dropping out of the workforce when they get married or have children. As India’s government also prepares to extend mandatory ...

Bloomberg Embracing a groundswell of public outrage about toxic air ahead of annual legislative meetings last year in Beijing, China’s President Xi Jinping threatened to punish polluters with an “iron hand.” Fast forward a year, as delegates with China’s legislature meet again in the capital, and evidence suggests the iron hand may be loosening its grip, highlighting tension between the ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business Global chemical M&A deal values rose by 30% last year to $110 billion, a fourth straight annual increase, laying the ground for an all-time record spike in 2016 according to the fifth edition of A.T. Kearney’s Chemicals Executive M&A Report. The report provides an outlook for Chemicals M&A and analyses the progress of chemical M&A activity ...

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business The recent completion of a solar power project for the Pacific nation of Vanuatu marks the latest stage of the ground-breaking United Arab Emirates-Pacific Partnership Fund (UAE-PPF). The installation of three new solar PV plants represents another milestone for an imaginative and innovative initiative that has captured international attention with its potential for developing countries. ...

ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business Offering more opportunities to females will not only boost the women empowerment initiatives in the region but will also reinforce the overall community, feels HE Ameera Abdelrahim BinKaram, Chairperson of the Sharjah Business Women Council. “The more choices and opportunities offered to women in economical, professional and social fields; the more the world would advance. ...

DUBAI / Emirates Business Gulf Craft sold AED 80 million (USD 22 million) worth of luxury yachts and leisure boats across its range at this year’s Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS), the Emirates-based builder revealed today, signifying considerable market resilience amid a challenging global economic landscape. Gulf Craft’s announcement follows the successful unveiling of four exceptional yachts – two of ...

ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business A futuristic rail networks across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, backed by the revolutionary concept of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, is the need of the hour, according to experts. Recent reports show that currently 16 major railway projects worth US$352 billion are underway in the region. One of the key advantages ...

Dubai / Emirates Business Global food and beverage companies based in the GCC — General Mills, Kellogg Company, Mars, Mondelēz International, Nestlé Middle East, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever — have launched an enhanced version of their existing GCC Pledge on Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing to Children. Initially signed in 2010, the GCC Pledge is a voluntary commitment ...