Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will offer one night’s free accommodation at the Radisson Blu hotel on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island to all guests travelling in Economy Class from the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, and stopping over in the national capital. The offer is valid from now until 15 …

Abu Dhabi / WAM In acknowledgement of its management improvement initiatives and efforts to strengthen a culture of innovation, the UAE Ministry of Economy has got the international certification of TS 16555-1 for Innovation System Management from Britain’s LIoyd’s Register. The certification, a global testament to the Ministry of Economy’s endeavors to improve performance and reduce risks, providing credibility for …

Dubai / WAM The Ministry of Health and Prevention, has signed an agreement with Roche Pharmaceutical Company, to strengthen the UAE’s strategic drug stockpile, by adding 76 categories of drugs to aid in severe cases and emergency situations. The agreement was signed by Dr. Abdul Karim Abdullah Al Zarouni, Director of Emergency, Crisis and Disaster Operations Center at the Ministry, …

Sharjah / WAM Consumer protection complaints occupied the maximum share with 837 among the total 1,056 complaints resolved by the Sharjah Economic Development Department (SEDD), during the first quarter (Q1), of the current year. Sultan Abdullah bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Chairman of SEDD, said that the Department took all the necessary action to deal with consumer complaints. It has even …

Bloomberg Reports of deep-sea drilling’s demise in a world of sub-$100 oil may have been greatly exaggerated, much to OPEC’s dismay. Pumping crude from seabeds thousands of feet below water is turning cheaper as producers streamline operations and prioritize drilling in core wells, according to Wood Mackenzie Ltd. That means oil at $50 a barrel could sustain some of these …

SINGAPORE / Reuters India’s diesel demand is expected to rise to record levels again this year as a slew of infrastructure projects boosts use of the transport and industrial fuel, although a government-induced cash shortage will hold growth to its slowest in three years. Increased fuel efficiency, a fall in commercial vehicle sales, and the use of other fuels for …

DUBAI / Reuters Saudi Aramco said on Wednesday it had signed a joint venture agreement with three firms to build a shipyard on the kingdom’s east coast, part of the government’s drive to diversify the economy beyond oil. A shareholder agreement was signed with National Shipping Co of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), a state-controlled firm which ships oil for Aramco, as …

Bloomberg It will be a public trial by fire for new Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Darren Woods. Presiding over his first annual meeting since predecessor Rex Tillerson left to become US secretary of state, Woods will be tested on Wednesday on everything from climate change to his own paycheck. Analysts and investors will be watching to see if he proves …

Bloomberg A suicide truck bomb in Kabul killed as many as 80 people and wounded 350 on Wednesday morning near a diplomatic enclave in the worst attack on the Afghan capital in 10 months. The explosion happened near the German embassy about 8:25 a.m. in the Wazir Akbar Khan area, a busy neighborhood that’s home to the presidential palace and …

Bloomberg Russia attacked IS targets in Syria with cruise missiles fired from a warship and submarine, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said. The Admiral Essen frigate and the Krasnodar submarine, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, hit sites around the Syrian city of Palmyra with four Kalibr missiles, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The US, Turkey and Israel …