MUSCAT / Reuters Oman, seeking to bolster state finances as low oil prices slash its revenues, will raise electricity prices for large government, commercial and industrial users at the start of next year, an official said on Wednesday. All government, commercial and industrial consumers of at least 150 megawatts per year will pay the higher tariffs, Qais Al-Zakwani, executive …

  Bloomberg Investors in wind and solar power are getting more capacity for their money as the cost of the technology tumbles, making alternatives to fossil fuel more competitive. That’s the conclusion of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which found dramatic improvements in wind and solar technology is helping to boost the amount of power generated from each plant — and …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business Consumers in the UAE appear to agree with the current real estate market sentiment that now is good time to buy property, according to statistics from compareit4me.com, the Middle East’s leading finance comparison site. Using data from its mortgage comparison platform, compareit4me can reveal that there was an 119.5% increase in the number of people …

  Dubai / Emirates Business Royal Caribbean Arabia has launched its new website, which has been completely reimagined to fit in to the palm of your hand. A mobile friendly designed interface, packed with exciting video content, which gives you a front row seat to onboard activities and entertainment. Additionally Royal Caribbean Arabia has done the planning for you, highlighting …

  Dubai / Emirates Business Azizi Developments, a leading UAE-based real estate developer with global reach into international markets, has announced its newest project in the burgeoning district of Al Furjan: Azizi Plaza. The Plaza, a B+G+2P+12 structure, will encompass residential, commercial and retail space with fully furnished serviced apartments catered towards convenient, affordable luxury living for professionals and nuclear …

  Dubai / Emirates Business Don’t miss out on experiencing life-changing technologies and first-in-the-region innovations at du’s stand this GITEX Technology Week, 2016. Staying true to the theme ‘simplicity is technology’s greatest advance’, demonstrations at du’s stand this year will feature simple innovation that will enhance the happiness of UAE citizens. Visitors will also be able to witness how du, …

  Dubai / Emirates Business More than two-thirds of young national Arabs in the Gulf states still hope to land jobs with government, despite initiatives to encourage them to seek out careers in the private sector. This new finding from the eighth annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey was unveiled by Sunil John, the CEO of ASDA’A Burson Marsteller, at …

  Bloomberg On Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., BMW Group debuted a motorcycle concept so artificially intelligent that it eliminates the need for the rider to wear protective gear, including a helmet. The BMW Motorrad Vision Next 100 motorcycle is the latest incarnation of BMW’s Vision Next series, which celebrates 100 years of the German brand with forward-looking concept vehicles …

  AFP Social network giant Facebook on Monday launched new global product Workplace, a platform that it hopes will replace intranet, mailbox and other internal communication tools used by businesses worldwide. The platform allows employees to collaborate in real-time and is intended to compete with similar office communication products including Microsoft’s Yammer, Salesforce’s Chatter and Slack. The Silicon Valley company …

  San Francisco / AFP Industry reports released recently showed that shipments of personal computers slid anew in the recently ended quarter as lifestyles continued to shift to smartphones and tablets. Worldwide PC shipments in the third quarter of this year totaled 68.9 million units in a 5.7 percent decline from the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary …