DUBAI / WAM The Dubai Financial Market Company (DFM) announced its financial results for the first quarter of the year ending 31 March 2017, reporting a net profit of AED102.34 million, 19% increase compared to AED86 million during the corresponding period of 2016. The company’s total revenue has grown by 18% to AED149.34 million in Q1 of 2017 compared to ...

  ABU DHABI / WAM An annual exhibition organised by the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council opened on Monday to showcase the innovative projects launched by Emirati women entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait are participating in the exhibition held under the patronage of HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the ...

  DUBAI / WAM Emirates NBD announced it is the first bank in UAE to process loan or card applications utilising Al Etihad Credit Bureau Consumer Retail Banking Score. The AECB Consumer Retail Credit Bureau Score is the first scoring system for UAE’s retail banking customers, exclusively developed for risk prediction using historical data on repayment behaviour reported to Al Etihad ...

  Dubai / WAM Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) declined in the first quarter of 2017 recording 84 deals, compared to 115 deals in Q1 of 2016, according to the Q1 2017 M&A report from global professional services firm EY. However, the report shows that MENA deal values remained broadly stable reaching ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, witnessed on Monday the launch of Miral’s AED12 billion master development plan to transform the southern end of Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. His Highness welcomed Miral’s delegation today at the Sea Palace Abu ...

  Once the initial market relief plays out — that, even during an unprecedented ‘anti-establishment’ wave in both Europe and the US, French voters rejected a far right president in Marine Le Pen of the National Front — interest will shift to how relative newcomer Emmanuel Macron will manage to govern in a country accustomed to mainstream politics. And it ...

  India’s bad-loan crisis, afflicting almost 20 of banks’ assets, has moved tantalizingly close to a resolution. Giving the central bank the power to force lenders to shed soured debt is a welcome policy move. But a nine-month target to clear 60 large corporate delinquencies may be wishful thinking. The reason is an untested bankruptcy court. That’s a risk investors ...

  The stick doesn’t seem to be working, so now China’s waving carrots to bring the country’s burgeoning media landscape into line. The State Council and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China plan to boost the development of online outlets by creating new media institutions and encouraging eligible websites to go public, the official Xinhua news agency ...

  Emmanuel Macron, who started his own party En Marche! — or On the Move! a year ago, defeated National Front’s Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election. The election threw up many surprises. Although Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, was projected as a winner by opinion polls, what is remarkable is that he became France’s youngest elected president just a ...

  Abu Dhabi / WAM The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), signed new strategic partnerships with Etisalat and du telecommunications at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The memoranda are part of the TRA’s plan of action aimed at achieving the objectives of the UAE National Vision 2021 to raise the country’s ranking among the top 10 countries in the National Readiness Index ...