March, 2016

• 8 March

  USA commercial property prices drop for first time in 6 yrs

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  Off-campus college dorms now resemble spring-break hotels

  

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  India goes all out to keep its women working

  

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  China’s ‘iron hand’ loosing grip over pollution

  

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  A.T. Kearney Predicts All-Time Record Year for Chemicals M&A

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  767kW solar power project in Vanuatu marks UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund’s latest success

  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. ...

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• 8 March

  Women empowerment will empower the whole world

  

  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. ...

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• 8 March

  Gulf Craft generates AED 80 million insales at Dubai International Boat Show

  

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  BIM the future of railways in region

  

  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 ...

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• 8 March

  F&B firms in GCC reinforce pledge to restrict marketing to children

  

  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 ...

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