The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.

  Bloomberg Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a daunting to-do list as the real work begins on his plan to transform the world’s biggest oil exporter into an economy no longer reliant on crude. “2017 is a reality check,” said John Sfakianakis, director of economic research at the Gulf Research Center. “We’re done with the announcements. ...

  Bloomberg UK oil and gas production will continue to grow through 2018, putting it on course for the longest expansion in almost two decades, amid project startups and productivity gains, an industry lobby said. “Production has now been rising since 2015, bucking a 15-year trend of decline, and should continue to rise over the next two years,” Oil & ...

  Bloomberg Shapir Engineering and Industry Ltd., which develops residential, commercial and industrial construction projects in Israel, is considering expanding its operations into offshore energy exploration. The Petach Tikvah, Israel-based company is mulling a bid to drill for oil and gas in the 24 new blocks opened for exploration in the country’s economic waters, a company spokeswoman told Bloomberg. Israeli ...

  Bloomberg The oil market’s failure to break out of the tightest range in more than a decade is sapping investor interest. After hitting a record high last week, hedge funds reduced wagers that US oil prices would rise as concern grows that the market is again becoming vulnerable to a drop. Earlier bullish sentiment was based on optimism that ...

  Bloomberg Asian countries should pursue a Pacific trade pact even after the US walked away, and its standards should be incorporated into other regional deals, according to a report authored by half a dozen former trade envoys. Donald Trump withdrew from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership in one of his first acts as US president, throwing an agreement that covered ...

  Bloomberg India’s sugar production may be lower than previously forecast as mills in the main growing areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka closed earlier than usual after dry weather cut cane output. Production may total 20.3 million metric tons in year that began Oct. 1, compared with 21.3 million tons estimated in January and 23.4 million tons predicted in September, ...

  Bloomberg Russia’s No. 1 zinc miner and No. 2 copper producer plans a far-reaching expansion of its diversified minerals output, billionaire co-owner and Chief Executive Officer Andrey Kozitsyn said in an interview. Ural Mining & Metallurgical Co., which sells half the copper it mines for export under long-term deals with traders including Glencore Plc and Trafigura Group, aims to ...

  Bloomberg Chinese financial-technology investments this year may exceed 2016’s record $10 billion as companies continue to raise funds for expansion and big banks grow their digital services, according to Accenture Plc. The country’s financial-services giants will probably ramp up investments in areas including artificial intelligence, blockchain, so-called big data and cyber-security to improve their product offerings, Albert Chan, managing ...

  Bloomberg Chinese corporate chiefs are turning vocal critics of the nation’s capital controls as the pile of scrapped deals grows. While the restrictions have helped alleviate pressure on the yuan, they’ve also curbed overseas acquisitions. Executives in Beijing during the National People’s Congress bemoaned the measures, saying they’re derailing expansion abroad — a key tenet of China’s long-term economic ...

  Bloomberg London’s toxic air is bad for business. That’s the conclusion of commercial groups making their own plans to fight pollution for fear the government’s failure to tackle emissions levels that break legal limits is driving customers and workers away. At least 15 of the city’s 42 so-called business improvement districts, which were established a decade ago to fight ...