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October 19, 2011

There are some studies underway that look at gas efficiency, renewable energy, and energy conservation as possible ways to improve energy efficiency in Oman
Oman can learn from the German energy model
11:55 GMT
By introducing more renewable forms of energy such as solar and wind power, and improving the quality of building construction, Germany has become more energy efficient and is known for its state-of-the-art clean energy industry.
UAE, Qatar and Oman's markets are down as with a return to uncertainty with regards to euro debt crisis
Gulf down as hopes fade for eurozone fix; Saudi markets upbeat
08:55 GMT
Most regional markets ended lower Tuesday after comments from Germany’s finance minister dashed hopes of a quick fix to the eurozone debt crisis, while attractive valuations in Saudi Arabians petrochemicals helped lift the bourse.
Fatih Birol said also: If we don’t find that money, then the production won’t grow as much as it needs to grow, and as a result of that, one can see much higher prices than we have now today
Oil price may rise without Mideast investment
08:31 GMT
Fatih Birol, the chief economist for the International Energy Agency, said $1.5 trillion needs to be invested each year if the world is going to meet the energy demands from now until 2035.
With the rollout of Boeing’s new plane, the 787 Dreamliner, the need for additional training centres seems to be rising
Middle East carriers will need 36,000 new pilots
07:56 GMT
It’s not just the shortage of pilots that airlines across the globe are currently grappling with, but there is also a strong demand for more than 40,000 aviation industry personnel currently, according to Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer for Boeing Flight Services.

October 18, 2011

Middle Eastern companies need to understand that the brand "lives" in all parts of a company and that it affects not just sales and marketing, but also research and developments
Apple now in top 100 brands, but where is the Middle East?
17:56 GMT
No brands from the Middle East were among the 100, an issue that Michael Benson, the regional director for Interbrand, says could be remedied in the next few years.
Dubai is confident that as a leading tourist destination, it will continue to act as catalysts for the development of the industry in the region as a whole
Dubai seeks to expand its cruise port facilities
17:33 GMT
Dubai is looking to expand its cruise terminal facilities in a bid to accommodate the increase in the number of cruise ships.
The Saudi government's spending package provides a substantial boost for banks
Saudi cash lifts bank profits
17:14 GMT
The kingdom, in light of the Arab Spring, announced a sizeable government spending programme, amounting to approximately 470bn Saudi riyals [Dh460.3bn] … this is approximately equal to 29 percent of Saudi's 2010 annual GDP.
UbiFrance’s Director General Christophe Lecourtier, said the fall of Moammar Gadhafi had provided Paris with opportunities in sectors where it previously had no involvement in the OPEC state, such as tourism and agriculture
Libyan oil needs $30 billion to reach 3 mbd
09:51 GMT
Libya is struggling to resume oil production, which forms the overwhelming bulk of its exports but was largely halted for the past eight months by its civil war, the country produced about 1.8 million bpd during peace time and hopes to be pumping 1 million barrels per day within a year.
Nabih Baaklini called on the government to draft a law for the regulation of the insurance sector and send it to the Parliament for ratification
Chaos reigns in Lebanese insurance sector
09:10 GMT
The presence of a big number of insurance companies in an unregulated business environment is hurting growth in the insurance sector in Lebanon.
Regional industry players said the surging public sector investments across the region are expected to benefit private equity players
Middle East private equity players upbeat on prospects
08:34 GMT
The firms are particularly optimistic about the prospects of sectors such as health care, education, consumer goods and oil and gas, which are likely to benefit from government spending plans and regulatory changes.

October 17, 2011

The occupancy rate increased ten percent in Makkah and four percent in Madina, which brought occupancy levels to 91 percent and 79 percent in the two cities respectively
Saudi cities defy regional slump in hotel occupancy
16:24 GMT
The E&Y Middle East Hotel Benchmark Survey for August revealed revenue levels for Makkah and Madina hotels shot up 55.3 percent to $722 (Dh2,652) and 52.3 percent to $353 respectively over August 2010.
Investors in the region are still uncertain of what fair value is due to the follow-on effect of the European Union debt crisis and the slowdown in the United States
IPO activity in MENA on the rise
15:39 GMT
The regional capital markets raised $218.9 million through the initial public offering (IPO) during the third quarter of 2011.
Authorised models of the iPhone 4S won’t likely arrive in the UAE until November to be sold by Apple-approved distributors with complete warranties
Loyal Apple fans risk it all by buying grey-market devices in UAE
15:30 GMT
Unfortunately, the iPhone 4S is still not officially available in the UAE and until then, loyal Apple fans are willing to pay much higher prices for grey market phones and be among the first to have the new mobile device.
Tenants are seeking units within successful retail malls with proven footfalls or in prominent locations with good parking
Retail space to surge with new development in Oman
10:20 GMT
In the retail sector, five current developments will deliver an additional 100,000 square metres of good quality retail space into the market over the next 18 months, adding to the 300,000 square metres that is currently available.
There is a leadership role being played by Qatar, there is a very vibrant economy behind it, so it will give a lot of impetus in as a country
Qatar hopeful of luring even more financial heavyweights
09:54 GMT
With the robust economic fundamentals, Qatar, however, is bullish it can convince more financial heavyweights to set up businesses in the country.