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March 13, 2012

Rents will continue to face downward pressure until this oversupply is absorbed
Slowdown in Abu Dhabi real estate could signal more mergers
11:51 GMT
Following a peak in rents in 2008 and the subsequent plunge in the market, experts said, the capital could this year see a spate of initiatives that will consolidate and strengthen players.
On the supply side, the study suggests that the labor markets in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan face similar structural imbalances resulting from an ongoing demographic bulge in the youth segment
High youth unemployment hampers Lebanon development
11:00 GMT
High youth unemployment, estimated at 19 percent, remains a major obstacle to the development of Lebanese economy, according to study published Monday.

March 12, 2012

Trade liberalisation offers SMEs an opportunity to not only survive but grow their business beyond the borders of their country
Getting global
16:56 GMT
The importance of the SME sector cannot be understated in any country, least of all in the UAE where they account for 98.5% of all firms. SMEs by their virtue have the potential of being the engine of economic growth.
These days, some big businesses are being pushed to invest in more sophisticated means to keep pace with consumers who demand different kinds of contact points
A tweet can keep clients sweet
16:42 GMT
A quick scan of tweets sent by companies such as the telecommunications operators du and Etisalat will reveal plenty of back-and-forth digital discussion between them and disgruntled customers.
Investors have been seeking refuge in gold out of fear that there will be more currency devaluations, especially in the Eurozone
Don’t write off gold
15:32 GMT
Gold’s overall performance is still remarkable, though it is but a small part of a bigger picture.
Now if UAE publishers are going to move from printed media to online they are in for a nasty shock in revenue terms
Digital advertising will bankrupt UAE publishers
09:35 GMT
Digital is the future of advertising in the UAE but currently the rates offered to publishers are so low that most of them are going to end up bankrupt.
Since tourism touches all sectors of the economy, its real direct and indirect impact is even greater
Lebanon tourism to generate $4.3 billion in 2012
09:00 GMT
The tourism industry’s direct contribution is expected to grow by 3 percent per year in real terms during the 2012-2022 period compared to a 4.1 percent real growth rate for both the Middle East and the world.
For years, the government has resisted cutting subsidies for fear of igniting inflation and the wrath of its citizens
Egypt looking at energy subsidies to cut deficit
08:04 GMT
The subsidy problem has become more difficult politically since the uprising which overthrew president Hosni Mubarak last year, because the turmoil slashed economic growth, pushing up unemployment and poverty.

March 11, 2012

SIM box fraud is a global problem that is affecting operators worldwide
‘SIM box’ fraud costing mobile operators millions in Jordan
16:24 GMT
Mobile operators in Jordan lose millions each year as a result of "SIM box" fraud, according to Revector, a UK-based anti-fraud company.
Some argued that a rate war when hotels slash prices in the face of competition is underway
Abu Dhabi: No more hotels allowed to open
13:54 GMT
Hospitality consultants have said that the projects have pushed the hotel market to a point of saturation.
In February, the biggest increase in OPEC supply once again came from Libya
OPEC oil output rises to over 3-year high
13:46 GMT
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil output has risen in February to the highest since October 2008.
The value of the lira is deteriorating everyday and there is slight demand for the currency, Mohammad Otoum, manager at Alawneh exchange agency said
JD1 fetches 117 Syrian liras, from 67 before unrest
13:22 GMT
The Syrian currency has fallen by up to 50 percent this week from 67 liras per JD1 before the unrest hit the northern neighbouring country nearly a year ago, according to currency exchange agencies.

March 8, 2012

If sustainability is to triumph, it must be predominantly a bottom-up process
The sustainability concept in economy
14:15 GMT
The global economy will probably triple in size in the next quarter-century, largely owing to growth in developing countries as they catch up to developed-country incomes and adopt similar consumption patterns.
Across the country's various regions, wage disparity is tied to the share of employment in low and medium earning sectors, which are highly driven by private sector employment
Egypt: The wage justice
09:40 GMT
Over the past 40 years, Egyptian governments have failed to institute a sound wage policy that ensures a healthy economy.
An economist at Harvard said one thing is certain about Apple Inc.'s effect on the labor market -- it's big
Economic Outlook: Apple's ego
09:09 GMT
Apple has triggered a debate on its impact by releasing a study that declares the company, which is responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs overseas.