Saudi Arabia

February 20, 2012

Following the ban on exports, Al-Jouf Cement Company announced it had increased its prices to SR260 per ton from SR200
09:20 GMT

The ministry said it stopped exports in order to put an end to the cement crisis.

February 19, 2012

The cement companies must increase their output to the maximum and make available sufficient quantity of the product in the local market
10:10 GMT

The experts called for urgent intervention of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to address the problem.

February 18, 2012

As Bashar al Assad follows in father's footsteps (the late Haafez al Assad had blood on his hands from Hama '82), keeping a deathly watch over his people as they are slaughtered, we ask what became of his Hippocratic oath. Assad Junior trained to save lives & sight as an eye doctor: medical care not military devastation was his calling.
22:31 GMT

Firmly into 2012, how are the Arab revolutions developing? We check in with some of the Arab protest pictures to gauge to what extent they have reached revolution saturation, or on the contrary are just getting started.

February 16, 2012

Hotels in Dubai and Saudi Arabia outperformed other markets in the Middle East last year
08:54 GMT

Dubai became a market leader with hotels recording the highest occupancy levels of 78 percent in the period January to December 2011, according to the E&Y study.

February 15, 2012

The rail link will start in Kuwait and pass by the eastern Saudi city of Dammam, connecting with Bahrain
11:40 GMT

A feasibility study conducted in 2009 suggested the 90km railway link from Dammam to Bahrain would cost between $4.2 billion and $4.5 billion according to 2008 figures.

February 14, 2012

These quantities must be increased in the future to meet the demands of the ongoing mega projects in Makkah and Jeddah
09:23 GMT

Saleem Al-Harbi, chairman of Manar Construction Company and a member of the board of directors of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, considered the new quantities of cement that were brought to the region a compromise solution at the moment.

February 11, 2012

Saudi Arabia
08:58 GMT

Clashes between protesters and police left a man dead in Saudi Arabia's eastern province of Qatif.

February 6, 2012

Saudi Arabia is best placed to make up for any shortfall in oil supply
16:04 GMT

Growing tension between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme has led to fears of a disruption in oil supplies from the Middle East Gulf.

February 5, 2012

In Jeddah, consumers say that there is adequate supply of cement but only in the black market
16:00 GMT

A cement crisis resulting from illegal trading and a steep hike in prices is spreading from Jeddah and Madina to other major cities.

January 31, 2012

Syria and Iraq leaders
07:26 GMT

The Iraqi government of Nouri al-Maliki has recently allowed the passage of Iranian arms through its territory to Syria in order to support the Syrian regime against its opponents

January 29, 2012

Unique strategic alliance: The enduring love affair between Iran & Syria has survived against the odds. The religious republic & secular state have made it work uniting against common enemies as Iraq in the past, Israel & the US until today. Shia state Iran will feel 
isolated in a sea of hostile Arabs if the ruling off-shoot Shia family falls.
15:27 GMT

Syria's external links: As the Syrian 'lion' rages and the regime's clampdown on opposition forces scores an alarming death-toll, the media is ridden with questions addressing the peculiar deadlock or impasse in this Arab Spring country. Since international players often seem to 'help' to determine the fate of Arab regimes, it may be prudent to examine who exactly is set to profit from this regime's seeming inevitable demise, or else retention of power should the Arab League's (shaky) Peace Plan be implemented. Which countries of the region and transregionally are praying for Al Assad's removal, and which would far rather he hung around?

January 22, 2012

Syria
20:07 GMT

Saudi Arabia on Sunday declared it does not want to continue to participate in the Arab observer mission in Syria.

@QueenRania: Rania Al Abdullah is the savvy Queen to Jordan's King. His First Lady trail-blazed Royal tweeting early in 2009. She tweets between Arabic & English to promote peace through education & entrepreneurship, while celebrating Jordan. In Twitter years, she is an old-hand at working the Social Media playground for her charity agenda.
10:39 GMT

Al Bawaba's pickings of some of the more colorful Tweeps operating in the Middle Eastern Twitter-sphere include friendly Lebanese politicians and singers to the actively engaged Emirs and Queens of the region. Which Arab politicians or celebrities are dominating the Twitter-verse?

GCC
09:51 GMT

Saiid El-Harrach, an expert from Capital Economist group, said that Gulf States will need to boost government expenditures due to an expected reduction in foreign investment in the region as a result of the Iranian crisis.

January 18, 2012

Iranian president
09:54 GMT

Prince Turki al-Faisal, a US-educated former Saudi intelligence chief and former Saudi envoy to the US, has sent a stern warning to Iran.

January 13, 2012

Saudi Arabia
12:37 GMT

The spokesman of the Saudi Ministry of Interior on Friday said that during a routine security patrol in the town of Awamiya in Qatif province

January 8, 2012

Companies that are domestically focused, defensive, and less correlated to global demand; the retail would be perfect for their investments
17:48 GMT

Saudi Arabia's retail sector is expected to grow fast, driven by a rising population, improving education and changing lifestyles.

January 3, 2012

Saudi International Petrochemical Company's profitability would be affected the most if the price of natural gas was increased, the Mr Al Alaiwat said
09:13 GMT

The profitability of Saudi Arabia's petrochemicals companies could be reduced this year if the government increases its gas prices, NCB Capital says.

January 1, 2012

GCC
07:06 GMT

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plan to invest $ 968 billion in major projects over the next ten years.

December 31, 2011

The Syrian crisis has been escalating, and the last Friday of 2011 saw a climactic spate of protestor killings, using nail bombs. The opposition is defiant, and as the death toll rises so does the volume of protests - fortified in the knowledge that the Arab League (following sanctions) are in town on their mission to halt the regime crackdown.
16:41 GMT

As the year comes to close, many are relieved that a year of stormy clouds and unabated anger is behind us. Things can only get better or is there still worse to come? In 2011, it turned out that we could not forecast the range of violent weather, nor could we predict the rage of people. From the Gulf to the Caucuses, and from the USA to Japan the world felt pain in 2011.

December 28, 2011

The ministry estimates the government sector grew 6.7 percent this year while the private sector expanded 8.3 percent
17:05 GMT

Saudi Arabia's strong economic growth this year was a positive surprise, Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf said, adding that the government's plans to build hundreds of thousands of homes aimed to limit future inflationary pressures.

Saudi aviation sector
09:48 GMT

Saudi Arabia has recently revealed that it will begin to allow foreign airlines conduct domestic flights.

December 15, 2011

"Saudi Arabia is the central banker of the oil market and the decision that they will bring more oil to the market is definitely a good one," Birol said
10:34 GMT

Oil prices, which at $109 a barrel already pose a "major risk" to the fragile global economy, could rise further to $150 in coming years if there is no more investment to boost oil output in the Middle East, said IEA's Fatih Birol.

December 13, 2011

Iran & KSA: The last century felt exacerbated tensions between the 2 countries, with distinct detente, 
alternating with rapprochement, periods. Tension comes of Sunni & Shia clerics from both camps respectively deeming the other's 
religious beliefs incorrect. Iran's hardliner Ahmadinejad, is unlikely to bridge the gulf between Persia & Arabia.
13:37 GMT

The relationship of Arab and Persian can be summarized as one of antagonistic alternating bouts of best of friends with worst of neighbors!

According to David Macadam, head of Jones Lang LaSalle’s retail team in the region, “Retailers across the spectrum are looking to enter this market to cater to a growing domestic demand, driven by its sizeable young population.”
08:42 GMT

The commercial licensing regime in Saudi Arabia has traditionally reserved retailing and distribution activities for locally-owned companies,” says a new report from Jones Lang LaSalle, the real estate consultancy.

GCC
07:09 GMT

The Index of the Saudi British Bank SABB HSBC PMI indicated that business activity in Saudi Arabia has hit its highest level since August.

December 8, 2011

GCC
07:48 GMT

The majority of citizens surveyed in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries endorsed the proposed GCC single currency

December 4, 2011

Saudi women
06:48 GMT

Recent comments by an expert have indicated that Saudi women own cash assets worth US$12 billion.

November 30, 2011

Arab markets
07:31 GMT

The market capitalization of 14 Arab financial markets fell by 14% since the beginning of this year until November 26.

November 28, 2011

Oil output from OPEC member Libya has since resumed and risen more rapidly than many expected
13:00 GMT

The global oil market looks balanced, Saudi oil minister Ali Al Naimi indicated, while the secretary general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said some producers need to cut back as Libyan output rebounds.