Economics and Policy Lebanon's Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil has announced that the date to submit bids to explore for gas has been extended from Nov. 4 to Dec. 10 after the Cabinet missed a deadline to pass two important decrees to demarcate the gas blocks. More from The Daily Star Egypt is prepared to repay within days $2 billion that Qatar deposited with Egypt’s central bank in May if talks to convert the funds into bonds do not succeed. More from Reuters Companies and Business Iraq has pre-qualified 12 companies and joint ventures to build an $18-billion export pipeline to Jordan, the Oil Ministy has said. More from Reuters Stock markets in the UAE and other Gulf countries continued to plunge on fears of an imminent attack on Syria. More from Khaleej Times Saudi Arabian retailer Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair plans to open nearly 250
