APRIL 2007

The new realpolitik

Bush understands Lebanon
Bush understands Lebanon

Syria not yet folding its cards
Bashar al-Assad not yet folding

Iraq needs its own Ataturk
The need for a new Ataturk

Jordan-US QIZ could be better
Jordan's trade agreements

Iran‘s home-grown auto market
The home-grown auto industry

Gulf airlines: Ego-trips or essential?
Gulf airlines just ego trips?

Lebanon: Privatization and its fiscal implications
Implications of privatization

Formerly a haven of small-town trust, UAE sees rise in crime
Sharjah tuning into a big city

Arab states ignore climate change
Arab states ignore climate change

“Month of Mayhem” in Iraq
A month of mayhem in Iraq

Al Waseet pushes into region
Free classified paper dominates

Cry of despair for investments: Habtoor blames Lebanon
Says his only fault was believing that the country was business-friendly

The ABC Group does retail by the letter
Lebanon's leading retailer primed to expand throughout Gulf region

Retailors join forces

Radio Orient goes global

Parking meters Coming to Beirut
But will the city's notoriously do-as-they-please drivers obey the new restrictions and pay the fines

Abdali: The future of Amman
New development looks to put Amman on the map for business—again

Garden of Eden for jobs?
UAE’s growth makes it a magnet for job seekers, but growing pains abound

Can EU-GCC sign a Free Trade Agreement this year?
After 17 years of negotiations, the long-awaited pact appears close

New Saudi cities set to battle Dubai, UAE
Massive investments in KSA’s future, but are they really necessary?

Building the new Karachi
Gulf investors look to invest $100 billion in market with potential

Bridge to drive economy

Housing boom for Egypt in 2007
Cairo’s real estate seeks to grow

New competition on line three
Morocco’s latest operator dials in

Algeria’s industrial strategy
Updated plan unveiled

Tunisia’s sell-off slowdown
A symbol of its own success

No nukes are good nukes? Gulf not so sure
GCC proposal for nuclear plant reopens old debates

Private Equity: A close look at a maturing asset class
PE investment looks to reshape financial landscape

Private equity booming
Rami Bazzi: Injazat Capital

Global private equity has a long reach
Imad Ghandour Gulf Capital

Regulating the shadows - Hawalas test global financial system
But balance in regulation must be found

Nixing GCC monetary union, Oman charts own way
For now, Muscat sees more benefits in forging links beyond the Gulf area, with Asia, Europe and the US

Money Matters by BLOMINVEST Bank

Region’s insurance market has ups and downs
Syria and Saudi Arabia look to be big growth countries

Islamic Insurance: The concept

High-end watches prove time is money
Flush with oil money, the Middle East goes on a buying spree for timepieces and other luxury goods

Dubai asks the question, Yes, but is it art?
Emirate hopes to establish itself as art center in the region

Why equity capital is good for you
10 good reasons to consider deliberately dealing with professional equity investors

Company bulletin

Regional equity markets
A look at Arab-world indices in March

Global economic data
Obesity and seeing the forest and the trees in the world

The battle for downtown: Solidere symbolizes much
But it's the Lebanese economy that is suffering the most