Economics
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) produced around 2.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in December, its oil minister Mohammed al-Hamli has said.
Bahraini works minister Essam Khalaf has said the government will spend more than $2.5bn on infrastructure projects in the next 10 years.
Egypt's bourse hit a fresh 10-week high on Wednesday after a $2.5 billion financial lifeline from Qatar spurred Cairo investors to buy equities, as most Gulf markets continued their rise on the back of strong fourth-quarter earnings expectations.
Libya's oil ministry has reached agreement with the country's army chief and defence and interior ministries to secure exporting terminals, Oil Minister Abdelbari Al-Arusi said, after several protests have caused shipping disruptions.
Companies
Middle East Airlines has signed a final agreement with leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus to acquire 10 planes for $1 billion in a move aimed at boosting the fleet of the national carrier.
The Islamic unit of Emirates NBD, Dubai's largest listed bank, intends to begin a AED1.5bn ($408m) rights issue this month.
Etihad Airways has announced that it set a new record for the number of passengers carried across its worldwide network in a single day on January 5.
Qatar Airways’ chief executive played down safety concerns over Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner aircraft on Wednesday, dismissing a series of recent incidents involving the plane as “teething problems” and saying he had no plans to cancel orders.
