Economics and Policy Occupancy at Beirut hotels declined 10 percent in the first quarter of 2013 as room yields dropped 35 percent, Ernst & Young’s monthly survey of the MENA hotel sector showed. More from The Daily Star Israel's security cabinet on Sunday discussed proposed cuts in defense spending of over a billion dollars, as public opposition mounts to austerity plans. More from AFP Only one Lebanese dealer remains in the controversial business of re-exporting gasoil to Syria, a senior industry official said, while Lebanese customs data showed a 33 percent decline in fuel imports during the first quarter of 2013. More from The Daily Star Dubai commercial property rents will rise 5 percent this quarter, according to a survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). More from Arabian Business Egypt has received a $3 billion deposit from Qatar, a central bank official said
