Economics and Policy
Bahrain, which last year boosted state spending to quell political unrest, urgently needs to reform its economy to stop its debt burden becoming unsustainable, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.
Global demand for gold jewellery recorded a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in Q1 2013, owing to high demand in Asian and Middle Eastern markets.
Demand for trade-related credit insurance in the GCC is expected to rise by nearly 40 per cent this year as companies seek to improve their ability to secure finance and cover risks in Europe, Africa and other markets.
Companies and Business
Kuwait Airways Co. signed a deal with Airbus to buy 15 A320neo and 10 A350-900 planes with options for 10 more, five from each category, chairman Sami al-Nasef has said.
Abu Dhabi's clean energy company Masdar and the International Finance Corporation have penned an agreement that could see the World Bank subsidiary provide as much as $1.5 billion in financing to the company.
